Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Dog Food for Deformed Dogs

How twisted are dogs today? It truly boggles the mind.

Consider this: Dog food companies now make dog food for deformed dogs!

No, this is not a joke. As the Royal Canin dog food company notes:

Royal Canin Pug 25 is specially designed for the breed’s brachycephalic
face, which means he finds it very difficult to pick up a flat kibble.

Instead, a cloverleaf shaped kibble is easy to pick up, with a texture which makes the dog want to crunch, providing mechanical brushing for the teeth and helping to slow down the build up of dental plaque.... The shortness of the Pug’s muzzle and fineness of coat clearly shows off the folds around his face, but this area can retain humidity and therefore encourage irritation. Pug 25 contains a patented complex of four B vitamins and an amino acid to help support the barrier function of the skin .....

Regular, gentle exercise and avoiding strong heat and intense effort are important for the Pug – maintaining muscle tone is essential, but the shortness of his nasal passages makes him prone to breathlessness. Pug 25 is based on ultradigestible (over 90%) proteins and a combination of fibres to help stimulate digestive transit and protect intestinal flora....

Think this is the only one? Think again! There's a similar food for brachycephalic cats, like Persians, which have been so wrecked by show fanciers they too have a hard time eating. As Royal Canin notes:

The Persian is known for its long, beautiful coat and brachycephalic (flat) face. Cats with flat facial characteristics use the lower side of their tongue to pick up kibbles – which is why an almond shape kibble is easier for them to eat. Additionally, the average total length of the hair on a Persian cat is 30 miles, making skin and coat health, along with hairball management, a top priority.



We need to start a national inquiry into how and who allowed this thing to happen on a scale so large that we now have companies selling pet food for deformed and defective dogs and cats.

And we need to hit in the head with a brick anyone who defends positively selecting dogs and cats for deformities such as brachycephalicism and achondroplasia.

Enough is enough.


YesBiscuit! said...

What disappoints me is that some of these brachy breeds are very appealing to me as an owner but I hesitate to get one because of the heat and humidity here. If I could get say, a French Bulldog with a regular dog's face, I'd be happy!

3Laiki said...

I won't disagree that Pugs are of overall poor design. Generally speaking, it is not wise to lead with one's eyeballs or have all nasal anatomy crammed into such small volume. They are difficult to restrain - try grabbing an ill-tempered apple!
But, fortunately (or unfortunately??) I have yet to encounter a skinny pug. I don't know if they are eating Pug 25 or some Pug 'inferior' diet, but clearly they are not calorie deficient. The majority resemble small snorting ottomans. Perhaps they use their broad protruding tongues during periods of breathlessness to scoop in food matter (chewing is optional). This is very amusing marketing. Apparently there are 20 different breed-specific diets offered by Royal Canin!

HTTrainer said...

I've got a pile of bricks I was going to rebuild a walkway, but it seems there is a better cause.
Also, smaller sizes available for pinheads.

Random Muse said...

What is very interesting is that Royal Canin and the AKC have partnered in there efforts to sell these products. Royal Canin is a sponsor of the AKC veterinary outreach program and representatives from both groups use this as a tool to promote these breed specific diets to veterinarians and veterinary students.

Viatecio said...

I love and hate Royal Canin...they've made an awesome killing on profits by doing that whole "Your dog is a [breed], so he can only eat our [breed] food or else he'll wither away/get sick/starve/etc." And then I hate them so much because they're doing dogs such a disservice by catering to things like this. I know their Bulldog and German Shepherd kibbles are shaped differently too...ooooo, geometric designs, that must mean it's better than that regular, bland old circle-shaped kibble!

Good thing them dog food companies haven't thought to make one-size-fits-all dog kibbles yet! *snerk*