What if switching your dog’s food today could give them healthier golden years?
Multiple studies, including controlled trials on kibble drying, show that higher drying temperatures can degrade nutrients like reactive lysine and unsaturated fats and affect the physical structure of the food. In other words, the hotter the process, the more the food’s nutritional integrity is impacted.
A growing body of evidence suggests that minimally processed dog food not only supports healthy aging in dogs, but also reduces levels of certain detrimental compounds that are associated with chronic disease.
Most recently, a metabolomic study conducted by Cornell University and The Farmer’s Dog found that dogs fed fresh, human-grade dog food had more favorable biomarker profiles linked to healthier aging.
These findings are integral for dog owners to know and understand. Feeding your dog the right food can mean more fetch games, long walks and enthusiastic tail wags during their senior years.
Here’s what every dog owner should know about what’s in their dog’s bowl — and how to make sure every meal supports a healthier tomorrow.
By Cemile Kavountzis, for The Farmer’s Dog
Research shows switching to fresh dog food supports healthy aging
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Studies show how minimally processed pet food puts more life into your dog’s years.
Dr. Joseph Wakshlag, DVM, PhD, DACVSMR, DACVIM (Nutrition), a board-certified veterinary nutritionist involved in the study.
The magnitude and consistency of the metabolic impacts we observed were quick, sustained and striking."
The production of kibble today is driven largely by shelf life and convenience. Consider the differences between “fast food” for dogs and gently cooked “real food.”
1860s
1870s
For centuries, dogs lived on diets of table scraps and meat. However, with the advent of the Industrial Revolution, commercially produced dog food emerged as a significant moneymaker.
Gently cooked and quickly frozen to retain optimal nutrition
Produced to “animal feed” standards
Highly processed dog food
To understand the benefits of fresh pet food, it helps to take a closer look at kibble.
Kibble is made through a complex process involving high heat and high pressure. One of the major concerns with high heat is the Maillard reaction — a chemical process in which sugars react with amino acids (the building blocks of proteins), producing advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which are compounds formed during cooking that build up in the body and are associated with the development of chronic disease, inflammation and other age-related decline.
The harmful effects of high heat processing
A hard look at what high heat does to kibble:
Freshly made dog food
Loaded with preservatives and additives for smell and taste
Made using high-heat, high-pressure manufacturing processes
Prepared with real, whole ingredients like fresh meat and vegetables
Meets rigorous “human-grade” standards for quality and safety
Increase AGEs [ Advanced glycation end products ]
Is what you’re feeding your dog actually healthy?
Similar to many everyday individuals who want the best for their pets, Brett Podolsky once relied on kibble for his dog, Jada. After watching Jada suffer from severe digestive issues, a vet recommended he try cooking fresh, human-grade food for her — and it worked wonders.
Formulated for longevity, not a long shelf life
Seeing what fresh, human-grade food could do for his own dog inspired him to advocate for the well-being of other dogs. In 2014, he teamed up with Jonathan Regev and his dog, Buddy, to challenge long-held views on what constitutes “good dog food.”
Working with top Board-Certified Veterinary Nutritionists®, they developed pet food that is fresh, minimally processed and delivers balanced nutrition. Gently cooking ingredients makes them more easily digestible, bioavailable and nutritious.
Brett Podolsky his dog, Jada
Today, the company has changed the quality of life for thousands of dogs. It’s a very different story from how the commercial dog food industry got its start.
More marketing than nutrition: The surprising history of dog food
First dog biscuits
ADVERTISING "MYSTERY MEET"
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1922
First CANNED DOG FOOD
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WWII
TIN RATIONING DISRUPTS SUPPLY
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1956
First DRY KIBBLE INTRODUCED
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1964
CONVINCING THE PUBLIC
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1980s
DOG HEALTH DECLINES
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1990s
CANINE OBESITY RISES
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2000s
MEETING Animal Feed Standards
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2014
HUMAN-GRADE DOG FOOD
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2025
STUDIES SHOW BENEFITS
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An electrician named James Spratt developed the first dog biscuits after observing dogs along London’s riverbanks eating leftover hardtack — a cheap flour-and-salt cracker made for sailors on long sea journeys. Spratt cleverly rebranded and priced his product as a luxury item for English country gentlemen and their sporting dogs. It marked the beginning of the lucrative commercial pet food industry.
Spratt expanded operations to the U.S., with a recipe that included a “mystery meat” described as the dry, gelatinous parts of prairie beef. He also pioneered advertising campaigns aimed at health-conscious pet owners and dog show participants, introducing the concept of dog food tailored to different life stages.
The first canned dog food, Ken-L Ration, hit U.S. shelves, disclosing in very tiny print that it was made with horse meat.
Canned dog food became so popular in American households that 50,000 horses were being slaughtered each year to meet demand, sparking outrage among animal lovers. When the war began, the rationing of tin and meat disrupted production and shifted the industry.
The first dry kibble was created using extrusion — a process involving high heat and pressurized steam. In the 1950s, General Mills acquired Spratt’s U.S. business, and The Ralston Purina Company began using cereal-making machines to produce shelf-stable pet food.
A group of pet food industry lobbyists launched a highly successful campaign convincing consumers that commercially prepared dog food was the only responsible choice.
As dog health declined, kibble brands began marketing specialized formulas to address conditions such as kidney and liver failure.
With canine obesity on the rise, companies introduced kibble designed for different activity levels and weight management.
Health issues in dogs, such as obesity and diabetes, continued to grow. Despite this, commercial pet food was only required to meet “animal feed” standards. Even premium or organic varieties relied on high-heat processing and drying methods that reduced nutrient quality — practices still common today.
A pair of passionate dog owners disrupted the pet food industry by introducing a new way to feed dogs: fresh, human-grade food.
A study from Cornell University and The Farmer’s Dog finds that senior dogs fed a fresh, human-grade diet had significantly lower levels of harmful compounds associated with the development of chronic disease and age-related decline.
Diving deeper into the data on dog food
The first study on fresh, human-grade dog food, published in 2019 by the University of Illinois, found that diets made with human-grade ingredients were not only safe for pets but also 40% more digestible than processed kibble.
Most recently, a metabolomic study led by Dr. Heather Huson, an associate professor of animal sciences at Cornell University, compared the effects of fresh, human-grade food and a standard kibble diet in senior dogs. The study found measurable changes in biomarkers associated with healthier aging and improved metabolic function in the dogs fed the fresh food.
At the heart of the study were 22 Alaskan sled dogs over age 12. After 30 days, dogs eating fresh diets showed markers of better health.
Key findings among dogs eating a fresh diet:
Learn more about pet nutrition
Outlooks on dog food are changing as consumers are realizing the possible benefits of less processed human-grade food. Many owners are no longer viewing fresh dog food as a luxury or an alternative, but rather as the fundamental nutrition necessary to support wellness and healthy aging in their four-legged family members.
Prioritizing pet nutrition: Your dog deserves better
HIGHER ACTIVITY / FITNESS
Increased omega-3 fatty acids, including ALA, EPA, DPA and DHA, which support energy and cellular health. Integrating these into your dog’s diet can help them stay active and fit.
Higher levels of ergothioneine, carnosine and anserine — antioxidants with anti-inflammatory properties. Antioxidants can help reduce cognitive decline in dogs, among other benefits, as they age.
REDUCED COGNITIVE DECLINE
Significantly lower levels of AGEs (advanced glycation end products). These compounds are linked to aging and chronic illnesses.
LESS CHRONIC ILLNESS
Dr. Alex Schechter, DVM, Burrwood Veterinary in Michigan
No animal’s digestive system is designed to eat highly processed food every meal of their lives. The Farmer’s Dog makes it easy to feed your pet something better.”
To learn more about The Farmer’s Dog and research-backed pet nutrition, visit thefarmersdog.com/digest.
Potentially harmful compounds
Connected to aging
Connected to chronic illness [ such as diabetes and cancer ]
Protein molecule
Fat molecule
Sugar molecule
Sugar molecule
