Cancerous tissue, pus-filled sores, beak and eyeball: Is commercial pet food making your dog sick? And what SHOULD you feed him?



Louise Glazebrook is a leading dog expert and trainer living in London

Runs the Darling Dog Company, reward-based training school



Clients include dogs of Nick Grimshaw, Pixie Geldof and Lara Stone

Is concerned about the lack of regulations in manufacturing dog food

Says a natural and raw diet is the way to keep your dog healthy

The Truth About Your Dog's Food airs on 30 January on Channel 5



A leading urban dog trainer and behaviourist, whose clients include high-profile celebrities such as Nick Grimshaw and Pixie Geldof, has spoken out about the hidden dangers of commercial dog food.

Louise Glazebrook, founder of acclaimed east London dog training school Darling Dog Company, says pets are being fed tinned food and kibble from leading dog food companies that has little or no nutritional value, and that animals are suffering ill effects as a result.

Problems with digestion such as diarrhoea and pancreatitis, serious skin and fur complaints, tooth decay, diabetes and behavioral problems can all arise as a result of dogs being fed commercial brands that are comprised of 'meat derivatives', a wooly term that can include such animal parts as cancerous tissue, pus-filled sores, beak and eyeball.

Louise Glazebrook's bulldog Cookie, whom she feeds a diet of natural cooked and raw foods, from meat and bones to grains, fruit and vegetables

Louise's crusade to encourage pet owners to take responsibility for what goes into their dogs' mouths comes as Channel 5 commission a new documentary about the hidden horrors of pet food, The Truth About Your Dog's Food, to be aired later this month.



Speaking to MailOnline, Louise said: 'When popular commercial brands have labels that read "meat derivatives", you have no idea what this is.



'The companies are trying to make as much food as possible for as little as possible, so they use the cheapest bits: cancerous tissue, pus-filled sores, beak, eyeball. Would you feed that to your dog?'

Louise, who has worked with the four-legged friends of London-based stars such as David Walliams' model wife Lara Stone, says the only way to ensure your dog is recieving the nutrients it needs is to feed it unprocessed natural foods, predominantly things you have cooked yourself, and raw food.

Her own bulldog, Cookie, came out in a debilitating rash that left her itching until her skin was raw, and the complaint didn't subside until Louise tried eliminating foods from Cookie's diet, finally understanding that her pup was allergic to both wheat and chicken, both highly present in most commercial dog foods.

As soon as Louise stopped feeding Cookie chicken and wheat, the rash vanished.



Nick Grimshaw and his rescue Jack Russell dog Puppy, left, are one pair that Louise, right with Cookie, has worked with on training and behaviour



Louise Glazebrook, pictured with a client's dog, says the best way to ensure your pup gets what he needs is to feed him natural food that has not been heavily processed by large commercial dog companies

Speaking about what dogs actually should eat, Louise says feeding your dog basic, mass-produced commercial dog food is 'the equivalent of feeding a child a diet of McDonalds and Haribo'.



She continues: 'There are but a few people out there doing great things with dog food, Lily's Kitchen and Nutriment are two of them.



'Many of them which are sold in your vet's waiting room, are expensively packaged and full of sweepings off of the factory floor which are about as useful to your dog as a packet of jelly babies.



'When you feed your dog look at what it needs. Honestly, it is very simple. What you put in has a big impact on what you get out. Both from a health and behaviour point of view.

'I am amazed at how few people I see and work with realise the impact that food can have on the work we are doing with their dog. How can I expect a dog to concentrate if he is just looking for his next sugar hit ?'

'If you feed a dog a food made from sugar, salt, meat derivitives and ash, it's similar to you eating a highly processed ready meal. Not great.

'We seem to have been taught that our dogs need special foods, special diets and special treats. They really don't.



'They need real food, that is all. Instead of feeding a Dentastix which is full of who knows what, use some of nature's toothbrushes they are cheaper and better for your dog.

'When you think of dog food, the easiest thing to think of is this; the simpler the better.



'If you don't know what the ingredients are or where they came from throw the food in the bin. It shouldn't stink, it shouldn't make your dog stink, and it certainly shouldn't be heavily processed.

'I am amazed at how few people I see and work with realise the impact that food can have on the work we are doing with their dog. How can I expect a dog to concentrate if he is just looking for his next sugar hit?



'We are turning our dogs into junkies through laziness and being told that dog food should be convienent. Actually it shouldn't be, dog food should be real, decent and tasty.'



Louise has worked with Pixie Geldof and her chihuahua Busta Sniff, pictured

Louise says: 'Dogs need real food, that is all, so instead of feeding a Dentastix which is full of who knows what, use some of nature's toothbrushes, they are cheaper and better for your dog'

One dog food brand Louise recommends is Nutriment, a company specialising in raw dog food delivered to your door to be stored in the freezer.

Founded by Suzanne Brock, the company was voted best raw dog food by Which? magazine.



Suzanne's theory is that dogs in the wild would never have eaten cooked food, and that tinned meats and kibble have been created for our own convenience.

'Raw diets are based on fresh foods such as raw meats, raw bones, raw vegetables and minerals, and are designed to mimic what your cat or dog would eat in the wild'



She said: 'If left to its own devices, a dog will catch or scavenge its food from the prey of others, and will eat virtually everything - the flesh (a great source of essential protein), fat (a source of energy), bone (a source of calcium and other minerals), muscle, organ meats and stomach (an excellent source of enzymes, minerals and pre-digested plant material.'

'Dogs, both domesticated and wild, are members of the carnivore family, and are anatomically built for eating meat.



'Their teeth are designed for tearing and chewing, their short intestines avoid the putrefaction of flesh foods, and the powerful digestive juices can even dissolve lumps of bone.



'This means they can effectively eat food which would kill we humans without any harmful effects.



'BARF (Biologiocally Appropriate Raw Food or Bones And Raw Food) diets are based on fresh foods such as raw meats, raw bones, raw vegetables and minerals, and are designed to mimic what your cat or dog would eat in the wild.'

Louise says: 'We seem to have been taught that our dogs need special foods, special diets and special treats. They really don't. They need real food, that is all'

She continued: 'Humans are the only animals that cook their foods - and we know cooking breaks down many of the proteins and amino acids in raw meat, destroying much of the nutritional goodness.

'So why would you feed your animal a processed, cooked food? Most people do not realize what they may actually be feeding to their beloved family pet.



'Some commercial foods contain a high percentage of fillers, such as cereals, grains, and soya which your pet simply isn't designed to eat - and which actually can lead to long term health problems such as yeast infections, itchy skin, ear and anal gland issues.



'Furthermore, some foods contain meat meal and derivatives, which can include feet, feathers and other undesirable parts of an animal.



'At Nutriment we pride ourselves on the quality of our ingredients and will never include any fillers in our food. We will also always use British meat from human grade sources so you can be sure your pet is getting only the best, freshest, most natural food on the market. '

Louise's top tips for feeding dogs

Coconut oil is like a wonder oil for dogs and humans alike

Buy the cheap pieces of meat from your butcher

Use scraps of veg to create some nutritional casseroles

Look at the small independents who are really making some brilliant products for your dogs: Lily's Kitchen tins, Nutriment, Venison for Pets, Angell Petco

Don't be scared to try raw!

Danger foods and what to avoid

Avoid anything with meat and vegetable derivatives in it

There are a few foods for dogs which can be toxic, these include chocolate, grapes, raisins, coffee, alcohol, avocados, onions, macadamias and xylitol (the chemical added to food)

If it smells bad, don't feed it to your dog

Never feed cooked bones to dogs, particularly chicken bones, as these can splinter and become a choking hazard or cause internal rupturing

