Dog Food Battle

D. E. Larsen, DVM

I had just settled into my desk chair and started through the stack of files from the busy day. It was nice to be busy. It seemed to make these quiet moments more relaxing.

Just then, Ruth leaned in through the office door.

“Jason just caught me when I was locking the front door,” Ruth said. “He says he just needs to talk with you for a few minutes if you have the time. What do you want me to do?”

“Bring him back,” I said. “Talk is easy, and I can spare a few minutes.”

Ruth brought Jason to the office door, and I motioned him to the chair near my desk.

“What’s up, Jason?” I asked.

“Thanks for seeing me, Doc,” Jason said. “I know I’m late, but I just got off work, and I rushed over here as fast as I could. I was hoping that you could save my marriage, Doc.”

“Save your marriage!” I replied. “I think you have the wrong office. Down the way on Main Street, there is both an attorney’s and a councilor’s office. I can take care of your dog, but I’m not sure about your wife. I have enough trouble with mine.”

“Doc, I would trust your opinion on anything before I would trust any of those other folks,” Jason said. “But, my dog, Rex, is in the middle of this issue.”

“Okay, so let’s get to the problem,” I said. “This might take a while.”

About then, Ruth stuck her head through the door.

“I’m leaving now,” Ruth said. “Is there anything you two need before I go?”

“I’m okay,” I said. “But Jason just got off work. He might enjoy a Coke or something.”

“A Coke would be great,” Jason said. “Thanks.”

Ruth was back in a moment, carrying two cold Cokes. She handed one to Jaxon and set one on my desk.

“You just got off work yourself,” Ruth said. “I will lock the front door behind me.”

Jason opened his Coke and took a long swallow. 

“It’s all about dog food, Doc,” Jason said. “You wouldn’t think such a small thing would cause a big problem, but it is a major issue in our house right now.”

“There have been a lot of changes in the dog food industry in the last few years,” I said. “Most of it has been just in marketing. Not a lot of real changes in the food, just making people think things are different.”

“Well, if you remember, Doc, when we brought Rex in for his first visit, some five years ago, you said to just pick a major brand of food, and he would do well,” Jason said. “We picked Purina. And I would say it made a pretty good dog out of him.”

“I don’t remember that specific conversation, Jason, but that has been my standard recommendation since I started in this business,” I said. “You go to the grocery store and look at the pet food aisle. They don’t arrange the shelf by chance. The products that sell best get the most shelf space and the most favorable location. Just that alone will be a good indicator of what other dogs are eating. And a lot of dogs grow up and live normal lives on some pretty cheap dog food.”

“And that is where our problem starts,” Jason said. “About a year ago, my wife started watching the TV commercials about all these new-fangled brands of food that make a dog happier and healthier. And they cost a hell of a lot more than Rex’s old Purina.”

“And it’s all marketing, Jason,” I said. “They borrowed from the human food industry. And they play on women’s mothering instinct. You watch a dog eat. He inhales that food. It doesn’t stay in his mouth a second. Look at his vomitus right after a meal. The food in the vomitus looks just like the food in his dish. Sure, he jumps at a can of food, once in a while. But you offer that all the time, and you will lose three weeks of hunting season while you are getting your dog back in shape to retrieve all day.”

“I have been trying to convince Kate of that for months,” Jason said. “She is convinced that the fancy food is worth every penny.”

“If telling her that I said so will help with your argument, feel free to use my name,” I said. “That usually doesn’t help in my house, but it might be worth a try. But go talk with Mark or Mary down at Thriftway, tell them I sent you, and see what they have to say about how they distribute space on their pet food aisle. Take Kate along. Then figure out what percentage of dogs are eating what food. And talk about how well Rex did growing into a fine athletic dog on eat just plain old Purina. That might help; certainly can’t hurt. You can also take your label off the bag of food you are feeding now and compare it to the label on Purina, and even to the cheapest food on the shelf. You will find there is not a lot of difference, except for some of the vernacular.”

“I didn’t mean to take up so much of your time, Doc,” Jason said, “I thank you for your discussion. What do I owe you for the visit?”

“We’re square, Jason,” I said. “You bring Rex in this fall before hunting season, and let’s make sure he is in shape. He is approaching the middle years. So you don’t want to be asking him to do more than he is capable of. And it is not often that I get Ruth to deliver me a Coke. Just let me know how the battle goes. And, if worst comes to worst, tell Kate that you guys just can’t afford the new food. She will say it’s not that much. Then you say it’s not dog food, it’s those damn attorney fees.”

“Ha, that might do it, alright,” Jason said. “That hasn’t come up in the discussions yet, but it has been at the back of my mind.”

We called it a night. And it was several weeks before I happened to see Jason again.

“Doc, I really want to thank you for our talk a few weeks ago,” Jason said. “Your suggestion to take Kate down to talk with Mary did wonders. Mary was great. But the attorney’s fee comment ended any controversy. All is well at our house, and Rex is back on his old diet and happy as ever.”

Photo Credit: John Baker on Pexels.