n the late 1850’s, an electrician from Cincinnati traveled across the Atlantic to the British Isles. His mission was to sell lightning conductors in London. It is not known whether he was successful in his intended purpose. What is known, however, is that when he disembarked from the ship, he witnessed sailors feeding their leftover sea biscuits to the packs of homeless dogs that roamed the shipyards. That man was James Spratt. He went on to become the creator of the dog biscuit.

These dog treats, called Spratt’s Patent Meat Fibrine Dog Cakes, were a mix of wheat, beet root, vegetables and the blood of cattle. Spratt’s company flourished in Britain, and in the early 1890’s, his operation spread to America. The growing class of urban Americans found themselves flush with extra cash, and they made Spratt’s New York company a successful venture. Thus began the era of the modern pet food industry.

Soon after, American dog food and treat companies began to proliferate. In 1931, the National Biscuit Company (which later became Nabisco) began manufacturing Milkbones in enormous quantities. Following an aggressive marketing campaign lead by a force of 3,000 salesmen, dog biscuits soon became a staple in American grocery stores.

During World War II, meat was strictly rationed, limiting the supply available to manufacturers of dog food and biscuits. It was during this time that recipes were altered to include leftover cereal, corn, gluten, wheat and soy by-products not used in human food products. The flavors came from meat by-products and bone meal. In the 1950’s, consumers began to complain about the digestibility of mass-produced dog food and treats. To appease the clamoring market, these companies began to include vitamins and minerals. By-and-large, this was the last concerted effort to increase nutritional values; most subsequent changes were designed to increase sales through marketing ploys, utilizing flashy ads and novel shapes and colors to interest consumers.

When we fast-forward to 2006, there is little improvement regarding the nutritional content of pet treats on the market. Unfortunately, clever packaging and advertising campaigns direct consumers’ attention away from the ingredient list. Many treats still contain the leftover cereal and other ingredients that will be good for profits rather than the dog. Artificial coloring and chemical preservatives are included to maintain freshness, as these mass-produced treats typically spend months stored in warehouses before finally being stocked in your local grocery. Many treats on the market today contain wheat flour, soy flour, dextrose, BHA, propylene Glycol, high fructose corn syrup, and garlic. These products are known to be hard to digest and some can have potentially harmful effects. In fact, garlic and propylene Glycol are both poisonous to dogs.
 

Good News at HealthyPetNet ! We are pleased to announce that we will soon expand our product line to include healthy products for people. These high quality, health-promoting products will be made available under our corporate name, Trilogy. Look for more details about this exciting development next month.