The history of dog food began with the production of the first commercial dog food product. Interestingly, the first dog food product was not created by a company but by an individual – an electrician at that! When James Spratt, an electrician from Ohio was in London he was pained to see dogs being fed scraps for food. Most dogs were given left-over ship’s biscuits and Spratt being a pet lover decided that he could better this product.
Spratt decided to experiment with a mixture of wheat, vegetables, beetroot and meat. While this formulation was based more on guesswork than scientific research or knowledge about the dietary needs of a dog, the product emerged successful. Spratt’s company soon flourished in business by selling the commercialized product to English country gentlemen who were keeping dogs for sporting needs. This was clearly a step forward and the history of dog food had just started its journey. In 1890, Spratt’s company was taken over by a public company that also made use of Spratt’s product, formula and production. The company then sold its first product in the U.S.
When the products began to sell fast, several new companies came into the market with their own formulations of fortified biscuits and dry kibble. These products were mainly based on the limited knowledge of the nutritional requirements of the dog. The 1900s saw a boom in production and dog biscuits became available in all kinds of packages, names and varieties. Owners chose brands according to the price and not according to the ingredients used. Suffice it to say that most people were not aware of what a dog needed and were happy when their pets eagerly accepted the biscuits that were high in sugar and starch.
The World War saw a change in direction. Many dogs were used in service during this time. It was not uncommon for a soldier to return with a pup or a grown dog that he had ‘adopted’ during the war. As the enthusiasm for special dog breeds grew new products became available by way of dog food. The history of dog food took another leap in the right direction when canned horsemeat was introduced as dog food in the U.S. Slowly, people started rudimentary research into this area and began to discover that dogs and cats loved certain kinds of food. This had to be coupled with the owner’s convenience to feed the pet and slowly dry meat-meal dog foods began to be commercially available.
After the 1950s the history of dog food is full of new experiments and new products. In the late 1950s dry expanded type of pet foods became available and dogs as well as cats were given new kinds of chewable food that seemed to go well with their palates. The 1960s was a period that can never be forgotten in the history of dog food because this stretch saw an immense diversification in the types of food that was available to a pet owner. Semi-moist food began to be available for dogs. Slow studies were initiated on the nutritional value of the ingredients and companies began focusing on the calorific and dietary needs of the pet.
As competition became wilder and new products and tall claims began to sway the market, companies came up with different kinds of dog foods to suit different breeds of dog. Specialized food was becoming available for older dogs and for dogs with health problems. This was of course greatly helped by a new generation of dog owners who took their responsibilities very seriously and were willing to go the extra mile to ensure the health of their pet. As dogs began to suffer from human-like disease like the diabetes, dog food companies began focusing on food that was healthier, more fiber-rich and sugar-free.
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