Why do we treat our dog's digestion so much more seriously than we treat our own? In a very scientific survey based on the TV I watch, it seems every single dog food ad now mentions that the food is GMO free or soy free, or grain free, “this brand is gluten free, because you know it’s best.” Stuff like that.
My dogs' food bag says it's “grain free”, “processed with purified water” and goes through a “151 check system”. (Seriously.) So if the dog food companies have spent all the money making these new products and then advertising them, it follows this is something that we -- the consumer -- care deeply about. In the same vein, if your dog has one runny or off poop, you lose your shit (pun intended).
Come on, be honest, it’s all you and your significant other talk about at brunch after it happens. Normally, hopefully, the one that wants to wait till Monday to call the vet wins out over the one that wants to go to the emergency vet... "I think it looked like blood babe, that’s all I’m saying."
But compare this to how we treat our own diet and digestion.
A bad poop to start the day is quickly explained away by the burger and rhubarb buttercream pie you had to have last night. It’s different for you. The dog has no choice in the matter, so you’re obliged to do the best by them in a way. But you? Fuck you, right?
Okay, not really. But think about the ads I mentioned first as well. Our food companies aren’t advertising GMO free, they’re against labeling GMO products (a battle they recently won in CA). The big food companies have made it illegal to take pictures of their factories and currently there is little to no major news covering the fact that PEDv (the Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus) is spreading through the pig supply and 20% of all piglets are being killed. Didn’t hear about that? Shocking. Check it out here.
The dichotomy of the direct connection we see between our best friend's diet, digestion and health, and the amusement park we treat ours like, is tough to figure. I do believe, thankfully, that more people are taking their poop as seriously as their pooch’s.