Gus Gassmann wrote:
Char wrote:
It seems that dog health is on the decline. Depending on the breed,
dogs can live to 20 years or more. Today, you're lucky if they reach
eight.

Do you have any evidence to support any of those statements?

There is lots of evidence that shows cancer for instance is way higher
in pets than it ever was. How healthy can a pet be when it lives on meat
products from rendering plants, cheap fillers like feathers and beet
pulp and the extreme over processing till there is little left of
nutritional value? On any bag of kibble is an ingredient list that
includes tons of vitamins and minerals that have to be added just to
make it of any nutritional value.

Why not just feed foods that naturally have those vitamins and minerals?

Google "processed foods and health" and "processed foods and health for
dogs" for your evidence. There are literally millions of links.

http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/jesse.htm
"A growing number of veterinarians state that processed pet food
(kibbles and canned food) is the main cause of illness and premature
death in the modern dog and cat. In December 1995, the British Journal
of Small Animal Practice published a paper contending that processed pet
food supresses the immune system and leads to liver, kidney, heart and
other diseases. Dr. Kollath, of the Karolinska Hospital in Stockholm,
headed a study done on animals. When young animals were fed cooked and
processed foods they initially appeared to be healthy. However, as the
animals reached adulthood, they began to age more quickly than normal
and also developed chronic degenerative disease symptoms. A control
group of animals raised on raw foods aged less quickly and were free of
degenerative disease."

http://74.125.93.132/search?q=cache:...ient=firefox-a
http://tinyurl.com/namz2k
Myth: MILLIONS OF DOGS ARE SAFELY EATING 'COMPLETE AND BALANCED'
COMMERCIAL FOODS EACH DAY.
"Millions of dogs eat kibble. And millions of dogs—at least 85% of all
dogs—suffer from periodontal disease by age 3 as a result of eating
these processed foods (Penman, S. and P. Emily. 1991. Scaling, Polishing
and Dental Home Care. Waltham International Focus. 1(3): 2-8. In
Lonsdale, T. 2001. Raw Meaty Bones. pg 110). This translates to teeth
covered with plaque and teeming with bacteria. These bacteria get into
the gums and provoke the body's inflammatory response continually for
the rest of the animal's life. Dogs (and cats!) are doomed to have nasty
teeth and rancid breath. "It's normal," people said. "Dogs are supposed
to have bad dog breath."
Millions of dogs eat kibble, and millions of dogs fill the waiting rooms
of veterinarians, bad breath and all. These pets suffer from
dermatitises of all sorts, or from cancers, joint problems, heart
problems, kidney problems, digestive problems ("lack of enzymes"), liver
problems, pancreas problems, coat problems, tooth problems, anal gland
problems, glandular disorders, allergies, and soft doughy bodies brought
on by eating a grain-based, artificial, highly-processed,
additive-filled food touted as "healthy" for your dog. Thousands of dogs
die from diet-induced diseases like bloat each year (and that is not to
say all diseases are caused by diet, but many of them link strongly with
processed diets and diet-induced periodontal disease. Refer to Raw Meaty
Bones for a more in-depth discussion.), and yet the industry keeps on
churning out artificial pet foods and vets keep recommending them to
their clients.