this is really an eye opening experience. I use to have a dog and this book really made me question what kind of food I was giving them.

Two major takeaways came from reading this book. First, the industry that bags, tags and cans the "stuff" people give their dogs for dinner needs some serious regulation to make it way healthier than it is. And second, I wish the people who are telling the world about this travesty didn't have a dog in the fight.

But do not misunderstand: Even though the authors' company is in the business of selling freshly cooked "real" dog food and in direct competition with the corporate giants whose practices they're exposing, this is an important, well-researched and documented book. In fact, nearly 15% is devoted to notes and research citings, and I don't hesitate to say it's one that every pooch owner - or "pet parent," as the authors prefer to call them - should fetch, sit and read. I'll also assume that cat-lovers like me who consider puppies akin to grandkids - they're cute for an hour or two but I'm happy to see them go home - can infer that the same applies to the the feline feed industry (and for that matter, pets of any kind like ferrets, horses and pot-bellied pigs). But since the authors - and something like 63 million U.S. households with pets in residence - are dog-lovers, it seems like an a good place to start.

And trust me, it's an eye-opener; I learned a lot, most of it unpleasant to say the least. The rules and regulations of the industry - from start to finished products - haven't changed much since the early days. It's important to note that for regulatory purposes it's still considered "feed," not "food" - and still made from tons of ingredients you'd never for one second consider putting in your own mouth. And to that end, the authors make a good point: If we wouldn't eat it, why would we want to feed it to the doggies we love and treat as family members?

Another important point they make is that quality does not increase with price (or at least not appreciably). Some of the blame, they say, has come by way of industry consolidation; to that end, there's a list of which companies own which brands - and that basically boils down to six conglomerates. As for oversight, infractions of what regulations exist rarely are enforced by meaningful punishment.

Industry history and practices are outlined in great detail and comprise most of the pages, but that's not all; there's a helpful section on nutritional needs for dogs, some of the FAQs from the company's website (the most common of which is, "Can my dog eat popcorn?") and even a section of recipes for the do-it-yourselfers out there. All in all, well done - and thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.

Part expose of the pet industry, but mostly advertisement for their brand of fresh dog food. Although the authors do provide some valuable and disturbing information about the pet food industry and the lack of regulation, this is ultimately about selling their product, despite the disclaimer to the contrary at the beginning. The authors never mention the names of any of their competitors in the fresh pet market and the infomercial quality of the introduction, at least for me, was very off putting. I cannot recommend this book as it is as much a marketing ploy as it is an expose.

Review Copy

This is an excellent book for anyone who cares about the health of their dog or cat kids. I thought I knew a lot about pet food; I'm a label reader when it comes to both my food and my cat food, I've been feeding cats and dogs for 50 years and quite simply, I pay attention.

Turns out before reading this book I was totally ignorant. It freaked me out and scared the hell out of me like no horror novel has been able to do. I was nearly in tears at a couple of secti0ns as I realized that my worst fears regarding the recent deaths of my beloved cats were entirely founded. There was a lot that I was already aware of regarding what the cheap foods contain. What I didn't know was that it got worse. You might think you're buying American sourced ingredients, but you're probably not. You might think you're buying pure ingredients. Nope. And the poison. Oh yeah, the poison.

I spent the morning reading up on how how to make my own cat food. After all, I made my own baby fo0d. I make my food and don't eat processed food. why should my furbabies? It's not as hard or as expensive as it might seem to appear on the surface. It does require research and caring.

Yes, the author of the book is a pet food manufacturer. But he cared enough to wise the public up to a very toxic situation. Everyone has options about the food they put in their mouths and in the mouths of the beings they care for. Knowledge is power. Take back some power now and extend the lives of those you love.

I have no words to thank St. Martins Press for offering me BIG KIBBLE or Shawn Buckley for researching and writing it. Pleasder check for this excellent book and buy it today.

BIG KIBBLE by Shawn Buckley and Dr. Oscar Chavez is a non-fiction book that explores the pet food industry and offers their recommendations for improvements that should be made. Do you know what is in your pet’s food? How is it made? What does “premium” really mean?

This was a thought-provoking book that talks about the history of the pet food industry, the process used for making that food, what goes in that food, the lack of proper regulations, and seems to posit that much of the commercial pet food on the market is not adequate for a healthy pet.

The book is focused on dogs and recommends food for them that is made from human grade ingredients like they sell through their company JustFoodForDogs. There are also a few other niche suppliers that use these ingredients. They even provide some recipes at the end of the book to make your own dog food.
One thing that was an important distinction in pet food that the authors emphasized is that pet food is regulated as “feed” not “food”. The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) shapes feed laws and regulations. While states set their own rules, they need consistency since this trade crosses state boundaries. Dog feed has been classified as feed versus food since its origins. The FDA has a memorandum of understanding with the AAFCO which is not a governmental agency.

I found that the book was somewhat repetitive with some of the early text repeated near the end. However, there were also stories that were heart-wrenching, heart-warming and gave this reader insights into many of the medical challenges dogs can face. The authors also give recommendations for improvements within the pet food industry. The book is easy to read for a lay person and doesn’t require one to be a veterinarian to understand it.

Overall, it was a book that I am glad I read. It seemed one-sided to me, but perhaps for a good reason. If you are a dog parent, this will be a thought-provoking and potentially shocking read.
St. Martin’s Press and the authors provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for December 1, 2020.

This is a book about the horrible things we are feeding our pets. There are so many dangers in the pet food industry. Many of which are hidden from us as the consumer. Many of us don't know of the fecal matter mixed into the kibble we feed our pets. That is only one of the mass of dangerous ingredients that could be in the pet food.
A lot of the illnesses that our pets are developing are because of the food they ate fed.
This book alerts us to the dangers of some of these foods. It is informative and interesting.

This directly applies to what I am studying in school for career 2 as veterinary assistant. Fancy labels do not equate to proper nutrition for your dog or cat. Owners beware and read labels for your pets. If you cannot pronounce an ingredient, most likely it is a chemical additive which is not good for your pet!

Back when I unsuccessfully did a a vet tech nursing program, I did a Hill"s nutrition pet at home class, and learned proper nutrition for dogs and cats. ALWAYS use a measure for dry food, and do not overfeed your pet dry food. Dogs are omnivores and need a combination of both. Cats are true carnivores, and benefit more from a wet canned food. Dry food is garbage for your cat, fyi. Always talk to your vet about proper nutrition before any diet changes.

Thankfully, I am in a stronger accelerated program for veterinary assisting. Maybe I will revisit the same school in 5 yrs or so and do their Vet Tech nursing program. I truly want to help owners and their pets of all kinds.

I really learned a lot from this book and highly recommend it for every dog and cat owner.

Thanks to Netgalley, Shawn Bickley, and St Martin's Press for an ARC and reaching out to me directly to read a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 12/1/20

I don’t ordinarily read non-fiction, but I’m an animal lover and when told about this book couldn’t jump into it fast enough. Big Kibble is in many ways similar to Big Tobacco. For years we, the public, were told how bad smoking was for us, yet we still smoked. After Big Tobacco was made public and the public learned the hows and whys of smoking’s dangers things began to change. Big Kibble pretty much does the same thing for pet food. In reading some of the real contents of dry, canned and frozen feed (pet food is considered feed the same as livestock food) any reader will be shocked and dismayed that they are expected to give this to their four legged family member. Other suggestions made in the book such as making pet food categorized into food the same as human food with equal care and consideration put into it, decent insurance for pets and, wonder of wonders, a tax write-off for some medical expenses would be wonderful. Thanks to Net Galley, the authors and St. Martin’s Press for an e-galley for an honest review. This book is going on my Christmas list for my pet parent friends.

God I hate corporations! No accountability. I've had two dogs on my life, but it was way back in the day and I'm not sure what they were fed anymore. I currently have cats and feeding them has been an adventure of food the vet recommended, to food my family and friends recommended, to foods I've researched and combinations of them all. Frustrating. pet parents know how picky cats can be, even some dogs, I'd bet. I've had to abandon food on several occasions due to recalls. (really doesn't make sense, if your furry baby is deathly ill from it, does it? and only a paltry payout from company.) There is need for a change in the industry. I try to do local pet foods, but it's hard to say how the nutrition is in it. Just tragic. This is a well researched book about the pet food industry and how awful our furry babies foods are. maybe we should just feed them foods we eat....

This is a very well written, super informative book. At the same time it is very infuriating to learn about the lack of regulations and the disgusting ingredients that make it into food for our furry friends. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone with pets. Thanks to NetGalley for the privilege to read and review this book.

Can Big Kibble do to the dog food industry what The Jungle did for human food? I'm sure authors Shawn Buckley and Dr. Oscar Chavez hope so.

This book was fascinating. I'm not currently a dog owner, though I have been in the past and one of the most important things for us was picking a food we thought was healthiest for him. Certainly we worry about what we put in our own bodies; shouldn't we do the same for our pets?

And the truth of the matter is that we have so many options. Unfortunately, as this book points out, there are very few parent companies that own them all, so if the supply chain is bad, everyone suffers. And it's startling that there is no regulation in the industry. And the difference between "feed" and "food" is vast.

Big Kibble contains much more than a treatise against large dog food manufacturers. It's a well-researched book about the rise of dogs as our number one companions and the history of their care and feeding. But it's first a foremost a call to be vigilant: dogs are getting sick from their food because of a lack of oversight and regulations. Sure, Congressional hearings and other investigations take place--finding things like illegal antibiotics and plastics well *after* many find their pups on the vet's table.

One thing to keep in mind--the authors of this book are not simply unbiased observers. They have a stake in this game: they are the founders of JustFoodForDogs, a specialty pet food company. They are quite open and upfront about this, but it should be noted. Their food is not cheap. It's the conundrum many people face when trying to feed their families: highly processed stuff that's inexpensive, or the nutritious fare that is quite costly. Unfortunately, that is a larger problem than just the conglomerates themselves.

Special thanks to St. Martin's Press for offering me this copy to review. It was definitely eye opening, and will certainly enhance my research the next time we welcome a new bundle of fur to the family.

I was given this advanced copy for an honest review. I was interested in what the book had to say about the different aspects of dog food.
It seemed informative and well written. I will probably not change my dog's food but was glad to be informed.

A few years back, I started seeing lots of social media feeds featuring costumed and extremely pampered pets that seemed way over the top and silly. Around this time, I began hearing about celebrities who hired chefs to cook for their pets. When I started seeing refrigerated and frozen food items at my local pet stores, I thought it was part of this same over the top silliness, and went on feeding the high quality kibble I was feeding.

Then I was offered the opportunity to read a pre-release copy of Big Kibble. I had no preconceptions about the book, but when I saw that it was written by the founders of Just Food For Dogs, one of those boutique refrigerated brands that I had seen in the pet stores, I thought that it was going to be a preachy book directed at wealthy people who have the free time and extra income to cook gourmet food for their pets. But I decided to give it a chance anyway.

And I was quite surprised. This book is an in-depth look at the history and development of the dog food industry. It is also an expose about the real lack of oversight and lax regulations that have allowed issues like melamine contamination to occur within the food we feed our dogs. The biggest eye-opener to me was when they said that the average life expectancy of a Labrador (I think that was the breed they named) has dropped from about 17 years in the 1970s to about 12 years today.

I found the book much easier to read than I expected. They often used examples of real people and their pets as an introduction to each chapter/topic. The background they present, and the information that they provide seems well-researched, and is not at all dry or difficult to understand. The information that they provide is extremely persuasive, and underlies their choice to create their company. Although cynics could still see this book as a marketing ploy to sell more of their products, I found it very convincing, and am seriously thinking about trying out their recipes for my dog.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in learning more about how to provide the best care and nutrition to keep your loved canine companion healthy and happy for as long as possible.

I received an advanced reading copy from the publisher via NetGalley. Thanks!

Big Kibble is an eye opener. Anyone who owns a dog should definitely read this well researched book. It even contains recipes for making your own food for your pet. I was asked to read this book, as an advanced reader copy, and I agreed and am very happy I did. I am not a pet owner myself, but have many family members and friends who do own pets. I will be recommending this enlightening book to all of them. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. This book will definitely make you think about the food we are feeding our dogs. This book came right after having to put my little chihuahua down just shy of his 13th birthday due to bone cancer which spread to his lungs. Makes me wonder if the food I fed him contributed to the cancer. This book is worth the read and recommend it to any dog and even cat owner out there...

1 star
Just another company trying to scare me into spending entirely too much money on dog food. I have two dogs and according to their website calculations I should spend almost $300 a month on food for them!! Avoid this book.

I remember when JustFoodForDogs opened in my neighborhood, I eyed it with some skepticism. How expensive will it be? Why can't you just get you dog regular food? Fast forward to today, and I am actually a regular customer, with a dog that really, really likes their food. I decided to give it a try because she got sick (as I suspect happens with many of their customers), but even though my personal observations with my dog already lead me to try their natural food, I was still impressed by the extensive information laid out in this book. It goes into some well-know examples of pet food recalls, the history of the kibble industry and lays out the issues with the low regulations contrasting with what pets actually need in their bodies to stay healthy. It's interesting, informative, and even includes recipes. A good book for anyone who has a beloved pet and wants to know what goes into their food.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I've read a few non-fiction titles this year but nothing quite like this. As an anima lover, though, I read the blurb and found my interest piqued, so I quickly dove in.

Big Kibble is a years-long culmination of data about dog feed, the food we give to our four-legged family members, the process by which this food is made, and the economic side of the industry.

Structurally, this book is user-friendly, well-written, and accessible. Each section is mapped out and divided into a presentation that flows, so there's no disjointed feeling of skipping around or backtracking before things make sense.

There's a lot of good, relevant information here. I was particularly drawn to the financial aspect of Big Kibble, as I've also wondered how dog food supposedly made with human-grade ingredients could be the same price when one uses lamb and the other uses chicken. Why is there no price discrepancy when the price differs a great deal on the market? I recently read a fiction title that delved into meat processing, and let me tell you, it changed the way I think of offal. Given the context, I found myself questioning whether I knew what was in my own dog's food. There are several facebook posts making the rounds discussing a well-known brand of dog food and treats that made several dogs sick and caused others to become fatal. With so many brands available and little insight as to which ones can be trusted--and even then, why they should be trusted--Buckley and Chavez break down the rationale behind branding, ingredients, and profits and why you can't always take marketing and product description at face value.

This is a book anyone with a dog should read. While some parts felt a little anecdotal and long-winded, I appreciated the recipes, personalization, and insight. My own eleven year old lab chow mix will surely be reaping the benefits soon, as I plan on trying several of the recipes included, as well.

Overall, Big Kibble is an interesting dive into the pet food industry that strives to put the health and safety of man's best friend first.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.

Review of Uncorrected Digital Galley

Do you, like many pet owners, feed your dog commercially-made dog food? [Did you know that technically it isn’t “dog food,” it’s “dog feed” because it’s made with the same ingredients as livestock feed and oversight . . . such as it is . . . of the pet food industry comes from the Association of American Feed Control Officials?]

And did you know that [much to the surprise of pet owners], “Made in America” does not necessarily mean that all of the ingredients in kibble come from America . . . with the AAFCO being complicit in this “deception” and leaving consumers woefully ignorant about what they’re buying for their pets?

“How can this be?” you ask. It’s possible, generally speaking, because while our beloved pets may be an integral part of our families, legally they are simply property. And, although we may read nutrition labels and ingredient lists, we are profoundly uninformed about the making of the kibble we feed our dogs. [And, of course, no company would include dead, diseased animals, chicken beaks and feathers, and sawdust in their list of ingredients, even if those despicable items actually were part of the horrific mixture they used to make the kibble they put in the bag for consumers to feed their dogs.]

While, at first, it might seem rather disingenuous for the authors to expound on the merits of fresh dog food at the expense of the kibble produced by the companies that are part of this multi-billion dollar industry, they are forthright and upfront about their involvement with the fresh dog food movement [having founded JustFoodForDogs]. Nor is this a “buy my product” pitch. The authors clearly state their mission [advocating for dogs from “a sense of responsibility to dogs”] with no effort to hide any connection to JustFoodForDogs, thus debunking any conflict of interest thoughts that might arise with readers.

For every pet owner who lost a beloved dog [or cat] during the debacle with contaminated kibble from China, it’s clear that this “Big Kibble” narrative is not about selling dog food. It’s not necessarily about pointing fingers [although there is some discussion about pet food recalls]. Rather, it’s about educating, about making pet parents knowledgeable, about helping to protect those pets from a repeat catastrophe.

This captivating, informative narrative is a revelation, a sort of “here are the facts; you make the decision” premise that fully informs the reader about this important question. It’s difficult to ignore story after story after story of sick dogs switched to human-grade ingredients formulated into food especially for them and then improving to the point of thriving.

Even if you were to decide to accept as truth only a portion of the information contained in this account [but why would you choose such a limitation?], you would find yourself with serious questions about the kibble you give your beloved pet. [There are half a dozen recipes included so that you can cook nutritious meals for your dog should you choose to go that route.]

The authors give a history of the development of pet food, look at the supply lines for ingredients, examine the making of kibble, address some myths about feeding pets, and answer some frequently asked questions, all with the intention of informing the reader. There are strong feelings expressed here, not necessarily belligerent but fervent; determined to reveal the truth and to work for better oversight and regulation of the pet food industry.

Meticulously researched [and footnoted], “Big Kibble” is eye-opening food for thought [pun intended] . . . and a harbinger for change in what we place in the bowls of our beloved pets.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley
#BigKibble #NetGalley

I received an advance copy of, Big Kibble, by Shawn Buckley: Dr Oscar Chavez. This book is very informative, I never realized how dog food is made, whats in it, and if its regulated. Its eye opening for sure.