WTH is a NRC Balanced Diet?

There are numerous philosophies regarding what makes up a balanced diet for dogs. Some individuals depend solely on variety, others apply specific ratios, and some adhere to a 'prey model' diet. I use quotes for 'prey' because it seldom represents an actual wild prey diet—often, they incorporate the head or another body part from one commercially raised animal and organs from another, which is not equivalent to wild, whole animals.

It can be challenging to differentiate between facts and opinions regarding dog nutrition, as viewpoints are often assertively presented as facts. Numerous commercial raw foods claim to be 'balanced' yet lack a nutritional analysis. How can we be sure they fulfill nutrient needs? Are we expected to simply trust the manufacturer? Would we place the same trust in a kibble manufacturer?

The NRC (National Research Council) committee is a group of independent scientists - they are not employed by the pet food industry but meet when required.

In 2006, following nearly two years of consultations with veterinary experts, the NRC released revised figures to indicate the optimal recommended allowances compared to the 1985 minimum requirements. These discussions enabled internal medicine specialists, dermatologists, and other experts to provide direct and invaluable insights based on real clinical cases rather than laboratory settings. These nutrient requirements were established after meticulous research!

It's crucial to understand that NRC numbers are not appropriate for kibble diets, as these diets rely on processed feed rather than fresh foods and contain significantly higher carbohydrate levels. These factors affect the bioavailability of nutrients, as well as absorption and digestion. Similarly, kibble diet guidelines (AAFCO/FEDIAF) are not truly suitable for fresh food diets for the same reasons.

In conclusion, an NRC balanced diet does not rely on ratios such as percentage of bone, organ, muscle meat, or plant matter.

We fulfill NUTRIENT needs (such as calcium, iron, magnesium, iodine, etc.) with the aim of using high-quality, high biological value foods that the dog can tolerate. This is crucial because a percentage-based diet makes it difficult to customize a diet for a dog's intolerances. If a dog cannot tolerate essential nutrient-rich foods, there is no effective way to compensate for that deficiency.

If stools are too firm, the bone content is reduced; if a dog experiences diarrhea from organ meats, those are decreased or eliminated - you can observe how the percentages shift over time. Additionally, consider the number of dogs with food intolerances that can only consume one type of protein.

If you're interested, a genuine prey model diet, which involves whole prey from wild animals, does fulfill the NRC requirements. Therefore, if we consider this the optimal way to nourish our dogs, we cannot overlook the significance of the NRC approach.

Jody