The study found that the dogs pooped around half as much when eating fresh and human-grade food — a drop of 50% to 70%. They also had to eat less food to maintain the same weight.
"Is that better? Is your dog gonna live longer? Is your dog not gonna get a certain disease? We don't know that," he said. It's true that kibble and canned food have to be treated to extend their shelf life. In the process, molecules that could be bad for your dog's health appear in the food. "Home cooking requires time commitments and the right balance. It can be done — it's just, as I say to people: you don't like spending $120 on a bag of dog food, a high-end therapeutic food, or whatever, so you're gonna cook. It's still gonna cost you $4 a day to feed your dog," said Wakshlag.