Alisa, not all kibble is the same, the one that catherine was chasing down was P.chum.

Can you honestly say you feed kibble and nothing else?
I see lots of dogs and dog owners, and 99% of them tell me that they feed kibble and feel 'guilty' about feeding them table scraps too. The guilt is because the vets say it is bad. The vets say it is bad as alot of dogs are overweight, and people are generally dumb, and don't take into account that extra food means a little less of the 'dog food'.
Might it not be the case that these thousands of dogs fed on kibble are doing ok because they owners are giving them real foods (cooked or uncooked) along with the kibble?
Also you have to take into account that people who switch to a more natural diet see a difference from what looked 'good' before and then what changes they see....

I can put my hand on my heart and tell you that i have spotted a dog fed on a raw diet by it's looks and feel alone, before the owners told me anything about their diet. There is a difference.

How? Would be interested in the way you assess these dogs and come to your conclusions and have you NEVER found an exception to the rule.

I can't honestly say I have noticed any difference with Loki being on kibble or raw/cooked. I used to give him Burns kibble at breakfast time up until Feb this year and the rest cooked or raw and the only thing I noticed was he is more interested in his breakfast now it isn't kibble. But health-wise I think he is about the same.

I can honestly say my dogs are fed on kibble and NOTHING else...they may, on occassion, (like once to twice a month) have 1 raw carrot each. That's it...no scraps no other food at all.They don't get scraps ever....not even at Christmas. Nothing. Zilch. Why???? Because the kibble provides a good quality balanced diet for them. End of.
My dogs are fed on kibble and they glow with health, vitality and well being.
They are healthy and happy. they are intelligent and keen. They are shiny and beautiful and have fantastic teeth.

Pita, I didn't mean it was a rule, I have actually spotted two dogs owned by different people and guessed they were fed on raw (they were surprised as much as me). I have also met natural fed dogs who I didn't guess about, yes there are exceptions.But then even natural feeders all feed different don't they?

First of all EVERY natural fed dog is at it's ideal weight, the owner is informed enough to keep it that way. Second older dogs (8 and up) are youthful in appearance. Thirdly, not sure i can explain, but the feel of the skin (i always feel for the ribs) is very 'thin skinned' and flows freely. In a dog fed kibble and not overweight, i could feel the ribs easily, but there feels like there is something between the skin and the ribs. As I say difficult to explain, but then if you know about toxins and dermal layers, you can start to make sense of it.

Alot of dogs fed kibble and then switched to raw suddenly have outburts of excema, flaky skin or a simple rash months later. Toxins build up over time and once switched to raw, they seem to come out just all of a sudden. Not something that anyone can explain easily...

Blimey...sounds like my dogs....:smt002

Ailsa, I am proud for you that you are happy with what you do. That is all anyone can ask, that you are informed and can back up your choices in life (not just regarding feeding!) No one is trying to persaude you different, all I ask is that people question things and don't just go with the flock. You have done your research and you are happy. Again all that matters.
Out of interest which kibble do you feed?

Maybe we shouldn't get so hung up about dogs diets - I just found Loki out in the garden with the contents of the black bin bag strewn around the patio and he had his head in a used nappy!

Ah well - at least there were no preservatives in it!

Quote from that link:
the pet food labels that are mass-distributed to supermarkets and discount stores — but there are many highly respected brands that may be guilty of the same offenses.

I think I'm safe, as both my dogs are on special veterinary prescribed kibbles and although it's a big company, they specialise in foods for special illnesses, not the run of the mill dog food. Anyways, like I highlighted up there in red "may" doesn't mean "does" in my book!! I will stick with mine I would never buy a cheap supermarket type dog food anyway, I would rather cook for my dogs.

Mine too! Glossy coats, perfect teeth (according to my vet 2 weeks ago anyway!) and both in perfect health apart from their inherited conditions!