Lots of hype and no real facts. Outdated research.


An excellent reference source; not a junk food review!   November 9, 2002
 22 out of 24 found this review helpful

After reading this book I personally spoke with the author to get more detail. This purpose of this book is to make public the scientific results of the food trials and research in question. It is not a how-to book that spoon feeds you information and preconceived notions. Dr. Cusick is addressing the causes of allergies and incompatiblities in the different ingredients that are given to each dog. The whole point is that there is NO one commercial food for all dogs. The information in this book is the result of many years of research and testing on all breeds. The topic of nutrition is so big that one book can not cover it all. Good nutrition is not simple. I was largely ignorant about commercially prepared foods before reading this book. I didn't know that corn and dried beet pulp are two of the worst allergens that are routinely put into prepackaged foods. There is only one commercial food that I know of that doesn't contain corn and that one brand only comes in one flavor so it is not best for all dogs. The author is trying to get the point across that each dog needs a specific meat (such as beef or venison) and while some may be allergic to certain foods, others may not be. The whole point is that not only do English breeds eat differently that Asian breeds or Wolfdogs, but even within a breed, the diet must be specialized. While I am a proponent of feeding organic pure foods across the board, preferably home made diets, that is not the subject of this book. Once one understands that commercial foods are not only junk food but they are also not customized, then one will stop looking for someone to write a book reviewing dog food brands. That is like looking for some to write a book on fast food restaurants and to say which is the healthiest. None of them are!!! That is an uninformed expectation. One needs to use this book as a reference, go to your local free-range meat butcher (usually at a health food store) and buy the ingredients listed for your breed. This is a book for those who know how to cook and who know how to use forums to learn the basics of cooking for a dog, including safe food handling procedure. Dr. Cusick is not trying to bias his work by giving plugs to the dog food industry. He is trying to say you have to custom prepare food for each dog. It is up to the reader to have the intuition to proceed further in their research.


Interesting reading   December 26, 1999
 26 out of 27 found this review helpful

Since the author's focus is on home prepared diets, I didn't expect to be guided through the processed food choices. While the book does not give recipes for home cooking, it is interesting to note the authors descriptions of variances in foods between breeds. The point of one generic diet being optimal for any dog ( as processed food companies would have us believe ) is shattered here. I tried to come up with recipes for my dog that included foods the author suggests and eliminated the items that would theoretically offend. What I discovered is that my dog is an individual and does not follow the mold in this book. But after reading this material, I found a dog dietician on the net and this became my dog's saving grace. I doubt I would ever have considered this without reading this book.


What a disapointment.   September 1, 1999
 29 out of 38 found this review helpful

I thought this book would give list of what foods to feed your dog. I also thought that food brands would be listed and what was best for your dog would be covered. Neither were. There is a small section at the begining on vitamins, meats, etc and then about 10 sentences per dog breed for the remainder of the book. Too little information for my taste. This book did not tell me anything about what to feed my dog.