Surprisingly, a lot of people don’t know that “kibble” is just another name for dry dog food. It comes in many sizes and shapes, usually in a bag of some kind with the maker's name blazoned across the front.
(Please note that the Feeding Guide at the bottom or on the back of the bag is only a guide. See my post, HOW MUCH SHOULD I FEED MY DOG AND WHEN.)
Dog food itself has only recently, in the time line, entered our civilization. While it’s been confirmed that mankind and dogs have been working together for at least 17,000 years, dogs ate whatever was available or could scavenge, including any scraps that came their way from their humans.
The first known commercial dog treat showed up in the mid 1800’s. Commercial dog food, however, was not introduced until about the 1930’s and it was in canned form. A new money-making product was born.
Kibble, or dry dog food, came about around the turn of the century in different forms, and especially after the war years, but there was little control over ingredients . And as we saw in 2007 with the melamine contamination, profit outweighed nutrition and safety. Our innocent dogs and cats died from the toxic ingredient. Alarms went off and companies scrambled to recall product. (Most of the mess was due to unregulated ingredients sourced from foreign countries.)
That was then and this is now, some say, but I read and hear reports of similar issues still happening. It falls back to us to be more responsible and BUY AMERICAN. Read those labels!
For my own fur friends, I am careful what I buy and feed. I try to never purchase a product from a company that has had recalls. I buy the highest quality product I can afford. With that in mind, I often feed smaller amounts and add “people” food to the meal (cooked and/or raw), and since I cook for my family from scratch, I know there are NO undesirable or unknown additives. I want my pets to live long and healthy lives.