What Did Dogs Eat Before Dog Food?

Before dog food was commercialized, dogs ate what was available to them by chance. Often a dog’s diet consisted of table scraps and other things they could find outdoors.

Have you ever stopped to wonder what dogs ate before the invention of dog food? Well, wonder no more; we have answers! It is recorded that dogs and man have kept each other company for over 30,000 years. However, in all of that time, it is only recently that research into dog food has been conducted. 

The Early Years 

Before the invention of dog food, dogs ate what humans ate: whatever was available to them. Often a dog’s diet consisted of table scraps and other edible things they could find outdoors. It is cited that dogs ate their fair share of horse meat, seeing as it was readily available and relatively cheap. 

Around 2000 BC, Marcus Terentius Varro included a section in his farming manual on what to feed dogs. He suggested feeding them meat, bones, and milk-soaked barley. In the 14th century, Gaston III wrote that his greyhounds should be fed bran bread and meat. Surprisingly, the basic ideas of what a dog should eat have not changed much throughout recorded history. 

The Invention of Dog Food

The very first commercial dog food was created in 1860 by James Spratt. He got his inspiration from watching dogs along riverbanks eat hardtack, a very dry biscuit made up of flour and water, usually eaten by sailors. The newly invented dog food contained wheat, beetroot, vegetables, and an unspecified part of prairie cows. Because of the novelty of shelf-stable dog food, it came with a very high price. However, it changed the course of commercial dog food forever.

The 1900s

The very first canned dog food became available in 1922, created by Ken-L Ration. Unsurprisingly, horse meat was a main ingredient in canned dog food. However, it was removed from canned food in 1970 due to the ethical debates surrounding it. 

The 2000s

Technology and production methods have improved dramatically in the 2000s, leading to a larger selection of dog food. Dog owners now have the option of wet food, dry food, or a raw diet.