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© History Oasis / Created via Midjourney
The history of dog food spans thousands of years, from Roman soldiers feeding their war dogs barley to today’s specialized kibbles and grain-free options. It’s a story of not just changing recipes but evolving relationships between humans and their canine companions, from James Spratt’s 1860 meat fibrine cakes to horse meat-based products following World War I.
37 BCE: Virgil’s Canine Diet Recommendations
In 37 BCE, the Roman poet Virgil wrote how to feed hunting dogs in his work Bucolics, saying, “Feed the whey to swift Spartan hounds and fierce Mastiffs.” The document is one of the earliest works with instructions on how to feed canines. Unlike the table scraps given to mutts, these prized hunting breeds received meals good enough for a king. The nutrition was needed to maintain peak performance.
37-70 CE: Columella’s Warning Against Hot Food
Agricultural writer Columella later provided detailed feeding instructions for both farm and guard dogs in 70 CE in his treatise “On Agriculture.” He prescribed “barley meal mixed with whey” for rural dogs tending livestock while advising that hunting dogs should receive “spelled or wheat bread mixed with the liquid from cooked beans, but warm, for boiling creates rabies.” The warning against hot food was due to a limited understanding of canine disease. Columella’s work would be followed for centuries by dog owners.
224-651 CE: Religious Nutritional Mandates
The Avesta was a foundational Zoroastrian text written between 224 and 651 CE. It instructed followers: “Bring ye unto him milk and fat with meat; this is the right food for the dog.” The work reflected the dog’s sacred status in Zoroastrian tradition, where canines were considered spiritually pure animals. The prescription of fat alongside protein was centuries ahead of its time.
1300s-1400s: Two-Tier Canine Cuisine
Medieval nobility gave their best food to their prized hunting dogs, food that would make poor peasants blush. Count Gaston III of Foix-Béarn (1331-1391) documented specialized meals for his greyhounds. These elite hounds received bran bread supplemented with fresh meat from hunts. Court records show sick dogs were fed therapeutic diets, including “goat’s milk, bean broth, chopped meat, and buttered eggs.” But, common dogs subsisted on kitchen scraps, creating a two-tier canine cuisine system that mirrored human social hierarchies.
1844: Boyard’s Fight Against Tallow
French veterinarian Nicolas Boyard warned in 1844: “By a misguided economy dogs are given meat scraps and tallow graves; one must avoid this, because these foods make them heavy and sick.” He prescribed “twice a day a soup of coarse bread made with water, fat and the bottom of the stew pot; put a half-kilogram of bread at least in each soup.” His guidance is the earliest evidence-based veterinary nutrition, challenging common practices like feeding dogs the dregs from candle-making (tallow graves).
1860: Spratt’s Blood-Bound Biscuits
American electrician James Spratt revolutionized dog feeding in 1860 after observing stray dogs eagerly consuming discarded ship biscuits at London docks. He created “Meat Fibrine Dog Cakes”. These cakes were formulated with wheat, vegetables, and beetroot bound with beef blood. His dog food was the first commercialized dog food with a brand name. It was first advertised to wealthy sportsmen for their hunting dogs. His innovative formula continues to be used in today’s pet food industry.
1890: Spratt’s Expansion
By 1890, Spratt’s dog food business expanded nationally in America. This expansion coincided with America’s rising middle class who increasingly kept dogs as companions rather than working animals. An 1890 issue of “Outing” magazine noted: “The first three prize winners at the late coursing meeting at Great Bend were trained on Spratt’s Patent Dog Biscuit.” Dog food had become mainstream.
1922: Ken-L Ration’s Post-War Opportunity
The Chappel Brothers of Rockford, Illinois, changed pet food in 1922 by introducing Ken-L Ration, the first mass-produced canned dog food in America. Their innovation used horse meat that was a surplus after World War I. The company marketed this product via radio jingles declaring, “My dog is bigger than your dog,” suggesting nutritional superiority. This pivot from dry biscuits to canned meat represented a technological leap enabled by canning technology.
1930s: Introduction of Meat Meal
The Gaines Food Company introduced dry meat-meal dog food in 1930. The new product was launched during the Great Depression when pet owners were strapped for cash. Gaines’ product used meat byproducts processed into meal form mixed with cereal grains. This was modern-day kibble, containing a higher protein content. It helped make pet food a $200 million industry in the 1930s.
1940s: From Cans to Bags
World War II forced government rationing, severely restricting tin and meat supplies. With canned dog food classified as “non-essential,” production plummeted from its 1941 peak when canned products represented 90% of the market. Manufacturers pivoted to dry formulations using available agricultural products, establishing new production methods. This made dry dog food the dominant variety that persists to this day.
1950: Cereal Processing Meets Pet Food
In 1950, Ralston Purina adapted its cereal manufacturing technology—used for making Chex—to create a revolutionary dog food production method. The new technology forced ingredients through high-pressure, high-temperature conditions before expanding them into consistently shaped pieces. It improved dog food’s palatability, texture, and density.
1957: Modern Kibble
Purina launched Dog Chow in 1957, introducing the first kibble manufactured through high-pressure extrusion processes specifically designed for pet food production. Dog Chow’s success cemented the dominance of extrusion technology that continues to produce approximately 95% of dry pet foods today. Modern brands like Pedigree and Royal Canin (owned by Mars, Inc.) use the same process.
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