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Writer's pictureJoseph Ross Davey

Book Review: The Forever Dog by Dr Karen Becker

The Forever Dog Book Cover and Karen groping a dog

Many forward-thinking pet parents will already have heard of this book. When The Forever Dog by Dr Karen Becker was released in October 2021, it became an immediate hit - not only was it a New York Times List Bestseller, it has been named as the top selling book of all time within its genre.


However, despite earning these prestigious titles, of the many dog owners that I personally know, I have yet to meet one who has heard of (or at least purchased and read) this book. That tells me one thing, and it's not that people don't care about what they can be doing to ensure their dogs have longer, healthier lives. It tells me that most people do not read the New York Times - especially not people who live in Europe.


The Forever Dog offers a template for science-based nutrition and supplementation for canine longevity and on the whole, compared to earlier books by other authors on holistic pet health, this book is well researched and better organised. Like seemingly all books within this genre, Dr Becker strongly recommends that people raw feed their dogs. However, mindful of the fact that this is not affordable or feasible for all pet owners, she has a list of things you can do when you can't raw feed and want to ensure your dog has a healthier, happier and longer life.


I'm not entirely sure how I heard about The Forever Dog, but it is right up my street. I started researching species appropriate nutrition and longevity hacks sometime in 2021 - around the time we switched Yoto to a raw diet. Yoto had always been a fussy eater - he cares more than most dogs about the flavour of his food. He always found ultra processed dog food unpalatable, so would often go on hunger strike for days, and this led to punishment by his previous owner, which exacerbated his anxiety around mealtimes.


When we switched Yoto to raw, I didn't have a clue what I was doing. He'd stayed with an acquaintance who had her dog on DIBO and he liked it, so that's the brand we went with. I later learned that DIBO is nutrient-devoid trash and I think it's probably just the scrapings of the slaughterhouse floor. It has no bone content and the crappy meat is rolled around in calcium carbonate so it doesn't freeze in one block - aside from its protein content, it's about as nutritious as blood-soaked sawdust. I wouldn't abuse a dog with it (a phrase I often use when describing the kind of takeout food my sister-in-law feeds her kids).


My subsequent research of RAW feeding guidelines eventually led me to Dr Becker's bestselling book. The Forever Dog is not a book specifically about how to safely raw feed your dog, but it does place great emphasis on nutrition and offers example diets for your dog. Having gone deeper into the science of raw feeding and having read many books by leading canine nutritionists, I do have criticisms of some of Dr Becker's raw feeding recommendations, however.


For example, she recommends adding grated brazil nuts to your dog's meals to supply selenium as she believes raw diets are deficient in this mineral. In fact, this is only the case if you fail to supply the correct balance of bone and organs. The selenium content of both bone and organ meats is more than adequate to meet your dog's requirements and if you're concerned that it is not then simply feeding more in line with the Billinghurst method (60% raw meaty bone) should alleviate this concern.


Zinc is another mineral that she appears to think that raw diets are deficient in. In reality, if you are feeding your dog an adequate amount of bone, this will supply all the zinc that their bodies require. I question Dr Becker's concept of what a healthy and balanced meal looks like - is it one where all minerals and vitamins are supplied by whole foods or is it one where the meals are lacking and have to be supplemented with essential nutrients?


Despite these criticisms, I'm willing to forgive her modern American concept of nutrition due to the wealth of knowledge that is outlined in the third section on the topic of supplements and herbal remedies that can be used to combat different aspects of the aging process.


The book is separated into three sections. In the first, she makes her case and outlines the problem of the "Modern Unwell Dog". In the second section, she shares the secrets of the world's oldest dogs - wisdom from the many pet parents she interviewed who had had dogs that lived to be 20 years old or older. The final section covers supplements and the benefits of particular plant foods that can help your dog achieve optimal health, offers example meal plans and touches upon the topic of genetic testing.


Although I am critical of some of Dr Becker's views, the book is well put together and I have referred back to the third section many times. I would highly recommend this read to all dog owners but due to misconceptions it promotes regarding what you need to add to your dog's raw bowl, I can only give it 8/10..



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