The Sandra Estrada Q&A

Dog Nutrition Specialist and Partner in Canine Confections Inc.

Interviewer: What made you decide to start this whole organic thing with your bakery in San Francisco?
It really started when my dog was diagnosed with diabetes. I wanted the best for her and felt like I wasn't getting it through normal channels. I started researching online and reading " The complete guide to natural health for dogs and cats" by Dr. Richard Pitcairen - something I should have done many years ago.

Interviewer: Where did you learn all this?
Mostly through a course at Colorado State University, Animal Nutrition, years of online research and from my own dogs.

Interviewer: Now on to your biscuits and treats, organics are great, but aren't they are a bit pricey? Why would I buy this stuff for just a dog?
Same reason why you would buy it for yourself. Is it going overboard? Nah, it's just getting back to natural foods made naturally. All this reduces your risk of disease and problems later on. You will save on vet bills which far outweighs the price of organic dog biscuits

Interviewer: What makes your biscuits so good that I can't just get from Milkbone or something branded like Newman's own?
Quality Control. I personally control everything. I'm not saying there is not QC at those big companies, but when something is mass produced, I'm always a little suspect. We wouldn't put out anything that we wouldn't eat ourselves. If price is the only thing your after you can always go cheaper and cheaper until you have something that doesn't even resemble food.

Interviewer: You claim that you don't add this or that, well what's wrong with wheat and corn?
My dog has eaten it for years and no problems thus far.
We try and make a treat for every dog condition whether allergic, immunodeficient dogs, etc. As for the claim, I not only claim, but I "know" that the biscuits are soy free, wheat free, corn free and chemical free.

Interviewer: If this stuff is so good, why doesn't everyone sell or make it?
Because it's hard. To bake a really great treat requires years of R&D and testing. Not everyone has the time to bake and do detailed QC on a 1000 boxes of treats everyday.

Interviewer: Why can't I just grab a recipe from the internet and start baking and save myself the money?
You must certainly can. If you have time you can scour the internet and experiment with all the recipes you find. Our bakery has already done the research and we have proved formulas that dogs love. Our biscuits are also veggie with no meat products.

Interviewer: Have you heard about these Raw diets? Doesn't it sound a bit unsafe?
On the surface, sure it may seem unsafe, but we initially began our relationship with dogs through food and the sharing of raw food.

Interviewer: Are you qualified to make this stuff?
How is anyone qualified? I have years of experience with not only dogs but other animals, behaviors, and years of working in the pet food industry.

Interviewer: What about salmonella and other diseases?
According to the vets I talk to and Dr. Richard Pitcairen's books, they state they have never seen a problem arise from these diseases. Dogs have a special stomach which is very short and acidic meant to process raw foods.

Interviewer: Yes, dogs were eating this a long time ago for 1000's of years, but they didn't live as long as they do now. Wouldn't that be attributed to the kibble we've been feeding them for years?
Who knows how long dogs were living back then. I have not come across any studies which timeline a dog's life in 500BC. I do know that I have personally seen, heard about and read about countless improvements to a dog's health with very few documented cases for kibble. Most cases are from vets / researchers and their lab assistants who know a ton about chemistry and microbiology but know very little about dogs.

Interviewer: My vet warns me against feeding RAW diets and such. He worries about bones, fat, etc. (he also notes that the kickback from the large food companies only amount to a coffe cup here and there).
The user has complete control over the bones and fat. As far as the kickbacks..who knows really. There is a solid movement for raw foods, organic foods, natural diets and it's not slowing down. That's what I do know.

Interviewer: A high-end brand of kibble costs only like 25 bucks a month as opposed to 125 for raw foods? Once again, isn't this overkill?
No because those figures are distorted depends on where you buy your kibble and raw meat. Personally, the differential is only about 20 bucks a month. Like I said before, this investment into my dog's health will pay off in companionship and clean bills of health for years to come. Plus by feeding raw, dehydrated natural diets there is less "poop-to-scoop", and that goes a long way with pet owners.

Interviewer: Science Diet, Iams, and Nutro all put millions into R&D...If the kibble is not good, then why do all the studies say they are?
I would attribute that to money. Who is sponsoring the studies. Find out who are on the boards, associations and clubs making the studies, then get back to me. You will be surprised at what you find. Further more, the "studies" mostly say that the dogs "survived" the trials..which does not say much.

Interviewer: One last question. Couldn't the same be said for you with regards to your company touting the best this or that?
I most certainly have a vested interest in my company, but if money was the only thing I was after, I wouldn't bake 8 hours day and have spent years of independent research on organics and holistic foods. I could have easily signed on to a large company and been comfortable.