Ridiculous History — "Doc Holliday Was, In Fact, A Deadly Dentist"

Podcast by iHeartPodcasts
Air Date: November 13, 2025
Hosts: Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown
Super Producer: Max Williams

Episode Overview

This episode of Ridiculous History dives into the whimsical and winding history of commercial dog food. With their trademark blend of banter, curiosity, and a healthy dose of skepticism, Ben, Noel, and Super Producer Max explore how humanity went from table scraps to scientifically marketed dog diets and, along the way, discuss how the industrial revolution, marketing, and cultural shifts shaped what (and how) we feed our furry friends. The episode is equal parts historical exploration, comedic riffing, and reflection on modern pet culture.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Dogs and Their Diets through the Ages

• Personal Dog Food Anecdotes

  • The hosts share lighthearted stories about accidentally eating pet food as kids or by mistake at work.
  • "I certainly ate most of one before realizing that something wasn't quite right. My teeth are healthier than they've ever been, though. So sharp and clean." — Noel (01:36)

• Ancient Canine Diets

  • Dogs were historically not coddled as pets but were workers—herders, protectors—and ate whatever humans could spare or what they could scavenge.

  • Earliest evidence of intentionally prepared dog food: a recipe from a Roman farming manual dating to 2000 BCE, detailing diets of barley bread soaked in milk, bone soup, and even bones.

    • "Your dogs are not your furry companions. Instead, they're sort of like indentured servants. Well, if we're putting it honestly, they're like slaves." — Ben (09:17)
    • “The food of dogs is more like that of man than that of sheep.” — Marcus Terentius Varro, paraphrased (10:20)

  • The expression "don't bite the hand that feeds you" is theorized to stem from feeding practices and the need to keep working dogs both nourished and loyal (12:13).

• Medieval Shifts

  • By the 14th century CE, wealthy European aristocrats treat select hunting dogs to better diets—bran, bread, meat, bean broth, even buttered eggs and goat's milk (14:16).

    • “I'm bullish on buttered eggs and goat's milk for sure.” — Noel (14:26)

  • In the medieval Islamic world, social and religious perspectives led to strict feeding schedules and types of food based on the season (14:59).

• Poverty, Plagues, and Table Scraps

  • In times of scarcity, most dogs in Europe ate only the most meager leftovers; nutrition for animals rarely took priority over feeding humans (19:27).
    • “Am I going to feed my human children or am I going to feed the dogs? 100%.” — Ben (19:27)

The Birth of Commercial Dog Food

• The First Dog Biscuit — James Spratt

  • Industrial Revolution (mid-1800s): New middle class emergence means more disposable income and more “pampered” pets.

  • 1860: James Spratt invents one of the first commercial dog biscuits after observing sailors feed dogs hardtack in England.

    • "He comes up with his banger idea. One of the first commercialized doggo treats. The name didn't age well. The name is Spratt's Patent Meal Fabrine Dog Cakes." — Ben (26:31)
    • "He needed to take that one back to the wood shop a little bit." — Noel (26:35)

  • The original recipe: a mix of sweet meals, vegetables, beetroot, and beef blood.

  • Early marketing claims: promises of shinier coats, better stamina, cleaner teeth, and, somewhat dubiously, “freedom from all objectionable odors.”

    • “Now that one I call a little BS on or should I say DS?” — Noel (29:44)

  • The rise of print advertising and direct mail—Spratt's savvy business tactics targeted dog lover institutions like the American Kennel Club (27:31).

    • “Insist on Spratt’s. Only Spratt’s. Nothing but Spratt’s. Dog cakes. For your dog’s sake and for your own.” — Ben (30:08)

• Mid-20th Century Consolidation: Tin, Kibble, and Corn

  • 1922: The market expands, with products like Ken L Ration—made of horse meat—dominating canned dog food before WWII tin rationing tilts demand back toward dry food.

    • "By the mid-1930s, 50,000 horses per year are slaughtered to make the product." — Ben (34:58)

  • 1956: Purina uses cereal manufacturing technology (extruders) to launch Dog Chow, the first kibble, but initial use of corn as a main ingredient is controversial.

    • "Cereal is kind of like dry dog food for humans." — Ben (36:32)
    • “Why didn’t they like corn? Corn’s not that bad…I guess it just doesn’t have the meat.” — Ben (38:55)
    • “Corn is filler mostly." — Noel (39:06)

  • The marketing campaign pushes the narrative that only specialized, scientifically-formulated food is responsible dog parenting (39:39).

Skepticism, Marketing, and Modern Trends

• The Grift of Kibble and Changing Attitudes

  • The hosts dig into how the dog food industry leverages science, health claims, and veterinary endorsements to sell expensive specialty foods, replacing the old norm of feeding pets table scraps (39:39).

    • “The main grift of dog food as we know it today is a culmination of ridiculous history. It’s a marketing ploy.” — Ben (39:39)
    • "But it doesn't really behoove the industry if you're not out there buying those 50 pound bags of kibble." — Noel (41:13)

  • The episode closes with the acknowledgment that many pet parents today return to “home cooked” diets for their dogs—lean meats, grains, and veggies—much like their ancestors did.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Banter about Eating Dog Food (Accidentally Or Otherwise)

  • "I certainly ate most of one before realizing that something wasn't quite right. My teeth are healthier than they've ever been, though. So sharp and clean." — Noel (01:36)

• On Dogs as Workers in Antiquity:

  • "Your dogs are not your furry companions. Instead, they're sort of like indentured servants. Well, if we're putting it honestly, they're like slaves." — Ben (09:17)

• First Dog Biscuit Branding:

  • "He comes up with his banger idea. One of the first commercialized doggo treats. The name didn't age well. The name is Spratt's Patent Meal Fabrine Dog Cakes." — Ben (26:31)

• Cereal/Dog Food Analogy:

  • "Cereal is kind of like dry dog food for humans." — Ben (36:32)

• Marketing Skepticism:

  • “The main grift of dog food as we know it today is a culmination of ridiculous history. It’s a marketing ploy.” — Ben (39:39)

Key Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment/Insight | |-----------|---------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:46 | The hosts’ personal “eating dog food” stories | | 06:26 | Early canine domestication and feeding practices | | 09:17 | Roman farming manuals and first dog food recipes | | 14:16 | Aristocratic hunting dogs’ medieval diets | | 19:27 | Plagues and poverty—table scraps as common dog food | | 20:04 | Industrial Revolution and rise of middle-class pet culture | | 26:31 | James Spratt and invention of the dog biscuit | | 34:58 | Ken L Ration and the era of canned horsemeat dog food | | 36:32 | Purina, the cereal industry, and the invention of kibble | | 39:39 | Marketing and the “grift” of commercial dog food | | 41:13 | Return to “home cooked” meals for modern pets | | 42:20 | Lighthearted “what dog would you be?” roundtable with Max |

Tone and Style

The hosts blend historical facts with sharp, witty banter and a skeptical take on how commerce shapes culture. Their affection for dogs—and irreverence for marketing claims—come through in both the research and their playful tangents.

Takeaways for Listeners

• The specialized dog food industry is a relatively recent (and highly marketed) phenomenon.
• For most of human history, dogs ate whatever people ate—or whatever was left over.
• Through the lens of ridiculous history, even something as ordinary as kibble is an invention shaped by class, technology, and clever advertising.
• There’s a cyclical return toward feeding dogs “real food,” just as people have done for millennia.

If you love history, humor, and dogs—or if you’ve ever wondered why dog food is the way it is—this episode delivers both hearty laughs and thought-provoking trivia.