Pet Foods for Dogs and Cats
Have you ever decided to change brands of pet food and started to read the label. What a headache. If you understand the terms it is easier. I do not know what is more difficult reading the labels or listening to a sales pitch by pet food reps and name brand zealots that stalk you in a pet store. I hope I can remove some of the mystery about pet foods.
Studies show corn causes less than 3% of adverse food reactions in dogs and cats.
Once corn is ground and cooked it is the most digestible of all grains. It is a very low allergen, good for a shiny coat and is more digestible than rice. Corn is not "just a filler" it is a protein, source of essential fatty acids, beta carotene, vitamin E and lutein (nature's antioxidants), is a quality protein for muscle and tissue growth, and a highly digestible carbohydrate energy source. Corn is NOT a bad thing.
Look for the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) Statement. It should say "feeding trial or study". This is superior to an AAFCO statement of "formulated". One of them has to be printed on the side or back side of the container.
When you are looking for a good adult food do not just look at the age range printed on the front of the bag. Look at the AAFCO statement. It should say it's for adult maintenance, not all life stages. All life stages will have more protein, vitamins, minerals, fat and calories in it. This is because it can be fed to puppies, kittens and lactating mothers. For example excessive phosphorus intake worsens kidney disease, a condition that often goes undetected in its early stages. Adult food fed to puppies or kittens may cause a form of rickets due to having the wrong calcium to phosphorus ratio.
Meat by-product meal is better than just the 'meat meal'. Take chicken for example. The by-product of chicken is anything other than the breasts. It includes the legs, thighs and wings; along with the rest of the chicken. If it lists chicken meal it is just the necks and the backs; that's not a lot of meat. That goes for all meat and meat by-product animals. A good source of glucosamine chondroitin is chicken feet; a chicken by-product.
What do the ingredient listings mean? We have all heard that first thing listed is what the bag contains most of. We all look on the label for that meat ingredient first. What you may not know is the ingredients are listed by weight before processing. Ingredients like chicken, beef or lamb contain more than 50% water; the high water content makes them weigh more than the dry ingredients (grains, meat (poultry) meals), minerals and vitamins. So by AAFCO / Federal regulation they are listed first. Sorry to burst your bubble, no dry pet food has more meat than grains.
What about a no grain diet? Many of the substitutes for grains actually contain more carbohydrates than corn! Sweet Potato, Russet Potato, Chicory Root, Carrots and Apple are all a higher percent carbs than corn. Do they need that? No.
All pet foods have natural or added preservatives of some sort. Meat after 8 days would be rancid and pathogenic.
AAFCO requirements for naming pet foods:
If the name says 'Chicken, Beef or Seafood' etc (ingredients without modifiers) it must contain at least 95% of that named ingredient. Chicken, Beef or Seafood; 'Dinner, Entree, Platter' it must contain at least 25% of the named ingredient. If the label states 'With' Chicken, Beef or Seafood it must contain at least 3%. When using the term 'Flavor' Chicken, Beef or Seafood there is no specific percentage required, label ingredient list must disclose source of the flavor.
What's the percentage of allergies in pet foods?
Dogs: Beef, Dairy, Wheat = 69% of all cases reported.
Lamb, Chicken, Chicken Egg, Soy = 25% of all cases reported.
Cats: Beef, Dairy, Fish = 80% of all cases reported.
What about the BARF (Bone and Raw Food) diet?
There is no scientific data to support beliefs commonly held by supporters.
Published BARF recipes contain excessive levels of key nutrient factors, for example: protein, calcium and phosphorus. Food poisoning is an obvious safety concern for animals eating raw foods and owners feeding raw foods. Pets eating BARF diets or other raw food diets are at an increased risk for intestinal obstruction, fractured teeth and gastrointestinal perforation.
Fiction:
Domestic dogs require identical foods as wild wolves. False; ignores 130,000 years of genetic adaption separating domestic dogs from wild wolves.
Eating raw bones is good for domestic dogs. False; ignores fact that wild canines eat ALL of prey animals. This includes organ meats and fur which coats bones and prevents puncture damage of gastrointestinal tract.
Grains and carbohydrates are not digestible by domestic dogs. False; dogs are quite capable of gaining large amounts of energy from grains. Nearly 99% of the starch (carbs) and 60-84% of the protein of commonly used grains is digestible in dogs.
Want to evaluate the diet you are feeding? Go to http://www.goodguide.com/ and click on the pet food tab. It lists the best and worst dog and cat foods. We recommend Hill's Healthy Advantage, sold by veterinarians. There is a formula for Puppies, Kittens, Large Breed Puppies, Adult Dogs and Adult Cats. This diet is balanced for age of a pet.
Remember any time when you switch your pets' diet you need to start with 75% old diet and 25% new diet. Gradually switch over taking at least a week's time. If you switch cold turkey you can upset your pet's digestive tract and cause diarrhea.
P.S. If you heard a rumor that I am retiring, it's not true. I love being a veterinarian and caring for your pet(s).
For more information about a specific case, consult your veterinarian.
The outside of a pet is good for the inside of a human.