Health and Nutrition Information

After a lot of pet nutrition discussions with clients it is obvious to me that there needs to be some clarification of pet food label ingredients. I am constantly informed that a pet food salesperson went through a label with the client and convinced them to switch to a pet food which has meat as the first ingredient and is "all natural" and/or "has no corn".

By law, when listing ingredients, it is the product with the highest weight or percentage weight which is listed first. In other words, if the meat is listed as the first labeled product, it is the major ingredient going into the cooker. The problem with meat, however, is approximately 80% of it is moisture which is removed during processing. The other products, which contain less moisture, will shrink less and therefore may outweigh the end meat content in the final product.

It is for this reason that "meat meal", if from a trusted and known source, may provide a better and more consistent protein in the final product. It is already in a dehydrated form, and therefore has no shrinkage. A pet food may list meat as the primary ingredient by having as little as one pound more than other products. This is very misleading and is a marketing ploy by unethical pet food companies. Is it easier to jump on the bandwagon than to educate?

Regarding "all natural", this is also very misleading and potentially dangerous. Many pet food companies buy ingredients which are already preserved and as such do not need to include this on their labels because "they" did not add them (these include fats, fat soluble vitamins, meat etc.). The preservatives used in an "all natural" pet product is Vitamin E, which has a shelf life of approximately six months. many pet foods do not reach shelves for eight to twelve weeks postproduction. Depending on the overturn at the store, it may sit for another six weeks give or take. This means your preservative is good for another six weeks. Your pet food could potentially go rancid. Products like hemlock, arsenic, etc., are also "all natural". These are dangerous, but by definition, all natural. Therefore all natural is not always "all good".

Finally the corn debate. This applies more to dogs, which are omnivores, vs. carnivorous cats. Corn is a carbohydrate source. Allergies are generally to protein sources or other more innocuous ingredients and as such are rarely predictable. I have heard several representatives say there was no corn in their product therefore your pet was less likely to have problems. This is out and out misleading information. Yes corn can cause an allergy as can wheat or other carbohydrate sources, but the incidents are rare.

In closing I want to say that animals generally are living longer than twenty years ago.We attribute a lot of this to good nutrition. Remember it is not always the quantity of a protein or carbohydrate source but the quality that is important. It is the combination of high quality ingredients that make up the total diet. DO NOT LOOK AT ANY ONE INGREDIENT and make your selection from that. There are also several new "raw" diets on the market that are not well balanced and are potentially dangerous to "you" and your pet. If you are considering using one of these please discuss it with your veterinarian first.

Feed your pets premium diets with scientific studies as support, not personal testimonies. There are a lot of new foods on the market that have not been extensively researched. Some may be fine, others are not. If you are not sure of what to feed, please call us, ask lots of questions, and make an informed decision.