There are many myths and controversies about pet nutrition. The subject is very complex and many articles and books have been written about the subject. Below is strictly a summary of some of the basic points so that you can make wise decisions about your pet's health.
First of all, There is not one perfect dog/cat food for every pet! Every animal is an individual and has specific needs and requirements. There are differences in breed and lifestyle and medical conditions. No one food OR brand or type of food is BEST for everyone.
The Pet Food Industry
The commercial pet food industry is a multi-billion dollar market created by our need for convenience (i.e. scoop it out of a bag or can) and the ability to recycle all of the leftovers that are not 'fit for human consumption'. There are two big concerns with commercial pet food. The first issue is the lack of quality ingredients. The other problem involves the use of potentially harmful chemicals in the food.
Inferior Quality of Ingredients
Many commercial pet food are deficient in key nutrients. Labeling laws only require that the manufacturer show the protein, carbohydrate and fat content, not a breakdown of the QUALITY of the ingredients used. Advertising claims of "complete and balanced" nutrition are based on minimum requirements by the government not optimum ingredients for health. You can make a food that passes NRC (National Research Council) standards with a gallon of oil, a bucket of coal and a pair of used work boots...not very digestible or usable sources to qualify as nutritious.
Commercial pet food companies use mostly grains instead of meats because grains are cheaper ingredients. Dogs and cats are carnivores (meat-eaters). The use of some grains is fine as long as the entire diet is balanced. The grain ingredients in commercial pet food are often the leftovers/by-products after processing the grains for humans. They have nice names like 'corn gluten meal' (the dried residue after removal of the bran, germ and starch). Although they make good fillers, they do not qualify as high-quality or complete nutrients. The quality of 'meat' ingredients are often inferior also. They are the by-products. For example, 'meat-by-product' equals the parts of the carcass except for the meat/muscle, i.e. organs such as brain, kidney, intestinal contents, hooves, blood, fatty tissue, bone, etc. Read the ingredient list on your pet food label.
Chemical Residues
The meat ingredients in commercial pet food are generally purchased from rendering plants. These plants process condemned and contaminated animals that are unfit for human consumption. The meat sources are known as the "4-D's": "Diseased, Disabled, Dead and Dying" (the 5th 'D" is "Drugged' - hormones, pesticides, antibiotic residues, etc.). This includes road kill, euthanized animals, 'recycled' animals that were condemned because they were full of cancer or disease. Grains used in pet food often include grains that were banned from the human market because of pesticide or herbicide residues.
They will argue that these chemicals and diseases are inactivated during processing and therefore do not pose a risk when used in pet food. If these ingredients are so safe, then why are they still considered unfit for human consumption?
And remember that your pet eats these same inferior and contaminated ingredients day after day, month after month, year after year..."insignificant contaminants' build up in the body over time to affect health.
Additives and Preservatives
The purpose of food additives is to provide or maintain desirable attributes to food, such as color, flavor, texture, stability and resistance to spoilage (and allows food to last on the supermarket shelf for years).
The most common synthetic preservatives used to prevent spoilage in commercial pet food are BHA, BHT and Ethoxyquin. BHA and BHT are suspected of causing cancer and may cause liver and kidney dysfunction. Ethoxyquin is listed as a poison and pesticide and is banned from human food. Ethyoxyquin has been linked to various forms of cancer but is still commonly used (and legal) as a preservative in pet foods. Pet food manufacturers must list preservatives that they added during processing, but do not have to list it if it was already part of the 'original by-product' added during previous steps of processing. Currently, there is research on lab animals linking artificial flavors to nervousness, allergic reactions and behavioral problems. Artificial colors may be linked to cancer, epilepsy and birth defects.
Disease Prevention
As veterinarians, our main goal is to promote the health and well-being of animals. We are frustrated with the high incidence of chronic conditions and diseases today. Our pets should be healthier and living longer these days, not shorter life spans than 20 years ago.
If you are currently feeding commercial pet food to your dog or cat, we hope that you reconsider. There are many articles and books available if you would like more detailed information than what we could address here.
Research shows that nutrition (or lack thereof) is directly related to many medical conditions and diseases such as thyroid dysfunction, diabetes mellitus and arthritis. Other problems include allergies, chronic ear and skin infections, recurring urinary infections, chronic diarrhea and gas, dental disease, excessive shedding and dull hair coat, behavioral problems, poor immune systems, epilepsy and cancer. Remember the old saying, "You are what you eat".
So what do I feed my pet?
Mounting evidence indicates that the best food for your dog or cat is a raw food diet. If you are interested in feeding this type of diet, check out our Bravo food line and raw diet section.
In the kibble world there are several small companies who make natural, human-grade dog and cat food that you can still 'scoop out of a bag or can' but provide much higher level of nutrition and health. Beware, many companies like to use the word "natural" on their packaging, but the ingredient list will tell you otherwise.
What makes natural or holistic pet food different?
- Human-grade, highest quality of ingredients with whole meats and grains
- Food sources do not come from rendering plants
- Only natural preservatives
Yes, holistic pet food usually costs more to purchase pound for pound, compared to commercial pet food. Keep in mind, that you can save much more in the long run with less medical problems and a potentially longer life span for your pet. Also, since ingredients are more digestible, they do not have to eat as much. What you will spend on the higher quality food will more than pay for itself.
"Premium" brands of commercial food use relatively fewer by-products than "economy" brands of commercial pet food, but they are still produced from rendering plants and still have an excessive amount of inferior quality grains. Premium pet food does not equal Natural pet food (and natural pet food does not generally cost more than premium pet food). You will generally not find natural pet foods at a large pet store or supermarket because they have short expiration dates (to ensure freshness) and much lower profit margins.
We offer EVO, Innova, California Natural and Solid Gold holistic food lines because each pet is and individual with different needs.
When you upgrade the quality of your pet food, make sure to upgrade your treats. too! The source of ingredients for commercial doggie biscuits applies just the same as it did for the pet food.
