WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PET FOOD

COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS

“I looked at the various pet food labels and the diets sold through veterinary hospitals are the same as diets sold elsewhere.”

The chemical analysis measures crude quantities of ingredient classes, offering no information about ingredient quality.  This means that you can look at the “guaranteed analysis” and see similarities between foods that can differ in cost by 100% or more.  Most ingredients have different grades, similar to buying filet minion vs. stewing beef; fast food hamburger vs. Home-made hamburger patties made from lean ground beef.  Which do you think offers more nutritional value per gram?

“Why don’t veterinarians recommend other foods that are approved by certifying bodies?”

Certification is a means of insuring pets avoid malnutrition.  Veterinarians are specialized to recognize those diets which will optimize your pet’s health.  This means producing a shinier, more lustrous coat and fewer skin irritations; nutrition to the young growing animal in the appropriate quantity to reduce the risk of bone problems; or decreasing the amount of protein given to the elderly pet but supplying that protein as a high quality source.  These are examples of concerns that veterinarians have above and beyond malnutrition. 

“Why are veterinary diets more expensive?”

If more nutrients are available for every gram of food, then less food needs to be fed to meet all your pet’s needs.  When higher quality ingredients are fed this is the case.  In actual fact, for the extra research that has been done on these premium foods, and the medical expenses that you may save in the long run, they are a bargain! 

“My cat is already on a low-ash diet” 

Low ash foods are low in total mineral content.  This does not tell you if it is low in magnesium; if the calcium/phosphorous ratio is balanced; or if the food creates an acidic urine.  The qualities just mentioned are all very important in preventing urinary tract problems in your cat.   Your veterinarian aims at preventing potential problems, and thus saving you time, headaches and finances by recommending premium diets.

“If the first ingredient isn’t meat it can’t be a good diet”

1.      Ingredients are listed in order of decreasing weight.  If chicken is the first ingredient, but 70%  of it is water, comparison can not based on nutritional value.

2.      It is easy to be misled by the breakdown of product groups.  Wheat flour, wheat midds, wheat shorts and wheat are all wheat, however, by breaking them up into groups they get shoved further down the ingredient list.

3.      Corn is an excellent carbohydrate source in dry diets.  Again, the quality is extremely important.  High quality corn can be greater than 80% digestible.  Lower quality corn, however, can be much less.

4.      Who said meat was a good thing?  In the older dog, and in certain urinary conditions, it is desirable to have a lower percentage of protein and a higher percentage of carbohydrate in the diet.  Too much meat may be a problem.

“My pet is on a lamb and rice diet, I’m told this is very good for him”

Hypoallergenic diets for animals were originally lamb and rice because this was a unique combination of protein and carbohydrate.  Now they are in many diets sold over the counter and thus cannot be used in veterinary elimination diets for animals with allergies.  Duck and potato is a new combination that is unique.  As veterinarians we hope that these ingredients do not become common, making it difficult to find unique food sources for our patients who truly need it.

“Is canned food better to feed my pet?”

Canned foods contain a higher moisture content that dry food.  This is beneficial in cats that do not drink very much water and are prone to having crystals form in their urine.  If your cat has never had problems with his/her urinary tract, dry food is marginally less expensive and may be easier for clients to store.  Canned foods may be more palatable to the picky eater, however, if on a strictly canned food diet, tarter may build up at a slightly faster rate.  Diets should be tailored to the individual pets requirements.  Ask your veterinarian for your pets specific requirements.

“My pet will get bored of one flavor”

Most pets, once accustomed and happy on a particular diet, do not tire of it.  It usually reduces begging, and consistency reduces vomiting, diarrhea, gas and other stomach upsets.    

SUMMARY

The diets we chose to sell are extensively researched and monitored, incorporate unique ingredients, and are of exceptional quality.  We see tremendous improvements in pets fed these foods.  It is impossible to know about all of the 100’s of diets on the market, however, companies whose products we sell provide us with a wealth of information.

We believe nutrition can play a vital role in everything from improving skin and coat quality to managing kidney, liver and heart disease.  Based on human research, nutrition plays a tremendous role in disease prevention and contributes to a longer better quality life.