(4/2021) True confession: In trying to advise clients how to feed their pets, I feel like I need a PhD in nutrition to sort through what’s out there. While I don’t have one of those, I do have a veterinary medical degree. That allows me access to many resources regarding pet foods and nutrition. There are thousands of choices of pet foods available. These are made by more than 200 pet food manufacturers in the United States. Do they all have nutritional expertise and quality control? No. Which ones do? That can be difficult to answer. One has to do their research. The WSAVA (World Small Animal Veterinary Association) Nutrition Toolkit www.wsava.org/nutrition-toolkit has a set of questions that everyone should ask their pet food manufacturer.

• Does the company have a full-time nutritionist or board certified vet nutritionist on staff?
• Who formulates the food and what are their credentials? I often wonder about this for diets like Rachel Ray and Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance
• Are the diets tested using feeding trials or formulated to meet AAFCO nutrient profiles? Do they meet the nutrient profiles by formulation or by analysis of the finished product?
• Where is the food produced and manufactured?
• What quality control measures are used to maintain consistency and quality of ingredients?
• Will they provide complete nutrient analysis for the food and for any specific ingredient that is asked for?
• What are the calories per measurement (gram, cup, or can) of food?
• What product research is done? Are the results published in peer-reviewed journals?

If answers to the questions are hard to get or not provided, that is a warning about whether you really should be feeding that food. The bottom line is to make sure the food is made by a reputable and knowledgeable company with strict quality control measures.

Hills, Purina, and Royal Canin are companies that are able to answer all of these questions and take all of these actions. They have over-the-counter lines of food like Hill’s Science Diet and Purina Pro Plan. They have prescriptions diets for specific medical conditions and diseases such as Hill’s Prescription Diet, Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets, and Royal Canin Veterinary Diets.

Do you get the sense your cat may be missing out on some key nutrients in their diet? Modern cats eat very differently than the way their feline ancestors ate in the wild. Even high quality food may leave nutritional gaps. To ensure optimal nourishment for your cat (and peace of mind for you), sprinkle their food with Nutra Thrive Feline Nutritional Supplement. Do all you can to support the health of your favorite feline - claim this Nutra Thrive for Cats discount coupon to save on your next order.

Reading pet food labels

The ingredient list is not a useful way to select a pet diet. Many consumers believe that this is the way to select the best food for their pets. There are websites that rank the quality of pet foods based on this faulty list. The list is not based on science or an independent group of experts with expertise or knowledge giving guidance. The ingredient list is a list of contents in order based on the weight, which has a lot to do with water content. Meat is listed first because it is 70% water, not because it has the most nutrients. There are many dry nutrients listed further down. This list is not meant to state or imply nutrient adequacy. The more important factor is the nutrients that are provided not the ingredients that provide them.

The more important information is the AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officers) statement or Nutritional Adequacy Statement. The statement on over-the-counter foods is to see 1) whether the food meets all dog nutrient requirements-is it complete and balanced or for intermittent or supplemental use only (i.e. treats or a therapeutic diet for a specific purpose), 2) how that was determined-either by formulation to meet AAFCO nutritional levels checked by analysis of food or feeding trial evaluation, and 3) what life stage the food is intended for.

AAFCO does create feed definitions; give guidance and best practices related to regulation of pet food. It does not regulate, test, approve or certify pet foods.

Cost of therapeutic diets

Therapeutic Diets can help manage and possible cure many diseases and medical conditions. Quality control has to be stricter than for over-the-counter foods. The manufacturing process has to check the specifications for their raw materials (before) and for the finished product (after) for every batch of food made. The consumer needs to be able to trust that the diet is consistent and doesn’t vary in nutrients. For example, low levels of phosphorous would be needed for a kidney diet and higher levels of fiber are needed for diabetic diet. Hypoallergenic diets need special care taken to avoid contamination from other proteins by using separate facilities or equipment.

There is so much science and research in these diets to ensure that they are balanced and nutritionally complete. Even many over-the-counter foods are made that way too. Therefore, supplements are generally not needed.

This is part 1 in a series of several articles. Stay tuned…