Common Pet Food Myths and Misconceptions

These days, we want to be more informed about ingredients in pet foods. There is a lot of misinformation out there about protein sources, grains, by-products and raw food diets. These are some of the common myths about pet food:

1. By-products are bad

2. Grain-free diets are better

3. Corn is bad

4. Raw meat diets are healthier

5. Natural or Holistic Diets Are Better

Purchasing your pet food from a reputable manufacturer will help avoid health problems in your pet due to poor quality ingredients or improper formulation. Reputable pet food manufacturers are very selective about their sources and employ full time qualified nutritionists. They perform scientific testing and strict quality control to ensure that each ingredient and the finished pet food meets exact nutrient specifications.

Always remember that the ingredient list and the nutritional analysis printed on the label do not provide an accurate picture of that diet.

Fancy marketing which caters to fads such as “grain-free” and “holistic, all-natural” may lure many pet owners into believing the company with the best marketing tactics. Being armed with the right knowledge about pet food facts and myths will help prepare you for making the best choice for your pet.

Please ask us at the Peterborough West Animal Hospital about our pet food recommendation for your pet!

Excerpts for this article were taken from the published series “Deciphering Fact From Fiction” by Lisa M. Freeman, DVM, PhD, DACVN and Cailin R. Heinze, VMD, MS, DACVN.