Pet Nutrition: What To Feed Your Pet

Does your pet get excited about dinnertime? We’re guessing that the answer to that one is a yes. While our patients may have widely varying opinions on most things, one thing that the majority of them do agree on is that they all love food and snacks. Filling Fluffy and Fido’s bowls isn’t exactly hard, but sorting out what to put in them can get confusing. A local Peterborough, ON vet offers some insight on pet nutrition in this article.

What Pet Food Ingredients Should I Avoid?

One of the most important things to look at? What exactly is in your pet’s food. Many types of both human and pet foods are quite processed these days, and may contain things like fillers, preservatives, and other additives. These may not only be less than optimal: some are flat-out unhealthy.

Here are a few of the things to stay away from in your pet’s food:

• Corn Syrup/High Fructose Corn Syrup: If you’ve gotten into the habit of reading food labels, you may have realized that corn syrup is now used in, well, almost everything. It has been linked to several medical conditions in humans, including heart disease, diabetes, and fatty liver disease. It’s not toxic to Fido, but it’s very sugary, and generally just isn’t great for him. 
• Artificial Preservatives: Some of the most common ones include Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), and ethoxyquin. These may be found in many types of both wet and dry food, as well as treats.

• Artificial Food Coloring: Dyes are not going to do anything for your pet’s health. They are usually added to make the final product look more appealing and consistent to humans. Red 40, Yellow  #5, and Yellow #6 are particularly concerning. These all contain benzidine, which is a known carcinogen.
• Rendered Fat: Rendered fat may sound reasonable, but it’s often made by mixing and boiling down the unwanted bits that are left after animals have been processed for meat. Unfortunately, some of those animals may have been sick or diseased.
• Propylene Glycol: Often used in treats for both Fido and Fluffy, propylene glycol is used to help stabilize foods. It can cause side effects if ingested in large amounts. It’s also been banned in Europe, which is sufficient cause for concern in and of itself.
• Thickening Agents: While thickening agents probably aren’t going to make the top of the list of dangerous foods, they aren’t exactly great, either. Some of those commonly used include carrageenan, guar, xanthum, and cassia gums. They also do provide benefits, such as stability and texture. However, some research indicates that they could be carcinogenic. 

Ask your vet for more information. 

How Do I Choose The Right Food?

The first thing we would suggest is that you check with your vet. While we can of course go over some general guidelines, it’s also important to note that every pet is unique. Several factors come into play here, including your furry pal’s age, health, breed, and lifestyle, and any medical conditions they have. An underweight Pomeranian will have very different dietary needs than a chubby Lab, while a young St. Bernard will need different food than a senior Chihuahua.

Aside from that, stick with brands that have AFFCO approval. AFFCO – or the Association of American Feed Control Officials—is a non-profit organization that focuses its efforts on monitoring pet food ingredients, manufacturing processes, and quality regulations. They work to ensure that pet food meets the necessary quality standards to maintain your furry pal’s good health, and that those foods contain the correct nutrients in the correct proportions. A stamp of approval from them is verification that the brand has been thoroughly reviewed.

The AFFCO divides pet food ingredients or nutrition into the following six categories.

1. Water: Your pet should always have fresh water, of course. Water is also an ingredient in food. The moisture content of your pet’s food can make a difference in how easily they can digest the nutrients. Kitties are a good example of this. Cats’ natural diets consist of mice, birds, and such. Fluffy also eats her prey raw, which means she will get quite a bit of water content in her natural diet. 
2. Carbohydrates (including fiber): Carbs provide dogs with energy, in the form of glucose, which is very important for keeping that tail wagging. Cats, however, do not need any carbs in their diets. However, Fluffy will still get some carbs and fiber in the wild, via her prey. That said, carbs should definitely not be the main ingredient in a dog or cat’s diet. 
3. Vitamins: VItamins support many of your pet’s organs and systems. Different vitamins serve different purposes. We won’t delve into all of them, except to state that it’s crucial for vitamins to be added in by the correct proportion,s. Too much or too little are both dangerous. Some of the essentials for pets include Vitamin A, Vitamin B, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, iron, zinc, and calcium.
4. Minerals are also essential to your pet’s health, as they provide crucial support to your furry pal’s internal systems systems. Key minerals for dogs and cats include iron, zinc, copper, and magnesium.
5. Fat: provides energy, helps keep Fido’s coat and skin healthy, and reduces inflammation. It’s also crucial for helping pets absorb nutrients and is essential to hormone production, and also helps provide insulation and protection. There are several possible sources of fat that may be commonly found in pet foods, such as linoleic acid, flaxseed, and fish oils. Fatty acids, such as omega-3 and omega-6 acids, are both important for pets.
6. Protein: Protein is key to pets’ cartilage, tendons, ligaments, skin, fur, claws, muscle, and even blood cells. As it breaks down, it creates essential amino acids, which are crucial for your pet’s health and survival. Animal-based proteins often found in pet food include chicken, lamb, fish meal, beef, and eggs. Plant-based proteins include things like corn-gluten meal, soybean meal, and beans.

Ideally, you’ll want a quality food that is appropriate for your pet’s age, heath, and lifestyle. Ask your Peterborough, ON vet for more information. 

Making Sense Of Pet Food Labels 

One of the best things that you can do is to get into the habit of reading food labels. This is where things can get a bit tricky. Many companies use very slick marketing techniques to make their products appear better than they actually are. 

Foods that have been AAFCO-approved must have a few specific pieces of information on their labels. 

1. Brand and product names
2. Name of animal the food is for (Dog, cat, etc.)
3. Quality statement
4. Ingredient List
5. Feeding Directions
6. Analysis. This is a big one, as it lists the percentage of the nutrients listed above. While some ingredients can be listed with a maximum percentage and others can have minimums, the list has to be listed in a specific order, in measured units. 
7. Nutritional Adequacy Statement that “indicates that the food is complete and balanced for a particular life stage, such as growth, reproduction, adult maintenance or a combination of these, or intended for intermittent or supplemental feeding only.”
8. Manufacturer or distributor’s name and address

The ingredient list is where things can get quite tricky, in large part due to labeling standards. For instance, if an ingredient is on the name of a product, that ingredient must make up at least 95 percent of the food. However, there are ways around that. Something that uses the word ‘flavor’ only needs to contain about 3 percent of that ingredient. 

Be sure to ask your Peterborough, ON vet for specific advice on what to feed Fido and Fluffy. That also includes getting tips on things like portion sizes and feeding time.

Make An Appointment At Our Peterborough, ON Pet Clinic

Do you have questions or concerns about your pet’s diet? Are you wondering what you should feed your furry friend? Contact us, your local Peterborough, ON pet hospital, anytime.