Dr. Garnett's Food Corner:
Since
so many clients are confused about the wide array of products on the
market for their pets, Dr. Garnett will be sharing a few of her ideas on
how people can make intelligent choices about what to feed.
Today's lesson: What can you tell from the pet food bag?
Dr. Garnett's answer - not a lot.
It is very difficult to look at the bag and determine the quality of
the ingredients in the bag. You also can't tell manufacturing quality
either. Some things to look at that are important: Find the AAFCO seal (required on all non-prescription pet food) and look for the words "FEEDING TRIALS" instead of the word "formulated."
Pet food does not have to have been fed to the animals it is designed
for, believe it or not, so a product tested with dogs or cats is going
to be more reliable. ALSO - look for the lifestage the food is designed for.
If you see the words "suitable for dogs (or cats) of all ages" - this
is the same as saying puppy or kitten food. A lot of these products
have extra calories to support younger animals, so older pets may gain
weight when eating these foods. To ensure optimum health and achieve an
appropriate nutrient balance, it
is better to feed a product appropriate for the life stage of your
pet. For example: 'suitable for health and maintenance of adult dogs'
would be good for dogs between 1 and 7 years of age, or for cats 1-10
years of age.
Coming up in future newsletters:
1) What about grain free foods?
2) Raw diets - should I be looking into these?
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