Kibble Confusion-You’re feeding what?

I am not a dog nutrition or label reading expert.

I don’t feed the perfect diet, not by a long shot, but I do the best I can to educate myself about what I am feeding them

What I feed depends on how busy I am and what article I read the night before

Be wary of what you read and hear This is not an all you need to know…never

stop learning!

Disclaimers

Dry Canned

Mostly water so can’t be sole source Does not cause adverse dental health Higher amounts of meat, poultry, fish Can not be sole source for big dogs—you’d be feeding

8 cans a day! Semi-moist—Do not feed, loaded with

chemicals Raw Homemade Diets

Types of Diet

Meat, poultry, seafood, feed grain By-products

◦ Not fit for human consumption but still must meet federal standards for safety and nutrition

Vitamins/Minerals-to complete nutritional needs

Preservatives-for shipping and to extend shelf-life

Coloring-to make it pretty◦ Approved by the U.S. FDA and U.S. Dept of

Agriculture

Dog Food Content

FDA (Food and Drug Association) FTC (Federal Trade Commission) USDA (United States Department of

Agriculture) State Government Pet Food Institute AAFCO (Association of American Feed

Control Officials)

Myth: Dog food is a self-regulated industry

Never know the true quality of ingredients Predicting recall is impossible

Ingredient quality can vary daily Not required to disclose the origin of their

ingredients Good companies use trusted sources, but

some use brokers, middlemen or even 3rd party suppliers

But wait….

Lots of information! Consumer driven huge industry Knowledgeable staff in specialty stores Don’t trust that fancy artwork or

manufacturer claims, its all marketing hype!

Merrick vs. Proctor and Gamble◦ Ex: Merrick is a small company that only does pet

food, they rely on their reputation to stay in business. By specializing in one product, its better quality.

There is good news!

Set standards for animal feeds and pet foods in the U.S. but have no regulatory authority◦ Work with FDA

Must meet “Complete and Balanced” standards

Adult Maintenance Growth/Reproduction

Feeding trials and Lab Analysis Fed and monitored for six months

It isn’t perfect, but it’s a good starting place

Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO)

Water Protein-Meat protein better than veggies Fats Minerals Vitamins Variety

Dogs have fewer taste buds than we do Nothing’s perfect so rotate diet Some pets can’t tolerate changes No study that says its unhealthy or detrimental to

change food

Your pup’s needs

Look for this label The product contains all nutrients known to

be required by a dog or cat Must contain minimums of nutrients

required by AAFCO Does not cover treats, snacks or other

products for supplemental feeding

“Complete and Balanced”

Depends on◦ 1. Medical Condition◦ 2. Lifestyle (active or couch potato?)◦ 3. Size◦ 4. Growth or Maintenance? (puppy or adult?)

Puppies should be switched from Growth to Maintenance around 9 months or when they reach 80-90% of anticipated weight

For puppies, should meet “Growth” or “All Life Stages”

What to feed?

Food that is stored appropriately Cool, dry place Pour out of the bag Canned in the cupboard

Food high in meat content and free of plant-based protein boosters

USA registered and manufactured food Fresh Veggies

What to feed? Continued

www.dogwalkeretc.com

“Holistic”-no legal definition “Natural”—assumed synonymous with

“good” “healthy” Organic?

No scientific research supporting this but do Mother Nature a favor

Raleigh Farmer’s Market Probiotics

Marketing Mumbo-jumbo

Cat Food—too high in fat/protein

Some Table scraps or bones Too fatty, vomiting, diarrhea,

obesity Bones can get lodged or splintered

Anything from China Added supplements Not adequately researched

Homemade diets

What not to feed

Labels that say “meat entrée”, “meat dinner”, “Meat platter” “meat flavor”

Senior or weight loss diets Supermarket brands All food in one meal

Split to at least 2 feedings

What not to feed, cont.

Whole grains and antioxidants Gluten free “Green Movement” Rendering

Pet Food Institute—made of 98% of commercial pet foods prohibit rendered ingredients

“Toxins”◦ Water◦ Oxygen

Beware the Media

Ask around Look at their dog

Monitor your own dog One to three meals a day (average for adults)

◦ Puppies < 3 months 4x a day 3-5 months 3x a day

No free feeding Can cause anorexia Most dogs can’t self-regulate

Gradually change food◦ Change made over 5-7 days or longer if your pup is

sensitive

How to feed

Guaranteed analysis This is the minimal amount present

Ingredient List Look for protein sources and carbohydrate sources

Complete and Balanced The less processed the better Protein, protein, protein!

Deficiencies = Roxanne Slow your dog down to prevent Bloat

Do not elevate bowls

How to feed cont.,

Homemade Usually not well balanced

Vegetarian Dogs are omnivores, Cats are carnivores Must be well-balanced and are usually not

Raw Controversial Not formulated to meet AAFCO standards AAHA, AVMA, and CVMA, discourage raw diet

Alternative Diets

Ok I am still lost! I thought you were going to help us!

Good things to look for Do Not Buy

Foods that contain:◦ Whole Beef, Chicken,

Turkey, Lamb, Pork and meals made from whole meats (beef meal, chicken meal, etc.)

◦ Whole grains, vegetables and fruits

◦ Foods with as much animal protein as possible

◦ Identified ingredients (instead of “liver” should say “beef liver”)

Foods that contain:◦ Animal fat, animal digest,

meat meal◦ Foods with artificial colors◦ Products without expiration

dates or those past their expiration

◦ Products containing meat or bone meal

◦ Foods that are sweetened◦ Wheat Gluten (“gum”)◦ Products with protein derived

from meat “by-products”

Sometimes, by-products are ok You eat them! Well I don’t…

◦ Sweetbreads, chitterlings, etc Still have to be approved for use and must

be safe and meet nutritional requirements Make sure they aren’t the main source of

protein

One more note about by-products

Water sufficient for processing, chicken, wheat gluten, carrots, liver, peas, meat by-products, corn starch-modified, wild rice, rice, artificial and natural flavors, calcium phosphate, salt, soy flour, potassium chloride, added color, zinc sulfate, choline chloride, Vitamin E supplement, ferrous sulfate, niacin, copper sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, manganese sulfate, calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, Vitamin B-12 supplement, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin A supplement, potassium iodide, folic acid, Vitamin D-3 supplement, biotin, sodium selenite.

An Example: Beneful Chopped Blends with Chicken

Bad ingredients-things we’ve talked about that you should avoid

Deboned Chicken, Chicken Broth, Dried Egg Product, Natural Chicken Flavor, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Salt, Sodium Phosphate, Vitamins (Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Niacin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate), Carrageenan, Cassia Gum, Guar Gum, Minerals (Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Iron Amino Acid Complex, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Potassium Iodide, Cobalt Glucoheptonate, Sodium Selenite), Lecithin.

Another Example: Merrick

Good Stuff to Look for--example

Sorry, I won’t recommend Brands of dog food

You can do it!

Animall Phydeaux Unleashed Barnes Supply Pet Pantry

◦ www.feedyourpets.com And many more!

Where to Buy

www.dogfoodadvisor.com www.fda.gov

◦ Go to animal and veterinary www.whole-dog-journal.com www.petfoodinstitute.org The Healthful Alternative Dog and Cat Diets

Donald R. Strombeck, DVM, PhD

References