Some of the most poignant moments in my childhood occurred in the early mornings and involved getting all of the various critters on our farm fed. My siblings and I would tromp out to the barn surrounded by a joyful and eager band of dogs awaiting their morning meal. The day would often begin with feeding sheep, horses, goats, cats, and dogs and every so often getting chased by a cranky rooster. I knew of no other dog and cat food option at the time than the large Pro-Plan bags that resided in the metal trash cans in the feed room. I can neither confirm nor deny that I may have tasted it a time or two in my youth as well. As the years have passed, of course, the options for dog and cat food have exploded. This industry is now measured in the 100’s of billions of dollars in sales. While options and competition can be good, they can also be confusing. So, we wanted to go through a few basic principles for feeding pets that apply no matter which food you choose.
- Portion control and maintaining a lean body condition for a pet are (almost) always more important than what food is being fed. While many pet food brands do not have solid data to support their claims of better health and longer life, the data solidly support healthy weight for a pet as a driver of health, comfort, and longevity.
- Ensure that whatever food is chosen has a “complete and balanced” claim for the life stage of your pet. AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) has set these standards for over 100 years and this is a very important aspect of any food.
- If you are cooking for your pet, check out the BalanceIt website (https://balance.it/). This website will help owners ensure that home-cooked diets are complete and balanced and calorically sufficient for their pet.
- Boutique and novel food brands frequently appeal to pet owners by making claims that they are healthier or higher quality than standard kibble like that produced by good old Purina. It’s always important to separate marketing from reality. So, I looked through some historical facts for Purina and found some interesting distinctions:
→ Purina has been making pet food for almost a century.
→ Purina employs nearly 500 scientists whose sole job is ensuring the quality and safety of their food.
→ Purina has done many of the most important studies on canine aging and longevity demonstrating that calorie restriction and lean body condition score is one of the most important factors in delaying the onset of chronic disease and promoting longer life.
→ Purina was one of the first companies to include probiotics in their dog food.
→ Purina is transparent about their ingredient lists.
→ According to the AKC and Westminster dog show data more champions eat Purina Pro plan than any other brand.
Have fun choosing your pets food! Its an important part of ownership.
Sincerely,
Your Other Family Doctor: Dr. Sam Elder