For Pets’ Sake
I ask this question of every owner of a dog or cat I see in my exam room. We are what we eat, and good nutrition is the foundation of good health, whether you walk on two legs or four. Sounds simple, but how does the average pet owner, myself included, go about finding a good food to feed?
The pet food market is forecast to be a $56 billion industry by 2015. Worldwide there are hundreds of brands of foods manufactured by dozens of companies owned by an even smaller number of corporations. In the U.S. federal regulations, which are enforced by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), standards include labeling for all animal feeds. Another organization, the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) brings together state and federal agencies with industry representatives. Its stated goal is to ensure consumer protection, to safeguard the health of animals and humans, and to help establish standards of uniformity for the pet food industry.
Sounds good, right? Unfortunately, it is important to remember that in the U.S., advertising information, such as websites, TV commercials, etc. are not generally regulated.
In comments to the FDA, the Pet Food Institute, the voice of the pet food industry, noted that communication from companies beyond the legal label requirements is protected free speech. In its opinion, some information, even if misleading, is better than no information at all. This means the next time you hear a pet food commercial use the terms “natural” or “organic” you should know there is no actual legal definition for the term natural and there are, as yet, no official rules governing the labeling of organic foods for pets.
What’s a well-intentioned pet owner to do? There are adherents of cooking for your pets – it’s not as easy to do as you might think when you have to meet all of the nutritional requirements for your dog or cat. Unfortunately, I don’t have the time to try and be my dogs’ personal chef. They have to rely on what I can buy for them.
Over the years I have developed a body of knowledge in animal nutrition based on education and personal interest. Based on that background here are some rules of thumb to help you decide if you want to trust your pet’s health to a food you buy at the grocery or pet store:
• Does the manufacturer have veterinary nutritionists on staff? Many companies will consult with a veterinary nutritionist to formulate their diets, but that is the end of their research and development efforts.
• Does the manufacturer make their pet food? Many consumers are surprised to learn most manufacturers have their foods made by another company.
• Does the manufacturer do feeding trials to see if the diet actually works as intended or do they rely on just meeting the standards required for labeling?
• Does the manufacturer make a complete line of products including therapeutic diets for specific medical conditions?
Following these guidelines quickly whittles the list of potential brands of food for me down to a small handful. For additional information regarding what a pet food label can tell you I recommend visiting the Animal and Veterinary section of the FDA website www.fda.gov/animalveterinary/resourcesforyou/ucm047113.htm.
Dr. Kiel is the U.S. Army veterinarian currently supporting NAS Whidbey Island and Naval Station Everett. His columns appear the first and third Friday of each month. Please send questions or comments to Dr. Kiel at
joseph.kiel@navy.mil.
