Roger L. Welton, DVMPresident, Maybeck Animal Hospital

5 Myths You Should Know AboutDog and Cat Foods

West Melbourne, FLFounder, Chief Editor, Web-DVM.net

What we’ll cover

5 myths… and why you shouldn’t believe them

Characteristics of bad pet food How to select the right pet food

Myth #1

Corn is an unhealthy ingredient in pet foods.

Where corn myth comes fromThis is a common theme on internet chat forums and among many non-medically trained people in the pet industry

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Many who deride the inclusion of corn in pet foods go so far as to link it to food allergies and a host of other common diseases in veterinary medicine.

Reality check: Value of corn

Attaining the knowledge to grow corn from Native Americans saved New England settlers from starvation and disease because of its nutrient and calorie dense properties.

Corn is an invaluable source of fiber, b-complex vitamins, beta carotenes, vitamin C, vitamin E, and other antioxidants.

Corn is an invaluable source of amino acids and fiber.

Reality check: Value of corn

It is inexpensive to cultivate and harvest, therefore corn provides a cheap source of key nutrients to keep quality pet food costs minimal.

Corn is not linked to specific disease in dogs and cats except for rare cases of food allergy.

Depending on the study one refers to, corn ranks 27-32 on the food allergy list, thus debunking the notion that it is a common source of food allergy.

Myth #2

Animal by-product” translates to the inclusion ofabysmal nutrient sources, such as skin, hair, and hoof.

Reality check: Animal by-products The most common animal by-products used

in pet |foods are organs (liver, brain, heart, kidneys, heart, etc.) and bone meal.

Although organs and bone meal are valuable nutrient sources, most people do not find them appealing dietary items, making them ideal low cost ingredients in pet foods.

Myth #3

Veterinarians do not receive significantnutritional training and are thus not good sources

for pet food recommendations.

Reality Check:Vets and nutritional training

Animal nutrition is mandatory first year course work in all AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association) accredited veterinary curriculums.

Nutritional training continues later in physiology course work and how it specifically relates to physiological function.

Nutritional training is further expanded in medicine coursework in the form of clinical nutrition and the role nutrition can play in disease management/prevention.

Myth #4

“Holistic”, “all-natural”, and “corn-free”

are the best criteria to select pet food.

Reality check: Pet food labels While eliminating corn from diets having no scientific basis has

already been addressed, the terms “holistic” and “all-natural” are not official terms recognized in the pet industry.

Holistic carries no significance because the pet food governing body (AACFO) – more on this later – has not established criteria to meet this standard. Thus a diet labeling itself as holistic holds no significance.

Any diet that is put into canned or kibble form requires processing, thus, labeling any canned or kibble diet as all natural is misleading and dishonest.

Myth #5

Feeding of raw meat is what is most appropriatefor dogs and cats because that is what natural selection

and evolution have dictated.

Reality check:Raw meat for dogs and cats

While the dog’s ancient ancestor, the wolf, is the product of natural selection, the domestic dog is not.

While the domestic dog is descended from the wolf, physiologically, they are very different as the result of 100,000 years of domestication and selective breeding.

Domestication and selective breeding has led to a 0.8% change in DNA from the dog’s most closely related species of wolf.

While a 0.8 % difference in DNA may not seem significant, we are separated from our closest evolutionary ancestor, the chimpanzee, by 1.2% difference in DNA sequence. (Most would not argue that we should follow the same dietary nutrient needs of the chimp.)

With significantly less acidic gastric pH comparatively to the wolf, dogs have less protective mechanisms to protect against raw meat pathogens and parasites.

Dogs also cannot digest large pieces of bone as wolves can (because of differences in jaw strength, dentition, and gastric pH) and they are thus a common source of gastrointestinal obstruction and perforation for dogs.

Cats are better adapted to eating raw meat than dogs, but with cases of raw food poisoning prevalent among raw fed cats, most veterinarians agree that benefit does not justify the risk.

Reality check:Raw meat for dogs and cats

Characteristics of bad pet foods Poor quality diets will often have undesirable animal

by-product (skin, hoof, hair) for nutrient sources. In the case of mold growth, rancid pet food may cause death.

Many so called all natural or holistic diets do not use preservatives and commonly go rancid as a result.

• Rancid food may cause mild to severe GI disturbance.• In the case of mold growth, rancid pet food may cause death.

Often, so called holistic diets are especially too heavy in protein and too light in fiber.

• Excessive protein over time puts excessive stress on the liver and kidneys and may contribute to degenerative diseaseof these organs.

Label claims to be “all life stages.” There is no diet that exists that covers the unique nutritional requirements of all life stages: kitten/puppy, adult pet, senior pet.

Watch for certification

One more characteristic of bad pet food: Not AAFCO certified!!!

Association of American Feed Control (AAFCO) is an official watchdog for the pet food industry.

• AAFCO participation is voluntary, but not required by law.• AAFCO has established minimum standards for pet food.

Since AAFCO participation and certification is strictly voluntary, it is up to the consumer to look for the AAFCO certification label, indicating that a pet food has met AAFCO standards.

For more information on AAFCO, visit: www.aafco.com

How to select the right pet food1. Your single best source for seeking the best quality and

appropriate pet food for your pet is your veterinarian.

2. Seek species and life stage appropriate foods• Puppy/kitten: up to 1 year• Adult 1-7 years• Senior 7 plus years

3. Choose only diets that are AAFCO certified.

4. If there is underlying disease, your veterinarian may choose disease specific nutrition for your pet.

Several pet food companies offer prescription veterinary diets as an integral treatment modality/ component to disease management.

How to select the right pet food5. Avoid diets with label claims of “all natural,”

“holistic,” or “all life stages.”

6. If you choose a preservative-free pet food, make certain that it is vacuum sealed and the seal is not broken.

Always smell a new food batch to make certain it is not rancid. (Although most people do not find any type of pet food to have an appealing smell, rancid pet food can be detected by most people.)

7. Keep posted on pet food recalls utilizing news/informational pet industry sites such as PetMD.com, Web-DVM.net, and WebMD.com/pets.

Q&A

Thank you for attending!

If you have further questions about pet nutrition or any other issues with your dog or cat, you can always speak with a veterinarian at any time: http://www.pearl.com

Roger L. WeltonDVM