Q&A: Vets weigh in on Fido's
food
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Consumer Reports
Americans might be spending less on themselves, but not on
their furry friends. In a survey conducted by the Associated
Press in December 2008, just one in seven pet owners said they
had curtailed spending on their pet during the past year, even
as they cut other expenses.
Prices range as widely as the foods-everything from
low-glycemic and grain-free meals to human-food mimics such as
chicken pot pie. At stores near our headquarters in Yonkers,
New York, per-day costs for dry foods for a 35-pound dog ranged
from about 38 cents (Walmart's Ol' Roy Krunchy Bites &
Bones) to about US$2.88 (Karma Organic). Prices for canned
foods ranged from US$1.38 per day (Ol' Roy Hearty Cuts in
Gravy) to US$4.78 (Merrick Turducken Entreé).
We asked eight experts in dog and cat nutrition at seven top
veterinary schools what you get by spending more for petfood.
(Note: All but one have received some funding from the petfood
industry.) They also shared advice on pet feeding. Answers
represent their consensus.
Should you pay a lot for petfood?
"There's no scientific evidence that any food is better than
the next," says Joseph Wakshlag, DVM., PhD., an assistant
professor of clinical nutrition at the Cornell University
College of Veterinary Medicine. Pets can thrive on inexpensive
food or become ill from pricey food. If your animal is active
and healthy, the food is doing its job. A higher price could
mean better ingredients and better quality control during and
after manufacturing. But you might also be paying for pretty
packaging, marketing or a fancy name.
Can inexpensive food make a pet
sick?
Most experts said they haven't seen that happen, with the
exception of a zinc deficiency in the 1980s that was traced to
a generic dog food. But half had seen pets become ill from
eating homemade petfood, a growing trend since the 2007 recall
of some commercial petfoods contaminated by melamine. Dogs and
cats each require about 40 different nutrients in very specific
proportions. If you insist on making your own petfood, consider
enlisting an animal nutritionist certified by the American
College of Veterinary Nutrition or get help from
www.balanceit.com
or
www.petdiets.com
, which the ACVN lists as resources on its site.
What ingredients should you look
for?
Most experts said individual ingredients are much less
important than overall nutrient profile. Check the label for
two statements. Look for food labeled "complete and balanced,"
which indicates it can be the pet's sole nourishment (unlike a
treat). Also look for food labels stating that nutritional
adequacy was validated by animal-feeding tests based on
protocols from the American Association of Feed Control
Officials, a regulatory group. That statement is a step above
the other one AAFCO allows-that a food was formulated to meet
the group's nutrient profiles. Make sure you can find the
manufacturer's contact information, in case you have questions.
For more on labels, see
What pet-food labels really mean
.
Do you need to buy food with claims?
For petfood, there's no official definition of organic,
human-grade, premium, no fillers or gourmet. Gluten-free foods
are generally necessary only for the tiny percentage of pets
that are intolerant of that protein. There's some evidence that
antioxidants-such as vitamin E-and some omega-3 fatty acids
might enhance pets' immunity or help protect against certain
diseases, but the experts were split on whether you need to
look for them.
How important is age-specific food?
It's very important for puppies, kittens and pregnant pets,
which have especially stringent nutritional needs. Foods "for
growth" or "for all life stages" meet those needs. Foods "for
maintenance" are for healthy adults only. "Senior" is "a
marketing term, not a nutritional term," says Sarah K. Abood,
DVM, PhD., an assistant professor of small-animal clinical
sciences at Michigan State University's College of Veterinary
Medicine.
Do wet and dry differ
nutritionally?
No, but there's a cost difference: Wet foods contain about 75%
water, so you need more to get the same calories. The experts
we spoke to said that the decision usually comes down to price,
convenience, the pet's preference and any health issues. Cats
with kidney or urinary problems might benefit from the moisture
in wet food, for example, and animals with dental issues might
benefit from dry food.
What do vets feed their pets?
Among them, our experts have 11 dogs and at least six cats.
Most told us they use a variety of common brands sold at pet
stores or supermarkets. They use both wet and dry and often
combine the types.
Expert advice
Experts interviewed were from the following institutions:
Cornell University, University of Pennsylvania, Colorado State
University, Texas A&M University, Ohio State University,
Michigan State University and the University of
California-Davis.
Those interviewed by Consumer Reports offered this advice to
pet owners:
1. Be careful when making your own petfood. Most experts said they hadn't seen a pet get sick from inexpensive food; however, half said they had seen pets become ill from eating homemade petfood, a growing trend since the 2007 recall of some commercial petfood contaminated by melamine. Dogs and cats each require about 40 different nutrients in very specific proportions, so pet owners who insist on making their own petfood should consider enlisting a nutritionist certified by the American College of Veterinary Nutrition ( www.acvn.org ) or get help from the Web sites www.balanceit.com or www.petdiets.com , the article said.
2. Consider the pet's age. Age-specific food is very important for puppies, kittens and pregnant pets, who have especially stringent nutritional needs. Foods labeled either "for growth" or "for all life stages" meet those needs. Foods "for maintenance" are for healthy adult animals only. "Senior" is a marketing term, not a nutritional term.
3. Weigh the costs and benefits of wet versus dry food.
There's no nutritional difference between wet and dry petfood,
but there is a cost difference. Wet foods contain about 75%
water, so pets need more to get the same calories, and that
makes wet food more expensive to feed.
Posted: February 2009 - Consumer Reports Magazine issue: March
2009
Copyright © 2002-2007 Consumers Union of U.S., Inc.