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Find the latest dog, cat and companion animal health scientific research and news from the editors of Petfood Industry magazine to help pet food manufacturers improve pet health through pet food ingredient, vitamin and mineral analysis as well as information focusing on pet diseases and palatability issues. Register for free to access premium content.

ARTICLES

Fungi and toxins found in veterinary dog, cat foods

Scientists at the Polish Academy of Sciences did not find these mycotoxins at levels above those allowed by European Union regulations.

April 10, 2019

Tim Wall

Veterinary dog and cat foods may contain toxins left by fungi that infected the grain used to make the products, as well as the fungi itself.

Pet owners most want plant-based diet nutrition info

20 million vegan, vegetarian pet owners may live in U.S. Fifty-eight vegans and one vegetarian were the only survey participants who fed their pets plant-based diets.

March 28, 2019

Tim Wall

Scientists asked pet owners about their own dietary preferences and their beliefs and behaviors about plant-based dog and cat foods.

Clostridium, Salmonella found in European raw pet food

Four samples contained Salmonella bacteria species. Campylobacter species occurred in three raw pet foods.

March 7, 2019

Tim Wall

Researchers encountered potentially disease-causing bacteria during laboratory analyses of raw dog foods available on the European market.

Dogs prefer grain-free over ancient grain carb sources

On the manufacturing end, ancient grain carb sources also behaved differently in extruders than grain-free dog food formulations.

January 15, 2019

Tim Wall

Grain-free dog foods beat ancient grains in a palatability study, but that doesn’t mean ancient grains like sorghum and millet don’t have a role in pet food formulations.

Q&A: Can feeding trials prevent pet food health crises?

Detailed, long-term feeding trials may help pet food companies avoid nutrition-related crises.

January 11, 2019

Tim Wall

Maybe not, since feeding trials might overlook breed-specific dietary needs, according to veterinary nutrition scientists at the University of California – Davis.

Aluminum, other minerals found in commercial US dog foods

The researchers could not conclude if those minerals might actually pose a threat to dogs’ health.

January 3, 2019

Tim Wall

Scientists at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine analyzed the levels of nickel, silica, aluminum, chromium and molybdenum in dog food.

Stopping grain-free diet, adding taurine helped dogs’ DCM

Twenty-three out of 24 Golden Retrievers diagnosed with taurine deficiency and dilated cardiomyopathy ate grain-free, legume-rich or similar dog food diets.

December 18, 2018

Tim Wall

The scientists published the results of their research, “Taurine deficiency and dilated cardiomyopathy in golden retrievers fed commercial diets,” in the journal PLOS ONE.

Hill’s, Royal Canin renal cat foods fight kidney disease

The health of cats with chronic kidney disease improved after eating pet foods formulated to address renal problems.

December 11, 2018

Tim Wall

In an experiment, scientists observed positive effects from both Royal Canin Renal Support A Feline dry cat food and a test food: Hill’s Prescription Diet k/d Feline with chicken dry cat food.