Choosing the right food for your pet
Choosing pet food can be a daunting prospect. We are flooded with information from dozens of different sources. You ask yourself, “Whose advice do I take?” My hope is that I can help make the process just a little easier on some pet owners. It may require a little sleuthing on your part, but you can be confident you made an educated decision, and hope that it will benefit your pet for years to come.
One of the first things to consider when selecting pet food is your pet. Does he or she have any specific medical conditions? If so, you should speak to your veterinarian about a nutritional profile that best suits his or her needs. While this may or may not require a specifically formulated prescription food, the same nutrient profile may be closely matched with over-the-counter products, if you look for the right markers. Patients with histories of skin problems may need foods with limited ingredients, or a type of protein termed ‘hydrolyzed’. Patients with histories of urinary tract disease are often advised to select foods that achieve targeted urine pH. Your veterinarian can also help you select a food appropriate for multiple nutritional needs.
Another concern many owners have is regarding safety of pet food. Whether your concerns stem from the type of ingredients, the manufacturer, or the confusing nature of pet food labels, there are several steps that a pet owner can take to make sure that they are feeding a safe product to their four-legged family member. My first advice is to look for the AAFCO nutritional adequacy statement. There are two types – one indicating that feeding trials have been done, and the other indicating that product has been formulated to meet requirements. The standard amongst veterinary nutritionists is to seek out products that have been through feeding trials. This means that the food was developed based on nutrient levels, and then provided to a group of animals for a series of weeks. Some of the standards for feeding trials include normal blood work, no weight loss, and absence of vomiting or diarrhea. While no feeding trial is perfect (often they are short in duration), it is a better indicator of safety than no feeding trial at all. The packaging should state:
- "Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that ABC Dog (Cat) Food provides complete and balanced nutrition for (appropriate life stage)."
A second standard to seek is excellent customer support. A pet owner (or their veterinarian) should be able to contact a company and request more information, report problems, or ask for literature. As a pet owner, I know just how frustrating it can be trying to find information on a product website, or through secondary sources. One company I contacted took four weeks to respond to my request for the calorie content of the food. Look for a contact phone number, either on the packaging or the website – this suggests that the company places an emphasis on customer care and feedback.
My third standard is to select a company that has a veterinary nutritionist involved in their formulation and product development. It is important to note that not all nutritionists are created equal. A ‘veterinary nutritionist’ is an individual who has completed a bachelor’s degree, followed by veterinary school, and then became board certified in nutrition, which often includes a Masters or PhD in nutrition, as well as clinical practice. At the conclusion of this rigorous training, they then sit for an intensive board certifying exam, during which every facet of their nutrition training is tested. Many pet food companies will tell you that they have a nutritionist. Sometimes this individual is a veterinarian with advanced training. Other times it is someone who received online training, or has a bachelor’s degree in nutrition. Other individuals will call themselves ‘pet nutritionists’, without any additional training to speak of. To my knowledge, there are only five or six pet food companies who actively employ a board certified veterinary nutritionist.
Whether you are looking for an ‘all-natural’ approach to feeding, or simply want the best nutrition for the lifetime of your pet, it is important to seek out products with the following points:
- Look for AAFCO feeding trials
- Expect great customer support
- Confirm the involvement of a veterinary nutritionist
- Work with your veterinarian to select the ideal nutrient profile for your pet
Candice Berkshire, DVM
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