Myths around Urinary Tract Health in Dogs and Cats

By: Dr. Doreen M. HoustonDoreen is a board certified Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM).

Calcium Oxalate Stones

Myth 1:   Salt in urinary diets is bad.  It can lead to kidney failure, hypertension and associated heart disease, and calcium oxalate bladder and kidney stones.

Reality

Dogs and cats are not “salt sensitive” like humans.  There are many published studies that support that salt does not contribute to kidney disease; in fact there is science suggesting quite the opposite.  Low salt intake can lead to loss of potassium in the urine and this can worsen kidney failure.  By increasing the salt content of the diet, we might actually help decrease the risk of chronic renal failure.  There are a number of studies supporting that salt is not a concern in aged cats, the group most likely to develop kidney disease.  Unlike people, dogs and cats do not develop hypertension because of salt in the diet.  Salt in urinary diets causes the animal to drink more and consequently urinate more-this is good when trying to prevent significant crystal and stone disease in dogs and cats.  Salt in the diet has been shown to help prevent calcium oxalate stones in cats and dogs.

Myth 2:   Struvite crystals and stones form when the urine pH is alkaline.  Keeping the urine acidified will prevent struvite in dogs and cats.  On the other hand, calcium oxalate forms when the urine pH is acidic.   Keeping the urine alkaline (pH >7) will prevent calcium oxalate in dogs and cats.

Reality

Struvite in the majority of canine cases is due to infection.  Treating or preventing the urinary tract infection is the most important aspect of management of struvite crystals and stones in dogs.  Cats are totally different- infection does not play a role in the vast majority of cases.  A diet that maintains an average urine pH less than 6.5 and restricts the minerals that contribute to struvite formation is recommended in cats.
Calcium oxalate crystal and stone formation is not urine pH dependent in dogs or cats.  This type can form at any urine pH.  Highly acidic urine (consistently having a pH in the 5’s) may predispose a pet but otherwise, urine pH is not a key factor in the development of oxalate crystals or stones.   A diet that has undergone specific testing for oxalate crystal and stone prevention is recommended for management of oxalate in dogs and cats.

Myth 3:   Cats with blood in their urine should be placed on antibiotics for 7-14 days.

Reality

Antibiotics are not indicated unless a urinary tract infection (UTI) is confirmed with urine culture and sensitivity. Cats rarely get UTIs and it is much more likely that there is another reason for blood in their urine, such as a condition called Feline Idiopathic Cystitis! Antibiotics are rarely needed in cats with lower urinary tract problems. There is growing concern for antibiotic resistance in people and pets-antibiotics should not be given unless an infection is confirmed.

Myth 4: Ash in pet food is one of the causes of feline lower urinary tract disease. Ash can cause a male cat to suffer a blockage in the urinary system.  Cats should not be fed diets with ash.

Reality

This was a commonly held belief for many years, but has been shown not to be true. All pet foods are composed of protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and water. The inorganic components of pet foods, such as the minerals and vitamins, are called “ash” because they are not incinerated when the food is burned for nutritional analysis. Ash was once thought to contribute to struvite crystals and stones in the bladder and urethra of cats, causing male cats in particular to “block”-not be able to urinate. We now know that urinary pH plays a significant role in the development of struvite crystals in cats and if the urine pH is kept lower than 6.5 and the amount of magnesium (one of the minerals in “ash”) is controlled the production of struvite crystals and stones can be prevented. In addition, it is important to know that other minerals in ash such as calcium, manganese, and selenium are critical to the cat’s health. Ash is not a bad thing!

Myth 5: Vitamin C, cranberry juice, or cranberry extracts are very good for urinary tract health-they acidify urine (lower the urine pH), are anti-inflammatory and might help treat and prevent urinary tract infections.

Reaity

Unlike people, dogs and cats make their own vitamin C. Vitamin C is broken down to oxalic acid which is excreted into the urine. Too much of this could put dogs and cats at risk for calcium oxalate crystals and calcium oxalate kidney/bladder stones. In addition, it has been shown that neither vitamin C nor cranberry are very good urinary acidifiers-there are much better ones available from your veterinarian should they be needed. In addition, vitamin C can be a bad thing for dogs and cats that have copper associated liver disorders as it is pro-inflammatory in this condition. In most cases urinary tract infections are caused by bacteria and antibiotics are needed. Cranberry is used in dogs and cats to help with certain urinary tract infections as the proanthocyanidins in cranberry (PACs) block attachment of bacteria such as E. coli to the lining of the bladder. The cranberry doesn’t stop the bug from being there in the first place but it might help lessen the clinical signs the animal experiences. Antibiotics are needed to treat bacterial infections-cranberry is supplemental therapy only!

Weighty Issues: Pet Obesity

Obesity is one of the most common diseases that is identified in our companion animals. Yes, I said disease. Obesity is a disease that can greatly affect a dog’s or cat’s overall health and life-span. It is more than a cosmetic issue; it is a health-risk. The good news? Obesity is manageable, but not only that, it is preventable.

A dog or cat is classified as overweight when they weigh more than 10% of their ideal body weight; they are obese when they weigh more than 20%. Animals can be predisposed to obesity from a variety of factors, including genetics, neutering and endocrine disorders, but the most common cause of obesity is energy imbalance. Put simply, animals are often fed too much and exercised too little.

Cats and dogs that are obese have reduced quality of life and their life-expectancies can be greatly shortened. Furthermore, obese pets are at higher risk for many disorders, including:

• Cardiac disease
• Respiratory disease
• Osteo-articular disease
• Urolithiasis (urinary stones)
• Diabetes mellitus

But obesity is a touchy subject. In a world where the statistics involving human obesity is on the rise, many people are inclined to take any discussion regarding overweight or obese animals personally. The fact is, most vets are not being judgemental or mean when they diagnose a pet as obese or overweight; they have the pet’s best interests at heart. It is a medical fact, the same as diagnosing an animal with a fractured tooth or a broken leg or a heart condition. Similarly to those conditions, treating an animal’s obesity can greatly increase their life-span and make them more comfortable.

The problem with obesity is that it is not a curable condition. It is a chronic concern that will affect that pet’s entire life. An overweight animal can’t just start a diet, loose a few pounds and then go back to eating lots and exercising less. Obesity will recur, and many weight-loss programs must be maintained for life to keep an animal in ideal body condition.

In animals that are obese, simply cutting back on the current diet is not enough. Maintenance or even weight-control diets are not properly formulated for weight-loss. Severe restrictions of these diets can result in vitamin and mineral deficiencies, not to mention hungry pets. To achieve healthy weight loss, animals need correctly-formulated calorie-controlled diets that make an animal feel full so there is less begging or food-stealing, which can be a hiccup in most weight-loss plans. Proper exercise is also very important and needs to go hand-in-hand with proper nutrition.

This may sound very complicated. Not to worry – this is why your veterinarian is here. We have access to all the latest research in nutrition, plus special diets that have been put through rigorous testing and formulating – and that we have seen WORK to achieve weight loss. We would love to help, and celebrate the victories with you!

Vanessa Tonn, DVM
Bowmanville Veterinary Clinic

Pet Food Nutrition: the Truth About Corn

 

There has been an increasing trend in the movement of pet food companies to exclude ingredients like corn based on the perception that it is an undesirable ingredient. It has been described as an indigestible "filler" ingredient (ingredients that do not contribute to any nutritional or beneficial properties to a food) that leads to food allergies. The reality is that most concerns regarding corn are invalid.

Remember: true food allergies are uncommon in dogs and cats. It has been estimated that only 1% of all skin diseases can be attributed food allergies; more often flea-allergy dermatitis and atophy are responsible. Most gastro-intestinal conditions that respond well to diet changes are actually more food-sensitivities or intolerances to properties of the diet such as fat or fibre content.

Further more, corn is a rare cause of food allergies. More often, allergies occur to other ingredients including beef, dairy and chicken. In general, animal-based protein is more commonly a cause of allergies rather than plant-based ingredients.

So while there is little evidence to support the exclusion of corn, corn is also a source of essential nutrients. It contributes fibre, protein, vitamins, minerals and high-digestible carbohydrate to a diet. It is also one of the riches sources of linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid, and as such is not a "filler" ingredient.

When it is properly processed (ie: rolled, ground, flaked, cooked), corn's digestibility greatly increases. Whole ground corn cooked via extrusion (the way that most dry pet food is made) has been shown to have a digestibility of greater than 97% in dogs and cats!

Corn, like many other ingredients, has managed to develop a bad reputation based little on fact and more on myth. As always it is important to educate yourself on interpreting pet-food ingredients and marketing strategies, differentiating real information from hype. As always, your veterinarian can help you sort out fact from fiction when choosing an ideal diet for your pet.

Vanessa Tonn, DVM
Bowmanville Veterinary Clinic

Pet Food Nutrition: Grain-Free Diets

Dogs and cats are both classified in the order Carnivora. Does that mean that they should receive a strict meat-only diet? Are certain carbohydrate-sources better or worse than others? Do grain-free diets provide health benefits over those that contain grains?

Contrary to popular belief, grain-free diets do not offer health benefits over diets than contain grains. Dogs are actually considered omnivores (and thus more similar to bears, skunks and racoons), and both dogs and cats have the ability to digest, utilize and benefit from a nutritionally balanced diet containing carbohydrates, including grains. In fact, animals do not treat grains differently from other sources of carbohydrates like potato and apple – the body recognizes the food by the nutrients it provides, not by its source. The starch (the main carbohydrate) in grains is actually highly digestible for both dogs and cats – 95% or higher.

Many manufacturers, in an attempt to make their diet stand out in a competitive market, advertise grain-free diets as being healthier, when in reality they are readily comparable to their grain-containing counterparts. Many grain-free diets are not actually lower in carbohydrates, but rather use alternative sources of carbohydrates, such as potatoes and tapioca, which are actually lower in protein and higher in sugars than grains.

So what other benefits do grain-free diets claim? Some claim that the risk of food allergies, obesity or diabetes is higher in diets that contain grains as the source of carbohydrates. True food allergies (reaction of the immune system to certain food proteins) are actually quite rare but can be caused by any ingredient that has protein. Food intolerances (which don’t involve the immune system) are usually in response to certain nutrient profiles, such as high-fat diets, and are rarely related to grains specifically. The most common allergies in dogs are beef, dairy, wheat, chicken and egg; in cats beef, dairy and fish are most common. Usually animal proteins are more common causes of allergies than grains or other carbohydrate sources. However, if an animal is truly allergic to a single type of grain (for example, wheat), feeding other types of grains (like oats and rice) should not be a problem.

Obesity is a serious disease that affects a large number of our animal friends. However, the main cause in both dogs and cats is excessive calories – regardless of the source. Many grain-free diets are actually higher in calories and fat; they can be easy to over-feed and the fat makes them very palatable. Regardless of the type of diet fed, owners should monitor their pet’s body condition and weight carefully and feed accordingly.

Diabetes in dogs is related to the destruction of specific cells in the pancreas, and cannot be induced with diet. However, it has been shown that achieving and maintaining optimal weight and providing a consistent diet and meal times can help in managing the disease in dogs. Cats, on the other hand, are prone to developing diabetes if their weight is not-well managed. As mentioned above, diets containing grains do not promote obesity. While some research has shown that diets with lower carbohydrate content can be useful in managing diabetes in cats, most of these diets contain grains.

While grain-free diets can provide excellent nutrition, they do not offer health benefits over diets than contain grains. It is important to assess your pet’s diet based on overall nutrient profile rather than individual ingredients, and to not be swayed by marketing tactics.

Vanessa Tonn, DVM

Bowmanville Veterinary Clinic

Human Food... To Feed or Not to Feed

Let's face it. We all know that ideally dogs and cats should stick to their nutritionally-balanced diets. However, when your little (or not-so-little) furry friend starts batting its eyes at you, its tempting to sneak them a treat from time to time. But do you know what human foods are safe and not-so-safe for your pet?

There are many reasons that human foods can be dangerous to your pet. Some can cause intestinal blockages. Some are toxic to cats or dogs. Certain others can cause extreme gastro-intestinal upset. Its important to know what foods to avoid when picking out a snack for your furry family member.

UNSAFE FOODS FOR DOGS AND CATS:

• Grapes or raisins
• Garlic, chinese chive or anything from the garlic family
• Macadamia nuts
• Chewing gum with Xylitol
• Onions
• Bones of any type
• Raw bread dough of any type
• Peaches with the pit or any stone fruit
• Chocolate
• Avocados
• Moldy cheese or nuts
• Alcohol
• Coffee
• Tea
• Corn cobs

But there are several types of human foods that can be a fun addition to your pet's diet, if kept in moderation. Remember, treats should not make up more than 10% of your pet's daily intake. The treats listed below are safe, low-calorie treat options for your pet.

SAFE FOODS:

• Carrots
• Rice cake
• Apple slices
• Dry toast
• Cucumber slices
• Peanut butter (small amount)

Pet Food Nutrition: Food Allergies & Food Intolerances

Itch, itch, scratch, scratch. Does your dog lick at his paws, rub his belly on the floor or have chronic

ear infections? Many people assume that dogs and cats with itchy skin have an allergy to ingredients in their food – but actually food allergies in pets are less common than environmental allergies to pollens, molds or dust mites. It can be tricky to differentiate environmental allergies (termed atopic dermatitis) from food allergies, but sometimes atopic dermatitis can present as skin conditions that occur seasonally, while food-allergies are more typically year-round (although not all animals follow these patterns).

Some cats and dogs present with diarrhea that resolves with a change in diet. In these cases, it is more likely that the animal is responding to differences in fat, fibre and digestibility of the food, rather than to a specific ingredient. In fact, “adverse food reactions” can be divided into two categories: food allergies and food intolerance.

• Food allergy involves an immune-response to specific proteins in the food. Signs can include gastrointestinal signs (vomiting, diarrhea) or – more commonly – skin problems (itching, redness, infections). 
• Food intolerances do not involve the immune system, and can contribute to gastrointestinal symptoms or – less commonly – skin issues. An example of food-intolerance includes lactose-intolerances, which rarely occurs in dogs and cats, but is common in humans.

How can we diagnose food allergies? 

A strict elimination diet is a good way to reliably diagnose a food allergy or intolerance. The new diet needs to be fed exclusively for 6-10 weeks (with no additional treats, table scraps, rawhides or dental chews), then the animal can be re-challenged with the original diet.

Choosing an elimination diet can be difficult. Exotic ingredients such as lamb, duck and venison are not always good, especially if a dog has been exposed to these ingredients in the past. Unfortunately many pet foods are introducing new and exciting ingredients that sound healthy, which actually complicate matters when trying to rule-out food allergies. 

Finding novel ingredients requires a thorough diet history – including all pet foods, treats, table-scraps, etc. It is important to find novel meat and carbohydrate sources, as carbohydrates can contain allergens as well. A proper elimination diet should contain one protein and one carbohydrate source, plus all the vitamins and minerals required to make the diet complete and balanced.

An alternative option to novel ingredient diets is a hydrolized diet. These diets contain proteins that have been chemically or enzymatically hydrolyzed to reduce them to a smaller size that is less likely to trigger an allergic reaction.

Many over-the-counter pet foods boast the benefits of their novel protein diets meant for food allergies. However, in many cases these diets still contain more than one protein and carbohydrate source, either intentionally or through unintentional contamination from other food lines made in the same manufacturing plant. A true hypoallergenic diet should be created in a facility with strict cleaning protocols, and should always be the first diet manufactured to decrease the risk of contamination. Furthermore, hydrolized diets are not available in over-the-counter recipes. It is possible to use over-the-counter diets as a management diet once a food-allergy is diagnosed, but should not be used during the strict elimination diet period to diagnose a food allergy.

What about grain-free or gluten-free diets?

While there has been a lot of marketing talk lately regarding a movement to grain-free options for dogs and cats, in reality grains are less common causes of allergies than animal products. The most commonly reported food allergies in dogs are beef, dairy, wheat, chicken and egg; in cats beef, dairy and fish are more common culprits. See our next blog in the nutrition series for more about grain-free diets.

In humans there are medical conditions (e.g. celiac disease) that cause people to be sensitive to gluten, a protein portion of some plants. It is currently a popular trend towards pet-foods labelled as gluten-free. However, gluten-sensitivity has only been reported in a small, related family of Irish Setters, and never in cats. There is no evidence to support that gluten-free diets have any health benefit in the majority of dogs and cats.

While food allergies do occur in dogs and cats, environmental allergies and food intolerances are more commonly the causes of skin and gastrointestinal problems. If you are concerned about the possibility of food allergies for your pet, you need to consider a proper food-allergy diet trial done under the supervision of your veterinarian.

Vanessa Tonn, DVM

Bowmanville Veterinary Clinic

Pet Food Nutrition: Feeding Large Breed Puppies

So you’ve brought home a new puppy. With this comes so much fun: settling your puppy into the house, picking a name and starting training. But don’t forget your food! Puppies have very specific growth requirements, especially large or giant breed puppies.

Large breed dogs are predisposed to orthopaedic problems, including hip dysplasia and osteochondrosis. While we can’t alter a puppy’s genetics that make it more prone to orthopaedic conditions, we can provide appropriate nutrition to reduce their severity.

Containing Calories:

Puppies fed excess calories will convert calories into faster growth before fat. This rapid-growth can be unsafe for puppies. Research shows that restricting calories in puppies is very important to reduce the risk of hip dysplasia and osteoarthritis. If the diet is nutritionally balanced, the puppy’s adult size will not be affected.

Keep in mind that recommended feeding instructions on pet food labels are guidelines only – your puppy needs to be fed just enough to keep him or her at an ideal puppy body condition. Puppies also go through growth spurts, so the amount your feed your puppy needs to be constantly adjusted to account for these. It is recommended that puppies be fed 2-3 times per day, and the amount of food should be measured at each meal. Treats should make up less than 10% of a puppy’s total caloric intake.

Containing Calcium:

While calcium is important for proper bone development, excessive calcium can also lead to abnormal bone and joint growth. Puppies cannot regulate their calcium absorption, so whatever is in the food is readily absorbed by the puppy’s gastrointestinal system. Good-quality diets need to be regulated in their calcium levels – to prevent both deficiency and excessive values.

Balancing the Diets:

Some diets are formulated for intermittent or supplemental feeding only – they do not contain balanced nutritional levels or have not been subjected to growth trials to determine if they are appropriate for growing puppies. Unfortunately home-cooked and raw-food diets also fall into this category. Unless formulated by a board-certified veterinary nutritionist or PhD animal nutritionist, nearly all home-cooked diets are deficient in essential nutrients (especially ones for growth). Even supplementing these diets with balancers or supplements are often not enough as these supplements are based on adult dog needs, and are not specific for growing puppies. Pet owners should wait until their puppy has reached at least a year of age (small to large breed dogs) to 18 months (giant breeds) before considering an alternative diet.

Even if your puppy is not a large breed, it is still important to keep your puppy lean to avoid future health concerns. Once your puppy has reached skeletal maturity (12-18 months of age, depending on breed), continue to monitor weight closely. Keeping your dog slim has proven health benefits, including increased longevity, reduced pain from arthritis and reduced risk for serious health problems. 

Vanessa Tonn, DVM
Bowmanville Veterinary Clinic

Pet Food Nutrition: Raw Food Diets

Do you feed your dog or cat a raw meat diet? Have you heard talk at the dog park about the numerous health benefits of such a diet? Are you curious about it but not really sure if it’s right for your pet?

If you have questions regarding this type of diet, you are not alone. Pet nutrition is one of the most hotly debated topics out there, and wading through the information can be exhausting.

Raw meat diets come in all shapes and forms: it can be homemade, or can even be found on the pet-store shelves. Commercial diets are typically frozen or freeze-dried, but sometimes they can look like regular food. Kibble diets can sometimes come with a raw-meat coating.

There are many supposed benefits and reasons behind feeding a raw meat diet. These include:

•          a natural diet, similar to what our pets would eat in the wild
•          cooking destroys the enzymes required for digestion
•          a grain-free or “filler”-free diet
•          avoidance of harmful by-products
•          a safer diet, free of chemicals and potential food recalls
•          a human-grade meat source

However, the real truth is that there are no scientific studies that have proven the benefit of raw-food diets. What scientific studies have shown is that raw food diets have a high tendency to be nutritionally imbalanced, increase the risk of many health issues, and have a high risk for bacterial contamination.

Nutritional Inadequacies: This is a concern with both homemade and commercial diets. Often recipes for homemade diets give vague preparation instructions or feeding guidelines. Even diets from books written by veterinarians can result in imbalanced foods, and commercial diets do not fare much better. Most typically the imbalances involve vitamins and minerals. Quiet often calcium is insufficient in these diets, which is especially significant in young and growing animals. Sometimes there are toxicity issues with over-supplementation of nutrients, especially vitamin A and D. Even if these diets meet the minimum and maximum nutritional requirements, they are rarely providing optimal nutrients.

Health Risks: The link between health risks and raw-food diets is still being explored, but some of the links that are currently being made include the possibility of gastroenteritis (inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract), fractured teeth from diets that include bone, and also intestinal injury from bone fragments. It is important to note that both raw and cooked bones can block or tear the esophagus, stomach or intestines. A new link is being explored that suggests dogs fed raw-food diets can develop hyperthyroidism.

Contamination: Nearly all raw-food diets are contaminated by bacteria. Not all those bacteria are harmful, but some can have serious health concerns for pets and the other animals and people around them. Dogs and cats can become infected with Salmonella, Clostridium and Camplyobacter (and other bacteria found in raw-food diets), and they can become sick from this. Even animals that show no signs of illness can shed bacteria in their feces, increasing the risk of infection for other animals and people, especially young, old, pregnant or immunosuppressed individuals.

Raw food is becoming a very popular diet, but is it important for pet owners to be able to sort through the facts and fictions surrounding this diet, and be aware of the potential risk factors in feeding diets containing bones or imbalanced ingredients. Selecting proper nutrition for your pet requires taking an active role, asking questions to help understand what is in your pet’s food. There are many things to consider when selecting diets, either home-made or commercial, and your veterinary health team can help you pick the diet that is perfect for your pet.

For more information regarding raw food diets, see this article from the US Food and Drug Administration regarding raw foods and ways you can protect your pets and your family.

Dr. Vanessa Tonn

Bowmanville Veterinary Clinic

Pet Food Nutrition: By-products

Let’s talk about that nasty “B” word when it comes to pet nutrition: “By-products”.

Unfortunately by-products have become the dirty word in pet food manufacture, and part of the problem is that many people do not understand what is included in by-products. Legally, by-products can only include internal organs. They do not include hooves, feces or roadkill, as is commonly assumed by consumers and pet owners.

AAFCO, the Association of Food Control Officials, defines meat by-products as “the non-rendered, clean parts, other than meat, derived from slaughtered mammals. It includes, but is not limited to, lungs, spleen, kidneys, brain, livers, blood, bone and stomachs and intestines freed of their contents. It does not include hair, horns, teeth and hooves.”

For people in North America, some of these ingredients may seem strange, as we are generally more accustomed to eating the muscle portion of the animal only. However, there are many regions and cultures who appreciate these different parts as delicacies.

• Sweetbreads – thymus
• Rocky Mountain oysters – testicles
• Haggis – Sheep heart, liver, lungs and stomach
• Steak and kidney pie

Besides many of these products being higher in essential nutrients than muscle meat, feeding by-products can help the environment and reduce waste, as it allows the entire rendered animal to be put to good use, rather than discarding by-products that would otherwise be unused in most human circumstances.

• Brain – provides DHA, an anti-inflammatory fatty acid important in neurological development
• Blood – provides iron, and essential mineral, and protein, which contributes to daily requirements of protein
• Bones – source of essential minerals that support strong bones and teeth
• Connective Tissues – source of chondroitin, which supports joint health
• Heart – provides taurine and L-carnitine, both which support heart health (taurine is essential for cats)
• Liver – provides iron, B Vitamins and Vitamin A, which supports multiple systems including nervous system, growth, vision, etc.

Also, did you know that many dog treats are actually by-products? Lung, liver, tendons and pig-ears are very popular dog treats. Bully sticks, fed by 26% of consumers who said that they avoided feeding their dogs by-products, are actually bull penises.

Providing that a pet food is made from a reputable manufacturer who adheres to stringent quality control and employs full-time, qualified nutritionists, feeding a diet that contains by-products can be a safe and nutritional choice. 

Dr. Vanessa Tonn

Bowmanville Veterinary Clinic

Pet Food Nutrition: Interpreting Pet Food Ingredient Lists

Lamb, brewer’s rice, smoked salmon, mango juice, cassava root, grapefruit extract, sea urchin…

Have you ever looked at the ingredient list on a pet food label? If you have, you may have been blown away by the sheer number of possible ingredients out there, and the large differences between one type of food and the next. Manufacturers will use ingredient lists to tempt pet owners to buy their food, but it is very important to be able to read pet food ingredient labels with an educated eye.

AAFCO is the Association of American Feed Control Officials. It sets the nutritional standards for pet food in the United States, and these standards are recognized in Canada. According to AAFCO, ingredients must be listed on the label according to weight. Thus, foods high in water (like meats and vegetables) are typically listed first on the ingredient list, even though a lot of their weight is actually just water. Chicken, for example, is 70% moisture, while chicken meal is less than 10% moisture. In portions providing the exact same amount of chicken protein, whole chicken will always list higher on the ingredient list because of its water-weight.

AAFCO also provides regulations and guidelines on the definitions that can be used in pet food labels. “Meat by-product” is allowed to include organs and bones, but no intestinal contents, hair, horns, teeth or hooves. For more information on by-products, stay tuned for our next blog in the nutrition series.

Many pet foods will advertise their ingredients as “human-grade”. The term “human-grade” has no legal definition, and is actually used for marketing purposes only. Foods are labelled as either “edible” or “inedible, not for human consumption”. The only way for a pet food ingredient to be labelled as “edible” is for the meat to never leave a human food chain, to have it manufactured in a human food facility and transport it using human food trucks.

Recently a new trend is to include lots of new and exotic ingredients, including blueberries, eggs, honey, kelp and tomatoes. These ingredients sound healthy, but they may have unproven health benefits, or may be present in such small amounts that their value is minimal.

Sometimes adding new and exotic ingredients can be harmful to the environment. Initially novel protein sources, like fish, venison, rabbit and bison, were used only in hypoallergenic diets. The new trend towards including these ingredients in every-day diet not only increases the challenge of managing animals with true food-allergies, but it also increases the strain on wild populations of these alternative protein sources. In 2010, five populations of Atlantic salmon were declared endangered, one threatened, one extinct, and four others of special concern. 

With more ingredients, the degree of quality control should be increased, ensuring that each ingredient is free from contamination and that the final product adheres to the desired nutrient formulation. However, this is often not the case with many pet food companies. When choosing a pet food company, some important questions to ask include:

1)      Do they employ at least one full-time qualified nutritionist?

2)      Do they have their own manufacturing plant?

3)      Do they conduct and publish nutritional research so that continued improvements are made to their diets? (This can be tricky information to ferret out, as some companies will “publish” results internally that are not available to the general public)

4)      Do they use strict internal quality control testing and standards?

Checking out ingredients is a great way to educate yourself on what you are feeding you pet. However, try not to be swayed by marketing tactics and consider carefully what each ingredient means for your pet. Pets need nutrients, not ingredients, and it can be difficult to separate the two. Educate yourself, and be sure to ask questions.

Dr. Vanessa Tonn
Bowmanville Veterinary Clinic