Food Recommendations and Should I Buy The Fancy Stuff??
A friend of mine recently asked me if the fancy dog food really worth the hype and cost. I am so happy he brought this to my attention as it is something I regularly talk about in my examinations. This is not a straightforward answer for every pet. I will explain my recommendations for choosing a food and hopefully this can help you in your quest. Remember not to hesitate to contact me with questions this leaves you.
MY CONSIDERATIONS WHEN RECOMMENDING A FOOD:
Consideration 1: Is the food AAFCO certified?
AAFCO stands for Association of American Feed Control Officials. The program’s goals are simple – they want to protect the consumer, make the health of animals and humans a priority, and keep the food industry at an equal advantage point for all companies involved. The AAFCO provides guidelines for the nutritional input into a food. This is based on evidence-based medicine. Although the laws and standards are not enforced, I feel more comfortable with foods trying to meet their recommendations. These are the only brands of food I generally recommend. It is important to make sure they have been food trial tested, not just formulated to meet the AAFCO recommendations.
The brands I most commonly recommend are Royal Canin, Purina Pro Plan or Purina One and Hill’s Science Diet.
Consideration 2: Age of the Pet.
The age of your pet determines my food recommendation as well. If your pet is < 12 months old, then I recommend a puppy/kitten diet. You can also feed an all life stage diet, but I prefer puppy/kitten foods. As a general rule of thumb, if your pet is 1 year – 7 years of age, I will recommend an Adult diet and/or all-life stage diet. If your pet is > 7 years of age, then it is time for a senior diet. These age limits change based on the size of your dog.
Consideration 3: Size of your pet.
This is really only for the canine patients. Is your dog a Great Dane, Golden Retriever, Rottweiler or another type of large breed dog? If so, make sure they are on a large breed specific diet from puppyhood since they are designed to help with bone development. Better yet, Royal Canin has breed specific diets. They use research to find the best ingredients for purebred animals.
Consideration 4: Does your pet have a medical condition?
There are several health conditions that benefit from a prescription diet. These diets are generally more expensive but often needed in certain cases. If your Veterinarian recommends one of these diets, then it is likely your pet will benefit from feeding them a more expensive food. 99% of the veterinarians I know will not put your pet on a diet without medical evidence of needing a change.
These four considerations are what drive my recommendations.
SO SHOULD I BUY THE FANCY FOOD?
Some foods you likely see as a higher standard are the “raw food” and “grain-free” diets. As you can see, I do not take any of these labels into my consideration. You may ask why?
Why not raw food?
I agree that most of my patients that come in on a raw food diet have a shiny hair coat and I have been told by several that it has dramatically decreased the amount of stool they produce. However, these benefits do not outweigh the risks in my professional opinion. Dog and cats have the same risk of a serious bacterial infection when feeding this type of diet. I have seen and heard of many cases where a dog and/or cat has lost several inches of their bowel tracts and/or died from a severe infection due to a raw diet. I have also seen it affect their food handler’s health as well. You have a high risk of being infected with Salmonella, etc. when feeding a raw diet to your pet.
If you want to make an at-home diet for your dog rather than purchase manufactured food, then I recommend using the BalanceIt website:
www.balanceit.com
Why not grain-free?
The main argument I hear for this is that dogs and cats are not programmed to eat this type of food….look at the wolves and tigers. My opinion is that Grain-free diets are not necessary. Dogs and cats, like humans, have developed the necessary processes to be able to digest grains without complication. Grain-free is an advertising strategy that has caught on. Since there is a large number of people purchasing Grain-free diets, most pet food companies are making these diets to accommodate the need. These diets are generally more expensive and there is no health benefit when comparing grain-free vs. grain diets unless there is a medical issue with your cat or dog.
In many cases, it has actually been noted that “Grain-free” foods are false advertising and have a grain as one of their main ingredients. Food allergies are not common in animals and if your pet has a food allergy it is more likely to be allergic to the protein sources – chicken, beef, lamb, etc. I have noticed when questioning my clients about their food choices that most grain free diets seem to avoid these protein sources. They use salmon, venison, rabbit or other novel proteins most of the time. This is usually the reason owners notice a change in their animal.
Conclusion
Although the “premium” dog foods are not always bad for your dog, always consult your veterinarian about his or her medical opinion about the food. You are often paying a larger amount for a food that does not give your pet any additional nutritious value and may be giving them a less complete food than other options.
You should always base your choice of food off of these questions:
1. Is it complete and balanced?
2. Does it meet the age requirement for your pet?
3. Does it meet the breed-specific needs of your pet?
4. Does your pet have a medical condition that needs a specialized diet?
I hope this information helps you in the search for the perfect pet food. As I always mention, do not hesitate to contact me with your questions, concerns and/or comments.
References:
http://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2016/06/grain-free-diets-big-on-marketing-small-on-truth/
Both pictures from: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwi6mfPjoefXAhWHdSYKHUgKA-IQjRwIBw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.royalcanin.com%2F&psig=AOvVaw03E9dhogPO5KGuKj9le8Dd&ust=1512164462012641
