When it comes to animal nutrition, we’ve spent decades thinking all pet food was the same. We believed that all the food brands were just giving us exactly what was right for our pets. However, that’s not the case, and we know that now. Many brands have too many non-nutritious food ingredients listed on their labels to even be considered healthy for our pets. Here are some facts about pet nutrition:
- There is no legal definition of the term “holistic.” So if your pet food labels it, it may not mean what you think it means. Anyone can claim that their food is holistic.
- Natural isn’t the same as organic. Natural means that the food ingredients haven’t been chemically synthesized.
- Always choose a pet food labeled to provide “complete and balanced nutrition.”
- You want to read on your pet food: “Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that this food provides complete and balanced nutrition…” You don’t want to read this: “This food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by AAFCO.” The latter claim is a quicker and cheaper formulation method.
- Ingredients are listed in descending order by how much they weigh.
- Foods with such labels as “dinner” or “platter” or “entrée” are only required to include 25 percent of the main ingredient.
You can learn more about pet nutrition by checking with your veterinarian.
If your pet is in need of care, Dunloggin Veterinary Hospital is more than happy to help. You can call our office at 410-465-6218.