Big, Bad, Pet Food Fads

With the world experiencing an immediate change in the pet-food market, it's not easy to weave out what’s truly perfect for your pet.

The stigmas, reviews, and suggestions can almost appear to be too much at times – particularly when they’re opposing one another. Even in the veterinary field, its not all doctor will follow the beliefs of other doctors.

However, having been an employee within the veterinary field and studied under wonderfully brilliant doctors, each with more than 3 decades of experience, I’ve had the opportunity to understand of some consistencies that certified professionals have confidence in with regards to pet food.

1. Grain-Free

“Grain-free meals are the best kind of food you can give your pet.”

The FDA released an argument in July 2021, linking the development of canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) towards the ingestion of foods labeled as “grain-free”.

The study showed numerous animals, who previously showed no cardiovascular anomalies, develop heart conditions after being exposure to grain-free diets.

Some research is claiming that the lack of taurine in grain-free diets are resulting in such problems, nevertheless the study is still fairly new and the long-term results of grain-free diets are still uncertain.

Still, that doesn’t mean we should ignore them.

Many pet owners placed their animals on grain-free diets with the assumption that it’s healthy for them. However, most veterinarians will tell you that grains are crucial in healthy body function.

In fact, they're even considered a building block of the heart and aid in providing a pet’s body using the strength is needs to function properly.

But, but, but – my pet has an allergy is grains.

Only 3% of pets have an allergy to grain. Yep, that’s right. A lot more than 90% of the time, food allergies are caused primarily by the protein inside a pet’s food – meaning the chicken, duck, turkey, or beef. Not the grain.

Please observe that should you choose choose to switch your pet from a grain-free diet to some grain-filled diet, be sure to talk to your pet’s veterinarian beforehand to become advised on how to appropriately get it done. Sudden food changes happen to be known to cause vomiting, diarrhea, and constipation in pets.

2. Wet food

“Wet meals are bad for your cat and can cause them to gain excess fat.”

While every pet is different, most veterinarians will tell you that feeding your feline wet food won't cause her or him to achieve weight. Rather, it’s their dry food and treats that create this due to the quantity of carbohydrates in such items.

In fact, wet meals are considered among doctors as extremely beneficial to cats – especially males, as they are genetically prone to prostate issues.

Wet food helps lubricate and provide moisture for your cat’s organs and circulatory system, which, helps their the urinary system function properly.

If you cannot supply your cat with wet food, or unwilling, then I urge you to definitely add water for your pets dry food to assist add moisture to their diet.

3. Holistic

“It’s labeled 'Holistic’, therefore it should be good!”

Hold on, right here. Due to the fact words are placed on a package, doesn’t necessarily make them true.

To label a product as organic, vegan, or gluten-free, certification and validation is needed.

However, to label an item as holistic, you need no such validation. You have to products called natural.

Not every ingredient in a food must be 'natural’ for a label to claim them as a result – only a few. It’s worth noting that although some diets may indeed include natural or holistic ingredients, it doesn’t always encapsulate the entire formula.

Be weary of ingredient claims with regards to pet food and be sure that such labels are being backed by science and data.

4. Raw food

“Wolves thrived and survived on the raw meat diet. If wolves could do it, so can my dog.”

I’ve heard the argument many times. But simply just because a wolf can perform something, doesn’t mean your pet should.

Your dog is not a wolf. (For those whose dogs ARE wolfs, ignore this)

Your dog is a domesticated animal with a different group of nutritional needs compared to his ancestors.

That’s the thing about evolution.

– On a side note, realize that wolves in the wild possess a life span of about 6 – 8 years. Whether or not this is a result of nutritional deficiencies within their diet, we can’t be sure. But I doubt it’s a coincidence that many pets consuming a commercial diet have life expectancies of about 10-15 years.

This is not to say that raw diets are bad though. When done responsibly, proportionally, and safely, they could be a great option to other forms of diets.

The most problematic aspect of raw diets is that that have been extensively recorded for their nutritional inadequacies along with the diseases created by such inadequacies. The cleanliness of raw diets can also be questionable, with many containing microscopic parasites and traces of bacteria.

With having said that, if you're to place pet on a raw diet, I urge you to seek information. Make sure that you are providing the adequate amount of nutrients and vitamins in your pets diet to produce a well-rounded, balanced formula.

5. Human food

“I consider my dog a little human – why wouldn’t I feed her the same food which i eat?”

Off the top my head, I can provide you with a few reasons why not.

First and foremost, humans and animals have completely different nutritional requirements. Yes, they have most of the same parts of the body. But that doesn’t mean that something that’s good for you will work for them.

Human meals are typically made to fit in the perimeter of the 2,000 calorie per day – a perimeter that's generalized to suit human bodies.

In fact, most of the time the amount of calories, sugar, and sodium – while they might be suitable for an individual – aren't appropriate for an animal at all.

Due to this, pets who regularly ingest human food put on weight faster, which results in the introduction of heart conditions, arthritis, and lethargy. Human food has also been known to create immune too little pets, which makes them more susceptible to illness.

So while you may treat your pet like a little human, I urge you to definitely feed your pet as an animal.

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