Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, November 14, 1993 TAG: 9311110085
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By KAREN L. DAVIS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
But with so many pet food products to choose from, how do you know which food is right for your pet? And with marketing claims abounding, how can you know you're getting the most nutrition for your money?
One key point to remember, according to Dr. Terry Swecker, assistant professor at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech, is that, "No one perfect food exists for every owner, every dog and every cat."
Choosing a cat or dog food solely by label contents or brand name is unwise. Instead, owners should base their selection on how well the animal performs and maintains its condition on a particular product, Swecker said.
Swecker also recommends feeding according to the life-cycle concept.
For example, baby animals need more high-quality protein for growth, so feed them kitten and puppy formulas. Moderately active adults need enough nutrients, fiber and protein to satisfy their appetites, yet prevent them from getting fat, so put them on a suitable adult maintenance diet. Working dogs and pregnant or nursing animals need extra nutrients, protein and energy, so give them special high-performance or lactation formulas. Older, less active animals generally need fewer calories and less salt, so choose a "senior" diet plan for them.
Since senior-citizen status may vary among different dog breeds, it's important to ask a veterinarian to assess your pet's condition as it grows and matures and advise you about dietary changes and requirements.
The three forms of commercial pet foods are: dry, semimoist and canned. Generally, dry foods are less expensive. Dry foods can be left in a bowl for the pet to nibble at will, whereas canned foods spoil if left out too long.
However, owners who like the convenience of self-feeding need to be aware that some pets may overeat.
"Obesity is the more common nutritional disease," Swecker said.
In addition to their convenience, dry foods are considered better for dental health, because the hard chewing action helps clean the teeth and gums. Dry foods usually contain more cereals, while canned foods have more fat, making them generally more palatable. Dry cat foods are often sprayed with liquid meat digests to enhance taste.
The semimoist foods attempt to combine some benefits of the dry and canned forms to make the products more attractive to the human consumer. They can be self-fed without spoiling, and they are not as smelly as canned foods.
Pet foods also are marketed according to generic, popular (grocery store) and premium brands, which are usually sold through pet stores and veterinarians. While the cheaper generic foods often tend to be lower in quality, that's not always true.
"Sometimes it's cheaper for the manufacturer to stick a generic label on a brand name without changing the formula," Swecker said.
However, grocery store and premium brands do have one crucial difference.
"Premium foods remain stable in their makeup," Swecker said, whereas "grocery store brands are more likely to change recipe ingredients according to the current market cost and availability of those ingredients."
That's why an owner who always feeds the same brand may notice a change in the pet's stool volume or coat from time to time.
"In general, premium foods are more expensive because they contain higher-quality ingredients and more fat, which usually promotes a shinier hair coat and lower stool volume," Swecker said. The product research is usually more substantial, too.
To show their products meet nutritional requirements outlined by the Association of American Feed Control Officials, pet food companies often conduct chemical analyses and/or feeding trials. Feeding trials offer more assurance that the food is adequately nutritious.
Any product that has undergone feeding trials usually says so on the label. But labels can be misleading. A "guaranteed analysis" must state on the label only whether minimum or maximum amounts were met, but doesn't have to list actual concentrations of specific nutrients.
The problem with not knowing how much a product exceeds the minimum requirement for a certain nutrient, Swecker said, is that "sometimes too much can be just as bad as too little," depending on the animal's age.
Ingredients are supposed to be listed in descending order by weight, however, this, too, may be misleading. For example, meat may be listed first, leading the consumer to believe the product contains mostly meat, when in reality, the summation of separately listed grains and cereals makes plant material the predominant ingredient.
Some labeling terms are strictly regulated. For example, the term "poultry dinner" means that food must contain at least 25 percent poultry. Other terms, such as "reduced calorie" and "lite" are not regulated at all, but may be substantiated by company data, Swecker said.
A good way to check on specific nutrient amounts is simply to call the pet food manufacturer's number on the label and ask for the data. Judge for yourself how willing and able the company seems to be in complying with your request. Many companies have consulting veterinarians and/or nutritionists who will answer your questions. When in doubt, ask your own veterinarian for advice.
by CNB