Does price make a difference?
In March 2007, more than 100 brands of pet food tainted with melamine-laced wheat gluten were recalled. This included more expensive brands like Iams, Eukanuba, Hill’s Science Diet and Purina Mighty Dog. It turns out there’s not much difference between high-end and low-end commercial pet food -- both contain plenty of fillers like wheat gluten.
The toxic gluten has been traced back to China, where it’s common practice to plump up food products with just about any cheap ingredient available. After close to 4,000 pets died, the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine launched a massive recall of pet foods.
Green means better nutrition
The incident has left many wondering what we are pouring into our pet’s bowls. Few of us even know what even makes up a healthy nosh for Fido or kitty.
The Animal Protection Institute recommends buying organic foods with the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) guarantee. Stay away from “by-product meal” or “meat and bone meal” since these inexpensive sources of animal protein have little nutritional value and vary tremendously from batch to batch. Watch for a named meat such as lamb, beef or chicken on the label and buy those preserved with Vitamins C and E instead of the usual chemicals like cancer-causing BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin and propyl gallate.
Some popular organic commercial foods include:
The natural diet of dogs and cats includes high levels of protein, fats and water, and very little carbohydrates -- the exact opposite of what commercial foods offer. Many vets and owners are recommending the “species appropriate” diet that mimics what your dog or cat would eat in the wild, which turns out to be raw meat.
Dr. Ian Billinghurst, a veterinary surgeon for over 30 years, developed Biologically Appropriate Raw Food (who says animal lovers don’t have a sense of humour). His line of B.A.R.F. frozen raw patties for dogs has 10 different meats mixed with fruit, eggs and vegetables.
If the thought of serving up raw meat turns you off consider trying U-Stew, designed by Know Better Dog Food. This dry supplement that includes eggs, grains and digestive enzymes can be mixed with either cooked or raw meat.
Show kitty the meat
Our domestic cats may be too lazy to hunt but they still need an exclusively meat diet.
InstinctsTC, manufactured by Feline Future, is a blend of dry ingredients with amino acids, minerals and trace elements that can be added to ground chicken or turkey to create a protein-rich cat food.
Wild Kitty offers unprocessed protein and fat with no grains and very little water, making it nutritionally dense. They even have exotic blends like the Sushi and Conch dinner for the gourmet cat.
Bring in the meat slowly
Finicky eaters may not take kindly to a change in their diet, even if it’s better for them. Nature’s Way offers the raw-fed cat a transitional diet with tips on how to wean your cat from its junk food diet. The same strategy can be used with dogs.
You may notice your dog or cat eating less with these high protein diet but that's a good thing. Pet obesity is a growing problem and one reason our animals may be overeating is because commercial food doesn't satiate their nutritional needs.
Better food means happier and healthier pets. It’s the least we can do for our furry companions.
Shelagh McNally is an environmental journalist based in Montreal.
Green Living Blogs
Any brand of dog or cat food found in a grocery store should not be fed to your companion. My Labrador Retriever (Max) who recently passed away lived to a ripe old age of 16.5 and he loved this food. Our new puppy will enjoy the same :-) Give your pets the best food you can and they will thank you for it for years to come!!!