Pet Nutrition
Great Nutrition is the Foundation for Great Health!
Dogs Vs. Cats...
Dogs and cats require the same nutrient building blocks as people and other animals:
water fat (essential fatty acids) carbohydrates proteins (amino acids) vitamins and minerals
Dogs, like people, have evolved to efficiently use a wide variety of diets, involving plants and animals. This ability makes dogs omnivores, whereas cats are strict carnivores (meat eaters).
Cats can NOT be vegetarians!
Wolves (the closest ancestor to domestic dogs) and coyotes routinely eat herbivorous mammals (rodents, small mammals and large mammals such as buffalo and deer). The intestinal tract of such prey is readily eaten, meaning that these close relatives to domestic dogs routinely eat plant material. In addition, wolves and coyotes frequently eat fruits and berries. Dogs eat similarly if allowed to roam.
The diet of feral (wild or untamed) cats usually consists of small mammals, birds, lizards, and insects. Small rodents such as mice and moles make up 40% or more of their diet. An average cat must eat 12 mice per day to meet his or her daily energy requirement. Thus, when left to fend for themselves, feral cats eat multiple small meals throughout the day and night. When domesticated cats are fed free choice, they too eat multiple times, just like feral cats.
Note...Learned taste aversions (learning to avoid certain foods that they associate with vomiting) are thought to be helpful in feral cats because aversion will help them avoid eating foods likely to be spoiled. However, prolonged anorexia in a cat results in a liver disease called hepatic lipidosis. Anorexia may be caused by such things as stress, unacceptable foods, infection or disease. Cats often may endure prolonged starvation rather than eat an unpalatable food.
True carnivores use prey tissues such as muscle and liver to provide energy and nutrients. Cats have developed more efficient digestive and metabolic pathways to use these nutrients, and have lost the ability or have a decreased ability to synthesize them from building blocks. Cats are NOT small dogs! Adult cats have twice the protein requirements and four times the requirements for B vitamins as dogs. Cats have unique needs for four amino acids: arginine, taurine, methionine, and cystine. Without arginine, cats can't convert toxic ammonia to urea, so it is critical this amino acid be supplied in the diet. Although cats can synthesize taurine, they don't make it in necessary amounts. Therefore, their food must supply most of their taurine needs. Taurine depletion leads to degeneration of the retinas, heart disease and developmental defects. Herbivores and omnivores can readily convert plant precursors into vitamin A but cats cannot--again explaining their need for meat which provides a source of Vitamin A.
Also, cat saliva lacks the enzyme amylase (used to digest complex carbohydrates), therefore, they are not as well adapted to digesting carbohydrates from raw plants as dogs. Lastly, cats also have a short colon, meaning that they have limited ability to use poorly digestible starches and fiber due to bacterial fermentation in the colon.
Linoleic acid and linolenic acid are considered essential fatty acids (EFAs) because dogs and cats lack the enzymes to synthesize them. Ensuring an adequate intake of EFAs is key to maintaining healthy skin and coat, brain, retinas and cartilage. Increasing the amount of fat in foods increases palatability and EFA levels; however, energy content also increases. Cats also require a dietary source of arachidonic acid.
So What Do Food Labels Really Mean??
1. Guaranteed analysis
2. Nutritional adequacy statement
3. Ingredients
4. Feeding guidelines
5. Manufacturer's name and address
1. GUARANTEED ANALYSIS
The guaranteed analysis specifies the product's minimum percentages of crude protein and crude fat. It also gives the maximum percentages of crude fiber and moisture. Although not required, some manufacturers also specify the percentages of other nutrients, such as ash and taurine in cat food, and calcium and phosphorus in dog food. Carbohydrate content is the missing component on the guaranteed analysis. 100% minus the sum of the factors listed is understood to be the carbohydrate content.
The amounts of crude protein and most other nutrients appear less for canned products than for dry ones because of differences in moisture content. Canned foods typically contain about 75% water, while dry foods contain only about 10%. When comparing foods one has to remember that food consists of water plus the actual nutrients. Therefore, to compare the protein content of two different foods the water must be removed first. This is referred to as "Comparison on a Dry Matter Basis."
Percent Dry Matter = (% nutrient) divided by (100 - % moisture) x 100
Use the
interactive calculator at www.hillspet.com to help you make the right comparisons.PET FOOD A, Can: vs. PET FOOD B, Dry:
AS FED
Crude Protein 6.0% 24.0%
Crude Fat 2.5% 10.0%
Crude Fiber 1.0% 4.0%
Moisture 77.0% 10.0%
Ash 1.2% 4.5%
Crude Protein on a Dry Matter Basis for Pet Food A...
Using the above formula ==> 6.0 / (100-77) x 100 = 26.1% protein dry matter
NOW COMPARE THE ANALYSIS AGAIN on a DRY MATTER BASIS...
PET FOOD A, Can: vs. PET FOOD B, Dry:
DRY MATTER
Crude Protein 26.1% 26.7%
Crude Fat 10.9% 11.1%
Crude Fiber 4.3% 4.4%
Ash 5.2% 5.0%
Therefore, these two foods are very similar in percentages when the moisture is taken into account.
BUYER BEWARE: Ash refers to the percent of the food that remains after burning and reflects mineral content (salt, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium). Low Ash food does not prevent urinary tract disease. Excessive magnesium intake may be one risk factor for feline struvite urolithiasis. However, some foods with low ash may be high in magnesium, and excessive magnesium combined with a low urine pH can actually lead to calcium bladder stones.
WHERE'S THE BEEF?
Chicken for Cats ("all meat") - the listed ingredient on the label (or the combination of ingredients) must be at least 95% of the total weight of all ingredients (exclusive of water used in processing).
Chicken Dinner (Platter, Entree, etc) - the listed ingredient on the label (or the combination of ingredients) constitutes at least 25% of the total weight of all ingredients (exclusive of water used in processing). Considering canned food is 75% water, that means the actual "meat" component is only 6% of the can.
With Chicken
means that only 3% of the product must contain chicken (exclusive of water for processing). Taking out the water factor, means that chicken is only 3% of 25%–this is LESS THAN 1% meat in the whole can!Chicken Flavor means that the animal must just be able to distinguish chicken flavor and is less than 3%.
2. NUTRITIONAL ADEQUACY
The nutritional adequacy statement simply means that a product meets AAFCO’s (Association of American Feed Control Officials) recommended standards. AAFCO defines ingredients and official nutritional terms, and determines the protocols by which Pet foods are tested. Companies either conduct feeding trials or biochemical analyses to get AAFCO approval. If the calculations show that the food provides sufficient nutrients to meet the specific AAFCO nutritional profile referenced, the Pet food label will carry a statement like: "(Name of product) is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO (Dog or Cat) Food Nutrient Profiles for (specific life stage)." AAFCO has established two nutrient profiles each for dogs and cats--growth/lactation and maintenance.
Buyer beware . . . you may be buying a Pet food advertised as being a nutritionally adequate diet for all dogs (or cats) because it passed "stringent" AAFCO testing ... this really only means that SIX to EIGHT dogs (or cats) ate that food for 6 months and survived with no more than an "acceptable" 15% loss of body weight.
Descriptive words as "senior," "premium," "super-premium," "gourmet," and "natural," have no standard definition or regulatory meaning. The phrase "recommended by veterinarians" also has no regulatory meaning. There is no minimum number or percentage of veterinarians required for a company to be able to state its product is recommended by vets.
Statements that a product can treat, prevent or reduce the risk of a disease are considered drug claims and are not allowed on Pet food. While a product cannot claim to treat feline lower urinary tract disease, it may make the claim that the food "reduces urine pH to help maintain urinary tract health," provided data generated by the manufacturer and reviewed by CVM support the statement.
A bag that says "100% Nutritionally Complete" does not mean that this is in any way a good food.
Look at the bag "Cat Café’" food, for example. Does this sound COMPLETE to you??
3. INGREDIENTS
Read the Label and ask yourself if you would eat it!! Take the time to COMPARE INGREDIENT LISTS.
The quality of the ingredients or nutritive value of ingredients cannot be determined from the label alone. A Pet owner must rely on the reputation or word of the manufacturer to assess the nutritive value of the ingredients appearing on the list.
Research behind nutrition is far more important than consumer advertising. Many Pet food companies play on the emotions of what the human would like to see in the Pet food bowl and not what is actually healthy for the Pet.
Several major Pet food companies in the United States are subsidiaries of major food production companies:
Colgate-Palmolive (Hills Science Diet)
Heinz (9 Lives, Amore, Gravy Train, Kibbles n Bits, Recipe, Vets)
Nestle (Alpo, Fancy Feast, Friskies, Mighty Dog, Purina)
Mars (Kal Kan, Mealtime, Pedigree, Sheba)
Pet food provides a place for slaughterhouse waste and grains considered "unfit for human consumption" to be turned into profit. But not all of the Pet food manufacturing companies use poor quality and potentially dangerous ingredients. However, the price is often a good indicator of quality. It would be impossible for a company that sells a generic brand of dog food at $9.95 for a 40-lb. bag to use quality protein and grain in its food. The cost of purchasing quality ingredients would be much higher than the selling price.
Also, it is a good idea to make cost comparisons on a "per feeding" basis using feeding directions rather than a cost "per bag". Higher quality foods have less fillers and more digestible ingredients, therefore, they require your Pet to eat less and also results in less waste in the yard or litter box. Dry foods cost about one-third as much as canned foods on a cost-per-calorie basis.
Poor quality diets often have excess of certain nutrients, which can be harmful to your Pet. Products for all lifestages (i.e., all-purpose foods) have nutrients added at levels to meet the highest potential need (i.e., usually growth and reproduction). The excess nutrients in all-purpose foods may become nutritional risk factors and influence the possibility of illness as Pets mature and age. Many canned Pet foods contain high levels of meat and meat by-products. These foods typically contain higher levels of protein, phosphorus, sodium, and fat than dry foods.
Excessive salt can lead to high blood pressure, heart and kidney disease.
Excess calcium and fat can lead to hip dysplasia in large breed puppies.
Excess calcium can lead to calcification of the kidney and bladder stones.
Excess dietary phosphorus accelerates the progression of kidney disease.
Excess dietary protein may be harmful if your Pet already has kidney or liver disease.
Excess organ tissue can lead to weak bones, lameness and fractures.
Pet food ingredients must be listed on the label in descending order by weight.
Buyer Beware: Similar materials listed as separate ingredients may outweigh other ingredients that precede them on the list of ingredients. For example, chicken may be listed as the first ingredient, then wheat flour, ground wheat, and wheat middlings. The consumer may believe that chicken is the predominant ingredient, but the three wheat products--when added together--may weigh more than the chicken. This is known as SPLITTING.Below are the definitions of some common ingredients you will find on Pet food labels:
Chicken - The clean combination of flesh and skin with or without accompanying bone, derived from the parts or whole carcasses of chicken or a combination thereof, exclusive of feathers, heads, feet, and entrails. This definition is similar for lamb, beef, fish, venison, etc.
Chicken Meal - chicken which has been ground or otherwise reduced in particle size and is exclusive of feathers, heads, feet, and entrails. The water has been removed which provides a more concentrated source of protein. This definition is similar for lamb, beef, fish and venison meals.
"Meat" - is the clean flesh derived from ANY slaughtered mammal, and is limited to the muscle with or without the accompanying and overlaying fat and the portions of the skin, sinew, nerve and blood vessels which normally accompany the flesh. If a specific single type of meat is used, it must be defined (i.e. Beef), however, any combination of two or more allows "meat. NOTE: There is no limitation on the quality or TYPE, therefore, the meat may be diseased or condemned livestock, HORSE meat, DOG meat, etc.
YES, DOG!!
Another source of meat you won't find mentioned on Pet food labels are dogs and cats. In 1990 the San Francisco Chronicle reported that euthanized companion animals were being used in Pet food. Although Pet food manufacturers vehemently denied the report, the American Veterinary Medical Association confirmed the Chronicle's story. Many Pets are euthanized with sodium pentobarbital and then rendered. This poison does not break down and goes into commercial Pet food and feed for cows, pigs and horses. Ol’Roy, Dad’s, Ken-L-Ration, Kibble Select, Kibbles ‘n Bits and ProPlan are some of the foods that were found to contain pentobarbital. For the detailed report visit the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine.
By-Products - consist of the rendered, clean parts of the CARCASS of a slaughtered animal, which also includes necks, beaks, feet, undeveloped eggs, stomach and intestines, lungs, brains, skeleton, blood, hair, feathers. Most of these "by-products" are indigestible and provide a questionable source of nutrients for our Pets.
**Take a look at Kibbles-N-Bits and you will actually see HAIR in the food!**
Animal Digest - When an animal has digested food, think about what the food has become. This is animal digest. Made by rendering animal products which aren't included in any of the other ingredient descriptions and breaking them down with chemical or enzymatic hydrolysis for use in feed. Must be made soluble with the use of heat and moisture since these ingredients are not soluble in their natural state. (The definition does NOT say it must not contain manure, stomach or intestinal contents.)
Animal Fat - You may have noticed a unique, pungent odor when you open a new bag of Pet food. It is refined animal fat, kitchen grease, and other oils too rancid or deemed inedible for humans. "Fat blenders" or rendering companies pick up this rancid grease and mix the different types of fat together, stabilize them with powerful antioxidants to retard further spoilage, and then sell the blended products to Pet food companies. These fats are sprayed directly onto DRY FOOD to make an otherwise bland or distasteful product palatable.
NOTE: If you store dry Pet food in a container other than its original bag, be sure to wash the empty container with soap and hot water before adding food from a new bag. The residual fat that settles on the bottom of the container can become rancid. This spoiled fat may contaminate fresh food added to the container, causing vomiting or diarrhea when fed to your Pet.
Corn (or Rice) Gluten Meal - is the dried residue from corn (or rice) after the removal of the larger part of the starch and germ, and the separation of the bran. Note: corn is a good quality source of carbohydrates and thus energy for Pets. However, corn is a common cause of food allergies in dogs.Two of the top three ingredients in many Pet foods are often some form of grain products. Since cats are true carnivores -- they must eat meat to fulfill certain physiological needs -- one may wonder why we are feeding a corn-based product to them. The answer is that corn is much cheaper than meat.
Brewer's rice - The dried extracted residue of rice that results from manufacturing liquid portions of malted grain. May contain pulverized dried spent hops in an amount not to exceed 3%.
Rice Bran - is the outer coating of the rice kernel, with little or none of the starchy part of the germ. It is easy to digest and a good source of nutrients .
Sorghum - is the ground grain of the sorghum plant. It is a good source of carbohydrates, however, it is low in digestibility.
Soy - is another common ingredient that is sometimes used as filler in Pet food. Manufacturers use it to add bulk so that an animal eats will feel more full. While soy has been linked to gas and allergies in some dogs, other dogs do quite well with it.
Mill run, grain hulls or middlings - are the by-products and outer coverings of grains processed for human consumption. Does not include the more nutritious germ, flour or bran. Wheat middlings and shorts are also categorized as the fine particles of wheat germ, bran, flour and offal from the "tail of the mill." Tail of the mill is nothing more then the sweepings of leftovers after everything has been processed from the week. These items are strictly a filler and have no nutritive value. Often used in low calorie foods to make the Pet feel full.Additives and Preservatives are added to commercial Pet foods to improve the stability or appearance of the food but have no nutritional value. Added color and flavor make the product more attractive to consumers and their companion animals.
BHA and BHT are potential cancer-causing agents, and there is little information documenting their toxicity or the safety of long-term use in Pet food.
Ethoxyquin is not approved for use as a preservative in human food but is commonly used in Pet foods and is thought to cause cancer.
Propylene glycol (a form of antifreeze) is used in many Pet foods, especially semi-moist foods. Experimentally exposed animals suffered nausea, vomiting, convulsions, liver damage, kidney damage, coughing, wheezing, loss of balance, heart arrhythmia, respiratory failure, stupor, growth depression, decreased blood pressure, coma and death.
Sodium nitrite is used as both a preservative and a red coloring agent in food and can produce cancer-causing substances. Note: Red dyes have been linked to behavior problems!!
Onion is used to add flavor but can lead to deadly hemolytic anemia in Pets.
Sweeteners such as corn syrup, sugar, and cane mallases are usually added to lower quality foods to increase their appeal. Dietary sugars can aggravate health problems.
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Keys to finding a good quality food are:
Chicken, Lamb, Fish, Venison, Beef as the #1 ingredient (meal is acceptable)
Avoid the generic term of "MEAT"
Made with all-natural or Human-Quality Ingredients
Life-Stage Appropriate (Large Breed Puppy, Adult, Senior, etc)
Whole grains (avoid mill runs, hulls, middlings)
NO by-products
NO artificial colors or dyes
Natural preservatives such as Vitamin C, Vitamin E, rosemary, and mixed tocopherols
Avoid animal digest
Avoid the generic term "animal" fat
Fruits and vegetables on the ingredient label
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How to grade your dog's food:Start with a grade of 100:
1) For every listing of "by-product", subtract 10 points
2) For every non-specific animal source ("meat" or "poultry" or "animal") reference, subtract 10 points
3) If the food contains BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin, subtract 10 points
4) For every grain "mill run" or non-specific grain source, subtract 5 points
5) If the same grain ingredient is used 2 or more times in the first five ingredients (i.e. "ground brown rice", "brewer’s rice", "rice flour" are all the same grain), subtract 5 points
6) If the protein sources are not meat meal and there are less than 2 meats in the top 3 ingredients, subtract 3 points
7) If it contains any artificial colors, subtract 3 points
8 ) If it contains ground corn or whole grain corn, subtract 3 points
9) If corn is listed in the top 5 ingredients, subtract 2 more points
10) If the food contains any animal fat other than fish oil, subtract 2 points
11) If lamb is the only animal protein source (unless your dog is allergic to other protein sources), subtract 2 points
12) If it contains soy or soybeans, subtract 2 points
13) If it contains wheat (unless you know that your dog isn’t allergic to wheat), subtract 2 points
14) If it contains beef (unless you know that your dog isn’t allergic to beef), subtract 1 point
15) If it contains salt, subtract 1 point
Extra Credit:
1) If any of the meat sources are organic, add 5 points
2) If the food is endorsed by any major breed group or nutritionist, add 5 points
3) If the food is baked not extruded, add 5 points
4) If the food contains probiotics, add 3 points
5) If the food contains fruit, add 3 points
6) If the food contains vegetables (NOT corn or other grains), add 3 points
7) If the animal sources are hormone-free and antibiotic-free, add 2 points
8 ) If the food contains barley, add 2 points
9) If the food contains flax seed oil (not just the seeds), add 2 points
10) If the food contains oats or oatmeal, add 1 point
11) If the food contains sunflower oil, add 1 point
12) For every different specific animal protein source (other than the first one), add 1 point
13) If it contains glucosamine and chondroitin, add 1 point
14) If the vegetables have been tested for pesticides and are pesticide-free, add 1 point
THE GRADES....
94-100+ = A .... IT'S A GO -- you're doing great!
86-93 = B ... Not Too Bad -- you're getting there!
92-85 = C ... CAUTION -- time to upgrade!
70-77 = D and <70 = F ... RED FLAG -- DO NOT FEED!!!
Popular Dog Foods and their Scores...
Alpo Prime Cuts / Score 81 C
Artemis Lg/Med Breed Puppy / Score 114 A+
Authority Harvest Baked / Score 116 A+
Authority Harvest Baked Less Active / Score 93 B
Beowulf Back to Basics / Score 101 A+
Bil-Jac Select / Score 68 F
Blackwood 3000 Lamb and Rice / Score 83 C
Blue Buffalo Chicken and Rice / Score 106 A+
Burns Chicken & Brown Rice / Score 107 A+
Canidae / Score 112 A+
Chicken Soup Senior / Score 115 A+
Diamond Maintenance / Score 64 F
Diamond Lamb Meal & Rice / Score 92 B
Diamond Lg Breed 60+ Formula / Score 99 A
Diamond Performance / Score 85 C
Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium / Score 122 A+
Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Venison and Brown Rice / Score 106 A+
Dick Van Patten's Duck Potato / Score 106 A+
EaglePack Holistic / Score 102 A+
Eukanuba Adult / Score 81 C
Eukanuba Puppy / Score 79 C
Flint River Senior / Score 101 A+
Foundations / Score 106 A+
Hund-n-Flocken Adult Dog (lamb) by Solid Gold / Score 93 B
Iams Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Premium / Score 73 D
Innova Dog / Score 114 A+
Innova Evo / Score 114 A+
Innova Large Breed Puppy / Score 122 A+
Kirkland Signature Chicken, Rice, and Vegetables / Score 110 A+
Member's Mark Chicken & Rice / Score 84 C
Merrick Wilderness Blend / Score 127 A+
Nature's Recipe / Score 100 A
Nature's Recipe Healthy Skin Venison and Rice / Score 116 A+
Nature's Variety Raw Instinct / Score 122 A+
Nutra Nuggets Super Premium Lamb Meal and Rice / Score 81 C
Nutrience Jr Med Breed Puppy / Score 101 A+
Nutrisource Lamb and Rice / Score 87 B
Nutro Max Adult / Score 93 B
Nutro Nat. Choice Lamb & Rice / Score 98 A
Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy / Score 87 B
Nutro Natural Choice Puppy Wheat Free / Score 86 B
Nutro Natural Choice Senior / Score 95 A
Nutro Ultra Adult / Score 104 A+
Pet Gold Adult with Lamb & Rice / Score 23 F
Premium Edge Chicken, Rice and Vegetables Adult Dry / Score 109 A+
Pro Nature Puppy / Score 80 C
Pro Plan Sensitive Stomach / Score 94 A
Purina Beneful / Score 17 F
Purina Dog / Score 62 F
Purina Come-n-Get It / Score 16 F
Purina One Large Breed Puppy / Score 62 F
Royal Canin Boxer / Score 103 A+
Royal Canin Bulldog / Score 100 A+
Royal Canin Natural Blend Adult / Score 106 A+
Science Diet Advanced Protein Senior 7+ / Score 63 F
Science Diet Lg Breed Puppies / Score 69 F
Sensible Choice Chicken & Rice / Score 97 A
Solid Gold / Score 99 A
Summit / Score 99 A
Timberwolf Organics Wild & Natural Dry / Score 120 A+
Wellness Super5 Mix Chicken / Score 110 A+
Wolfking Adult Dog (bison) by Solid Gold / Score 97 A
4. FEEDING GUIDELINES
Feeding directions on Pet food provide only a broad guideline. Nutritional requirements vary according to a pet's age, breed, body weight, genetics, amount of activity, and even the climate in which the Pet lives. You should adjust portions based on your pet’s body condition...ideally you should be able to easily feel the ribs and see a waist in front of the hips.
VISIT WWW.PETFIT.COM TO FIND OUT HOW FIT YOUR PET IS.
Overfeeding even a "light" food can cause weight gain if fed in excess of caloric needs. It's estimated that about 25% of dogs and cats are overweight. Obesity can shorten a pet's life by contributing to heart and liver problems, diabetes, arthritis, bladder cancer, and skin disorders.
"Less calories" and "reduced calories" mean only that the product has fewer calories than another product, and "less fat" and "reduced fat" mean the product is less fatty than another one. In both cases, the manufacturer must state on the label the percentage of reduction and the product of comparison.
A Pet food can claim to be "light" or "lean" only if it meets AAFCO's standard definitions for these terms. These definitions differ for dog and cat food and also depend on the moisture content of the food. The words "light," "low fat," "lite" and "low calorie" all have the same meaning. Note: Most Pet food labels do not provide calorie content, but can be obtained by contacting the manufacturer.
Calorie and fat contents listed below are the maximum limits allowed in dog and cat food labeled "light" or "lean."
Dry Foods (< 20% water)
Dogs: 1.409 calories per pound, 9% Fat
Cats: 1,477 calories per pound, 10% fat
Semi-moist Foods (20-65% water)
Dogs: 1,136 calories per pound, 7% fat
Cats: 1,205 calories per pound, 8% fat
Moist Foods (> 65% water)
Dogs: 409 calories per pound, 4% fatCats: 432 calories per pound, 5% fat
Thinking about switching your Pet's Food?
Sudden changes in diet can lead to vomiting, diarrhea, belching, and flatulence.
Therefore, it is recommended to change your pet's food over the course of 1-2 weeks to avoid digestive upset. Slowing increase the amount of new food and decrease the amount of old food such as outlined below:
25% NEW mixed with 75% OLD for a few days
50% NEW mixed with 50% OLD for a few days
75% NEW mixed with 25% OLD for a few days
THEN 100% NEW
JUST REMEMBER...
Supplementing a poor quality diet will NOT increase your Pet’s health!
A bit on Food Allergies.....
In cats, the most common causes of adverse reactions are: fish, beef, dairy products, wheat and chicken.
FACT: In Pets, it is usually the skin that suffers with a food allergy. Food allergy is one of the itchiest conditions in veterinary dermatology.
Allergic Pets may constantly scratch and bite, rub their face and lick their feet.
Some may chew or lick at themselves until wounds and infection form.
Redness of the skin (especially on face, ears and feet) and hair loss.
Ear infections (or inflammation, redness, discharge and odor) are very common with allergies.
Thickened or darkened skin may develop under the armpits, on the abdomen, inside the earflap, or around the anus. This irritated skin can easily become infected with bacteria or yeast which already exist on normal skin.
FACT: It takes time to develop a food allergy, typically months to years. The immune system must be exposed and must develop enough antibodies to trigger an allergic reaction and this requires multiple exposures to the food in question. A reaction to a food that occurs on the first exposure is called a "food intolerance" and involve toxins within the food but not an allergic reaction.
FACT: Animals commonly have several allergies concurrently. A food allergy responding to a test diet at the same time an inhalant allergy is active will look like a partial response. On the other side of the coin, an inhalant allergy can become inactive should the weather change substantially during the diet trial. In order to determine if a response to a diet trial is real, at the end of the trial the patient is challenged with the original diet. If itching re-starts within feeding 2 weeks of the challenge, food allergy can be diagnosed.
Breakfast with Abbigail....But Remember MILK should not be given to cats!
