Food For Thought on Food For Your Pet
In the food aisle, the virtual wall of brightly colored bags of kibble glares back, taunting, and teasing, obscuring your furry friend’s culinary content.
How do you interpret all of the data and marketing on these bags of food for your pet?
Good food will help your pet live the fullest life on the best terms of his or her carefree activity, quality of living, health, and wellness. Some things about food for your pet need to taken into consideration before making an informed decision.
Pet Food Primaries
Marketing 101 – Bright colors and bold glossy packaging, containers for food for your pet and are specifically made to attract buyers to that particular product like a moth to light.
Ingredients – The labels on pet food list the ingredients in order from the first being the greatest by either volume or weight down to the last being the least.
Grains – Misconceptions abound about the types of grains used as well as their integral role in the formulation of your pet’s food. Grains added in some form to your pet’s food can help to add more nutrients, diverse proteins, and carbohydrates. Balance is important in the use of grains, as too much of them can cause pet obesity.
Animal byproducts – The term “byproduct”, is used in place of “meat”. Byproducts are generally described as animal parts or pieces excluding feather, fur, hooves, or indigestible parts found in more, than normal cooking standards and practices.
Preservatives – On the labels you may see preservatives under such names as ascorbate or tocopherol, these are two of the more natural preservatives made from vitamins C and E. Certain preservatives can be a slow acting poison, so be vigilant in identifying possible toxins.
Wet – Typically canned foods are “wet” in consistency and offer more fresh ingredients with less processing involved during the production of the food. Canned or “wet” food can offer a simpler solution, perhaps more palatable, and closer to the natural version of the advertised products.
Dry – This is typically a formulated food to specifications containing little water. Dry pet food can offer greater nutritional value as concentrated nutrients are less diluted. Younger pets and Senior pets can have a harder time with dry food because of dental disabilities so wet food for your pet may be the better option in those specific cases.
Make an Educated Decision
Whatever the marketing, the best food for your pet is the one that you and your pet choose to live a long happy and healthy life with. Some changes to your pet’s diet can disrupt the daily cycle for your pet and cause him or her stress on the most basic level.
If you notice digestive problems like bad gas, vomiting, or flux, address those issues directly with our staff at Leon Valley Veterinary Hospital. We can help with those tasty educated decisions, so ask for any nutritional suggestions.
Bon appetite!