The question, “What diet should I feed my pet?” comes up every day at our veterinary clinic. The truth is, there is no “perfect” diet. We have to take into account the particular life stage of a pet, their specific medical needs, and then choose a safe and balanced diet to maintain a proper body weight. Where do you start? First off, do not fall for “marketing strategies”. Key terms found on many pet foods that sound great, really do not mean anything! Examples of this are “premium, holistic, organic, human-grade and eco-friendly”. Even foods labeled “natural” simply mean that the product does not contain any synthetic ingredient. When we splurge on a specialty food, the price does not always equal quality. Next, look at the label. We want to check for 3 things on the label:
1. AAFCO nutritional adequacy statement
2. Life Stage
3. Complete Manufacturer contact information
The primary importance of looking at the life stage, is to make sure that you are feeding the appropriate life stage to your pet. Your options are growing pet, adult pet or a senior pet. If the label states “AAFCO approved for all life stages”, then that food is approved for a growing pet and should not be fed to an adult or a senior pet. When looking on-line for nutritional information, make sure you have a reliable website.
Great on-line resources:
1. aavn.org (American Academy of Veterinary Nutrition)
2. acvn.org (American College of Veterinary Nutrition)
Feel free to address your pet’s nutritional needs with our veterinarians or call our clinic with any questions.
( Trends Magazine, June 2012)