What you don’t know, may be hurting your pet.
One of the most important factors in your pet’s health is what you give them to eat every day. There are 36 essential nutrients that your dog and cat need in proper proportions. If a nutrient level is too high, it can become toxic and if a nutrient level is deficient in the diet, it can lead to problems such as hypothyroidism, rickets and heart disease.
Animals fed too much liver can develop vitamin A toxicity. Animals fed too low an iodine content can develop hypothyroidism. Animals fed foods with an improper calcium:phosphorus ratio can develop rickets. Taurine deficiency has long been know to induce heart disease (dilated cardiomyopathy) in cats. It is now being investigated in dogs! https://mckeevervetderm.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/543/2017/09/TaurineDef.Goldens.pdf
RAW foods can contain many pathogens such as Salmonella and Listeria. There are strains that will cause pets to develop severe gastrointestinal symptoms and there is new information that raw chicken meat is causing a neurological condition called polyradiculoneuritis (APN). A new study, led by the University of Melbourne’s U-Vet Werribee Animal Hospital, found the consumption of raw chicken meat increases the risk of dogs developing this paralysing condition by more than 70 times! To learn more about this condition and the study visit: https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/raw-chicken-linked-to-paralysis-in-dogs
Some argue that in the wild, animals don’t cook their food. This is true. However, unfortunately mother nature can be harsh and the truth is that in the wild, animals are not likely to live the 14 to 18 years that most pets have the luxury of living. If you choose to feed raw, please know the risks associated with this practice. Visit https://www.wormsandgermsblog.com/files/2008/04/M2-Raw-Meat-Owner1.pdf
Not all human foods can be fed to pets! Be careful with what human foods/treats you give your pet. Some ingredients are toxic such as Xylitol which can cause life threatening hypoglycemia and liver failure in dogs. Xylitol is used to sweeten food such as certain sugar free gum, candies, baked goods, power bars, some condiments and some peanut butter!
The ingredient list of pet foods can be very confusing and misleading. I have heard people say that they don’t like feeding by-products. I can assure you that by-products can be very nutritious. They include but are not limited to organ meats such as spleen, kidneys and liver. I can assure you that they do NOT (and must NOT) include hooves, hair, horns or teeth! Regulations are made by the The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). To read about pet food labels and the regulations visit: http://www.aafco.org/Consumers/What-is-in-Pet-Food. Always look for the AAFCO statement. If a pet food does not have a statement then it means that it does not meet this standard and all bets are off! I always like to support Canadian companies. However, pet foods made and sold exclusively in Canada do not need to follow the AAFCO regulations. So make sure that if it is a Canadian made pet food that the label does include an AAFCO statement. Also worth noting is whether it says that it was “formulated” to meet the standard versus “tested” and met the standard. “Formulated” means that it was reciped together but not trial fed to any animals. “Tested” means that the food was fed to animals and it met the formulation plus the animals did well while eating it.
Hills, Royal Canin and Purina are reputable companies and are leaders in animal health. They do not pay me to tell you this. I have seen the knowledge and caring behind the scenes and I trust the science behind their products. Veterinary prescription foods help control disease such as Diabetes Mellitus, Degenerative Joint disease, Urinary disease, Stress, Intestinal sensitivities and Allergies.
