Selecting Pet Food

Small Animal Management 130.4(c)4D

Today We Will…

• Identify pet food regulatory agencies• Define nutritional significance of statements• Compare and contrast quality of different

brands of food• Select appropriate food based on canines

nutritional needs

Which cereal is better for you?

Regulation

• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)– The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) requires animal

food be • safe to eat• produced under sanitary conditions• contain no harmful substances• be truthfully labeled

– The Fair Packaging and Labeling Act:• proper identification of the product• net quantity statement• name and place of business of the manufacturer or distributor• proper listing of all the ingredients by weight

– No food can be labeled “Veterinarian Approved”

Regulation

• The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)– Voluntary inspection of canned foods

• Specify amount of meat, minimum nutrition requirements, and label specifications

– Items inspected may receive a seal on their label from the USDA

– Not widely used

Regulation

• The Federal Trade Commission (FTC)– Prevent misleading advertising– Pet food manufacturers must

conform to the FTC's general truth in advertising standards

Regulation

• Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO)– Non-governmental, provides guidelines for state

regulation– Creates requirements for pet food labels

AAFCO Required Label Items

• Brand and Product Name• Name of Species food is intended for• Quality Statement– Net weight/volume

• Guaranteed Analysis– Percentage of each of the nutrients in the food

AAFCO Required Label Items

• Ingredient Statement– Ingredients must be listed by weight on ‘As Fed’ basis– Ingredient that makes up the highest percentage is listed first

• Nutritional Adequacy Statement– Indicates the food is complete and balanced for a particular

life stage or– For intermittent or supplemental feeding only

• Feeding Directions• Name and address of manufacturer or distributor

AAFCO Product Name Rules

• 95% Rule- If an ingredient is used in the title, then 95% of that feed must consist of that product– Example:

• “Beef for Dogs”- the product must contain at least 95% Beef

• “Tuna for Cats”

– Must be first ingredient listed

AAFCO Product Name Rules• 25% Rule- If an ingredient has a descriptor

before or after it, then the product must contain at least 25% of that ingredient– Example:

• “Beef Dinner for Dogs”• “Chicken Nuggets for Cats”

– If multiple ingredients are listed they must total at least 25% of the product • No item listed can equal less than 3%• Ingredients should be listed in title in order of

the percentage• Example:

– “Beef and Chicken Dinner for Dogs”

AAFCO Product Name Rules

• 3% Rule- when a product is labeled “with” an ingredient, that ingredient must compromise at least 3% of that product– Example: • “Dog Food with Beef”• “Cat Food with Tuna”

AAFCO Product Name Rules

• Flavor Rule- ingredient must be detectable within product if it is followed by the descriptor “flavor”– Example:• “Dog Food with Beef Flavor”• “Tuna Flavor Cat Food”

Ingredient Definitions• Meat (Beef, Chicken, etc.):

– Meat is the clean flesh of slaughtered animals• Meat By-products (Beef by-product):

– Meat by-products are clean non-rendered parts (liver, lungs, kidney) of slaughtered animals

• Meat Meal (Beef Meal): – Tissues, exclusive of blood, hair, hoof, horn, hide trimmings, manure, stomach

and rumen contents that are cooked (rendered)– Higher quality “meal” will be species specific

• “Chicken Meal” is a better protein than “Animal Meal”

• Meat By-product Meal (Beef by-product meal):– By-products (defined above) that are cooked (rendered)– Lowest quality protein

Evaluating Protein Content

• Protein is one of the most important factors in selecting pet food

• Crude Protein on Guaranteed Analysis can be misleading especially when comparing canned and dry food

• Protein can be calculated on a dry matter basis to determine value

Dry Matter Basis

• Divide the crude protein by dry matter content (100-moisture content)

• Dry- (33/90)x100= 36.67%

• Canned- (12/24)= 50%– The canned has more

protein

Dry

Canned

Dry Matter:100-10=90%

Dry Matter:100-76=24%

Canned vs. Dry• Canned

+ Source of water• Cats often do not drink as much

water as they should

+ More palatable• Picky eaters tend to favor wet foods

+ Easier to eat• Seniors and small dogs sometimes

have trouble chewing kibble

– Cannot be left out• Will grow bacteria if left out for an

extended period• Short shelf life once opened

– Must be refrigerated

– Expensive

• Dry+ Convenience

• Easy to safely store and feed large quantities at a time

+ Price• Can be half of the cost of

feeding canned

+ Reduce plaque• Helps reduce dental diseases

– Less flavor– Difficult to chew for some

pets– Low moisture content

Minimum Nutritional RequirementsDogs

• Growth and Reproduction (Puppies, pregnant or nursing females)– Crude Protein: 22%

• Recommended Crude Protein: 28%– Crude Fat: 8%

• Recommended Crude Fat: 17%

• Adult and Senior– Crude Protein: 18%

• Recommended Crude Protein: 18%– Crude Fat: 5%

• Recommended Crude Fat: 9-15%

*Protein requirements increase with activity level (i.e. performance/working dogs)

Cats• Growth and Reproduction (Kittens,

pregnant or nursing females)– Crude Protein: 30%

• Recommended Crude Protein: 30%– Crude Fat: 9%

• Recommended Crude Fat: 20%

• Adult and Senior– Crude Protein: 26%

• Recommended Crude Protein: 22-30%

– Crude Fat: 9%• Recommended Crude Fat: 15-20%

Selecting a Food• Identify the first five ingredients

– Look for meat as the first ingredient– Avoid low quality carbohydrates

• Anything anonymous: grain by-products, middling, starch, gluten

• Look for the nutritional adequacy statement– “Complete and balanced”– Select a food appropriate to your pet’s life stage

• “Maintenance Ration”, “Puppy”, “Senior”

• Ignore terms like “premium”, “gourmet”, and “natural”– These terms are not regulated and have no meaning in regards to quality

• Avoid artificial colorings– High quality kibble will generally have a uniform shape and brown color

Feeding your Pet• Follow the directions given on the bag

– 1 cup of brand A is not always equivalent to 1 cup of brand B– Higher quality foods will generally require the pet be fed less than a

lower quality product• Switch feeds gradually

– Start by feeding 1 part new food to 3 parts of the old food and gradually transition the animal to the new food over the course of 1-2 weeks

– Watch for diarrhea or gas• Caused by switching feed to quickly or an intolerance to the feed itself

• Give constant access to fresh water• Pick up wet food if not consumed within 30 minutes

References

• http://www.petfood.aafco.org/LabelingLabelingRequirements.aspx

• http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=21+1276&aid=668

• http://www.petmd.com/dog/nutrition/evr_pet_food_for_your_pets_sake?page=2

• http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/choosing-dog-food/about-meat-meal/

• http://slimdoggy.com/are-carbs-good-or-bad-for-dogs/