Walking into a pet store to select a new dog food can be an overwhelming task. There are signs, posters and pretty bags of foods marked with all sorts of marketing phrases such as “no by-products”, “whole meat”, “grain-free”, and “no corn-filler” to name a few. But what does this actually mean? Are there truths behind these statements? What do you need to know?
"No By-Products"
By-products in dog food generally come from the processing of vegetables or animals. To give an example of vegetable processing, tomato pomace is a by-product of juicing tomatoes to be used for ketchup, juices and soups. The pomace itself which is used in dog foods includes the left-over tomato skin, pulp and crushed-up seeds, all of which can be excellent sources of soluble fibre and antioxidants (i.e. Vitamin C and Vitamin K). Despite the pomace not having a place in the human food chain, it makes for a great nutrient-rich ingredient in pet foods.
Animal by-products usually include the organs left over from the processing of whole carcasses (liver, heart, lungs, spleen, kidneys, etc.). These by-products once again are rarely used for human consumption but can offer even more nutrients and protein for our pets than muscle meats (on a per-weight basis). Some pet food companies do try and get around this by marketing foods as “no by-products” but instead just list the organ on the ingredient list which is contained in the diet. For example, all of the popular freeze-dried liver treats and bully-sticks are by-products!
"Whole Meat" vs "Meat Meal"
It would seem that having “whole chicken” listed on a bag of pet food would be a better choice than “chicken meal”. This is actually false; meat meal does not contain water and is, therefore, a more concentrated version of whole meat. Without the water content, this allows a greater amount of meat meal, and therefore, protein to be added to the food!
"Grain-Free"
The “gluten-free” and “grain-free” options have become very popular within our own human diets. But does this mean it is appropriate for our pets? Not necessarily, and in some cases, it can actually be dangerous! One of the reasons why grain-free diets became more common in the pet food industry was because of the misconception that they were causing food allergies. Although dogs can be allergic to certain grains, it is far more likely that they are allergenic to animal proteins (poultry, beef, pork). In fact, grain allergies (gluten-sensitive enteropathy) has only been documented in individuals from one breed, the Irish Setter.
A more concerning issue with grain-free food is that it can be linked to heart disease in dogs, specifically, dilated cardiomyopathy. Grain levels in the diet can be linked to the levels of the essential amino acid, taurine, which is key to the development of healthy heart muscles. In fact, in feline diets, they need to add taurine into the food as their diets are more often low in grains due to their more carnivorous nature as compared to our omnivorous dogs.
"Hypoallergenic" or "Limited Ingredient"
Many pet foods market themselves as being ideal for pets with food sensitivities. They may state that they only contain fish, or kangaroo, or venison, which are less common causes of allergies than chicken, turkey or beef. It is very important to understand that these diets cannot often guarantee that they do not contain traces of other protein sources as they are made in the same factory as other foods. This means that cross-contamination is very common. Numerous types of these expensive and popular “hypoallergenic” or “limited ingredient” diets have been tested and significant amounts of other animal proteins have been found in over 80% of them! If your pet may have food allergies, a proper diet trial with a prescription diet should be completed as these diets have a 100% no cross-contamination guarantee.
"No Filler"
Corn in dog food also has a negative misconception that it is used as a filler and has no nutritional value. This is not true! Some of the nutritional needs met by corn in diets include digestible carbohydrates, protein, fibre, antioxidants and omega-6 fatty acids.
"Raw"
There are many important aspects to discuss, and we will explore this more in future articles! Remember, raw diets may not be safe or appropriate for all dogs, and they can be risky for humans as well. If a pet is fed raw, the food, as well as the pet, can be sources of dangerous pathogens (i.e. salmonella, e. coli).
"AAFCO statements"
AAFCO is the Association of American Feed Control Officials and they are an organization that is responsible for releasing recommendations and guidelines for animal feeds. You will find three AAFCO statements in small print on most animal feeds, but it is important to differentiate the difference between them.
- If a diet has been “formulated” to meet the standards of AAFCO, this means that the food supplier has simply done an analysis of the food to make sure it meets the minimum standards in terms of nutrient amounts. This does not, however, mean that those nutrients are bioavailable to the pet once it ingests the diet (what can actually be digested and used by the body is not the same as what is ingested).
- If a diet has gone through a “feeding trial using AAFCO protocols” this means that the diet has not only been tested for nutrient values but also fed to a certain number of animals for a specified time in order to ensure that all nutrients are bioavailable to the pet. This is a step up from just diet formulations meeting AAFCO standards, and what veterinarians recommend searching for when picking a pet food.
- If a diet is very similar to another diet that has already gone through a feeding trial, you will see a statement along the lines of “this diet is comparable to a product which has been substantiated using AAFCO feeding tests.”. But, this diet itself did not go through a feeding trial.
For more information on reading pet food labels, please visit talkspetfood.aafco.org/faq
In summary, there are many marketing tricks and phrases that are commonly used in the pet food industry. It can be complicated and confusing, which is why we recommend you speak with your veterinarian while you are doing your research into what to feed your pet!
The Pet Health column was brought to you by Neighbourhood Veterinary Hospital
