PET NUTRITION

Good nutrition is a vital part to your pet’s health and happiness. It’s not just about satisfying their hunger—high-quality food supports a shiny coat, boosts their immune system, and keeps their digestion on track. A balanced diet also helps manage weight, preventing issues like diabetes and joint pain, while keeping their mind sharp and their energy high. This guide will help you navigate the essentials of pet nutrition, from choosing the best food to better understanding their specific dietary needs!

How Do I Find the Best Food for My Pet?

Choosing the right food for your pet is one of the most important decisions you can make for their health and well-being, but with numerous options available, it can be challenging and overwhelming to know where to start. The key is to understand that each pet is unique, and their dietary needs may vary based on factors like age, breed, activity level, and any underlying health conditions. While dogs generally do well with dry food, cats often benefit from a combination of dry and canned food. Canned food can help with hydration and appeal to picky eaters. Even with the best ingredients, your pet’s enjoyment matters. Select a food that your pet likes and responds well to, as it should be both nutritious and palatable. It is also crucial that dogs eat dog food and cats eat cat food, as each species has different nutritional needs. Cat food is typically higher in protein and fat and contains more taurine, an essential amino acid that cats need but dogs do not. Regularly consuming cat food can lead to nutritional imbalances and obesity in dogs. Additionally, the higher fat content in cat food can cause digestive upset or pancreatitis in dogs.  By keeping these factors in mind, you can choose a food that not only meets AAFCO standards but also supports your pet’s overall health and happiness. 

Below are some of the things you should consider when picking out a food for your pet! - Remember, a higher price does not always mean better quality.

LIFE STAGE

Start by considering your pet’s life stage. Puppies and kittens require food rich in nutrients that support growth and development, while adult pets benefit from balanced maintenance diets that sustain their energy and health. Senior pets, on the other hand, may need diets that address age-related issues like joint health or digestion. 

HEALTH NEEDS

Next, think about your pet’s specific health needs. Pets with allergies or sensitivities might thrive on limited ingredient diets, while those with health conditions like kidney disease or diabetes might require specially formulated foods. Consult your veterinarian for recommendations tailored to your pet’s health requirements.

AAFCO LABELING

When selecting food, look for the AAFCO label. This label ensures that the food meets the minimum nutritional standards set for your pet's life stage—whether it's growth, maintenance, or all life stages. It means the food has also gone through the necessary feeding trials as well.

Learn more about AFFCO

INGREDIENTS

Check the ingredients list for high-quality, natural components, and ensure named protein sources like "chicken" or "beef" are listed at the top. Avoid foods with vague terms such as “meat by-products” or artificial additives. A good diet should be balanced with proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals.

The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) is an organization that sets important standards for pet food to ensure it is both safe and nutritious. AAFCO’s primary role is to develop guidelines that help pet food manufacturers create products meeting the basic nutritional needs of pets. These guidelines include nutrient profiles that specify the essential nutrients pets need at different life stages, such as puppy/kitten, adult, and senior. They also outline ingredient usage and labeling requirements.

It's crucial to understand that while AAFCO guarantees nutritional completeness, it does not guarantee that feeding trials have been conducted. AAFCO sets nutritional standards that pet food manufacturers must meet to label their products as providing a "complete and balanced diet." These guidelines ensure that pet foods are formulated to meet all of a pet's nutrient requirements. The formulation is often tested during a 26-week feeding trial, where a group of dogs is fed the diet exclusively, and their health is monitored. If the food passes the feeding trial, it can be labeled as "complete and balanced," giving pet owners confidence that the food meets the nutritional and safety standards set by AAFCO.

However, it's essential to note that AAFCO does not regulate, test, approve, or certify pet food. Instead, it establishes model language that states and other governing bodies may adopt into law. When you see an AAFCO statement on pet food, it means the food has been formulated to meet these essential standards, helping to ensure your pet's diet is complete and balanced.

Below are three examples of what the AAFCO statement can look like on a food product:

Grain Free Foods

At Cotati Small Animal, our doctors advise against grain-free pet foods due to recent concerns about Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM), a serious heart condition that affects the heart’s ability to pump blood effectively. Research has linked some grain-free diets, particularly those high in peas, lentils, chickpeas, and certain types of potatoes, to an increased risk of DCM in dogs not normally prone to this type of heart disease. The specific factor which triggers the DCM has not been identified. This is only a problem with dogs; no heart disease has been identified in cats on a grain free diet.

Grains are actually an important part of a balanced diet as they are a valuable source of nutrients and fiber. It's a common misconception that grains cause allergies in pets; however, food allergies are more often triggered by proteins like beef, chicken, or dairy. Grains like rice, barley, and oats are typically well-tolerated and beneficial. A balanced diet that includes grains, along with the right amounts of protein, fat, and essential nutrients, is crucial for maintaining your pet’s heart health. While there are rare cases where a grain-free diet may be necessary for specific health conditions, this is the exception rather than the rule. Always choose pet foods that meet AAFCO standards to ensure your pet receives comprehensive nutrition.

As a precaution, we recommend our clients with dogs on grain-free diet consider changing to one of the recommended diets.

To learn more about the link between grain free foods and Dilated Cardiomyopathy, click here to read an article from the FDA.