Not everyone will agree to what is healthy and what is not when it comes to their pets. Some will believe one brand is better than the other, even if the same ingredients are in it. In fact, the myth that is still perpetuated about veterinarians getting commissions on specific office-carried brands is still moving around social media platforms. I did say myth, correct? So, what do our pets need? Even better, what do WE need?
Constant research is being done regarding health, wellness, and dietary needs for us. This constant development requires updating and delivery to the general public, which is done every 5 years. The U.S Department of Agriculture and The Health and Human Services makes this update to the dietary guidelines and can be seen at www.dietaryguidelines.gov. There’s a whole slew of information in this guide to digest from the best vegetables to put on your plate to specific guidelines for lactating women, but nutritional details you’re used to seeing for dogs and cats to compare is this:
I’m almost willing to guarantee that most of us haven’t taken a look down this. BUT, many pet owners have begun to look at this profile for their pets. Why the disconnect? Shouldn’t we care for ourselves as well? The truth is that there are organizations in charge of making sure companies put that label on there, just the same as the pet industry. They just go one step further. If you choose one that meets specific criteria, you personally can ensure higher standards are met. This isn’t because that’s typically is what’s at your vets office. It’s because that’s the veterinarian standard. I’m stalking about AAFCO, the Association of American Feed Control Officials.
AAFCO’s Mission
AAFCO is a collaborative association that supports members and stakeholders and promotes a safe feed supply through unified system-based regulation, feed ingredients standards, and laboratory operations. – www.aafco.org
This agency is not in charge of regulating (that’s the FDA) or testing food, but they do have a tremendous impact on ensuring states and members have universal guidelines and standards. This includes protecting us by not allowing companies to state “nutritionally complete” unless they meet specific guidelines. Their guideline is posted here: https://www.aafco.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Pet_Food_Report_2013_Annual-Appendix_B.pdf
But, if you’re super not sure what to look for, follow this:
https://wsava.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Selecting-a-pet-food-for-your-pet-updated-2021_WSAVA-Global-Nutrition-Toolkit.pdf
Either way you look at it or what brand you purchase, your pet will be affected. We have 2 Australian Shepherds who are notorious for being finicky. We made a choice to use the Kirkland brand dog food, after them previously being on Purina One Pro Plan, within a week they turned to this…
They were uncomfortable, itchy, and miserable. They also had more patches of fur laying across the downstairs (more vacuuming). Needless to say, we’re going back to the Purina One Pro Plan.
God Bless