What Really is in Your Pets Food?
This is a question that every dog and cat owner should know the answer to. Quality and sourcing of the ingredients, as well as the amount of actual meat protein, are the most important questions you should have. Unfortunately, companies do not have to, nor do they give you in-depth answers. As a pet food retailer, I can and do get the answers I need to choose what foods I carry in my store. I use this knowledge, along with years of training in nutrition for pets to select the right companies to carry in our store. We have been successfully using the common-sense approach to pet allergies and nutrition for over 25 years with hundreds of customers per week.
Why ingredients matter….
Absorption is everything. Without proper absorption, many vitamins, minerals, and proteins are flushed out of the system. Absorption is achieved in several ways. First, you have the best absorption when feeding raw or gently cooked foods. These are unaltered and fed the way nature intended. Even dogs with IBD do best on these diets. Now, not all are created equally, and finding the right raw diet for your pet is important. There are different blends that do different things. Some dogs are fine with some potato, some are not. The same goes for fish, pumpkin, and actual meat proteins. Always find what suits your pets’ dietary needs. Price is a factor in feeding raw or gently cooked. Beware of grocery store “fresh” foods like Fresh Pet or online marketing schemes like Farmer's Dog. There are many using substandard quality ingredients. They also depend on their marketing to sell it rather than on the integrity of the company.
Is Kibble bad?
No, kibble is not bad unless you are feeding empty calories. Those include corn, wheat, excessive good grains like rice, oat, barley, or potatoes, and legumes. Your dog or cat’s food should be meat-inclusive, with all of the protein values coming from real meat. Low-carb is how our canine and feline friends are meant to eat.
Are you saying I must feed Grain Free foods to my pets?
Absolutely not a requirement unless you have a dog that has allergies or sensitivity to grain. Many can develop yeast from eating grain and potato, making grain-free medically necessary.
Didn’t the FDA say Grain Free was bad?
Actually, no, they did not say that. In 2018 the prescription dog food companies leaked the information to the public about the FDA doing research on DCM and diet. DCM is a genetic disease in dogs. The FDA began its study with 350 or so dogs out of 77 million pets in the USA. The number of dogs reported grew over the next four years to 560.
When you really stop to think about 560 dogs out of 77 million, it should make you shake your head a bit. Some of these dogs were actually eating grain-inclusive dog foods, many eating Ol’Roy, Taste of the Wild, and other substandard dog foods that use carbs as protein. The lack of meat protein in these foods is far more of the culprit if we are looking to place blame on the food. Quality food is not the problem. The problem in reality is the lack of genetic testing done by backyard breeders. Many dogs are being cross-bred to become designer breeds. Many of these carry the genetic component to be handed down. With no testing being done, there is no way to determine the genetic factor.
So why is my veterinarian saying not to feed grain-free?
The truth lies with the Veterinary Association mandating to all veterinarians what they can and must say to protect their license. This was started in 2018 while the study was ongoing. Once it concluded with no real findings, the Veterinary board did not change its stance, though the science was behind the lack of findings of truth to this rumor.
Can grain-free foods be causing a new DCM driven by food?
I truly believe it is not, and here is why.
Dogs have been eating these same grain-free foods for decades. Veterinarians sit on their board for formulation. They have designed the best recipes for absorption possible. For decades, we have fed legumes, potatoes, and peas with no rise in DCM.
If you feed your dog straight carbs with a small side of meat, their body cannot do its job to convert taurine. Feeding a quality grain-free or grain-inclusive kibble is, in my opinion, not going to give your dog a genetic disease.
What exactly is Taurine?
Taurine is a nonessential amino acid for supplementation for most dogs. They produce it internally rather than needing to add it to their food. It begins with methionine, an essential amino acid from protein in the diet. Methionine is converted into cysteine through a series of enzymatic reactions in the liver. Cysteine is not the direct precursor for taurine production. Healthy dogs, fed meat protein, should have adequate taurine.
Taurine is concentrated in the heart, eyes, and muscles, supporting cardiovascular health, retinal function, and overall cellular metabolism. While most dogs synthesize sufficient taurine, supplementation may be recommended for at-risk breeds or dogs with low taurine levels detected through bloodwork.
Can the legumes and peas block the absorption of taurine?
I think any carb-rich, low-meat protein food could cause the body to not have what it needs to convert amino acids into Taurine. There has been nothing proven by the FDA to say it is a true statement that legumes block Taurine absorption.
“Taurine is critical for heart muscle function — it helps regulate calcium in heart cells for proper contraction. Deficiency can lead to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), a serious heart disease. While the FDA and veterinary research have not yet proven a direct causal link between legumes and DCM, many affected dogs in the grain-free/legume-rich diet group were found to have taurine deficiency.”
Factors Proven to Affect Taurine Production
Breed and Size: Large and giant breeds, such as Golden Retrievers, Newfoundlands, and Dobermans, may produce taurine more slowly, increasing the risk of deficiency.
Dietary Protein: Adequate intake of quality animal proteins rich in methionine and cysteine supports taurine synthesis.
Genetics and Health Status: Some dogs have genetic predispositions or metabolic limitations that reduce taurine synthesis, potentially leading to conditions like dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM)
Age: Older dogs may have reduced efficiency in taurine production.
Key Takeaways
· Raw or Gently Cooked pet food is always a better option. Even if fed as supplemental with kibble
· Not all pet food is equal. Make sure you do your research and speak with a pet nutrition expert at your local small business pet supply store.
· Meat is the most important part of your pet’s diet to ensure they make the Taurine they need. Adding a probiotic to their food will also ensure proper absorption
· When told not to feed grain-free, do your own research to find the FDA studies and conclusions. The conclusion was only published once.
· Taurine deficiency also affects the eyes, muscles, and renal function.
Some of the Brands that we recommend as quality:
Frozen raw and gently cooked:
Steve’s Real Food, Tucker’s Frozen Food, Small Batch, My Perfect Pet, Smalls Cat Food, OC Raw, Green JUJU
Dog and Cat Kibble:
Zignature, Essence, Fromm, Acana, Orijen, Farmina, Inception, Fussie Cat, Open Farm.
Can Food:
Weruva, Fromm, Acana, Orijen, Zignature, Rawz, Fussie Cat, Open Farm
Thank you for your time and thirst for knowledge for your pets’ nutritional needs!
Certified Pet Nutritionist, Pet Allergy Specialist, Master Groomer
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