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Give Pet Healthful Diet By Checking Food Labels

Posted on: Tuesday, 3 April 2007, 15:00 CDT

By CAROL McGRAW THE GAZETTE

Going to the cupboard to find a bone for Fido can be a scary prospect these days in light of the recent deaths of at least 14 animals who were fed certain Menu Foods products.

The culprit of the deaths is thought to be a cancer medicine sometimes used as rat poison. (For a list of recalled foods -- which are canned or in pouches -- go to menu foods.com/recall or call 1-866-895-2708.) How it got there is under investigation.

But beyond that case, what can owners do to make sure they are providing their pets with safe and healthful food? This week and next week I'll explore some options for concerned owners.

"The only silver lining in this dark cloud is that a lot more people are asking questions and wanting to be more diligent about their pet's food," said Jef Strauss, coowner of the two Wag N' Wash Healthy Pet Centers in Colorado Springs.

He thinks the increase in disease and illness in pets in recent decades can partly be blamed on low-quality foods. For example, as the amount of sugar increased in certain pet foods, so has diabetes.

"If you are paying 25 cents a pound for pet food, what kind of value can be in that? It has to be pure junk," he said.

Quality pet foods usually cost 80 cents a pound and more. But even then, be sure you know what's in it.

He warns against the "Four Deadly D's" that get into some pet foods -- dying, dead, disease and decaying. Some manufacturing plants use everything and anything that comes their way, including the feces in intestines.

Knowing how to read petfood labels can go a long way in helping provide a healthful diet for your cats and dogs.

The more specific the items on the label, the better. Poultry could mean anything with wings. It should say "chicken" or "turkey."

Here are some other things to pay attention to on labels, according to Strauss.

BYPRODUCTS: Chicken and poultry byproducts can contain the ground parts of chickens and other fowl including feet, feathers, undeveloped eggs, intestines, beaks and such. While that might not be dangerous and might be somewhat nutritious, it's not as nutritious as using only protein from muscle.

MEATS: Avoid "meat meal." While you might think it means beef or poultry, it's not a guarantee. Look instead for very specific sources such as beef, lamb or chicken meals.

PROTEIN: Dogs need food that is at least 18 to 40 percent protein. Cats need 50 percent protein. Labels often list "crude protein," which means the aggregate or total.

CARBOHYDRATES: Wheat meal, soybean meal, corn-gluten meal, rice flour, corn flour, and rice-gluten meal are highly processed, and most of the vitamins have been leached. It's better if the food is not refined -- look for whole grains or whole oats, and rice. Be aware that some pets have corn and wheat allergies.

FATS: Animal or poultry fat obtained in the rendering process are low in linoleic acid, which is essential fatty acid important for coat and skin. If a label merely says the food contains meat fat, that could mean "God knows what," Strauss said. Look for foods that mention exactly what kind of fat, such as sunflower oil, chicken fat, flaxseed oil, fish and herring meal.

PRESERVATIVES: Things such as BHA, BHT and ethoxyquin are all chemicals. Look for natural preservatives including Vitamin E.

FILLERS: Brewer's rice is a byproduct of the brewing industry; beet pulp is a byproduct of the sugar industry. They may have some benefits, but they have been processed, and nutritional value has been leached.

Strauss says his store carries only organic pet foods from small manufacturers such as Wellness, Honest Kitchen, Canidae, Avo-Derm and Nature's Variety.

"Organic may cost a bit more than junk food, but it is a more complete food, and thus, not as much is needed."

Next week: Kathy Stevens, director of the Catskill Animal Sanctuary in Saugerties, N.Y., and author of the book "Where The Blind Horses Sing," warns about foods you might consider innocent. And the skinny on breed-specific dog food.

Source: Gazette, The; Colorado Springs, Colo.

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