Nutrition is the foundation for good health.  Be sure to read the ingredient label before you buy pet food.  Do not rely on the marketing buzz words or colorful pictures on the front of the package to convey the quality of the food.

Ingredients are listed by weight so you should not assume a pet food with meat as the first ingredient is good quality. Fresh meat can be 70% water and heavy so a very small amount can put it at the top of the ingredient list. If you find a food with chicken as the first ingredient and byproduct meal as the second, there are actually more byproducts than chicken in the food. By contrast, a food with chicken meal as a first ingredient followed by chicken, vegetables and good quality grains is a healthier choice.

I am frequently asked to recommend a treatment for a pet’s itchy skin and hair loss.  My response is always to ask what the animal is being fed.  Because the response was often “Beneful” I decided to purchase a bag from the grocery store and take a look at the ingredients.  The label reads:

Ground yellow corn, chicken by-product meal, corn gluten meal, whole wheat flour, animal fat, preserved with mixed-tocopherols (from Vitamin E), rice flour, beef, soy flour, sugar, propylene glycol, meat and bone meal, tricalcium phosphate, phosphoric acid, salt, water, animal digest, sorbic acid, potassium chloride, dried carrots, dried peas, calcium propionate, L-Lysine monohydrochloride, choline chloride, added color (Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 2), DL-Methionine, Vitamin E supplement, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, niacin, Vitamin A supplement, calcium carbonate, copper sulfate, Vitamin B-12 supplement, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, garlic oil, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin D-3 supplement, Menadione sodium bisulfite complex, calcium iodate, folic acid, biotin, sodium selenite.

The ingredients I do not like to see in a dog food include:

Ground Yellow Corn – Since this is listed as the first ingredient on the label there is more corn than meat in this product. A dog is a member of the Canidae family, which includes wolves, foxes, and coyotes. Members of the Canidae family are carnivores. The definition of carnivore in the Webster dictionary is: an order of Mammallia “adapted by their structure to feed upon flesh. The teeth are large and sharp, suitable for cutting flesh.” Animals adapted to eating corn have large flat teeth.

Chicken by-product meal – is defined by the Association of American Feed Control Officials as “the ground, rendered, clean parts of the carcass of slaughtered poultry, such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs, and intestines, exclusive of feathers.” On The Animal Feed Resource Information Systems web site I found the following statement, “This meal is a combination of all poultry by-products processed together in the same proportions as they occur in the processing plant. Composition can be quite variable from plant to plant and batch to batch, depending upon what is being included.”

Sugar – In her book, “Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats” Kymythy Schultze writes, “Cancer cells thrive on sugars.” “Sugar is addictive, damages the pancreas, and drains vitamins and minerals from the body. It is implicated in hypoglycemia, diabetes, obesity, behavior problems, cataracts, tooth decay, arthritis, allergies and cancer. Yeast also thrives on sugar. In a 1993 study, unhealthy candida yeast overgrowth was 200 times greater in animals receiving dextrose than in control groups that did not receive the sugar.”

Propylene glycol – is a synthetic chemical produced from propylene oxide. In their propylene oxide storage and handling guide, Dow Chemical states, “The second largest use of propylene oxide is the production of propylene glycol and lesser amounts of co-produced dipropylene glycol and higher propylene glycols. Propylene glycol is one of the most widely used synthetic chemicals, finding its way into such diverse applications as the manufacture of thermoset polyesters for building boats, home construction components, additives for human and animal foods, and pharmaceutical excipients. It is also a primary ingredient in cosmetics and laundry detergents.”

Propylene glycol is not approved for use in cat food because it affects the red blood cells. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has determined that propylene glycol in or on cat food has not been shown by adequate scientific data to be safe for use. Use of propylene glycol in or on cat food causes the feed to be adulterated and in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. 21CFR589.1001. (But it can be in our food and our dog’s food!)

Animal Digest – is defined by AAFCO as “material which results from chemical and/or enzymatic hydrolysis of clean and undecomposed animal tissue. The animal tissues used shall be exclusive of hair, horns, teeth, hooves and feathers, except in such trace amounts as might occur unavoidably.” The source of the animal tissue does not need to be identified.

Added Color – These are chemicals added to make the dog food more attractive to the buyer. They have no nutritional value and the continual consumption of these chemicals may have adverse affects on your dog. Yellow 5 has been demonstrated to provoke an allergic reaction in some people and there are FDA regulations that require all prescription medications to post a notice if they are formulated with Yellow 5.

As you can see by the label, Beneful contains very little meat. Since meat is the most expensive ingredient, this food can be sold for less and looks like a bargain to the consumer at about $1.71 per pound. But be prepared for the possibility of spending more on medical care. A dog fed a steady diet of corn, wheat, sugar, chemicals and meat by-products will not be in optimal health. Maladies you may have to deal with as a result of a poor diet include excessive shedding and itching, rashes, ear infections, hot spots, diabetes, and behavior issues.

When choosing a diet for your cat please keep in mind they are a desert animal.  They need to obtain most of their hydration through their food.  If cats are fed dry food exclusively they are not able to consume enough water to compensate for the lack of moisture in their food.  Kidney and bladder conditions seem to be common in cats.  Perhaps the cause is the over use of kibble.

It is recommended that you rotate through three different manufacturers to provide your dog and cat the variety they need in their diet.  My personal choice is raw food.  If you are more comfortable with prepared food, consider adding some raw or cooked meat so your pet is not consuming only processed food.  There are also some nice freeze dried and dehydrated foods you can feed as a stand-alone meal or an addition to a meal.

At Midas Touch you will find a variety of quality pet food  to choose from.  We are here to answer any questions you may have and to provide information to enable you to choose the best diet for your pet.  Our pet food choices include:

Frozen Raw Food

Dehydrated Food

Freeze Dried Food

Dry & Canned Food