|
|
How to Grade Your Pet's Food
|
 |
|
Here is how to objectively assess the diet that you are feeding your pet:
| 1) Start with 100 points |
| 2) Subtract from 100 the following, if it pertains to the diet: |
| a) For every "by-product" listing = | -10 |
| b) For every non-specific animal source = | -10 ("meat," "poultry," or meal) |
| c) If it contains BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin = | -10 |
| d) For every "mill run" or non-specific grain = | -10 |
| e) For every grain listed more than once = | - 5 (brewer's rice, rice flour, brown) |
| f) If the source of protein is not meat | -3 |
| g) If it contains artificial colors | -3 |
| h) If it contains corn | -3 |
| i) If the listing of corn is in the top 5 ingredients | -2 |
| j) Contains any animal fats other than fish oil | -2 |
| k) Lamb is the only protein | -2 |
| l) If it contains soy or soybeans | -2 |
| m) If it contains wheat | -2 |
| n) If it contains beef | -1 |
| o) If it contains salt | -1 |
| 3) Now, give extra credit for the following: |
| a) If it's organic | +5 |
| b) If it is endorsed by a nutritionist | +5 |
| c) If it is baked (instead of extruded) | +5 |
| d) If it contains probiotics | +3 |
| e) If it contains fruit | +3 |
| f) If it contains vegetables | +3 |
| g) If it is hormone and antibiotic-free | +2 |
| h) If it contains barley | +2 |
| i) If it contains flaxseed oil | +2 |
| j) If it contains oats or oatmeal | +1 |
| k) If it contains sunflower oils | +1 |
| l) Contains more than one source of protein | +1 |
| m) If it contains Glucosamines for joints | +1 |
| n) Vegetables tested negative for pesticides | +1 |
| 4) Scoring |
| 100 | A+ |
| 94 - 100 | A |
| 86 - 93 | B |
| 78 - 85 | C |
| 70 - 77 | D |
| Below 69 | F |
| HERE'S YOUR TOP TEN AND BOTTOM TEN |
| TOP TEN |
| 1) Timberwolf Organic Lamb/Venison | A+ |
| 2) Orijen products | A+ |
| 3) Solid Gold Bison | A+ |
| 4) Dick van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium | A+ |
| 5) Eagle Holistic | A+ |
| 6) Authority Harvest Baked | A+ |
| 7) Chicken Soup Senior | A+ |
| 8) Eagle Holistic Chicken | A+ |
| 7) Innova Foods | A+ |
| 8) Canidae All Life Stages Formula | A+ |
| 9) Kirkland Foods | A+ |
| 9) Wellness Formulas | A+ |
| 10) Dick van Patten's Duck and Potato | A+ |
|
| NOT THE WORST BUT CLOSE |
| 1) Bil-Jac | F |
| 2) Diamond Maintenance | F |
| 3) Pedigree Complete | F |
| 4) Pro Plan | F |
| 5) Purina Dog Chow and Puppy Chow | F |
| 6) Science Diet Advanced Protein Senior | F |
|
| BOTTOM OF THE BOTTOM |
| 1) Ol' Roy | F |
| 2) Pedigree Adult Complete | F |
| 3) Purina Come-and-Get-It | F |
| 4) Beneful | F |
| 5) Pet Gold Adult with Lamb and Rice | F |
THE RESEARCH
Dogs and cats are obligate carnivores. We, as the humanoid, are omnivores meaning that we can digest plants and animals. The dog and cat digestive system is set up differently in that they have shorter intestinal tracts, the stomach lining secretes hydrochloric acids to break down proteins and kill bacteria in meats. The carnivore has sharper teeth meant for tearing; omnivores, like us, chew our foods more completely than do our dogs or cats. Carnivores have enzymes that are adapted to breaking down proteins and fats from meats.
Proteins:
Carnivores are "meat-eaters." The proteins contained in the animal proteins that they eat are "complete" proteins in that the animal proteins contain all of the necessary amino acids; plant proteins, called "incomplete proteins," do not contain all of the necessary amino acids. There are a number of essential or necessary amino acids missing if the pet is eating plant protein-derived foods (arginine, taurine, methionine, lysine, and tryptophan.)
Essential Fatty Acids:
Essential fatty acids (EFA's) are an absolute essential nutrient for maintenance of a number of very important biological functions in the body (nerves, brain, etc). Dogs, cats, and humans cannot synthesize or make EFA's in their body. They need to get the EFA's from their diets. Animal proteins and fats contain all of the important EFA's and in the right ratios for our pets. EFA's, in plants, must be converted to a useful nutrient; dogs and cats lack that ability for conversion making plants and plant oils a terrible source of EFA's. They must get these essential fats from their diets - animal protein.
Carbohydrates:
In the past two years research by nutritionists and AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) has revealed that dogs and cats (i.e. - carnivores) do not require carbohydrates in their diets. Dr. Kronfield has determined that carbohydrates are not an essential item in the dog's diet. And the research has shown that levels of carbohydrates (CHO), in most conventional diets, exceed by 50% the maximum levels of CHO that should be fed. When the energy derived from the digestion of CHO is not needed, fat is laid down, much like you and I eating cookies, cakes, etc. The CHO in your dog's diet (corn, yellow ground corn, corn meal, etc) is pure sugar with a very high glycemic index.
Biologically Appropriate Foods
Biologically appropriate foods, essentially, contains the meats, fruits, and vegetables that Mother Nature provided for the ancestral canid to eat. Their diet evolved because of their digestive anatomy (Orijen; "Our Mission"). Most experts agree that the diet should be grain free. I think we, as consumers, have been talked into believing that during foraging for food, corn was somehow a "staple" in the dog's environment. Corn, in cat food, makes NO sense whatsoever - have you ever seen video of a lion chasing down a corn stalk?
Now, let's take the "biologic value" of nutrients that dog foods are composed of for comparison. Biologic value (BV) means -- what percent of the food substance is utilized by the body.
|
|
| Eggs | 100 % |
| Chicken/turkey | 79 % |
| Fish | 70 % |
| Lean Beef | 69 % |
| Rice | 59 % |
| Peas | 55 % |
| Wheat | 49 % |
| Soybeans | 47 % |
| Whole wheat | 44 % |
| Corn | 36 % |
|
So, not only is corn only 54 % digestible, the portion that is digestible is only 36 % available to your pet as protein. Clearly, those diets containing a heavy amount of corn, in any form, is an inferior diet; that is why all of the Purina and Pedigree products fail miserably when they are objectively scored.
Rotating your Pet's diet
One of the interesting bits of information that I have just recently discovered is that a board-certified veterinary nutritionist has recommended, according to her research, that we should rotate our pets' diet on a monthly or bi-monthly basis. Of course, this is counter to what I have been telling people for nearly 30 years (don't change your pet's food). The new research dovetails with what the veterinary dermatologists are finding out about food-related skin and ear disease. If we measure antibodies to different items in a pet's diet, the highest levels of antibodies are always the one(s) that you are currently feeding your pet. Therefore, it makes sense that food-allergic disease may be "encouraged" by feeding the same-old-same-old every day, month, or year.
Nature's Variety's diet called - Instinct - has been formulated to serve that rotational need.
In my research, I think I have found the best dog food on the market. This diet is made in Western Canada and uses local range-fed chickens, turkeys, beef, and lamb, local freshwater and cold, local saltwater fish. It's called Orijen, made by Champion Pet foods. Orijen can be purchased in Summerville at All is Well and Doolittle's.
In closing, I realize that this has been quite a "mouthful," as my father used to say, but I wanted to convey to everyone the importance of feeding a proper and nutritional diet. I have omitted RAW diets not because I don't recommend them - I'm just trying to get everyone's attention as to the products that they should stay away from.
|
|
|
