Feed Your Pet Right – a New Book
Are you overwhelmed by all the different pet food choices? Have you wondered what really is the difference between Brand X Organic, Holistic food and Brand Y’s Super-Duper Compete Food? Well, the New York Times recently had an article about a new pet food book, Feed Your Pet Right, written by two nutritionists.
She noted, however, that the so-called premium pet foods cost three to four times more than supermarket brands. Within the premium brands, there is also a wide price range, yet when the ingredients lists are compared, they are strikingly similar since all have to meet certain nutritional standards. The first five ingredients of nearly every kind of dog and cat food are generally the same, representing protein, fats and carbohydrates, Dr. Nestle said, adding that “anything listed below the salt would be present in only very small amounts.”
According to the authors, the most important thing to look for when picking a pet food is to make sure the food meets the nutrition standards of the Association of American Feed Control Officials. This will ensure that the food is nutritionally complete whether it is organic, holistic or something in between.
I would add to the above that some ingredients in pet foods cause allergic reactions in pets so you may want to try different formulas if you see your friend(s) are having problems. Some itching is dry skin which can be a symptom of a need for more quality oils/fats in their diet and another reason for scratching could be their reaction to something in the food.