Article
A recent survey by the Associated Press found that although
Americans may be spending less on themselves, they’re not
scrimping on their furry friends. According to the survey, just
one in seven pet owners said they had curtailed spending
on their pet during the past year, even as they cut back on
other expenses.
Thirty-seven percent of U.S. households have dogs, and 32
percent have cats, but because of multi-cat households, felines
outnumber canines: As of 2007, there were almost 82 million
cats and 72 million dogs.
The bottom line: It’s more important to look for the overall
nutrient profile of a particular pet food brand than it is to shop
by price or even individual ingredients. “As a pet owner, your
main goal is to ensure that your animal is active and healthy,”
says Jamie Hirsh, associate health editor at Consumer Reports.
“That suggests that the food you’re buying is doing its job. But
it’s also important to know that you don’t have to choose the
most expensive food to get what’s best for your pet. Look for
food labeled ‘complete and balanced,’ which indicates it can be
the pet’s sole nourishment.”
Also take into consideration the age of your pet and
whether he or she has special needs. For example, cats with
kidney or urinary problems might benefit from the moisture in
wet food, while animals with dental
issues might do better with dry food.
What Pet-Food Labels Really Mean
What to
For pet food, there’s no official
definition of organic, human-grade,
premium, no fillers, or gourmet.
Gluten-free foods are generally
necessary only for the tiny
Feed Your Pet
percentages of pets that are
intolerant of that protein. There’s some evidence that antiox- Flavor (Beef flavor). No specific percentage required, but the
idants – such as vitamin E – and some omega-3 fatty acids product must contain enough of the food to impart the claimed
might enhance pets’ immunity or help protect against certain flavor, or another substance that tastes like it (beef stock,
diseases, but experts interviewed by Consumer Reports were for example).
split on whether consumers need to look for them. G u a r a n teed analysis. Mandatory guarantee that the food
Here are some explanations of pet food labeling, which is contains the labeled percentages of crude protein, fat, fiber, and
mostly defined by AAFCO, which sets standards for pet food moisture.
manufacturing: Light, lite, low-calorie. Meets AAFCO
The 95 percent rule (Beef for Dogs). Named ingredient(s) limits for a reduced-calorie diet for
must account for a least 95 percent of the product by weight. overweight dogs and cats. “Lean”
Dinner; also Entrée, Formula, Nuggets, Platter, Recipe and “low-fat” have a similar
(Chicken and Salmon Dinner for Cats). The named ingredients meaning for fat.
must make up at least 25 percent of the product by weight, not Natural. Technically, the
counting water. Each individual food must make up at least food has few or no synthetic
3 percent. ingredients. But the claim is
“With …” (Gourmet Fillets with Turkey for Dogs). Contains loosely defined.
3 percent or more of the named ingredient.
56 March 2009 |
www.siparent.com
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