
HAPPY NEW, GNU, KNEW YEAR!
Words are important, and while the three words in the title of this article are all pronounced the same, their meanings are vastly different. Homophones are words that sound alike but are not alike such as, NEW meaning not existing before, GNU meaning an African antelope and KNEW meaning to be aware of. This is a light-hearted illustration of something serious: the words on our cat and dog food labels are important and may be deceptive to the unwary purchaser who is trying their best to feed their pets a healthy diet.
If I asked you what the most important words are on your dog and cat food bags, what would you say? Brand name? Protein source? Weight? Price? All are informative, but the most important words on the bag are the ingredients list. It is endlessly surprising to me that so many people get distracted by what is basically advertising on the food bags, vague terms such as “farm-raised,” “healthy,” “holistic,” “savory,” “vet recommended,” and (my personal favorite on a bag of kibble that is shelf stable for two years) “fresh.” These words are chosen by highly paid advertising agencies because of the emotions they evoke yet have virtually nothing to do with the product quality itself. Too often these deceptive or, at best, half-truth terms can effectively fool even the most loving pet people into thinking they are feeding wholesome food when they are not. Sadly, swayed by warm and fuzzy packaging terms and endearing photos, most pet parents don’t even glance at the actual ingredients they are feeding their pets.
Recently a concerned woman asked my advice on a treat she was feeding her pet every night. Her 15-year-old diabetic Chihuahua had lost most of his teeth and was not doing well on his canned food diet. So, first, our discussion centered on gradually switching him to a thawed-to-softness frozen diet such as Northwest Naturals which would be nutritionally supportive and easy for him to eat. Then the woman showed me the treats she gave him every night before bed. The packaging looked good “meat treats,” with all “natural ingredients.” I turned the package over and saw the first three ingredients were meat, however, the next ingredients were “honey” followed by “brown sugar.” She had been feeding this rather large treat to her tiny diabetic dog every night for the past couple of years. When I pointed out these deleterious ingredients, she was horrified and claimed she was a victim of false advertising. Not really. Both honey and brown sugar are natural ingredients but not at all beneficial for dogs or cats, especially not diabetic ones. If she had simply read the ingredients list before purchasing the treats, her dog might have kept his teeth longer and not suffered from diabetes. Such a sad story, but a perfect example of a loving pet parent being taken in by deceptive words and not paying attention to what really counts: the ingredients!
Dogs and cats are carnivores and meat should be the prime substance in their diets. Cats are Obligate carnivores and can derive all the nutrition their bodies require from prey animals (meat, organs, bone). Dogs are Facultative carnivores, meaning while meat is their main dietary requirement they can survive and get some nutritive value by consuming a limited number of fruits and vegetables. The truth is feeding carnivores a long-term starch-based diet stresses their digestive systems leading to inflammation, ill-health, and a shortened lifespan.
When you look at the ingredient list on the back of your cat’s or dog’s food bag, the ingredients are listed according to the largest amount first, the second largest amount is listed second and each lesser amount is listed in descending order. Therefore, the most important ingredients are usually the first five listed on the bag because they make up the bulk of your pet’s diet. But please don’t misunderstand me, all ingredients need to be scrutinized because some unethical manufacturers will add questionable ingredients in small amounts that will be noted toward the bottom of the ingredients list. Remember melamine which killed hundreds of dogs and cats a few years ago? Yes, it was listed on the ingredients panel and very few people questioned it at the cost of many pets lives. As a caring pet parent, you should recognize every ingredient listed and then focus on the first five when scrutinizing your pet’s diet.
Once you recognize the importance of the ingredients that are actually in your pet’s food rather than getting taken in with the advertising fluff, you are on your way to being your beloved pet’s best health advocate. Knowing where to look in the food bag is the first step, now we need to familiarize ourselves with the substances inside and the terms describing them on the ingredients list. Some items will be obvious, but others may make our heads spin unless we are a nutritional scientists. The Northwest Naturals February blog will examine some of the most common pet food ingredients and discuss why some are valuable in your pet’s diet and why some are better avoided.