sunil.debnath: A Closer Look at What's Really In Dog & Cat Food

...and, because loving pet owners spare no expense, it's widely regarded as recession proof.

Whew, that?s a lot of kibble.? But is it a lot of hype and marketing too?? Are premium pet food brands really worth the bucks.? And, more importantly, how can you tell if they are really what they say they are.

Time to bring in the experts.? Dr. Marion Nestle, the Paulette Goddard professor of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University, and Dr. Malden C. Nesheim, emeritus professor of nutrition at Cornell University decided to examine the pet food industry and see how the marketing claims stack up to hard evidence.? Their findings are a fascinating and informative read for every dog or cat owner.? ?Feed Your Pet Right:? the Authoritative Guide to Feeding Your Dog and Cat,? available at Amazon.com.

In it, Nestle found that ?premium pet foods? cost three to four times more than supermarket brands.? While prices vary significantly within these brands, ingredients are strikingly similar, as all have to meet governmental nutritional standards.? The first five ingredients of almost all brands of dog and cat food are the same--proteins, fats and carbohydrates.? Anything listed below salt, usually the next ingredient, is present in small amounts only.?

The doctors compared ten premium chicken dinners for dogs and found that all adhered to the basic standards.? Chicken and/or chicken broth, followed by grains and vegetables.? Non-premium brands use more grains and byproducts of poultry, meat and fish.

By law, that statement indicates that the food meets the nutritional requirements of dogs and cats listed by the Association of American Feed Control Officials.? This organization in conjunction with the Food and Drug Administration, state officials, and the animal feed industry, develops model regulations for pet foods, which are voluntary unless encoded in state laws.

In their book, Dr. Nestle explains, ?All pet foods are made from the byproducts of human food production.? No matter what the packages says, your dog is not getting whole chicken breasts, but what remains after the breasts have been removed for human food.?

Surprisingly for an industry of such magnitude, no agency requires proof of pet food health claims and no pet food company is willing to dedicate the research monies to determine if these foods do indeed improve the quality of their lives and ensure their ongoing health.

Now, nobody?s saying that different pet foods have no effect.? Your pet may have a food allergy that can be managed with food that does not contain the offending ingredient.? Regarding organic foods Dr. Nestle says, ?If characteristics like natural, organic, holistic, vegetarian or kosher ore important to pet owners, it may be worth it to them to pay top dollar for pet foods that claim to provide the desired attribute, even if there is no official or enforced definition of the claim.?

So, to cook for your pets or not to cook for your pets.? The doctors say that animals are more likely to get all the nutrients they need, and in the correct amounts, from a commercial product.?

Dr. Nestle puts it this way.? ?If everyone cooked human food for the 472 million cats and dogs in America, it would be like feeding an additional 42 million people.?

For more on this fascinating subject, we highly recommend adding, ?Feed Your Pet Right? to your reading list. ?