Dear Spring Oaks’ Family:

The July topic of the month is nutrition and obesity in dogs and cats.

Walk down any pet food aisle in a grocery store, discount store, or pet specialty store and it is easy to become overwhelmed.  There are so many different types of food available but which is the best for your pet?

Unfortunately there are too many varieties of pet food for any one person to be intimately familiar with each one but there are some general rules and guidelines to help you when selecting a pet food.  First, pet foods tend to be similar because new brands are made with little or no change to the recipe to increase the number of brands on the shelf and the likelihood you will buy one of those brands.  Second, the pet food is restricted by the nutrient requirements of the animal (the American Association of Feed Control Official (AAFCO) guidelines, the need to keep the pet food affordable, and to make sure it tastes good.

AAFCO does not make or enforce laws but has developed definitions for all feed ingredients, sets the minimum and maximum recommendations for nutrient requirements, and established the testing procedures for pet food claims of “complete and balanced".

There are multiple ways a pet food can comply with AAFCO guidelines.  On the bag of food there should be a nutrition adequacy claim.  It will state either the food “is formulated to meet or exceed the nutritional levels established by AAFCO” or “animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that (Name of Product) provides complete and balanced nutrition”.  Personally, given the choice I would choose a food that has been through feeding tests over on that has just been formulated.

A survey of states enforcing pet food regulations found that only 24 of the 50 states even bothered to respond and of those only 6 had an established program.  Texas is the most active of these so foods sold in Texas probably conform to the regulations.  As a result, I recommend feeding a “National Brand”.

At Spring Oaks we recommend Royal Canin foods for routine feeding of dogs and cats.  We also recommend certain therapeutic diets by Royal Canin and Science Diet to provide nutritional support for certain medical conditions.  Royal Canin Early Care diets are formulated to not only provide optimal nutrition and palatability but also help to prevent some of the most common health issues in dogs: Obesity, Osteoarthritis, Bladder Stones, Digestive Problems, and Skin Issues.  Please contact a Spring Oaks team member to discuss which Early Care diet is right for your pet.  Royal Canin also has a diet specifically formulated to address the most common health concerns of neutered cats: Obesity, Urinary Issues, and Dental disease.

In addition to preventing health problems, we also use Nutrition to help us treat health problems.  One of the most common health problems in dogs and cats is Obesity.  Being overweight can contribute to joint problems, makes the heart work harder, makes animals prone to diabetes, and contributes to early death.  In conjunction with Royal Canin, Spring Oaks participates in the Fit-For-Life Program which is a weight loss program for dogs and cats.  As part of this program we also have a yearly Biggest Loser Contest with the winner earning a year’s supply of pet food.  If you are concerned about your pet’s weight please schedule a nutritional consult with one of our veterinarians or technicians.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: I have heard a raw diet is better for my dog, should I feed that?
A: The safest way to feed a dog or cat is to use a commercial pet food made by a major name-brand pet food manufacturer.  Fresh meat is contaminated with enteric bacteria (E. coli, Salmonella) and while some pets may seem to have few adverse effects from this type of diet you need to consider the potential contamination of your home or yourself though contact with the diet, dog bowls, or anything the dog may touch with it’s mouth.

Q: My dog likes what I eat, can’t I just feed them what I eat?
A: Home-cooked diets can be fed to dogs and cats if properly balanced.  The reality is that most are deficient in vitamins, minerals and calcium and too high in phosphorus.  Please contact your veterinarian for balanced recipes if you would like to home cook for your pet.

Q: Aren’t the preservatives in pet food making my pet sick?
A: Preservatives prevent oxidation of fat.  Oxidation of fat in pet food makes the food smell bad (rancid) and can be toxic.  Vitamin E is a natural preservative and is commonly used in pet foods.

Q: How much should my pet be fed per day?
A: This is a hard question to answer because each pet is an individual with its own metabolic rate.  Most cats are roughly the same size as adults and can usually maintain a healthy weight on approximately 200 calories per day.  The size differences in dogs make caloric requirements more difficult to determine.  In addition, the calorie content is not required to be published on a bag of pet food.  We can help you determine a starting amount to feed your pet based on a calculation of average caloric requirements for the size and activity level of the pet, but we will need to monitor the pet’s weight and body condition over a number of months to adjust the amount to be optimal for your pet’s needs.

If you have any further questions about nutrition or obesity, please schedule an appointment with Dr. Alshouse or myself.

Sincerely,

Dr. Jim Jackson