Selecting Pet Food
Small Animal Management
130.4(c)4D
Today We Will…
• Identify pet food regulatory agencies
• Define nutritional significance of statements
• Compare and contrast quality of different
brands of food
• Select appropriate food based on canines
nutritional needs
Which cereal is better for you?
Regulation
• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
– The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) requires
animal food be
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safe to eat
produced under sanitary conditions
contain no harmful substances
be truthfully labeled
– The Fair Packaging and Labeling Act:
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proper identification of the product
net quantity statement
name and place of business of the manufacturer or distributor
proper listing of all the ingredients by weight
– No food can be labeled “Veterinarian Approved”
Regulation
• The United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA)
– Voluntary inspection of canned foods
• Specify amount of meat, minimum
nutrition requirements, and label
specifications
– Items inspected may receive a seal on
their label from the USDA
– Not widely used
Regulation
• The Federal Trade
Commission (FTC)
– Prevent misleading advertising
– Pet food manufacturers must
conform to the FTC's general
truth in advertising standards
Regulation
• Association of American Feed Control Officials
(AAFCO)
– Non-governmental, provides guidelines for state
regulation
– Creates requirements for pet food labels
AAFCO Required Label Items
• Brand and Product Name
• Name of Species food is intended for
• Quality Statement
– Net weight/volume
• Guaranteed Analysis
– Percentage of each of the nutrients in the food
AAFCO Required Label Items
• Ingredient Statement
– Ingredients must be listed by weight on ‘As Fed’ basis
– Ingredient that makes up the highest percentage is
listed first
• Nutritional Adequacy Statement
– Indicates the food is complete and balanced for a
particular life stage or
– For intermittent or supplemental feeding only
• Feeding Directions
• Name and address of manufacturer or distributor
AAFCO Product Name Rules
• 95% Rule- If an ingredient is
used in the title, then 95%
of that feed must consist of
that product
– Example:
• “Beef for Dogs”- the product
must contain at least 95% Beef
• “Tuna for Cats”
– Must be first ingredient listed
AAFCO Product Name Rules
• 25% Rule- If an ingredient has a
descriptor before or after it, then the
product must contain at least 25% of
that ingredient
– Example:
• “Beef Dinner for Dogs”
• “Chicken Nuggets for Cats”
– If multiple ingredients are listed they
must total at least 25% of the product
• No item listed can equal less than 3%
• Ingredients should be listed in title in
order of the percentage
• Example:
– “Beef and Chicken Dinner for Dogs”
AAFCO Product Name Rules
• 3% Rule- when a product is
labeled “with” an ingredient,
that ingredient must
compromise at least 3% of
that product
– Example:
• “Dog Food with Beef”
• “Cat Food with Tuna”
AAFCO Product Name Rules
• Flavor Rule- ingredient
must be detectable within
product if it is followed by
the descriptor “flavor”
– Example:
• “Dog Food with Beef Flavor”
• “Tuna Flavor Cat Food”
Ingredient Definitions
• Meat (Beef, Chicken, etc.):
– Meat is the clean flesh of slaughtered animals
• Meat By-products (Beef by-product):
– Meat by-products are clean non-rendered parts (liver, lungs, kidney) of
slaughtered animals
• Meat Meal (Beef Meal):
– Tissues, exclusive of blood, hair, hoof, horn, hide trimmings, manure,
stomach and rumen contents that are cooked (rendered)
– Higher quality “meal” will be species specific
• “Chicken Meal” is a better protein than “Animal Meal”
• Meat By-product Meal (Beef by-product meal):
– By-products (defined above) that are cooked (rendered)
– Lowest quality protein
Evaluating Protein Content
• Protein is one of the most
important factors in
selecting pet food
• Crude Protein on
Guaranteed Analysis can
be misleading especially
when comparing canned
and dry food
• Protein can be calculated
on a dry matter basis to
determine value
Dry Matter Basis
• Divide the crude protein
by dry matter content
(100-moisture content)
• Dry- (33/90)x100=
36.67%
• Canned- (12/24)= 50%
– The canned has more
protein
Dry Matter:
100-10=90%
Canned
Dry
Dry Matter:
100-76=24%
Canned vs. Dry
• Canned
• Dry
+ Source of water
• Cats often do not drink as much
water as they should
+ More palatable
• Picky eaters tend to favor wet
foods
+ Easier to eat
• Seniors and small dogs
sometimes have trouble
chewing kibble
– Cannot be left out
• Will grow bacteria if left out for
an extended period
• Short shelf life once opened
– Must be refrigerated
– Expensive
+ Convenience
• Easy to safely store and feed
large quantities at a time
+ Price
• Can be half of the cost of
feeding canned
+ Reduce plaque
• Helps reduce dental diseases
– Less flavor
– Difficult to chew for some pets
– Low moisture content
Minimum Nutritional Requirements
Dogs
•
Growth and Reproduction (Puppies,
pregnant or nursing females)
– Crude Protein: 22%
• Recommended Crude Protein: 28%
– Crude Fat: 8%
• Recommended Crude Fat: 17%
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Adult and Senior
– Crude Protein: 18%
• Recommended Crude Protein: 18%
– Crude Fat: 5%
• Recommended Crude Fat: 9-15%
*Protein requirements increase with
activity level (i.e. performance/working
dogs)
Cats
• Growth and Reproduction
(Kittens, pregnant or nursing
females)
– Crude Protein: 30%
• Recommended Crude Protein: 30%
– Crude Fat: 9%
• Recommended Crude Fat: 20%
• Adult and Senior
– Crude Protein: 26%
• Recommended Crude Protein: 2230%
– Crude Fat: 9%
• Recommended Crude Fat: 15-20%
Selecting a Food
• Identify the first five ingredients
– Look for meat as the first ingredient
– Avoid low quality carbohydrates
• Anything anonymous: grain by-products, middling, starch, gluten
• Look for the nutritional adequacy statement
– “Complete and balanced”
– Select a food appropriate to your pet’s life stage
• “Maintenance Ration”, “Puppy”, “Senior”
• Ignore terms like “premium”, “gourmet”, and “natural”
– These terms are not regulated and have no meaning in regards to
quality
• Avoid artificial colorings
– High quality kibble will generally have a uniform shape and brown color
Feeding your Pet
• Follow the directions given on the bag
– 1 cup of brand A is not always equivalent to 1 cup of brand B
– Higher quality foods will generally require the pet be fed less
than a lower quality product
• Switch feeds gradually
– Start by feeding 1 part new food to 3 parts of the old food and
gradually transition the animal to the new food over the course
of 1-2 weeks
– Watch for diarrhea or gas
• Caused by switching feed to quickly or an intolerance to the feed itself
• Give constant access to fresh water
• Pick up wet food if not consumed within 30 minutes
References
• http://www.petfood.aafco.org/LabelingLabelingR
equirements.aspx
• http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=21+
1276&aid=668
• http://www.petmd.com/dog/nutrition/evr_pet_f
ood_for_your_pets_sake?page=2
• http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/choosing-dogfood/about-meat-meal/
• http://slimdoggy.com/are-carbs-good-or-bad-fordogs/