Nutrition
Pet nutrition is a HUGE topic that we cannot possibly cover here, but there is one tip we can provide to help you narrow down your choices of pet food. Some food companies choose to have their products regulated by AAFCO. If you find a bag of food without an AAFCO Statement, this means they have not chosen to have their food meet nutritional guidelines set out by AAFCO.
If your pet food has an AAFCO statement, there are a few different labels this AAFCO statement may say. The first portion of the statement may say that the food is “formulated to meet nutritional guidelines…”, meaning the food company has met the nutritional guidelines of AAFCO’s nutrient profiles based on calculations. The first portion may instead say “Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures…”, indicating that the food company has chosen to pay for a feeding trial to be done and the feeding trial has adhered to specific specifications laid out by AAFCO. Feeding trials are the preferred method as it gives the opportunity to see that the chosen pet food does not have any ingredients that would adversely affect your pet’s body systems, which is something that a calculation cannot show you.
The second portion of the AAFCO statement will tell you what life stage this food is intended for. “…all life stages” seems like it would be a safe choice, however it is not always the best choice. In order for a food to be suitable for all life stages, it must have sufficient nutrients and energy for the most demanding life stage, which is “…gestation/lactation”. This is the period of pregnancy and the period after birth of milk production. This amount of energy is not suitable for the lesser demanding life stages, like “…mature” or even “…adult maintenance”, especially if your pet has weight issues. In conclusion, the best AAFCO statement you would find would say “Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that (enter food name here) provides complete and balances nutrition for (enter appropriate life stage here). Please be aware that for the mature life stage AAFCO does not do feeding trials and that you would only find a “formulated” AAFCO statement for that life stage.In regards to the popular fads of “no corn” etc., we recommend you visit www.petfoodnutrition.com/ingredients and read through the topics list in the upper right-hand corner to learn more about the most common misconceptions about cat and dog food ingredients.
Our food selection includes regular life stage pet food ranging from puppy and kitten to mature cat and dog food with guaranteed balanced nutrition intended for the average pet that does not require specialty food. We also have a wide selection of specialty foods designed to aid in treatment of specific diseases and would be happy to explain exactly how this food will help your pet live a longer and happier life.
Our food selection includes regular life stage pet food ranging from puppy and kitten to mature cat and dog food with guaranteed balanced nutrition intended for the average pet that does not require specialty food. We also have a wide selection of specialty foods designed to aid in treatment of specific diseases and would be happy to explain exactly how this food will help your pet live a longer and happier life.