Selecting pet food PPT

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

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?

• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

– The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) requires animal food be

• safe to eat

• produced under sanitary conditions

• contain no harmful substances

• be truthfully labeled

– The Fair Packaging and Labeling Act:

• 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”

• 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

AAFCO Required Label Items

• Brand and Product Name

• Name of Species food is intended for

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

Dry Matter:

100-76=24%

– Cannot be left out

• Will grow bacteria if left out for an extended period

• Short shelf life once opened

Minimum Nutritional Requirements

• Recommended Crude Fat: 17%

• 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

• Recommended Crude Fat: 20%

• Adult and Senior

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

• http://www.petfood.aafco.org/LabelingLabel ingRequirements.aspx

• http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c

=21+1276&aid=668

• http://www.petmd.com/dog/nutrition/evr_pe t_food_for_your_pets_sake?page=2

• http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/choosing-do g-food/about-meat-meal/

• for-dogs/