Pet food fundamentals

I mentioned last month that I’d signed up to take a class offered by VSPN.org called “Pet Food Fundamentals”.  I’d hoped it would give me more knowledge about animal nutrition, and I liked the concept of it because the course outline said we’d be discussing specific brands of pet foods.  The class started last week, and while I’ll reserve some opinions until it’s over, so far I’m somewhat disappointed.  The course instructor does have some specific biases, and has said things like, “there are no documented cases of allergies to corn”, and “by-products are beneficial because using them avoids waste, and that’s good for the environment”.  The common thread throughout the course is that if the AAFCO approves of a food then it must be okay, and foods which are manufactured as “good enough for humans to eat” (for example, Spot’s Stew), have been somewhat mocked.  It’s not a bad course by any means, and it introduces some interesting ideas about marketing, but I feel that it partially exists to convince people that fancy pet foods are unnecessary and that Science Diet, for example, is the epitome of quality.

Because I’ve come into the course primarily as a pet owner, and not as a veterinary professional, my experiences with pet foods have been very different than the instructor’s.  I’ve had the luxury of switching my pets’ diets for the sole purpose of monitoring the effects of those changes.  I’ve had seven years of experience trying elimination diets with one dog, so I know how she reacts to different ingredients (like corn, for example).  While I’m sure a kibble-only diet is perfectly sufficient, I don’t think the discussion should stop there, and I’d like to see an acknowledgement that perhaps dogs are enriched mentally when they’re given raw foods.  So far we’ve watched videos about how nutritious kibble is made (with only the finest ingredients!), and have learned that terms like “holistic” and “organic” have no purpose except to draw in consumers, but I don’t feel like I’ve learned very much to help me care for my pets.

Frankly, the emphasis on the “power of corn” is driving me nuts, but I don’t want to be too argumentative.  I think for purposes of this course, the fact that corn seems to go in one end of my cat and come out the other wouldn’t be considered relevant.

I was hoping I’d learn lots of new things and be able to talk about them here, but don’t hold your breath.  The people running the course are very well-educated (more educated than I am), but they have a different perspective on pet food, and treat it as a “tool” of their practice rather than a “life force” (sorry to get all touchy-feely there, but I couldn’t think of how to describe our differing attitudes).  If I’m ever in a position to give pet owners guidelines about feeding their pets, I’ll still give them the basics of how all pets foods with the AAFCO stamp of approval meet basic needs, but I’ll also be willing to tell them my anecdotal stories about how different foods seemed to give my pets better health.  I’d owned cats for over 15 years before someone finally suggested to me that cats benefit from an all-wet food diet, so I think it’s important to tell people what you know.

If you have any interest in basic pet nutrition, here are the websites which were recommended for background material:  Veterinary Nutritional Advocate (offered by Hills.com), and Daily Nutrition Matters, offered by Purina.

Posted by Leigh-Ann on 09/10 at 11:38 PM

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  1. Corn and rice give one of my cats horrible facial abscesses. I’ve been expiramenting to find a wet cat food that she’ll eat and that is good for her. She was diagnosed last month with diabetes, so giving her wet food before her shot to make sure she gets insulin on a full stomach is important.

    The little stinker won’t touch Grain-free Wellness cat food because it isn’t sliced and with gravy. Texture apparently is very important to her, and that’s something I bet they won’t cover.

    Posted by Georg  on  09/11  at  03:22 AM

  2. I feed both the cat and dog a mixed diet; they are allowed to keep kibble out at all times, and they get wet food at designated times of the day. What is your opinion on that? Is all-wet better? Absence of kibble/excess of wet food seems to give the cat loose stools - not quite diarrhea, but approaching it. Oh, and when asked, my vet was of the opinion that any decent kibble was about like any other, although he is anti-Iams. So’s Finnovar.  Advice? Observations?

    Posted by Helly  on  09/11  at  04:51 AM

  3. I recently bought Life’s Abundance dog food.
    Strangely enough, my cat started eating it. The product was so good, my cat wanted it…the dogs love it too…This is premium pet food at its best. No corn, wheat, soy, by-products. Just human grade chicken, steroid free. I love this stuff so much I decided to market it and to tell the world.  If you want to learn more about this great food, go to www.healthypetnet.com.

    Posted by Diane Coker  on  09/11  at  06:44 PM

  4. Georg, I’ll give the class credit for teaching about palatability.  I was told that dog palatability factors (in order) are odor, taste, and texture, and for cats, odor, texture, and then taste.  You’re right—I can’t think of any “premium” foods off the top of my head which are “sliced”.  They all seem to be quite mushy.  The Merrick foods have small chunks of chicken, but they’re fairly natural chunks, and not uniform ones (our cat Chelsea won’t touch the stuff, although the others all enjoy it).

    I think that pet foods can invoke visions of Soylent Green.  Yes, corn is a protein and it’s nutritious, but dead people are proteins, too, so I don’t necessarily think that just because something is a protein, we should be eating it.  I’m sure if you offered a dog a plate of corn or a plate of ground beef, the dog would choose the beef, so I still don’t understand why corn is acceptable as a primary food source.

    Posted by Leigh-Ann  on  09/12  at  12:49 AM

  5. Helly, the “which is best” question often comes down to personal preference.  I think it’s accepted that an all-wet food diet is best for cats, simply because it helps ensure cats get enough moisture (which contributes to better urinary tract health).  I think there’s also evidence that a lower-carb diet helps cats avoid diabetes, and most kibbles do contain a lot of carbs (corn and/or rice).  However, if you read the labels on the kibble packaging, you can find foods with no grains at all (like Evo), or at least foods where the first ingredient is some sort of meat.  With our cats, I find that a good quality wet food gives them smaller, firmer stools, because more of the food is digestible, so less has to “come out the back end”.  When we feed the cats kibble (I toss some EVO kibble on the floor every day so they can “hunt” for it), they produce more poop volume and ack, it stinks up the place.  Unfortunately, many cats just won’t eat wet food at all, so in some cases the wet food vs. dry food argument is moot because of a finicky eater.  I try to keep our cats eating both wet and dry textures because it gives me more options if/when they need to be medicated, but they eat 95% wet food.

    I don’t think diet for dogs is quite as important as for cats, because dogs are omnivores (and cats are carnivores).  We’ve been feeding just wet food to Phoenix and Cricket for about six months and they’ve both slimmed down, and they also poop a lot less than when they ate kibble, but the health benefits for them might be sort of negligible.  They love their wet food, though, and they get excited about eating it, so wet food they shall continue to have.

    Posted by Leigh-Ann  on  09/12  at  01:29 AM

  6. I recently discovered the Innova Evo, and boy do the cats love that kibble. So we have a winner there. Right now the wet food of choice is Nutro which comes in pouches as the sliced stuff. there is wheat gluten in it, but not much, and I assume it is to help make the gravy. They eat all the gravy and ignore most of the slices, which is annoying! The important thing to me is there is no corn or rice in the recipe. I only just found it and switched, so I have to wait another day or 3 to see if Sassy’s face breaks out. If it does, it’s back to the drawing board.

    Dog is happy with her free-feeding kibble when she’s hungry (downs a bowl every week) and nightly wet food.

    Posted by Georg  on  09/12  at  03:32 AM

  7. Excellent post as usual! I could witter on and on as you might imagine, but I won’t. :)
    I am posting this to my busy dog yahoogroup, I think people will find it interesting.
    http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/BARF-lite/

    For the record: EVO rocks, the cat loves it. He also prefers sliced canned food to mushy, like whole ground raw rabbit and catches his own mice to eat.
    The dogs eat raw, as do most of my friends’ dogs and while I certainly think kibble is fine in moderation :) anything made by Purina or Science Diet is pretty much bottom of the barrel in my book.

    Posted by Carina  on  09/12  at  04:46 AM

  8. I’m still grinning over the “good enough for humans to eat”. Much that is considered ‘human quality’ food, I wouldn’t feed my pets. Bleh.

    Mad-Kitty is happy to eat her wet food but if not given her share of kitten kibble, will steal the dog’s kibble. This causes the dog no end of bemusement.

    Posted by Diana  on  09/12  at  09:08 AM

  9. Found a spot on her leg. Nutbunnies. Must monitor the situation.

    Posted by Georg  on  09/12  at  05:23 PM

  10. This is one website which was recommended in my class: http://www.petdiets.com.  At least it allows that a homemade diet can be nutritional, but they’re very anti-raw.  They also offer to write up a customized nutrition plan for your pet for only (cough) $200 (cough).  I’m sure they’re just trying to cover the costs of postage :P

    Diane, I understand that you feel strongly about the food you’re feeding/marketing, but I don’t personally believe that there’s any one single food which is the right answer for everyone, or one single food which is truly revolutionary.  I left up your original post and link, but it borders on being sort of “spammy” when you come back and post the link again.  If people want to check out the Life’s Abundance food, I’m sure they’ll do it.

    Posted by Leigh-Ann  on  09/12  at  08:42 PM

  11. I don’t know if the wet food that Finnovar (my cat) will eat, as opposed to the many that he scorns, qualifies as “premium” but at least he eats it, so that makes it better than many. It’s called Nutro Gourmet Classics and comes in little 3 oz. cans. It does contain wheat flour and wheat gluten so that may not work for some of you, but, at least on the can I’m reading, those are decently far down on the list. The food itself is chunky, not sliced or mush or ground/stringy.  This example, one of The Finn’s personal faves, is seafood in tomato bisque. The ingredients are: seafood broth, chicken, whitefish, chicken giblets, lamb liver, turkey, wheat gluten, cod, lamb, tomato paste, tomato pomace, salt, peppers, guar gum…and then it gets into potassium-sodium things that are too hard to spell.  But I like that the first several ingredients are all easily recognized things that we would eat, so I don’t mind feeding them to my boy. He also likes the venison stew and the roasted duck (dominent ingredients: venison and duck).  Plus, he actually eats these instead of letting them congeal in his bowl. Always a bonus.

    Posted by Helly  on  09/13  at  02:44 PM

  12. Helly, I will have to check out that Nutro food, it sounds pretty good! A little like the Merrick canned; which I’ve gotten for my cat Elvis a couple of times. The nearest store carrying it is 50 miles away, unfortunately.
    http://www.merrickpetcare.com/store/canned_cat_food.php

    I’ve seen the Petdiet food hawked, I mean sold, at dog shows….terribly expensive for what looks like a mediocre-OK food. I can think of plenty better for half the price (Canidae, Wellness, Innova, Solid Gold.)

    Posted by Carina  on  09/13  at  04:08 PM

  13. I’ll have to check that food out, Helly—I’m not familiar with it, but the label sounds pretty good.  I just try to keep our cats away from grains like corn and rice, for purely selfish reasons: it makes them poop more!  I like that that Nutro label you quoted mentions specific protein ingredients, too.  I’ve seen some labels which say things like “animal by-products”.  I can only suspect the worst when I read that!

    Posted by Leigh-Ann  on  09/13  at  04:11 PM

  14. I’ve never liked feeding either of them things where it seems that the manufacturer is unsure, or unwilling, to identify the contents. “Mixed grill”, “Super Supper” - erm, no. If you can’t specify a source, e.g., salmon, tuna, chicken, what-have-you, then I don’t think my precious needs to ingest it.  But, not to sound like an infomercial, he loves the Nutro dinners and anything he actually eats has to be better than stuff he leaves in his bowl, I guess.

    Oh, and as far as the dog? If there’s a wet food invented that Sprocket the ferocious pit Shih-Tzu WON’T eat, I don’t think it’s invented. He doesn’t like broccoli. And he’ll only eat celery if there’s A LOT of ranch dressing on it.

    Posted by Helly  on  09/13  at  07:03 PM

  15. No documented allergies to corn? Show them some references and see what they say.

    1.
    Vet Dermatol. August 2003;14(4):181-7.
    H A Jackson, M W Jackson, L Coblentz, B Hammerberg
    Department of Clinical Sciences, Farm Animal Health and Resource Management, North Carolina State University, 4700 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, USA. Hilary_Jackson@ncsu.edu

    Abstract

    Fourteen dogs with known clinical hypersensitivity to soy and corn were maintained on a limited antigen duck and rice diet until cutaneous manifestations of pruritus were minimal (78 days). Sequential oral challenges with cornstarch, corn and soy were then performed. Subsequently, the dogs were fed a diet containing hydrolysed soy protein and cornstarch. Throughout the study period the dogs were examined for cutaneous manifestations of pruritus and, additionally, serum was collected for measurement of allergen-specific and total immunoglobulin (Ig)E concentrations. Intradermal testing with food antigens was performed prior to entry into the study and after 83 days. A statistically significant clinical improvement was measured between days 0 and 83. Significant pruritus was induced after oral challenge with cornstarch, corn and soy (P = 0.04, 0.002, 0.01, respectively) but not with the hydrolysed diet (P = 0.5). The positive predictive value of the skin test for soy and corn allergy was reduced after feeding a soy and corn free diet. Although increases in soy and corn-specific serum IgE concentrations were measured in individual dogs post challenge they were not statistically significant and could not be used to predict clinical hypersensitivity.

    2.
    Effects of routine prophylactic vaccination or administration of aluminum adjuvant alone on allergen-specific serum IgE and IgG responses in allergic dogs

    Am J Vet Res. September 2005;66(9):1572-7.
    Kathy C Tater, Hilary A Jackson, Judy Paps, Bruce Hammerberg
    Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA.

    Abstract

    OBJECTIVE: To determine the acute corn-specific serum IgE and IgG, total serum IgE, and clinical responses to s.c. administration of prophylactic vaccines and aluminum adjuvant in corn-allergic dogs. ANIMALS: 20 allergic and 8 nonallergic dogs. PROCEDURE: 17 corn-allergic dogs were vaccinated. Eight clinically normal dogs also were vaccinated as a control group. Serum corn-specific IgE, corn-specific IgG, and total IgE concentrations were measured in each dog before vaccination and 1 and 3 weeks after vaccination by use of an ELISA. The corn-allergic dogs also had serum immunoglobulin concentrations measured at 8 and 9 weeks after vaccination. Twenty allergic dogs received a s.c. injection of aluminum adjuvant, and serum immunoglobulin concentrations were measured in each dog 1, 2, 3, 4, and 8 weeks after injection. The allergic dogs were examined during the 8 weeks after aluminum administration for clinical signs of allergic disease. RESULTS: The allergic dogs had significant increases in serum corn-specific IgE and IgG concentrations 1 and 3 weeks after vaccination but not 8 or 9 weeks after vaccination. Control dogs did not have a significant change in serum immunoglobulin concentrations after vaccination. After injection of aluminum adjuvant, the allergic dogs did not have a significant change in serum immunoglobulin concentrations or clinical signs. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Allergen-specific IgE and IgG concentrations increase after prophylactic vaccination in allergic dogs but not in clinically normal dogs. Prophylactic vaccination of dogs with food allergies may affect results of serologic allergen-specific immunoglobulin testing performed within 8 weeks after vaccination.

    3.
    Serum IgE and IgG responses to food antigens in normal and atopic dogs, and dogs with gastrointestinal disease

    Vet Immunol Immunopathol. May 2003;92(3-4):113-24.
    A P Foster, T G Knowles, A Hotston Moore, P D G Cousins, M J Day, E J Hall
    Department of Clinical Veterinary Science, University of Bristol, Langford House, Langford, North Somerset BS40 5DU, UK. a.p.foster@bris.ac.uk

    Abstract

    In human food allergy, with or without concurrent atopy, there may be significant increases in serum allergen-specific IgE. Serological methods have been tried but are not currently recommended for diagnosis of suspected food allergy in dogs. The aim of this study was to investigate humoral immune responses to food antigens in dogs. Serum IgG and IgE antibodies specific for food antigens were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using polyclonal anti-dog IgG and IgE reagents. Antigens tested were beef, chicken, pork, lamb, chicken, turkey, white fish, whole egg, wheat, soybean, barley, rice, maize corn, potato, yeast and cow’s milk. Three groups were examined: normal dogs, dogs with atopic dermatitis (AD); and dogs with one of four types of gastrointestinal (GI) disease: small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), food-responsive disease, and infectious diarrhoea. Statistically significant differences in food-specific antibodies were not detected between the GI subgroups. There were statistically significant differences in the IgE concentration between the normal dogs, and dogs with atopic or GI disease, for all of the antigens tested. There were statistically significant differences in the average IgG concentrations between the normal dogs, and dogs with atopic or GI disease, for all of the antigens tested, except egg and yeast. The relationship of antigen responses for pooled data was analysed using principle component analysis and cluster plots. Some clustering of variables was apparent for both IgE and IgG. For example, all dogs (normal and diseased) made a similar IgG antibody response to chicken and turkey. Compared with other groups, atopic dogs had more food allergen-specific IgE and this would be consistent with a Th(2) humoral response to food antigens. Dogs with GI disease had more food allergen-specific IgG compared with the other groups. This may reflect increased antigen exposure due to increased mucosal permeability which is a recognised feature of canine intestinal disease.

    Note that all three studies involved dogs allergic to corn. Ahem.

    Posted by Hillary  on  09/14  at  05:43 AM

  16. Hillary, thanks for taking the time to post all that!  I learned something, and I’ve passed on the information.  Thanks also for reassuring me that I’m not imagining our dog is allergic to corn (and for confirming that “cornstarch” also counts as “corn”).

    Posted by Leigh-Ann  on  09/14  at  10:48 PM
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