Dr. West joins us to talk about food for our pets. She tells us whether these statements regarding pet food are fact or fiction.
The first statement: All natural, “holistic,” “primal” foods are healthier. Dr. West says, “The interesting thing is there are no rules or laws about marketing or the things you can say on your pet food. I could create and call it anything. There is nobody who could stop me. The FDA only gets involved if there is a big problem like I gave poison food or something, otherwise I could put anything on my little bag of food which is scary because what we are paying attention to is marketing.”
Statement: Grain-free diets are better and help allergies. – Dr. West says, “The FDA has linked several grain-free diets to health problems including heart issues in both cats and dogs.” She says they need the meat and vegetables. She says dogs do need plant-based foods and cats are strict carnivores. Dr. West says we call dogs carnivores because that’s how they are classified in taxonomy, but they actually eat meat and plant based. Cats need to have meat, they can’t be vegetarian.
Statement: There is no difference between wet and dry dog food. Dr. West says cats do better with the wet food. It has less carbohydrates and more protein. Dogs do better with the dry or the kibble most of the time. A lot of times, she says, they can’t eat enough canned to keep them satisfied and they can have more of the plant based which is the kibble.
For more information visit nfveterinarysociety.org
