Webinar on dog and cat nutrition featuring Dr. Roger Welton, a veterinarian on Pearl.com. The slide show addresses common myths and offers tips for selecting the right pet food.

1. Roger L. Welton, DVM
President, Maybeck Animal Hospital
5 Myths You
Should Know About
Dog and Cat Foods
West Melbourne, FL
Founder, Chief Editor, Web-DVM.net

2. What we’ll cover
 5 myths… and why you shouldn’t
believe them
 Characteristics of bad pet food
 How to select the right pet food

3. Myth #1
Corn is an unhealthy ingredient in pet foods.

4. Where corn myth comes from
This is a common theme on internet chat forums and among
many non-medically trained people in the pet industry
 Groomers
 Breeders
 Trainers
Many who deride the inclusion of corn in pet foods go so far
as to link it to food allergies and a host of other common
diseases in veterinary medicine.

5. Reality check: Value of corn
 Attaining the knowledge to grow corn from Native
Americans saved New England settlers from
starvation and disease because of its nutrient
and calorie dense properties.
 Corn is an invaluable source of fiber, b-complex
vitamins, beta carotenes, vitamin C, vitamin E,
and other antioxidants.
 Corn is an invaluable source of amino acids
and fiber.

6. Reality check: Value of corn
 It is inexpensive to cultivate and harvest,
therefore corn provides a cheap source of key
nutrients to keep quality pet food costs minimal.
 Corn is not linked to specific disease in dogs
and cats except for rare cases of food allergy.
 Depending on the study one refers to, corn ranks 27-
32 on the food allergy list, thus debunking the notion
that it is a common source of food allergy.

7. Myth #2
Animal by-product” translates to the inclusion of
abysmal nutrient sources, such as skin, hair, and hoof.

8. Reality check: Animal by-products
 The most common animal by-products used
in pet |foods are organs
(liver, brain, heart, kidneys, heart, etc.) and
bone meal.
 Although organs and bone meal are valuable
nutrient sources, most people do not find
them appealing dietary items, making them
ideal low cost ingredients in pet foods.

9. Myth #3
Veterinarians do not receive significant
nutritional training and are thus not good sources
for pet food recommendations.

10. Reality Check:
Vets and nutritional training
 Animal nutrition is mandatory first year course
work in all AVMA (American Veterinary Medical
Association) accredited veterinary curriculums.
 Nutritional training continues later in physiology
course work and how it specifically relates to
physiological function.
 Nutritional training is further expanded in
medicine coursework in the form of clinical
nutrition and the role nutrition can play in
disease management/prevention.

11. Myth #4
“Holistic”, “all-natural”, and “corn-free”
are the best criteria to select pet food.

12. Reality check: Pet food labels
 While eliminating corn from diets having no scientific basis has
already been addressed, the terms “holistic” and “all-natural” are
not official terms recognized in the pet industry.
 Holistic carries no significance because the pet food governing
body (AACFO) – more on this later – has not established criteria
to meet this standard. Thus a diet labeling itself as holistic holds
no significance.
 Any diet that is put into canned or kibble form requires
processing, thus, labeling any canned or kibble diet as all natural
is misleading and dishonest.

13. Myth #5
Feeding of raw meat is what is most appropriate
for dogs and cats because that is what natural selection
and evolution have dictated.

14. Reality check:
Raw meat for dogs and cats
 While the dog’s ancient ancestor, the wolf, is the
product of natural selection, the domestic dog is not.
 While the domestic dog is descended from the
wolf, physiologically, they are very different as the
result of 100,000 years of domestication and
selective breeding.
 Domestication and selective breeding has led to a
0.8% change in DNA from the dog’s most closely
related species of wolf.
While a 0.8 % difference in DNA may not seem significant, we are
separated from our closest evolutionary ancestor, the
chimpanzee, by 1.2% difference in DNA sequence. (Most would not
argue that we should follow the same dietary nutrient needs of the
chimp.)

15.  With significantly less acidic gastric pH comparatively to the
wolf, dogs have less protective mechanisms to protect against raw
meat pathogens and parasites.
 Dogs also cannot digest large pieces of bone as wolves can
(because of differences in jaw strength, dentition, and gastric pH)
and they are thus a common source of gastrointestinal obstruction
and perforation for dogs.
 Cats are better adapted to eating raw meat than dogs, but with
cases of raw food poisoning prevalent among raw fed cats, most
veterinarians agree that benefit does not justify the risk.
Reality check:
Raw meat for dogs and cats

16. Characteristics of bad pet foods
 Poor quality diets will often have undesirable animal
by-product (skin, hoof, hair) for nutrient sources. In the
case of mold growth, rancid pet food may cause death.
 Many so called all natural or holistic diets do not use
preservatives and commonly go rancid as a result.
• Rancid food may cause mild to severe GI disturbance.
• In the case of mold growth, rancid pet food may cause death.
 Often, so called holistic diets are especially too heavy
in protein and too light in fiber.
• Excessive protein over time puts excessive stress on the
liver and kidneys and may contribute to degenerative disease
of these organs.
 Label claims to be “all life stages.” There is no diet that exists
that covers the unique nutritional requirements of all life
stages: kitten/puppy, adult pet, senior pet.

17. Watch for certification
One more characteristic of bad pet food: Not AAFCO certified!!!
 Association of American Feed Control (AAFCO) is an official
watchdog for the pet food industry.
• AAFCO participation is voluntary, but not required by law.
• AAFCO has established minimum standards for pet food.
 Since AAFCO participation and certification is strictly voluntary,
it is up to the consumer to look for the AAFCO certification
label, indicating that a pet food has met AAFCO standards.
 For more information on AAFCO, visit: www.aafco.com

18. How to select the right pet food
1. Your single best source for seeking the best quality and
appropriate pet food for your pet is your veterinarian.
2. Seek species and life stage appropriate foods
• Puppy/kitten: up to 1 year
• Adult 1-7 years
• Senior 7 plus years
3. Choose only diets that are AAFCO certified.
4. If there is underlying disease, your veterinarian
may choose disease specific nutrition for your pet.
Several pet food companies offer prescription veterinary
diets as an integral treatment modality/ component to
disease management.

19. How to select the right pet food
5. Avoid diets with label claims of “all natural,”
“holistic,” or “all life stages.”
6. If you choose a preservative-free pet food,
make certain that it is vacuum sealed and the
seal is not broken.
Always smell a new food batch to make certain
it is not rancid. (Although most people do not find
any type of pet food to have an appealing
smell, rancid pet food can be detected by most
people.)
7. Keep posted on pet food recalls utilizing
news/informational pet industry sites such
as PetMD.com, Web-DVM.net, and
WebMD.com/pets.

20. Q&A
Thank you for attending!
If you have further questions about pet nutrition or any other issues with
your dog or cat, you can always speak with a veterinarian at any time:
http://www.pearl.com
Roger L. Welton
DVM