Pet owners are often confused by the scientific jargon that is on the pet food labels. In this presentation,Ken Lambrecht, an AAHA veterinarian from Madison, Wisconsin helps make it easier to pick the good foods from the not as good (and sometimes the bad!)

1. Ken Lambrecht DVM
Medical Director Westside Family Pet Clinic
Presented March 24th, 2012
4th Annual Pets Reducing for Rescues Contest
2nd Annual Preventive Nutrition Fair
www.slideshare.net

2.  FDA & AAFCO regulated
 Is a legal document

3. • 3 most concerning to pet owners
• 3 most important to board certified
veterinary nutritionists
• 4 potentially helpful & interesting areas
• 3 Supplements (Probiotics, Fish oils & joint
supplements)

4.  Melamine disaster of 2007?
 Distrust of “big box” companies
 Human food issues (salmonella, e coli etc)
 We want our pets to live a long and healthy
life!
 Reading pet food & supplement labels is
TOUGH work!

5. Bug LANCE

8. 1. Trusted advisors/scientists
2. Prevent interactions/side effects
3. Above all do no harm
4. Preventive
5. 70% of pet owners consult their veterinarian
about pet food

9. 1. Are grains bad?
2. What is best protein source?
3. Are “byproducts” safe?

10.  Omnivorous
 Not apex predators like wolf (more like
foxes)
 Very adaptable as species
 Variation in breeds (over 268!)
 Has eaten what man has given him/her since
domestication

11.  True or obligate carnivores
 Natural diet mice birds & lizards, crickets etc
 Almost 58% protein
 Evolutionarily have not changed in over 9000
years!
 Have always eaten what they want! (what
they can kill)

12.  Quality
 How allergic are they?
 Processing needs to be defined

13. opponents proponents
CORN filler corn meal is
poor protein good source of
source protein
poorly digestible
causes allergies
SOY cheap source of Fine if used w/
inferior protein complementary
grains
WHEAT allergenic not allergenic

14.  Poultryby product meal 65 to 70%
 Chicken meal 63 to 67%
 Fish meal 60 to 65%
 Corn gluten meal 60 to 64%
 Meat & bone meal 50 to 55%
 Soybean meal 46 to 50%

15. Reference: Verlinden A, Hesta M, Millet S et al Food allergy
in cats & dogs a review Crit Review Food Sci Nutrtion
2006;46:259-273
Dogs (n= 198) Cats (n=89)
1. Beef (36%) 1. Beef (20%)
2. Dairy (28%) 2. Dairy (14.6%)
3. Wheat (15%) 3. Fish (13%)
4. Egg (10%)
4. Lamb (6.7%)
5. Chicken (9.6%)
6. Lamb (6.6%) 5. Poultry (4.5%)
7. Soy (6%) 6. Barley/wheat (4.5%)

16.  Corn meal
 Polenta
 Whole corn
 High fructose corn syrup

19.  American Association of Feed Control
Officials (AAFCO) statement (Feeding trial
or meets profile at minimum)
 Appropriate life stage
(growth/location, maintenance)
 Amount to feed (calories/cup & calculations)

20.  AAFCO “Feeding study or trial done” = BEST
 “Meets established AAFCO levels” = GOOD
 No statement = BEWARE
 No statement but “To be used under
supervision of a veterinarian” = RX FOODS

21.  At least 8 dogs
 At least 6 months
 Blood work, weights, stool quality
 Only way to tell protein quality (digestibility)

22.  Feeding charts not accurate
 Calories not always listed on bag
 Only crude protein levels listed

23.  Growth/lactation
 Maintenance
 Light formulas (less than 320 Cal/cup)
 Senior, others?

24. 7. Ingredients (major & minor)
8. Manufacturer details
9. Natural/Organic/Human Grade claims
10. Preventive value (fish oils, joint
supplements, protein level, anti tartar etc)

25.  Inorder by weight
 Meat source in first three
 Salt divider
 Beware of Ingredient “splitting”

26.  Salt divider

27.  Phone number
 Ability to track & recall
 Does internal controls & quality checks
 Has Board certified veterinary nutritionist on
staff
 Answers your questions to you & your
veterinarian’s satisfaction!

28.  Thereis currently no FDA definition for
Organic, holistic or human grade for pet food

29.  Fishoils
 Glucosamine, Perna Green lipped mussel etc
 Probiotics
 Correct caloric density /Protein level

31.  Overweight dogs (even 10% is not Ideal!)
 Dental disease
 Arthritis
 Cancer
 Immune system challenges

33.  Needto know dose to be anti-inflammatory
 20mg/lb of EPA per day
 60lb dog will need 1200 mg typical human
capsule is 180mg will need to give 7 daily or
feed Rx diet
 Sources: Can get at Wal-Mart, Costco etc or
in Rx foods
 Note: flax does not = fish oil (EPA & DHA)

34.  Consumerlab.com
 Glucosamine (not enough in food by law)
 Perna Green lipped Mussel (not regulated)
 Chondroitin sulfate (expensive)
 Use veterinary label products only

35.  LIVE organisms (need to know which ones)
 Killed by heat
 Dose very important 5 billion CFU/capsule
best
 Human products up to 450 billion!

36.  Feed Your Pet Right Marion Nestle
 Chow Hounds Dr Ernie Ward
 Pub Med/peer reviewed
 Consumerlab.com
 Pet label 101 website

37. Or…
 Worryas much about ideal weight as
ingredients!
 Idealweight pets live a 15% longer life, have
less pet food expense & fewer health
problems

38.  57 participants in 2011 (37 dogs & 20 cats)
 DCHS, FOF & Grey Muzzle
 Bad Dog Frida & Mad Cat
 WFPC will donate $1 per pound lost
 Form Dog Packs & Cat prides until 3/31/12!
Clover

39. Thank you for your attention! Questions?
www.slideshare.net