3 surprising things your veterinarian wishes you knew

In an age when information is at our fingertips, we depend on the Internet’s advice for any topic imaginable. But problems arise when we find truth in every written word, especially when it comes to quality dog food and the pet food industry. And with so much information available, telling myth from fact is difficult.

Dr. Lauren Pagliughi, DVM, lends her veterinary expertise to Just Right by Purina personalized dog food. She explains three widely-held misconceptions and the surprising answers your veterinarian wishes you knew.

Pet food regulation and quality dog food

PET FOOD MYTH: The pet food industry is hardly regulated. Plus, its quality and safety practices are extremely lax.

INDUSTRY FACT: Pet food is a very highly regulated industry. Its standards for safety and quality are equal to or greater than the human food industry! So what keeps pet food companies in check?

* FDA: Pet food is regulated at the federal level by the Food and Drug Administration and enforced by each state’s feed control official. The FDA — the same organization that regulates human food — requires that all pet food be safe, produced under sanitary conditions, contain no harmful substances and be truthfully labeled.

* AAFCO: The Association of American Feed Control Officials provides strict standards for pet food companies to ensure a product is “complete and balanced” for a particular life stage and species. Complete and balanced means that your dog’s food provides him the right amount of every nutrient that his body needs and in the right proportions: every day, every meal. Can you imagine if humans had the perfect nutrient-packed food too?

* THE COMPANY ITSELF: Sometimes it’s not enough just to meet the minimum. Reputable companies go above and beyond when it comes to quality and safety practices to produce quality dog food. Purina, for example, conducts 30,000 quality checks involving ingredients, packaging, receiving, processing, and packing in a typical 24 hour production. Purina is also taking huge strides in pet care innovation with the introduction of its personalized dog food brand, Just Right by Purina, which works with dog owners to create dog food that’s tailored for their unique dog’s nutritional needs.

Ingredients on the dog food label

PET FOOD MYTH: Ingredients tell me everything I need to know about my dog’s diet.

INDUSTRY FACT: If you’re just looking at ingredients, you’re missing a lot of information.

* NUTRIENTS: Healthy living doesn’t come from healthy ingredients. Healthy living comes from nutrients — the important stuff inside the ingredients that are the building blocks for your dog’s body. Look at the Guaranteed Analysis section too to get a fuller picture.

* QUALITY: You can get steak at a fast food chain or at a fancy steakhouse in NYC. Both ingredient labels will say “steak,” but the quality will be drastically different. The same goes for dog food. Reading an ingredient label tells you absolutely nothing about the manufacturer’s reputation. Instead, look for a pet food company that follows AAFCO recommendations, and talk to your veterinarian with any questions.

* HARD-TO-PRONOUNCE INGREDIENTS? They’re not as scary as they sound and they’re there for a reason. About half of the number of ingredients (and only 1 percent by volume) in commercial dog food are vitamins and minerals with hard-to-pronounce names. The FDA requires pet food manufacturers to list each ingredient by its chemical name. This provides a more accurate look at each ingredient’s structure and how it interacts in the body. Because of this, even natural dog food ingredients can be a mouthful. But that doesn’t mean that unfamiliar names are any less safe or any less vital.

Grain or grain-free dog food?

PET FOOD MYTH: Grains are just filler ingredients.

INDUSTRY FACT: The term “filler” doesn’t have a place in the pet food industry. It takes an extraordinary amount of work to formulate the right nutrients in the right amounts for complete and balanced nutrition. It would be a waste of money and valuable space to use an ingredient that has no purpose!

Properly processed grains used in dog food are highly digestible, safe and nutritious. Grains provide your dog carbohydrate for energy and important nutrients like protein, fat, vitamins and minerals. However, dog owners should be able to express their preference for grain or grain-free for their own dog. Personalized dog food lets owners make that choice. If you choose the grain-free dog food option, expect to see high-quality substitutes for grains that still provide 100 percent complete and balanced nutrition.

Better information for a better life with your dog

The Internet isn’t going anywhere, and neither is the misinformation surrounding the pet food industry. But with the right resources and dog experts on your side, you can start busting myths and helping your dog live the happy, healthy life he deserves.