I recently read and article published by a writer who published it on Pet Food Industry..
Grain-free pet food backlash: The influences and irony
Considering the popularity of grain-free pet food, the current backlash against it is rather ironic.
Since humanization became a key influence on pet food some 15 years ago, it has played out in numerous product development trends and cycles. Arguably, the poster child has been grain-free pet food.
...no studies have proven that grain-free pet foods are better nutritionally for dogs or cats than are ones with grain-based ingredients.
Regardless, grain-free pet food caught on like wildfire among pet owners, capturing about 25% of the U.S. market and spreading globally...
Which makes for great irony given the U.S. pet food scene today: namely, the growing backlash against grain-free pet foods, driven by the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) investigation into a possible link between them and recent, atypical cases of canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).
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Dr Jones comments..
1. Yes there is a concern with Heart Disease (DCM) and Diet- it's actually quite a low concern but has been blown out of proportion..you can read about it on my blog here
Pet Foods Linked To Heart Disease (16 Brands)..https://www.theinternetpetvet.com/pet-foods-linked-to-heart-disease-16-brands/
2. It is now generally accepted conventional veterinary wisdom that some animals and in particular cats are MUCH healthier and have far LESS incidence of disease when eating lower CARBOHYDRATE diets.. ie lower chance of diabetes, obesity, degenerative joint disease.. My issue is that most of the so called 'Grain Free' dry diets have just REPLACED one carbohydrate ( ie Wheat) for another ( ie Peas)
This is one relevant source: Cats and Carbohydrates - What is the Impact?..https://www.vin.com/apputil/content/defaultadv1.aspx?pId=11343&meta=generic&catId=34574&id=5189562&ind=199&objTypeID=17
So in this case the author has a point, and it is a Marketing thing selling so called healthier 'Grain Free'
This comes from a researcher at Tufts..
...These results show us that just because you are using a grain-free diet doesn’t mean that you are feeding your cat less carbohydrate. It also doesn’t predict whether the food will be high or low in calories. All dry cat diets contain carbohydrates of some kind.
The grain-free cat diets we investigated swapped grains for peas, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and tapioca (think of the pudding!). These ingredients are no more “natural” or healthy for your cat than grains....
3. YOU as a concerned Pet Parent recognize that WHAT you feed your dog or cat matters, and there are serious concerns about Pet Food and Pet Food quality..
The Clean Label Project has tested over 8000 different types of dog and cat food, finding over 150 different environmental contaminants and toxins. Poisons such as BPA, Lead, Mercury, Arsenic, Cadium, Acrylamide, Pesticides, Antibiotics, plus 143 more...https://www.theinternetpetvet.com/150-toxins-contaminating-pet-food/
4. So WHAT is best to feed? Good question and no one really knows the answer..
My general suggestions are based on feeding your dog or cat closer to what they historically would have eaten, and mix it up
- Less kibble, and if you do feed kibble, vary it every 3 months..NOT just one brand/type in particular.. - Some Homemade diets..ie stew for dogs/cats. When I cook for my pets get some..and it is simple.. 1/3 protein, 1/3 veggies, 1/3 carbohydrate ( ie sweet potato). My cat Murray only gets the meat though - Raw- I have been feeding them more lately, the prepackaged frozen raw..
5. Question EVERYTHING, including me, and the rest of the 'so called' experts :-)
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