It may seem hard in todays market to select a pet food for your pet. The choices are infinite not to mention the mind boggling labels that can lead you to believe the wrong thing. Knowing the ins and outs of pet food labels will make for a more pleasant shopping experience .
Pet food labels have an information panel and a main display panel. The main display panel contains the names such as the brand, the manufacturer, etc. The Association of American Feed Control Officials governs a products name and what ingredients it contains.
Knowing what the labels mean is important in providing the best food for your pet. If the product name includes things such as ‘beef platter’, ‘beef entree’, ‘beef dinner’, etc. it only has to contain 10% beef. However, if it is worded as ‘beef’, it must contain 70% beef. Along the same lines, if it is worded ‘with beef’, it need only contain 3% beef and if it says ‘beef flavor’ it may contain less than 1% of the product!
Do not just rely on the name of a pet food because that can mislead you. Always check the food container for a clearance statement from the AAFCO stating the food has passed their standards.
The second portionsection of the pet food label is the information panel, which has to contain an ingredient statement and a guaranteed analysis. This analysis contains percentages of crude fat, protein, fiber and moisture in the food. While the percentages are listed, this still does not tell you the quality of the crude fats, proteins, etc. The ingredients should also be listed in descending order by weight.
Pets are very sensitive to changes made to their food. Before making a change, pay attention to their coat, eye clarity and how they are acting. If all is well, you may be better off sticking with what you are currently using. Ask your vet for more information on pet nutrition and what might be the right pet food for your furry friend.
Many pet owners become consumed with what to feed their pet and fail to consider how they feed their pet. elevated dog bowls are a smart choice, especially for older dogs. There are a lot dog bowls and cat bowls to choose from, it is up to you to pick the proper feeder for your pet but keep in mind to stay away from plastic containers. Plastic bowls can hold onto germs and create a potentially unhealthy eating situation. It is important to wash your pet bowls frequently to avoid health hazards. You can avoid this by trying to keep an extra set of bowls so that your pet always has a clean eating environment. You may want to search pet supplies online for great deals and convenience.
Posted under Dog Nutrition
This post was written by admin on June 15, 2009
It’s true that the bag label is important, but it isn’t enough. The label can be–and often is–very deceptive. Find a company whose formulating vet you can talk to! Find a company that proactively tests every batch of food before selling from that batch. Find a company that intimately knows its ingredients, suppliers, producers, and packagers. Find a company that will contact you directly if there’s ever a recall!
Those are the things that differentiate a mediocre (or worse) company from one that is trustworthy!