doctor instructions for pet food

[malernee]

Pet Food
We feed our pets dog and cat food because it is cheap and convenient not because its better than feeding pets the way we should eat. Researchers are strongly arguing that to feed a singular commercial processed diet, day in and day out throughout <animal> life, puts pets at great risk.
Nutritional advice for people to eat a wide variety of foods also applies to pets. Doing so helps ensure that a deficiency doesn't develop for some as yet unknown nutrient required for good health.
see

http://evidencebasedvet.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12

The pet food industry in this country is huge. Current guesstimate is approaching a $10 billion industry.

It is an industry that spends a lot on research and has a long history of using the general pet population to gleen information from -- sometimes as a result of MAJOR mistakes in formulation.

The scientific definition of a complete and balanced pet food is the same if you buy the food at our office, a pet store, or at Wal-Mart. If the bag of food says " Complete and Balanced " then this means the manufacturer has complied with the AAFCO ( Association of American Feed Control Officials ) guidelines. These guidelines are periodically updated. Pet food manufacturers must change their formula to meet the new guidelines if they are to continue to claim their food is complete and balanced. Consumer reports tested pet foods and reported their findings in their February 1998 issue. Retail mark up on pet foods at pet shops and veterinary offices is often 40-50%. The money saved from not purchasing expensive food can often be used to cover the cost of <animal>'s health care.
Consumer Reports has found that less expensive foods often taste better to pets compared to the more expensive foods, although individual tastes will vary. <company> recommends that you purchase a food rated highly by the Consumer Reports study. This can be done safely and with the least discomfort to <animal> by a gradual introduction of the new food over a period of ten days ( mix the foods together ). Within a few weeks you should be feeding only the new food. During this trial period monitor <animal> for any problems. If you see something wrong you may want to switch back to the original food and consult <serve-doctor>, there may be a non-nutritional reason for the problem.
Pet food companies make all types of marketing claims that their food is the best one with no scientific proof to back up the claims. Special so called prescription diets do exist that have been scientifically proven to be beneficial for some pets with medical problems. Currently these foods include reducing diets ( foods that do not taste as good so pets eats fewer calories that result short term weight loss)

see
http://evidencebasedvet.com/forum/viewt ... ?p=871#871

, urinary stone diets ( some urinary stones can be dissolved with prescription diets) and diets that scrape teeth clean of newly formed plaque when fed ( equal to brushing the teeth 1-2 times a week-but not as effective as daily brushing). Animals can also develop skin allergies to food ingredients, usually a protein or carbohydrate source. Lamb and rice is no better to feed <animal> than chicken or wheat unless you pet has developed an allergy or sensitivity to chicken or wheat.
The pet food industry in this country has made some major mistakes when pet food makers tried to over formulate pet foods without adequate testing and then found out about their mistakes later by studying disease created by feeding over formulation food in the general population of pets. This is one reason why you should only feed AAFCO formula approved foods of a major brand or brands and encourage variety in the diet by including some,( no more than 10-15%) table food that is safe (avoid raw meat and bones until you talk to the doctor about how to safely feed).
see

http://evidencebasedvet.com/forum/viewt ... ?p=303#303

Unless we tell you your pet has special dietary needs, feed a general formula food. Do not feed kitten chow or puppy chow to young pups or kittens. Do NOT feed foods with a " FOR OLDER PET" label on them. Once members of your family get their teeth everyone eats the same foods. Food good for the kids will be good for grandma and grandpa unless a member of your family develops special dietary needs. Finally feed something your pet likes to eat. As long as the total diet is balanced a little snack from you will brighten up the day and maybe yours too.
As for abruptly changing pet foods, I think 9/10 pets can and do tolerate an abrupt food change. For those that cannot, a reasonable change schedule should be institute no matter when or how the food is changed. A short change schedule for a "sensitive" pet might be:
Day 1,2,3 25% new + 75% old food
Day 4,5,6 50% new + 50% old food
Day 7,8,9 75% new + 25% old food
Day 10 100% new food

A longer schedule would be to spend a week at each food combination. Remember if you ate the same food every day and then went to Pizza Hut for a meal your GI track might have a difficult time adjusting to the new food. If your pet gets diarrhea anytime you feed something from the table then you need to change foods slowly. And finally remember there is only one dog diet proven to extend life and disease free intervals. Its often called the feed lean diet.
see

http://evidencebasedvet.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=43

so no matter what you are feeding your pet the best change you could make in the diet may be to feed less of it.