Debunking Pet Food Myths
A balanced and complete diet is a major component of overall pet health. As an owner, you have complete control over your pet’s daily nutrition, making you responsible for their dietary health. In the past, most owners fed their dogs and cats mainstream brands. Now, fueled by recent human diet trends, companies have started to push alternatives like “holistic,” “natural,” “grain free”, and “evolution diet” products, resulting in untested brands entering the market.
Commercial pet foods have been manufactured and sold for over 150 years. With the proliferation of online retailers, information about unconventional pet dietary needs has propagated and companies can market “complete and balanced” products. Many of the terms contained in the labeling of these products may appear straightforward, but are actually misleading. For example, “natural” is a legally-protected term requiring no artificial or synthesized ingredients. However, the term “natural” is often inaccurate as factory-produced vitamins and minerals are added to most pet foods.