How to Select a Suitable Pet Food?

There are simply 3 simple measures in selecting a suitable brand for your pet. First, visualise the demands of your pet by discovering his/her lifestage. Second, see if the packaging carries AFFCO nutrition adequacy statement. Third, learn if the packaging carries out AFFCO feeding tests.

STEP 1 First see the needs of your pet:

a) Breed - Small breeds compared to larger breeds need higher protein levels to sustain their higher energy demands b) Size - Lower calories for overweight dogs/cats and more calories for thin dogs/cats (See body condition system chart to reach perfect body condition) c) Vitality Levels - Active (Exercises a lot) dogs/cats need higher protein levels to keep their higher energy needs as compared to less active dogs/cats. d) Age-Puppies/kittens need higher protein levels as they are still growing as compared to big dogs e) Special needs: Allergies and health problems Study the component list to ward off formulas that contains components your pet is vulnerable to. Pick Out a suitable formula that can help your pet if it has any health problems. Example: PRO PLAN cat urinary tract formula is produced with lower PH and magnesium levels to help in promoting urinary tract health

After understanding the demands of your pet by answering the questions above, you will then need to decide which brand is best suited for your pet, assuming many different brands appear to suit your pets needs. As you likely recognize it is very hard to decide which pet food is the best considering the number of brands that are flooding the market. There are so many impressive claims that different brands are making but which brands really can be believed?

STEP 2 One simple way is to check on the packaging of the pet food if it has the AAFCO nutrition adequacy statement . AAFCO stands for Association of American Feed Control Officials. It is the only pet food regulatory body in the world at this point in time.

a) Determines that the pet food has complete and balanced nutrition b) Determines which life stage it is suitable for Development (puppy) Pregnancy (pregnant) Sustenance (adult) all life stages c) It supplies a written nutrient road maps (minimum/maximum) based on present knowledge. d) A written profile doesn’t ensure an animal will receive enough amounts of nutrients due to certain variables

Factors not reported for by AAFCO nutrient profiles

a) Possible for lower digestibility b) Potential losses during processing and storage c) Possible for changing ingredient results d) Inadequacy of nutrients not recognized as essential.

STEP 3 The next step to take is to determine if the packaging suggests that it carries out AAFCO feeding trials. Only a few brands in Malaysia and PRO PLAN is one of them that actually conduct feeding tests. AAFCO feeding trials are conducted by testing the pet food by feeding them to real pets while AAFCO nutritional profiles are achieved by only implementing a lab test. Feeding trials are a much more trusty way to assure the nutritional completeness of a pet food and demonstrate the calls it makes.

Benefits of AAFCO animal feeding tests Better at evaluating palatability/acceptablity by dogs Better able to evaluate digestibility of nutrients Able to evaluate performance of food

Short-change of AAFCO animal feeding trials Some judgements are unverifiable and test length is short relative to life span; detrimental signs of deficiency could be neglected. (PRO PLAN is the single brand that has done a 14 year life span study on Labradors that proves that PRO PLAN can have sufficient nutrition for life)

Benefits of having AAFCO approved nutrient profiles Sample lab analysis easily confirms conformation Insufficiencies or redundant nutrients versus profile easily known and corrected

Cons of AAFCO approved nutrient profiles Inadequacies or excess vs real animal demands not easily recognized and corrected Can’t answer for for digestibility or other elements

So remember when selecting a trustworthy brand that demands are established, look out for the words “Animal Feeding Tests” on the packaging. PRO PLAN is one brand that has this and is the only brand that has done a 14 year life span study on Labradors that proves that PRO PLAN can deliver sufficient nutrition for life!

Get more information on Caring For Your Dog at http://www.purina.com.my/DogCare/

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