Choosing the Right Pet Diet | Dog & Cat Health, Wellness, Products and Breed Information

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Choosing the Right Pet Diet
| Print | June 1, 2009 3:02 PM

Reminders of pet diet problems nag us to review our choice of dog or cat diet among the thousands of varieties available. To simplify selection, decide your criteria for your pet's diet in advance. Most pet owners want a diet with quality nutrition from quality ingredients, a diet they can buy conveniently, at a cost they can afford. Of course, pet foods should be contaminant-free.

Your criteria for a good diet should:

1. Be adequate, your pet food must meet AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) requirements. Look for the statement on the back of the package that says, "Meets AAFCO standards." If no AAFCO designation appears, take this food off your list.

2. Meet the requirements for your pet's size and life stage. Your pet's size and life stage dictates the right protein-to-fat ratio and the appropriate number of calories per day. This explains why manufacturers make different diets for kittens or puppies, young adults and senior animals. The National Research Council (NRC) has fixed nutrition requirements you should follow. Consult the charts in the cat or dog brochure at http://dels.nas.edu/banr/petdoor.html for more detailed information.

Example NRC Nutritional Requirements

Pet description

Crude protein

Total fat

Calories per day

Adult cat (9 lbs.)

12.5g

5.5g

250

Adult dog (33 lbs.)

25g

14g

922

1. What shops that carry pet food are in your regular shopping route? Is there a local pet supply store? These shops will have staff that can help you choose diets that fit your criteria, and will be convenient for your busy schedule. Select one store as your test-shopping store.

2. What are you paying now for pet food? Can you afford to spend 10% more for a better diet? If you did, could you stop using vitamins or supplements? A good diet should supply all your pet needs.

Which diets fit?

Take your list of diet requirements to the store and plan to spend 20 minutes talking with the staff. Discuss the best two or three diets to satisfy your pets' age and nutritional needs. Ask about the most economical ways to purchase these diets.

Where to find them

Other places to find pet food are online through pet supply stores or from the manufacturer directly. Unless you live in a remote area, most local stores will stock or special order the pet food you'd like to use, saving you the shipping costs. Although you may find your preferred pet food in the grocery store or your big box superstore, you might not find the staff to help you with the selection there.

Double check with your veterinarian

Be sure to put diet on your list of questions for your pet's annual health exam. If you are following AAFCO and NRC guidelines and you have the advice from your pet food specialists in the neighborhood, odds are your vet will be pleased with your selection.Then, relax and have fun with your pet. Don't obsess about selecting the perfect diet, because there probably isn't one. Besides, you don't eat the perfect diet, do you?

Author Carol Frischmann has selected diets for pets including cats, dogs, fish, horses, and lizards. To learn more, subscribe to her free newsletter at www.thiswildlife.com. Her Doberman pinscher will send you a personalized thank you note.