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Homemade dog food website, http://petspy.com, examined commercial dog food companies and compared the ingredients to help educate pet owners about pet nutrition online.
The site says comparisons made through research have confirmed the varying levels of natural and refined ingredients that are placed into some petfoods sold in the U.S. "The words 'natural' and 'healthy' are not always accurate on petfood packages," said a source for the website.
The website offers dog food reviews for natural sources and some store-bought specialty brands. The comparisons made on PetSpy.com have been placed into accessible content online that includes streaming videos, e-books and blogs.
Most homemade dog food recipes do not meet all of a pet's nutritional requirements, according to a new study by researchers at the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine. Researchers caution that, unlike commercial petfood, homemade petfood is not usually nutritionally complete.
The study, published in the June issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, analyzed 200 homemade dog food recipes, but found that just nine contained enough of the nutrients required by dogs.
"Some of the deficiencies, particularly those related to choline, vitamin D, zinc and vitamin E, could result in significant health problems such as immune dysfunction, accumulation of fat in the liver and musculoskeletal abnormalities," said Jennifer Larsen, an assistant professor of clinical nutrition at the William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at UC Davis and lead author on the study.
Additionally, researchers found that 92 percent of the recipes contained instructions that were too vague and required pet owners to make assumptions about ingredients, or they failed to include calorie information or account for the size of the dog being fed.
"It is extremely difficult for the average pet owner - or even veterinarians - to come up with balanced recipes to create appropriate meals that are safe for long-term use," Larsen said. "Homemade food is a great option for many pets, but we recommend that owners avoid general recipes from books and the Internet and instead consult with a board-certified veterinary nutritionist. These specialists have advanced training in nutrition to help formulate customized and nutritionally appropriate recipes."
A recent article from the Associated Press (AP) caught my eye. It described how several states--Wisconsin, Wyoming, Maine and Tennessee were all referenced--are easing licensing and inspection regulations for homemade goods sold at farmers markets, on small farms and in similar venues.
As more US consumers become interested in buying local or locally grown food, the article says, a few states are creating exemptions for "amateur chefs" who want to sell their extra jams, canned goods and the like. The exemptions are starting a debate about balancing the need for food safety with "regulatory common sense" and causing anxiety among food processors who are still required to follow inspection and licensing rules.
This got me thinking about how many times I've heard owners of small petfood companies, especially those specializing in raw products, describe how they started making food for their own dogs in their kitchens, then began sharing the food with friends and acquaintances and then, based on the response, decided to make and market the foods on a larger scale.
Many of these start-ups have gone on to become successful petfood manufacturers that now have state-of-the-art safety and processing programs. But how many of them start out giving away or selling their homemade products without any sort of safety standards in place? As long as they are taking care to not subject their own pets to unsafe foods, should we all trust that those foods, like the homemade goods for humans mentioned in the AP article, need not meet licensing and inspection regulations?
What do you think?
Peter Speed of England, UK, developed special petfood after he discovered that one of his two dogs had a liver condition and was unable to find a food that would save his pet.
He worked with food technologists to launch his own recipes, leading to the Canine Cook range.
Speed is now concentrating on marketing the brand as part of his 1st Class Pet Food company, with treats and further recipes to follow, according to the Grimsby Telegraph.
Pet nutritionist Hilary Watson will speak at two events in November about pet nutrition and homemade dog food.
Watson says dog food should include protein, fat, 11 vitamins and 12 minerals, balanced properly. Her book, Complete & Balanced 101 Healthy Home-made Meals for Dogs, covers tested recipes for pet owners seeking an alternative to store brands. (See another presentation from Kathryn E. Michel on unconventional diets.)
November events:
Watson will speak at the Nova Scotia Veterinary Medical Association seminar, Wednesday, November 4, from 6:30 to 10 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Harbourview in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada. For more information, call Wendy Regular at +1.877.909.2242, ext. 119.
Watson will also speak to dog breeders and owners about petfood manufacturing, ingredients and quality assurance, Thursday, November 5, from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Harbourview in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada. Register online.
In a recent pet advice column by veterinarian Suzy Hochgesang, a pet owner asked whether she should feed her cats and dogs homemade petfood.
Hochgesang was clear in her response, saying, “Most veterinary nutritionists agree that it is best to feed our pets a commercial food.”
She listed lower costs, more convenience and a better nutritional balance as the top reasons to choose commercial petfood over homemade petfood.
Hochgesang also recommended pet owners buy brands that are AAFCO approved, such as Hill's, Eukanuba and Purina.
