Traditionally, veterinarians, breeders and other pet-related experts have preached that a pet's diet should remain consistent; if you do decide to change what you're feeding your dog or cat, the direction has always been to do so very slowly and gradually. And certainly, petfood companies want to build brand loyalty and follow this line of thinking.
But lately, we're hearing from people who say, "Nonsense. If humans can eat a variety of foods, why not pets? And would you want to eat the same exact food meal after meal, day after day?" (See also this item and this column.)
In fact, some petfood companies, such as The Honest Kitchen and Nature's Variety, have developed their lines based on this theory.
Is this just a case of anthropomorphism or a countering marketing strategy to traditional petfood promotion? Is there scientific evidence that feeding a variety of foods offers nutritional benefits to pets? For that matter, does research back the conventional wisdom that a dog or cat should stick to one food exclusively?
If you know of studies backing either theory (or something else entirely), please share!
Showing posts with label switching petfood. Show all posts
Showing posts with label switching petfood. Show all posts
Friday, September 17, 2010
Blog explores switching your pet's food
In her blog titled Fully Vetted, Dr. Patty Khuly recently discussed the importance of switching up your pet's food, citing that variety in petfood can offer more nutritional balance.
"If we’ve undertaken thousands of times more research on human nutrition and still can’t decide what’s best for us, does it not stand to reason that a 'nutritionally balanced' diet for our pets might elude modern science as well?" she writes.
Khuly said an "occasional formula change" can help combat getting stuck in a nutritional rut.
Although she said some colleagues disagree with her on this point, she stands "by the reasonable assumption that variety is a good thing."
Khuly also offers a top 10 list of why to change up your pet's diet, including food allergies, gastrointestinal motility disorders and practicality (such as ability to obtain certain formulas).
"If we’ve undertaken thousands of times more research on human nutrition and still can’t decide what’s best for us, does it not stand to reason that a 'nutritionally balanced' diet for our pets might elude modern science as well?" she writes.
Khuly said an "occasional formula change" can help combat getting stuck in a nutritional rut.
Although she said some colleagues disagree with her on this point, she stands "by the reasonable assumption that variety is a good thing."
Khuly also offers a top 10 list of why to change up your pet's diet, including food allergies, gastrointestinal motility disorders and practicality (such as ability to obtain certain formulas).
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