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Pet food manufacturer Pedigree said claims made in a TV ad for the Jumbone chew treat are "mere puffery," after a dog owner complained to the Advertising Standards Authority that his dogs consumed the treats in seconds. The TV ad features a small dog gnawing on the Jumbone and giving up after it could not finish what the commercial called a "long-lasting chewy treat." The dog owner complained to the ASA, claiming his dogs took "under one minute" to finish off the bones.
In its response to the complaint, Pedigree said the man should not have believed the claim of the "lighthearted" ad, saying it was "mere puffery". In Pedigree's view, "long lasting" meant "several minutes." The ASA weighed the evidence and dismissed the consumer complaint, siding with Pedigree that its chewy dog treats lasted an average of about "three minutes and 21 seconds," which it considered long lasting, in comparison to softer treats.
A 2011 survey, conducted by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, found that more than half of the dogs and cats in the US are overweight or obese, which is defined as being at least 30% above normal body weight. "It comes from the fact that they are beloved," says veterinarian Louise Murray, vice president of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals' Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital in New York, USA. "We see them as part of the family, and we feed them. (The obesity) comes from a good place because we love them. But we need to get it under control because it can cause health problems."
Many pet owners, however, do not see the problem of pet obesity. The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention has a chart to help pet owners determine whether or not their pet is overweight, though a veterinarian visit is still recommended.
"There are medical conditions that can cause obesity and weight gain," says Thomas Graves, a professor of veterinary clinical medicine at the University of Illinois' College of Veterinary Medicine. "So any animal with a weight problem needs to be evaluated by a veterinarian. That way, a proper weight loss program can be designed by the veterinarian."
A good pet weight loss regiment usually involves a combination of diet and exercise. Graves does not recommend one brand over another, but advises consumers to select a premium-brand petfood, appropriate for the pet's lifestage, and check with a veterinarian for the appropriate feeding amount.
"The truth about petfood is that most pet foods are really good," Graves says. "The petfood companies spend lots of money researching proper nutrition. They want pets fed healthy food that keeps them alive a long time — and buying more food."
Murray says that most weight problems in dogs are the result of feeding too many leftovers, snacks and treats that are high in calories, not the dog's regular food.
In cats, Murray says weight problems come from a diet that is too high in carbohydrates. She recommends canned or moist cat foods.
"Cats are nature's pure carnivores," she says. "They were never meant to eat carbohydrates. Their bodies are not designed to handle them at all. Unfortunately, a lot of the cat foods on the market are high in carbs, especially dry foods. It's easy for us to leave a bowl out all day, but then they're snacking on carbohydrates all day."
Exercising your pet is another important part of keeping it at a healthy weight. For dogs, Murray suggests long walks, three or four times a day, or playing active games like fetch. For cats, she says exercise can consist of waving a simple toy around or getting the cat to chase a laser pointer.
"Any kind of exercise for them is good," Graves explains. "And it's really important that they get mental stimulation too. One way to keep dogs' brains in better shape as they age is to expose them to new things. Don't take them on the same route on the walk every day. Vary it. Go a different way. Let them use their brains more."
A spokeswoman for the US Food and Drug Administration says media coverage of a recent FDA announcement that it will sample pet food, pet treats and supplements for possible Salmonella contamination has been misleading to pet owners. Laura Alvey, a spokeswoman in FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine, said the focus on Salmonella in petfood was planned as a part of FDA's fiscal 2012 assignments.
“I'm afraid that what has been reported in the media on this topic has been a bit disingenuous,” Alvey said. “This is a routine surveillance sampling assignment that we have been doing since 2007.”
According to Alvey, the sampling surveys have been used every year, with the only change this year being the title of the survey, which she says may be a cause of the sudden media interest. The previous Salmonella surveys were entitled Nationwide Assignment to Collect and Analyze Samples of Direct-Human-Contact Feed from Interstate Commerce in the United States for Salmonella. “Direct-human-contact feed” includes petfoods, treats and supplements, as well as food for animals in petting zoos and agricultural fairs. The new Salmonella survey is titled Nationwide Assignment to Collect and Analyze Samples of Pet Foods, Pet Treats, and Supplements for Pets from Interstate Commerce in the United States for Salmonella.
Alvey said the FDA sampling is not in response to previous Salmonella outbreaks or to previous journal articles.
“Our goal here is to get an idea of how common Salmonella is in dry pet food, and then to determine which serotypes are most common and whether they are disease-causing pathogens,” she said. “There is no reason to believe petfood is unsafe.”
In this latest FDA survey, samples are being collected from nationwide outlets where pet food, treats or supplements are offered for sale or for consumption. Imported products and canned petfood are not included. The sampling was scheduled to begin in October 2011 and run through September 2012. The agency did not give a timetable for reporting results.
PetFoodDirect.com launched the Feeding Fido & Friends Rescue Tales Facebook Contest. The nationwide contest invites pet lovers to tell their rescue tales of inspirational pets and the rescues or shelters that helped them beat the odds. Now through December 18, pet lovers can submit their rescue tales on PetFoodDirect.com’s Facebook page. A team of judges will select 10 finalists with the most moving stories and post them on Facebook in early January 2012. Facebook users may then vote for two weeks to select the winning, most inspirational rescue tale. The winning rescue or shelter organization will receive US$5,000 in pet food and treats from the contest’s sponsors–Eukanuba, Fancy Feast, Greenies, Halo, Pounce and World’s Best Cat Litter. Each of the nine finalists will receive a US$100 gift certificate from PetFoodDirect.com.
“As a company built on providing food for our four-legged friends, it’s important to us that we do our part in caring for animals in need,” said Brock Weatherup, CEO of PetFoodDirect.com. “We launched this contest to help support the amazing work done by rescue and shelter organizations across the country. They’re giving pets a second chance each and every day.”
Just over a year ago the pet food delivery service PetFlow.com was launched, yet the pet food delivery service has been so successful that it now does more than US$1 million in business every month, according to a recent blog that tells the retailer's success story. One reason PetFlow.com has been so successful is that the founders, Alex Zhardanovsky and Joe Speiser, found a niche in a market that is growing, despite a tough economy. Another reason for the success is that Zhardanovsky and Speiser already had a background in Internet marketing before starting the company. The two used a 40% share of their proceeds from the sale of their company, Azoogle, to start PetFlow.com. The use of marketing schemes like online petfood coupons, flyers, Facebook and search/banner marketing to advertise the pet food delivery service to the pet industry. Through the use of images of cute puppies, kittens and other animals, PetFlow created ad campaigns that appeal directly to its customers.
The US Food and Drug Administration is warning pet owners to be award of chicken jerky products from China that may be associated with reports of Fanconi-like syndrome in dogs.
FDA advises consumers who choose to feed their dogs chicken jerky products to monitor them closely for any or all of the following Fanconi-like symptoms that may occur within hours to days of feeding the products: decreased appetite; decreased activity; vomiting; diarrhea, sometimes with blood; and increased water consumption and/or increased urination. If the dog shows any of these signs, pet owners should stop feeding the chicken jerky product and consult a veterinarian if signs are severe or last for more than 24 hours. Although most dogs appear to recover, some reports have involved dogs that have died, according to FDA.
FDA and several US animal health diagnostic laboratories are working to determine why these products are associated with illness in dogs. FDA's Veterinary Laboratory Response Network is available to support these animal health diagnostic laboratories. To date, scientists have not been able to determine a definitive cause for the reported illnesses. FDA continues extensive chemical and microbial testing but has not yet identified a contaminant. Veterinarians and consumers alike should report cases of animal illness associated with petfoods to the FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinator in their state or go to www.fda.gov/petfoodcomplaints.
Pet Food Manufacturers' Association (UK) chief executive, Michael Bellingham, recently recommended that dogs should be provided with the correct food formulated specifically for their breed. Certain breeds of dogs are prone to specific health problems, making it important they receive the proper diet, Bellingham said. Additionally, he said, size, energy requirements and health issues should all be considered in selecting a pet's food. According to PFMA, all dogs must have 37 "essential" nutrients in their food.
"We see variation in the nutritional needs of dogs depending on their characteristics," said Bellingham.
Petfood manufacturers offer a range of breed-specific dog foods, including Royal Canin Yorkshire Terrier dog food and Eukanuba German Shepherd dog food.
