Are Specialist Pet Foods Really Worth The Extra Cost?

If you look on the supermarket or pet shop shelves you will find foods for retrievers, boxers, terriers, cooker spaniels, old dogs, young dogs, indoor cats, outdoor cats... the list is endless and I feel sorry for the small retailer who must despair at just what they should be stocking (or delisting to make room for all these supposed essential foods.)

But let me put forward a suggestion - that we're in danger of believing the marketing men rather than our common sense. Consider this; as a dog owner I buy what is called a 'complete pet food' by which I am given to understand that this balanced food contains all the necessary ingredients and nutrients to keep my pet in the finest of health. Let me emphasize that fact - it contains ALL the necessary nutrients required, as defined by best current scientific knowledge.

And what do I do? I give her the recommended quantity per day... PLUS some treats, bits of raw vegetables and maybe scraps off our plates. Am I any different to any other pet owner? I would hazard a guess that I am not, but what I have done is take a complete balanced food and made my pet's diet unbalanced (at least by the information given me by the pet food companies) because I've given high protein hide chews, or increased the fat and protein content by feeding a small quantity of chicken casserole.

Is my dog unhealthy? No, she is not! Is my dog overweight? No, she is not!

Now if I am fairly typical as a pet owner, and I think I am, what should I do when I faced with marketing men who tell me that I should be switching to a food which has been designed specifically for a retriever? I pass by and make a more informed choice based upon my relationship with my pet.

The problem is, of course that we do have a lot of overweight pets around, which no doubt is a consequence of giving too much food in total.

Balanced pet foods are good, but they vary in protein and fat content even for a basic adult food (for example between 18 - 26% in protein for dogs.) AAFCO minimum recommendations are 18% protein and 5% fat for an adult dog maintenance food. Most commercial pet foods contain more than this which might explain the overweight dogs around. A lean pet is a healthy pet - Purina have done trials to prove this scientifically - and a light diet should help here if you are feeding extras.

Now if most pet owners supplement their feeding with treats and extras it makes little sense to buy special foods. Better, perhaps to buy a food that is closer to the AAFCO recommendations in protein and fat content, knowing that with the extras you feed you are less likely to be overfeeding.

Marketing men survive by inventing new products for customers to buy - added this, added that, increased this, increased that. Consumers need to be informed, and that's difficult when faced with advertising budgets of £ millions!

Obviously there are some pets that have health problems that demand that they have a special diet (and I include allergies and intolerences here) and the advice of a veterinary surgeon should be taken - that's a given fact.

The author, who originally trained as a food technologist has, in his time owned dogs, cats, hamsters and birds, sold pet food and spent the past decade marketing it. Now down to one cat, one dog and running Pet Food Choice, a website full of information on pet food choices, money-saving ideas and much more - http://www.pet-food-choice.co.uk