Dog food is food specially formulated and is intended for consumption by dogs and other related canine teeth. Like all carnivores, dogs have sharp, pointed teeth, and have a better digestive tract for meat consumption. Apart from the design of this natural carnivore, dogs can still adapt for thousands of years to survive on meat and meat remnants and the remnants of human existence and thrive on a variety of foods.
In the United States alone, the dog food market is expected to reach $ 23.3bn by 2022.
Video Dog food
History
In 37 BCE Virgil talks about feeding dogs in his book Bucolics :
not taking care of the last dog; But the puppy is fast, and the Dog show, whey
"Do not let dog care be the last, but fast Spartan dogs, and savage Mastiff, eat whey"
Around AD 70, Columella wrote her book On Agricultural where she talked about feeding dogs:
The food is almost the same for both shrinking it. Because if the ranch is so loose to keep their herds of cattle, all without risk of being late, barley eat right to eat. But if you shoot without fields planted pasture land is Farreo or wholemeal bread to eat liquid and cooked mixture, but with a warm spirit for the cause of rabies.
"The terms of victory are almost the same for both [types of dogs].If the fields are so large as to support the flocks of animals, barley food mixed with whey is a convenient meal, but if it is a garden without grain, spelled or wholemeal bread is mixed with liquid from cooked beans, but warm, to boil creates rabies. "
In Avesta , written from 224 to 651 CE, Azura Mazda suggests:
Bring ye milk and fat with flesh; This is the right food for a dog.
In France, the word
pÃÆ' ¢ tà ©  © e began to appear in the 18th century and refers to the paste given to poultry. In 1756, the dictionary showed that it was made from a mixture of breadcrumbs and small pieces of meat given to pets.
In 1781, an encyclopedia mentions previous practices for removing liver, heart, and blood from falling deer and mixing it with milk, cheese, and bread; and then give it to the dog.
In 1844, the French writer Nicolas Boyard warned even to give tallow graves for dogs, despite their preferred English (see below), and suggested a meat-flavored soup:
With a misguided economy, dogs are fed with fat chunks of meat and graves; people should avoid this, because these foods make them heavy and sick; give them twice a day rough bread soup made with water, fat and the bottom of the stew pan; place half a kilogram of bread at least in each soup.
In the UK, be careful to feed certain dogs at least from the end of the 18th century, when The Sportsman dictionary (1785) describes the best diet for dog health in his article "Dogs":
A dog is a very hot nature: he should never have no clean water by him, that he can drink when he is thirsty. In terms of their food, carcasses are not at all right for them. It must hurt their sense of smell, which is highly dependent on the superiority of these dogs.
Barley, oat meal, or both are mixed together, with broth or skim milk, is a very appropriate meal. For change, a small amount of greaves from which the tallow is pressed by the chandlers, mixed with their flour; or roasted or boiled lamb legs, is a very good diet, and when you spoil them with meat, the meat should always be boiled. In your dog hunting season, it is appropriate to feed them in the night before, and not to give them anything in the morning when you remove it, except for a little milk. If you stop for your own refreshment during the day, you should also refresh your dog with a little milk and bread.
(Greaves, which is often recommended for dogs, is "melted fatty deposits." This is made into a cake for dog food.) In Scotland and parts of the US it's called 'cracklings'. "
In 1833, The Complete Farrier gave similar but far more extensive advice about feeding dogs:
The dog is not fully carnivorous or fully herbivorous, but a mixed type, and can receive food from meat or vegetables. The blend of both is a decent food, but from the first it requires a larger portion, and this portion must always be determined by its physical exertion.
It was not until the mid-1800s that the world saw its first food made especially for dogs. An American electrician, James Spratt, made up the first dog food. Living in London at the time, he witnessed dogs around the shipyard eating scraps of discarded biscuits. Soon he introduced his dog food, which consisted of wheat, vegetables and meat. In 1890, production began in the United States and is known as "Spratt's Patent Limited".
In the following years, dog biscuits are sometimes treated as synonymous with dog food:
The first three prize winners at the final meeting in Great Bend are trained on Spratt's Patent Dog Biscuit. This same dog food won no fewer than three awards, including a gold medal, at the recently closed Paris Exhibition. It will be seen that the judge's decision is more than supported by the results in the kennel. Other good dog food is produced by Austin & amp; Graves, Boston. They also seem to meet with great success on their lines.
Canned horse meat was introduced in the United States under the Ken-L Ration brand after World War I as a means of removing dead horses. The 1930s saw the introduction of canned cat food and dog food eating dried meat by Gaines Food Co. By the end of World War II, pet food sales had reached $ 200 million. In 1950 Spratt became part of General Mills. For companies like Nabisco, Quaker Oats, and General Foods, pet food represents an opportunity to market a by-product as a profitable source of income.
Maps Dog food
Food is harmful to dogs
Some human foods and household food are usually toxic to dogs, including brown solids (theobromine intoxication), onions and garlic (thiosulfate, sulfoxide or disulfide poisoning), grapes and raisins (causing kidney failure in dogs), milk (some lactose dogs intolerant and diarrhea; goat's milk can be useful), nutmeg (neurotoxic for dogs), macadamia nuts, as well as various potentially ingested plants and other ingredients. A complete list of toxic/toxic substances can be found on the ASPCA website.
Food allergies in dogs and hypoallergenic diet
Dogs tend to have an allergic reaction to foods similar to humans. The most common food allergy symptoms in dogs include rash, swelling, itchy or tender skin, and gastrointestinal disorders such as uncontrolled bowel movements and soft stools. Certain ingredients in dog food can cause this allergic reaction. In particular, reactions are understood to be initiated by protein materials in dog food, with sources such as beef, chicken, soy, and turkey being a common cause of this allergic reaction. A number of "new protein" dog meals are available that claim to alleviate these allergies in dogs.
A hypoallergenic diet for dogs with food allergies consists of limited ingredients, new proteins, or hydrolyzed proteins. Limited materials allow to identify suspected allergens that cause this allergic reaction, as well as make it easy to avoid some ingredients if the dog is allergic to more than one. In new protein recipes, manufacturers use ingredients that are less likely to cause allergic reactions in dogs such as sheep, fish, and rice. Hydrolyzed proteins do not come from new sources; they can come from chicken or soy for example. Proteins are hydrolyzed into novels when they break into unrecognizable versions of themselves, making them new to the digestive tract of allergies.
Grain-free and low-carbohydrate
Some dog food products distinguish themselves as grain or carbohydrate-free to offer an alternative to consumers, claiming carbohydrates in pet foods to be fillers with little or no nutritional value. Carbohydrates in dog food contribute about 3.5 kcal of energy per gram, the same as the protein per the modified Atwater method to calculate the metabolic energy. Grain-free diets have created a tendency to avoid commercial pet foods. However, a recent study published in Nature shows that domestic dogs are able to metabolize carbohydrates.
Contamination issues
Melamine
In 2007, after a series of reports of kidney failure in pets, there was extensive pet food withdrawal due to contamination found in materials produced in China. Contaminants are identified as melamine that has been added as a adulterer to simulate a higher protein content.
Salmonella and other worries
Recently, the FDA has released a video focusing on other major threats in commercial pet food: Salmonella bacterial contamination. They also cite other major toxins of concern. This video refers to the case of a specialized commercial pet food factory which is also the subject of a March 2014 study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. It details how at least 53 known human illnesses are linked to commercial pet foods made at the plant in 2012. The classroom suit lawsuit associated with the outbreak has recently been resolved.
The video also mentions the danger of excess nutritional supplementation in pet foods. A study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association in February 2013 suggested a correlation between liver disease and copper supplementation in the AAFCO diet.
In addition, "taurine deficiency" has been found in commercial-fed dogs and cats aimed at "complete and balanced". Usually not regarded as an essential nutrient in dogs, taurine is present throughout the meat either raw or cooked, but is reduced in the food extrusion. Cats need more taurine in their diet because of the increased rate of protein metabolism; taurine is usually synthesized in the body from methionine and cysteine, but the increased use of cats of these amino acids in normal body functions means that taurine itself must also be provided in food.
The above observations can also be explained by processed and processed meat sources that are less rich in taurine and by the fact that some taurine is denatured during extrusion. Cats are carnivorous and their natural diets will consist of high amounts of whole meat - so the so-called "taurine deficiency" causes dilated cardiomyopathy in cats, more likely to be deficient in the production of commercial feed. Taurine is now artificially added back into the diet after being processed in the most commercial pet food production. Similar dynamics occurred in the first half of the 20th century with the Pellagra epidemic in humans living in Southern South America. The cause is defined as a deficiency of vitamin niacin (B 3 ), which is destroyed in bulk maize processing. Niacin is added back to Southern food and the disease is eradicated.
Mycotoxins
In April 2014, aflatoxin B1, known carcinogenic toxins, melamine, and cyanuric acid were all found in various US pet food brands imported into Hong Kong. Since 1993, the FDA has confirmed concerns about toxicity in animal-level ingredients, but to date there is no comprehensive federal regulation that exists on testing of mycotoxins in grade-level materials (animals) used to make animal foods.
In 1997, the journal Food Additives and Contaminants determined that low levels of various mycotoxins could cause health problems in pets, and were found in feed grade ingredients.
A study published in the Journal of Food Protection in 2001 cited concerns about the fungus (the source of mycotoxins) in commercial pet foods and warned of "animal health risks".
In 2006, a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry confirmed mycotoxins in pet foods worldwide and concluded that mycotoxin contamination in pet foods can cause chronic effects on pet health.
In 2007, the International Journal of Food Microbiology published a study claiming "contamination of mycotoxins in pet foods poses serious health threats to pets", and noted them: aflatoxin, ochratoxins, trichothecenes, zearalenone, fumonisins, and fusaric acid.
A 2008 study published in the Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition found high levels of mycotoxins in the raw material used for pet food in Brazil.
A 2010 study in the journal Mycotoxin Research tested 26 commercial dog foods and found mycotoxins at a sub-lethal level. It was determined that long-term exposure to low levels of mycotoxin-confirmed can present chronic health risks.
For all of the above reasons, current trends are far from feed ingredients, and towards USDA certified materials suitable for human consumption have been developed.
Commercial dog food
Most store-bought dog food is made with grade-level ingredients (animals) and comes in dry form (also known in the US as kibble ) or a wet, canned form. Dry foods contain 6-10% moisture by volume, compared to 60-90% in canned food. Semi-spring food has 25-35% moisture content. Pet owners prefer dry food for convenience and price reasons, spending more than $ 8 billion on dry dog ​​food in 2010 - a 50% increase in the amount issued just seven years earlier.
Dried dog food
Dried food processing is very popular in the pet food industry as it is an efficient way to supply continuous feed production in various variations because it is energy efficient, enables a large amount of feed to be used, and cost-effective. To create a dog kibble, a process known as extrusion is performed.
Structure extruder
Simple extracts consist of barrels, helical screws, and die (tools for cutting and shaping food). Some extruders in the United States also contain fat distributors, in which the food mixture enters the barrel of the extruder through a funnel-like structure. The fat is stored in a container where it is pumped through a heat exchanger and fed through a line connected to the extruder barrel with a valve to prevent backflow of fat. The gauges connected to this channel make it possible to control the amount of fat stored in the mixture. Pressure is applied by motorized helical screw. The food mixture is formed through the die when the extrusion process ends; allowing the flying blade to cut the extruded feed.
Extrusion process
The mixture of solid feed material at room temperature, therefore, the extrusion process of these materials requires a higher temperature than this to soften or melt the mixture and allow fluidity through the barrel. In the United States, prior to introducing the extruder, water is added to the starch mixture to increase the water content by 20 to 35%. During the extrusion process, large amounts of pressure applied to the mixture force through the die before it exits completely from the extruder. This material is fed through a large number of shear stresses that produce heat which allows the mixture to unite. The temperature in the extruder is raised above 100 degrees Celsius by using steam, hot water, or other heat sources. The pressure is increased to allow the starch granules to soften. The fat used in the US extruder is then added to the mixture at the measuring zone of the extruder allowing for the incorporation of fat, but without affecting the product's ability to thrive. The feed mixture stayed in the extruder only for 15 to 120 seconds before exiting through the openings. When the feed comes out of the extruder, it is given a relatively lower heat and pressure, which results in the expansion of the product, creating a "bulging" bloated appearance. The feed is removed in a long sequence where it is cut to the desired size with a rotating blade. Because this extrudate moisture is about 20 to 35% by weight, it is dried further in the oven to lower its water content to 8 to 10%.
Wet dog food
Wet or canned dog food is significantly higher in moisture than dry or semi-moist foods. Commercial sterile canned food (cooked during canning); other wet foods may not be sterile. Sterilization is done through a process of retortion. Wet foods are often rendered higher in protein or fat than with similar kibble in a dry matter base (a measure that ignores moisture); given the high water content of canned food, however, a large amount of canned food should be fed. Grains of gluten and other protein gels can be used in wet dog food to make cuts of artificial meat, which look like real meat.
Canning process
Once the materials are combined, they are placed in a tank at the end of the canning machine. From there, the mixture is forced through the opening and onto the sheet metal, forming a thickness of 8 to 12mm. Next, the mixture is heated to cook the ingredients thoroughly. Heating can be done through means of oven, microwave or heating with steam. Sheets containing feed layers are passed through a heat source that displays heat to the top and bottom of the tray, allowing the internal temperature to reach a minimum of 77 degrees Celsius. Once cooked, this mixture can be directly placed into the can to form the bread or it can be cut into chunks "fat" for the slices and the soup formula.
Retort process
For canned canned foods in the United States, a process known as retort is used to sterilize products using steam. It is important to ensure that the formulations are made resistant to bacterial contamination and decay. The tin mix is ​​now placed in a retort where the steam carries temperatures up to 121 degrees Celsius. To ensure that the heat reaches the center of the mixture, the can remain within the retort for approximately 75 minutes. However, some steam retorts can reach the center of the can in just 10 minutes
Alternative dog food
In recent years, alternatives to traditional commercial pet food are being sold. Many companies have succeeded in targeting niche markets, each with unique characteristics. Some of the popular alternative dog food labels are:
- Frozen, also called fresh, is made in raw or cooked (unprocessed) form, some of which are made with USDA-inspected, approved and certified materials for human consumption, but are formulated for pets. Part of this growing trend is the commercialization of artificial dog food for pet owners who want the same quality, but do not have the time or the expertise to make it on their own. The idea is to skip the traditional dog food processing stage. This causes a loss of nutritional integrity.
- Dehydrated or freeze-dried comes in raw and cooked form. The product is usually dried or frozen, then dehydrated (dried-dry) to reduce moisture to levels where bacterial growth is inhibited. Its appearance is very similar to dry cibe. Typical feeding methods include adding warm water before serving. There are some nutritional problems, such as vitamins, lost during the dehydration process.
- Fresh or refrigerated, produced through pasteurization of fresh ingredients. The products are cooked lightly and then quickly sealed in a vacuum packet. Then they are cooled until served. This type of dog food is very susceptible to damage if it is not stored in cold temperatures and has a shelf life of 2-4 months, unopened.
- Homemade diets often come in buckets or packages like Tupperware. In the past this was considered a diet made by the owner himself. This diet generally consists of several forms of cooked meat or raw meat, ground bone, mashed vegetables, taurine supplements, and other multivitamin supplements. Some pet owners use human vitamin supplements, and others use vitamin supplements specifically made for dogs. Recently, small companies started cooking home dog food and then selling it through specialty stores or over the Internet.
- Vegetarian dog food is produced by several companies. They are usually well balanced and contain ingredients such as oatmeal, pea protein, and potatoes rather than meat to supply protein. Dog owners may choose to feed vegetarian food for reasons of ethics and/or health, or in cases of extreme food allergies.
Contents
Many commercial dog foods are made from materials that are considered by some authorities and dog owners to be unusable or unwanted. This may include:
- Meat and bone meal
- Offal (wild canines, however, eating offal as an important part of their diet)
- Animal Bitten
- Sucrose and/or fructose
- Animal by-products
Less expensive dog foods generally include less meat, and more animal by-products and grain fillers. Natural dietary advocates criticize the use of these ingredients, and point out that regulations allow for packaging that may lead consumers to believe they are buying natural foods, when in fact, the food may be largely composed of the ingredients listed above. More expensive dog food can be made from ingredients suitable for organic products or a variety of free meats. Sheep food is a popular ingredient. Materials should be listed by amount in descending order.
According to the Association of Animal Feed Supervisors of America (AAFCO), animal by-products in pet foods may include parts obtained from animals that have died from illness or illness provided as provided by law. In addition, cow and spine brains, not allowed for human consumption under federal regulations 21CFR589.2000 because of the possibility of BSE transmission, are allowed to be included in pet food destined for non-ruminant animals. In 2003, AVMA speculated changes might be made to animal feeding regulations to prohibit material from "4-D" animals - those entering the food chain as dead, dying, sick or disabled.
One of the differentiation that arises between the quality of pet food in the United States is the use of standard level (animal level) raw materials versus the use of approved, certified and USDA certified materials suitable for human consumption. The USDA certification and approval process is one of the best quality control programs in food production in the world. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently commented that ingredients that are defined as feed in pet food (feed grade or animal grade) are not classified as generally recognized as safe (GRAS). Examples of potential toxins include melamine, Salmonella , and mycotoxins. Only "USDA certified" or "USDA approved" language is legally meaningful. Some companies will say "Made with materials from the USDA facility", or "USA Meat," which is misleading as it may include dead or dying animals or carcasses that are rejected from the human food chain and not the same as the USDA examined, approved or certified, which FDA approved for human consumption.
Packaging
Dry dog ​​foods (kibbles) are most often packaged in multi-wall paper bags, sometimes with a plastic film coating; bag styles similar to laminate or coextrusion films are also used. Wet dog food is often packed in aluminum cans or steel cans. The packaging regulations for dog food are often very similar to the rules related to human food.
Raw dog food
Raw food is the habit of feeding pet dogs, cats and other animals whose diets consist of raw meat, edible bones, and organs. The ingredients used to formulate a raw diet can vary. Some pet owners choose to make artificial raw food to feed their animals but commercial raw foods are also available.
The practice of feeding raw foods has caused some concerns because of the risks of foodborne illness, zoonoses and nutritional imbalances. People who feed their dogs raw foods do so for many reasons, including but not limited to: culture, beliefs about health, nutrition and what is considered more natural for their pets. Feeding raw foods can be considered as allowing pets to keep in touch with their wild and carnivorous ancestors. The raw food movement has taken place along with the changing trends of human food for natural and organic products.
Senior dog food
Senior dogs require special diets that serve aging animals. There are various physiological changes in which a dog passes through those times. Commercially available senior dog food overcomes these changes through a variety of ingredients and nutrients.
When looking for a senior dog food, one of the first things to watch out for is the energy content of the diet. The need for maintenance energy decreases with the age of the dog because of the loss of lean body mass that occurs. Therefore, senior dogs will need a diet with a lower energy content compared to a non-senior diet. Although senior dogs require a lower energy content diet, they will also require higher diets in protein and digestible proteins. This is due to the fact that they have a reduced ability to synthesize proteins as they age.
Joint and bone health is an important factor to consider when buying senior dog food. The addition of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate has been shown to increase cartilage formation, synovial fluid composition and improve signs of osteoarthritis. The ratio of calcium to phosphorus of senior dog food is also important. Calcium and phosphorus are considered essential nutrients according to AAFCO.
Gastrointestinal health is an important factor to consider in aging dogs. Fiber sources such as beetroot and flaxseed should be included in senior dog food to help improve the quality of the stool and prevent constipation. The current technology used to improve aging dog gastrointestinal health is the addition of fructooligosacchardies and mannanoligosaccharides. These oligosaccharides are used in combination to promote good intestinal bacteria while eliminating bad bowel bacteria.
Aging dogs experience changes in brain and cognitive health. There are two very important ingredients that can be included in senior dog food to help prevent cognitive decline and improve brain health. These ingredients are vitamin E and L-carnitne. Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant that can prevent oxidative damage that occurs during aging. L-carnitine is used to improve mitochondrial function which can also help prevent and decrease oxidative damage levels.
Skin and fur health is important in all dogs, but it is especially important when the age of the dog. An important nutrient for looking for senior dog food to support the health of the mantle is linoleic acid which can be found in corn and soybean oil. Another important nutrient is vitamin A that helps hair keratinization. A good source of vitamin A for skin and fur health including egg yolks and liver.
The health of the immune system has been shown to decrease in aging dogs. The ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids plays an important role in providing optimal health. Vitamin E can be used as an antioxidant in a senior dog food. Pre- and probiotics can also be added to senior dog food to help boost good bacteria in the intestines that further provide support for the immune system.
Dog diet with low protein
According to The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) nutrition guidelines for cats and dogs, the minimum protein requirement for dogs during adult maintenance is 18% on dry matter basis (DM). Other parts of the world will have guidelines similar to AAFCO. The European Federation of Pet Foods (FEDIAF) also states a minimum of 18%. AAFCO only provides the minimum, but most of the diets found on the market contain protein levels that exceed the minimum limit. Some diets have lower protein levels than others (such as 18-20%). This low-protein diet will not be seen with growth stage and reproductive life due to higher protein demand, thus, this diet is for dogs that meet the level of maintenance. They can be purchased, such as vegetarian, vegan, weight control, and senior diet. Furthermore, the need for this protein varies from species to species. Cats have a higher protein requirement, stating 26% for adult care by AAFCO, where a low-protein dog diet will not be suitable as cat food.
Quality, digestibility, and energy density
There are several key components in terms of providing protein in the diet that needs to be considered when evaluating needs and if they are met. These factors include the quality and digestibility of the protein provided in the diet, as well as the amino acid composition included, and ultimately the energy density provided in the diet. Because protein quality, composition, and digestibility are increased in the diet, there is less need to increase the amount of protein present in foods, and the same can be said to be related to energy density. In contrast, a high protein diet will provide excess protein after meeting maintenance demands; This can therefore lead to proteins used in fat storage and energy. Ultimately increasing the risk for developing obesity and other health related problems. However, higher protein in the diet helps reduce lean body mass loss, but will not cause increased muscle size unless coupled with resistance training or anabolic steroids under maintenance conditions.
Losses
There is an increased risk of coprophagy practice when providing a low-protein diet for dogs, a negative correlation exists between the amount of protein intake and the occurrence of coprophagy. Treatment needs still to be met by low-protein diets, and muscle shifts (ie synthesis and disorder) will also remain at optimum levels, provided the amino acid intake remains balanced and there is no limiting amino acid. However, there is a greater chance for amino acids to be balanced in diets containing higher protein content.
Benefits
Dog's simple gastrointestinal tract contains many microbial populations; some members of this very diverse community include fusobacteria, proteobacteria, and actinobacteria. The intestinal microbiota of the dog will be comparable to the owner due to similar environmental impact. Microbes are not only affected by the dog's environment, but are also affected by the macronutrient content of the dog's diet. The existing population and health status of microbiota found in the gut can alter the physiological and metabolic functions of dogs, which then affect susceptibility to disease progression.
Fermentation and digestion behind dogs can potentially be increased depending on the source and concentration of protein in the diet. Greater digestibility due to higher quality ingredients, in addition to lower protein concentrations in the diet, will help promote beneficial results in helping the health of the dog's digestive tract. Higher proteins entering the gut will lead to more decay causing various toxins including carcinogens and increase the likelihood of many intestinal diseases, such as colorectal cancer.
The age of dogs and cats is inversely proportional to the consumption of protein. As we get older, protein needs decrease because of lower levels of pepsin in their stomach. There is also a discussion of higher protein content in the diet that is inversely proportional to the lifespan (ie negative association), in which a lower protein content diet is associated with longer life spans.
Differences from low protein cat foods
Low-protein diets are essentially different from low-protein diets, because of the significant differences between the protein requirements of the two species. A minimum of 26% crude protein on a DM basis is required for adult maintenance in cats according to AAFCO, compared with only 18% in dogs. In addition, there is a bit more protein found in cat milk than with dog milk, which means that kittens consume more protein at birth compared to puppies.
Cats are considered to be carnivorous birds that are mandatory and dogs are known as omnivores. Therefore, cats can not regulate the amount of enzymes they use based on the amount of protein in the body. Regardless of whether they are on a high or low protein diet, they will use the same amount of enzymes to break down the protein. In contrast, dogs can regulate the amount of nitrogen catabolic enzymes based on whether they consume high or low-protein diets. Cats also use more protein for body maintenance than for growth, as opposed to dogs, which means that cats have a higher protein turnaround that consequently increases their protein requirements.
Vegetarian and vegan dog food
Like the vegan human practice, vegan dog food is formulated with the exception of ingredients containing or processed with any part of the animal, or any animal by-product. Vegan dog food can combine the use of fruits, vegetables, cereals, beans, nuts, vegetable oil, soybeans, and other non-animal foods. Omnivore domestic dogs have evolved to metabolize carbohydrates and thrive on a lower diet in protein, and therefore, the vegan diet may be great if properly formulated and balanced.
The popularity of this diet has grown with a corresponding increase in people practicing vegetarianism, and now there are various vegetarian and vegan commercial diets available in the market.
Because of the exclusion of animal products and byproducts that are the main ingredients of conventional dog food, many of the nutrients that animal products should provide must be provided by substitutes, plant materials. While animal and plant products offer a variety of macro and micronutrients, the strategic formulation of plant materials should be considered to meet nutritional requirements because different nutrients are more abundant in many plant sources. Despite the major differences in the supply of materials, studies have shown that the plant-based diet is as good as animal feed for dogs.
Some nutrients that require special consideration include protein, calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B12, taurine, L-carnitine, and omega-3 fatty acids, especially DHA and EPA. Although their sources are more limited without animal products, it is possible to formulate a sufficient diet in these nutrients through plants and synthetic sources.
Potential risks in feeding the plant-based diet include alkaline urine and insufficiency of nutrients, especially in homemade diets. Compliance with recommendations by reliable sources is strongly recommended.
Label
In the United States, dog food labeled "complete and balanced" should meet the standards set by the American Association of Feed Controlers (AAFCO) either by fulfilling the nutrition profile or by passing the feeding trials. The Dog Food Nutrition Profile was last updated in 1995 by AAFCO's A-Dog Nutrition Subcommittee.
Critics argue that due to the limitations of experiments and knowledge gaps in animal nutrition, the term "complete and balanced" is inaccurate and even deceptive. A panel of AAFCO experts has stated that "although AAFCO profiles are better than nothing, they provide fake securities."
Certain manufacturers label their products with terms such as premium, ultra premium, natural and holistic. Such terms do not currently have legal definitions. There are also different types of dog food that are labeled as "human level food". Although there is no official definition of this term, the assumption is that other brands use food that will not pass the US Food and Drug Administration in accordance with the Food and Drug Act or the Meat Examination Act.
The materials on the label should be listed in descending order by weight before cooking. This means before all moisture is removed from meat, fruits, vegetables and other ingredients used.
Call back
The shooting of pet food in 2007 involved a massive recall of many cat and dog food brands beginning in March 2007. The recall came in response to reports of kidney failure in pets that consumed most of the wet pet food made with wheat gluten from a Chinese company, starting in February 2007. After more than three weeks of consumer complaints, the withdrawal began voluntarily with the Canadian Food Menu Company on March 16, 2007, when a company showed sickness and death in some test animals.
Overall, some large companies have attracted more than 100 pet food brands, with most products drawn from Menu Foods. Although there are several theories about the source of disease-causing agents in affected animals, with extensive government and private research and forensic research, to date, no definite cause has been isolated. On April 10th, the most likely cause, according to the FDA, though not proven, is shown by the presence of melamine in wheat gluten in affected foods.
In the United States, there is extensive media coverage of recalls. There is widespread public outrage and calls for government pet food regulations, which have previously been self-regulated by pet food manufacturers. The economic impact on the pet food market has been widespread, with Menu Foods losing about $ 30 Million alone from withdrawals. The incident has caused the mistrust of most processed animal foods in some consumers.
In 1999, other mushroom poison triggered the withdrawal of dry dog ​​food made by Doane Pet Care at one of its plants, including Ol 'Roy, the Wal-Mart brand, and 53 other brands. This time the poison killed 25 dogs.
The 2005 consumer warning was released for contaminated Diamond Pet Foods for dogs and cats. More than 100 dog deaths and at least one cat death have been linked to Diamond Pet Foods contaminated by potentially lethal toxicity, Aflatoxin, according to veterinarian Cornell University.
In recent years, the withdrawal of traditional commercial and crude pet foods has become frequent due to increased awareness and testing by the FDA. Every few months, new large-scale withdrawals are announced and the list of dynamic alert alerts is constantly updated by the FDA
See also
- The dog food brand
- Dog biscuits
- Dog meat
- Dog Nutrition
- The dental health diet for dogs
- Cat food
- Senior dog diet
- Dog smell
- Hypoallergenic dog food
References
External links
- Interpreting pet food labels - Pet food labeling in accordance with AAFCO rules
- National Research Council (USA). Subcommittee on Dog Nutrition (1974). Dog nutritional requirements . National Academy of Sciences. ISBN: 0-309-02315-7.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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