There have been a couple of diaries up lately that have inspired this diary. First was the diary last night entitled Got a Happy Story? Dogs and jobs edition, which spawned this thread of conversation. The second is on the recommended list as I type: ALERT: Major DOG and CAT FOOD RECALL.
First some background information. I am a proud owner of two of the cutest pooties ever (though I may be a little biased). Chairman Meow is my boy, and Precious is my girl (well, my husband's girl to be technical, but she's still a cutie). They are almost a year old, and we adopted them from our local shelter when they were about 4 or 5 months old. They had both been on a strict diet of Hill's Science Diet. That had also been recommended by my vet back home (it was sold in his office), so I figured that was a good food.
Well, Chairman had diarrhea for months. My vet here prescribed all sorts of different diets (all Iams or Eukanuba, conveniently sold in his office). He also prescribed all sorts of antibiotics. Nothing worked. I was getting fed up, so I did some research of my own. I have now been feeding Chairman on a raw food diet, and Precious on a high-quality, NO GRAINS canned food diet, for about two weeks, and already Chairman is MUCH better.
So, what is this info that you need to know for your pets?
(Note: I will try to provide info on both dogs and cats, but as I have never owned a dog, this diary may be slightly biased toward cats.)
First, some basic information on nutrition. Dogs and cats are carnivores. They do not get grains in the wild. Their digestive systems are not meant for grains. It takes a lot of time to break down the fiber and other nutrients in grains, but carnivores' digestive tracts are relatively short, meaning that they don't break them down efficiently. Dogs and cats also do not need carbohydrates. Again, they are carnivores. They don't eat plants (dogs will eat the occasional veggie or piece of fruit, but this is nowhere near a staple of their diet). Their bodies cannot break them down efficiently, and excess carbohydrates lead to obesity and diabetes.
Also, in the case of cats, they get about 75% of their moisture from their food. They do not have a strong thirst drive. According to catinfo.org, cats on a dry diet get only half the moisture that cats on a canned or raw diet get. An animal can survive with that little moisture, but it is not optimal for their health. It's like a human only drinking 2 or 3 glasses of water a day.
Some pet foods, including Hill's Science Diet, include chemicals such as BHA and BHT which have been shown to be potentially dangerous for some animals. Many manufacturers have stopped including it, but there are many who persist in using it.
(The above info was taken from catinfo.org and vhcdoc.com.)
In addition, there have been studies that show that diets high in fiber (common "prescription" diets) lead to a net loss of body calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium in cats. (view the study here.)
So, if we know all of this, why do the vets continue to push dry kibble and diets high in fiber, carbohydrates, and grains on our cats and dogs? There's a simple explanation for this:
MSU Presents Partnership Award
"Topeka, Kan. - Michigan State University (MSU) College of Veterinary Medicine recently presented the 2004 Partnership Award to Hill's Pet Nutrition Inc.
"The award recognizes the working relationship between the MSU and Hill's.
"Hill's provides financial and educational support to nearly every veterinary college in North America, as well as to veterinary students attending those institutions. This commitment to the profession includes Hill's sponsored teaching programs, residencies and faculty programs in veterinary schools and teaching hospitals all over the world.
" 'Hill's is incredibly responsive to anything students or faculty have asked of them,' says Dr. Lonnie King, dean of the college of veterinary medicine at MSU. 'Their steadfast support, generosity and collaboration in advancing the college's mission is recognized as a vital part of our veterinary medicine program.'
"Hill's has shown its commitment to the partnership with MSU by providing support to many student groups and student activities; covering costs for students to attend the SCAVMA Symposium; providing students with the textbook Small Animal Clinical Nutrition and other various handouts; providing employment to student representatives; and by supporting the awards banquet for seniors graduating from the program."
—DVM News Magazine, August 2004 (emphasis added)
"hundreds of thousands of dollars a year funding university research and nutrition courses at every one of the 27 US veterinary colleges. Once in practice, vets who sell Science Diet and other premium foods directly pocket profits of as much as 40%" (Parker-Pope, T. 1997. For You, My Pet. The Wall Street Journal. 3 November 1997. In Lonsdale, T. 2001. Raw Meaty Bones. p266).
Vets don't receive much training in nutrition, and apparently, the training they DO receive is funded by pet food manufacturers. It's the equivalent of a pharmacist's training being paid for by GSK. (The exception being vets who receive training in holistic medicine as well as traditional.)
So, in light of all of this, what SHOULD we be doing for our beloved pets? I am not advocating not taking your pet to the veterinarian by any means. Regular checkups are essential to the health of your animal. I recommend finding a veterinarian trained in holistic medicine (or at least better trained in nutrition) to consult about your pet's diet. There is also a wealth of information on the web about high-quality commercial pet foods (yes, they do exist) and how to make your own raw diet. For cats, a great resource is catinfo.org. For dogs, there are quite a few links on vhcdoc.com. Those sites are good starting places, and there is a wealth of other information out there on adequate and natural diets for your pets.