03/21/2020
Read the label... simple statement. Flippant ir not, We‘re all capable. Lets do it together.
But first, why? After all, Mr ”Cat Listener” - or whatever. (Such as, why should you care - you’re just the hired help) how dare you, what the hell is your problem?
My problem is, I’m selfish. There... I said it. Its all purely for the sense of self preservation. You see, its a hell of a lot easier taking care of kitties that are healthy. And way easier on my psyche to not have to get those messages regarding a kitty I have cared for - for many years - that has been diagnosed with renal failure, diabetes, and etc., and more often then not, dispatched across the Rainbow Bridge, said trip precipitated by the very fact that taking care of a health challenged pet can be... challenging.
That I am able to share my knowledge and carefully selected sources of research - reviewed multiple times a year - with those hundreds of clients that are willing to stop and listen and then take a proactive posture - and in many cases, get off the merry-go-round of meds prescribed to fix a problem brought about by a deficient diet - and see their fur babies flourish does indeed ease the way forward. But it is never ending. So I’ll keep whining.
This is just a look at dry food (kibble) but applies equally to the junk that ends up in all those cans of “Granny’s Pot Pie” etc. Once again recognizing what a challenge it can be to even decide what to do given the choices. All I can say is, don’t trust - and verify. Just because the label has the words Science, or Grain Free, Weight Management, etc. doesn’t mean its good science, that what replaced the grain is any better, or that feeding a calorie rich carbohydrate laden diet will somehow fix your obese kitty.
Let’s look at a very popular brand commonly touted by Veterinarians - that oddly enough, fill their shelves with like-kind food stuffs - more often than not, labeled as “prescription”.
Side Note: There are NO ingredients in so-called prescription diets that would require any sort of professional endorsement from someone with medical training. It’s all BS. If bold enough... ask your Vet to share the secret. Then share it with all the Snuggles Snobs out there that can’t seem to get a straight answer.
Back to story time:
-Science Diet Chicken-
Chicken, Whole Grain Wheat, Corn Gluten Meal, Chicken Fat, Chicken Meal, Dried Beet Pulp, Brown Rice, Chicken Liver Flavor, Calcium Sulfate, Lactic Acid, Potassium Chloride, Fish Oil, Soybean Oil, Iodized Salt, Choline Chloride, vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Taurine, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Oat Fiber, Mixed Tocopherols for freshness, Natural Flavors, Beta-Carotene, Apples, Broccoli, Carrots, Cranberries, Green Peas.
So? Let’s break it down. We all remember when we were kids, and our Granmothers having to shoo her kitties away from the garden, to get out of snap peas - no? No
The good news is this particular recipe left out “powdered cellulose”. The sadder news is the Beet Pulp - which works great for horses - so what the heck?
That said, the only significant ingredient listed that belongs in a cat -maybe- is chicken. Which is BTW... also the very same protein most often targeted as causing “food” allergies. Only thing is - the chicken in that bag of kibble really isn’t chicken anymore and hence the allergic response. It’s like calling the bag it came in a tree. (Said bag at one time in its life cycle - powdered cellulose - which did indeed come from a tree) So, your kitties’ “All Natural” “Protein Rich” “Grain Free”, etc. food should perhaps come plastered with a picture of a splendid tree, complete with a chicken roosting in it.
The rest of the ingredients are just filler and the vitamins and minerals that are required to bring the contents up to the minimum standards as set by the self-regulated pet food industry. If one actually watches the video - Pet Fooled - then we will recall the one researcher sending her nasty concoction labeled “Old Boot” to the lab and actually getting certification as meeting those AAFCO standards.
I have posted - in the past - the subjects of bio-availability and the difference between survive and thrive and it becomes quite evident in the outward appearance of our pets. People are usually pretty surprised that I can tell at first glance, that a kitty is on a dry food diet. Its never obvious to the owner since Fluffy’s appearance has changed so subtly over time. But years of chronic dehydration and consumption of a heavy carbohydrate, low-quality-protein based diet indeed does damage and speaks further, to losing your loved one in eight years, vs eighteen. So sure... Your Mom’s kitty lived to nineteen while consuming dry food its entire life. We’ll leave out the discussion of outdoor dining opportunities that provided an essential balance.
There are lots of marvelous pretty packages out there - assuring the quality of contents, backed by marketing that pulls hard on our heart strings, and those (sadly) touted by others on your pet’s care team. Sometimes there’s even a label printed large enough that you don’t need a magnifying glass in order to read it. There are many as well, that present with an alternate language. I’m willing to bet that most folks will understand the contents of the bag just as well, whether you can make the words out - or not. Heck, I’m sure everyone reading this knows what “Pyridoxine Hydrochloride” is and gets a good dose of it themselves every day - no?
