Posted on 03/30/2011 8:41:54 AM PDT by Immerito
WEDNESDAY, March 30 (HealthDay News) -- Even though most Americans might believe that "senior" dog food is formulated differently than food for young adult dogs and pups, experts say that brands can vary widely in their ingredients and there are no requirements for what goes in foods for older canines. Click here to find out more!
A new survey finds that most Americans think that senior dog foods are lower in protein, sodium, fat and calories.
"But when we actually looked at the diets, there was an incredible range," said Dr. Lisa M. Freeman, co-author of a paper appearing in the latest issue of The International Journal for Applied Research in Veterinary Medicine.
The manufacturers "might be increasing protein, decreasing protein or keeping it the same," said Freeman, who is professor of nutrition at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University in North Grafton, Mass. "That emphasizes to us to look at the individual animal, and not all aging animals need a different diet. It's much, much more important to look at individual dogs."
(Excerpt) Read more at health.usnews.com ...
doggie ping
I guess FUBO needs to appoint a Senior Dog Food Czar to his bloated cabinet. Why not? The government intrudes into everything else.
After looking at the ingedients on my kitteh’s Rx catfood, I made a note to ask my vet next time why on earth kitteh needs CORN in his diet. And this isn’t Meow Mix - it’s supposed to be healthy stuff for kitties prone to urinary tract infections.
I always thought it odd that, barring a medical need (kidney problems for instance) an older dog automatically needed a different food. After all, we don’t suddenly feed Grandma something different because she hit a certain age. It’s mostly marketing. The more different foods a manufacturer can have in a store the more shelf space they take and the more chances a consumer will choose one of them. Not that I think all dog foods are alike, I don’t.
“we don’t suddenly feed Grandma something different because she hit a certain age.”
And here, all along, I’ve been feeding Granny “senior dog food.” Isn’t that what all conservatives want them to eat???? Huh?
“we don’t suddenly feed Grandma something different because she hit a certain age.”
And here, all along, I’ve been feeding Granny “senior dog food.” Isn’t that what all conservatives want them to eat???? Huh?
He doesn’t, any more than a cougar or a lion.
But corn is cheaper than fish or beef, and kitty owners who notice their cat becoming plump as a thanksgiving turkey are more likely to buy diet cat food.
I’m not an expert on cats, but I really never got why cats would be fed grains either. They are true carnivores.
I’m not that big of a fan of prepackaged dry food. I might just be an isolated case but in the year before my lab passed away we switched her to trader joes wet food and alot of her allergies cleared up.
As are dogs. Although many ARE fed an omnivorous diet, said diet is not the best for them.
It might be cheaper to feed her bargain brand Mac and Cheese! :)
As are dogs. Although many ARE fed an omnivorous diet, said diet is not the best for them.
http://www.rawfed.com/myths/omnivores.html
I feed my dog grain free food. But dogs in the wild will eat a more omnivorous diet and can survive on it. Cats cannot subsist on the same sort of diet, they are what is properly termed an obligate carnivore.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnivore#Obligate_carnivores
BTW I fed my dogs raw for years, I’ve read a lot on dog nutrition, been thru the dog feeding wars, etc. Dogs can survive basically on what humans throw out as garbage. It’s not what I would choose to feed mine, but for eons it’s what they lived on.
“Can survive” does not mean “is best for the animal”
Their bodies render them anatomically and physiologically carnivores.
Studies on wolves highlight that even wolves will avoid herbivorous contents of their prey’s stomach:
http://rawfed.com/myths/stomachcontents.html
Actually, “Grandma” (grandmother of my grand daughter) likes for me to take her to Red Lobster, Olive Garden, senior nights at the local Captain D’s and Chinese Buffet.
I don’t feed her dog food and I don’t end up in the doghouse!
My Rocket is completely allergic to Rx diet. His fur falls out along his spine, he pukes, and he loses weight. It took a while because he has so many allergies, but we finally figured out that he does not tolerate grains, corn, soy, nor whatever vile chemical they put in the canned food and call “fish.”
He can eat human-food fish, but not cat-food “fish.”
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.