To answer this question I will rely in part on my own original research. I tested the corn-as-a-filler hypothesis personally.

When I was a freshman in college, dinner was served family style each night in the dormitory’s cafeteria. At that time I had not yet ascertained that I was destined to be a clinician rather than a researcher. Therefore I decided to undertake an experiment.

One night my table was served a portion of canned corn. A large volume was left over at the end of the meal. In the name of science I consumed the leftover canned corn. It amounted to at least two cups. In order to ensure the validity of my experiment, I took care not to chew the corn.

The next morning a scientific breakthrough occurred. I discovered, decisively, that unchewed corn is not digestible.

The key word, however, is unchewed. The outer husk of a corn kernel is not digestible by cats, dogs, or humans. Ground up corn is a different story.

I remember learning in nutrition class in vet school (and to answer, in advance, the skeptics who will bring up links between pet food companies and veterinary nutrition departments, I have this to say: give me some credit. You don’t think I’d see through that?) that corn is actually a good source of protein for pets.

When I was in Ohio (remember folks, it was Ohio. Not Hawaii, and certainly not Rio) on Iams’ dime, various Iams representatives pointed out that the price of corn has skyrocketed in the last year as demand for corn-based ethanol and other biofuels has taken off. They state that if corn were just a filler they would be wise to seek out a more economical filler.

I also asked about the future of grain-free diets. Dan Rajczak (head of Iams and and Eukanuba) states that the company is investigating these diets at their Louisville, Ohio research center. If their research shows these diets to be more optimal for pet health (and perhaps more profitable?), Iams may begin to move away from grains.

But enough about corn and grains. I also found out where the names Iams and Eukanuba come from. Iams is the last name of the company’s founder. Eukanuba apparently is something that young men in Dayton, Ohio would say when they saw an attractive woman about a century ago. In other words, Eukanuba means hot chick.

And that wraps up the Iams thread. Tomorrow the Vet Blog will be back to feline Q and A. Dog lovers, fear not. I’ll start adding in some dog topics again soon.

Photo: A scientific experiment waiting to happen! By Vassia Atanassova.

But first:

Tomorrow I will be part of a small group that will meet with the President and CEO of Iams and Eukanuaba, Dan Rajczak. He will give us a brief presentation. A question and answer session will follow.

I realize that it is late notice, but I am wondering whether my readers have any questions they would like me to present to the leader of such a major pet food company.

Please post them in the comments section. Post them quickly — the meeting is in 14 hours. And be polite. I’ll check in tomorrow before the meeting, and I’ll post later to let you know how it goes.

Full disclosure: Iams/Eukanuba has paid for me to fly to Dayton, Ohio for this meeting.

Kimberly
Mt Maunganui, Bay Of Plenty, New Zealand

In a way, I do. But it’s probably not the way that you’re talking about.

In developed countries, diseases such as thyroid conditions, kidney failure, cancer and heart failure are becoming more common among pets. There is rampant speculation about what causes many of these syndromes. Breeding, chemical body burden, and yes, diet probably play a role. But there is one factor that is not in dispute. All of the problems listed above occur most often in older animals.

Another thing that is not in dispute: on average, animals in developed countries are living longer than in the past. There is no doubt that the increased life expectancy that animals now enjoy is playing a role in the increased prevalence of cancer, hyper(and hypo)thyroidism, heart failure and kidney failure.

I am not saying that increased life expectancy is the only factor involved in this phenomenon. But it definitely is a factor.

Now, consider developing countries. In recent years, I have observed dogs and cats in Nicaragua, Mongolia, Laos, El Salvador and Botswana (among others). The diseases that are so common in the US, New Zealand, and other developed countries are basically unheard of in developing nations. The explanation is simple. Animals in developing countries don’t live long enough to develop these problems.

Animals in developed countries live longer, on average, for a number of reasons. Cats are more likely to be kept indoors. Pets are more likely to be spayed or neutered. They are more likely to receive vaccines. They are more likely to receive basic medical care and be treated for parasites. And they are more likely to be fed pet food.

I am not saying that the pet foods on the market now are perfect. History may reveal tremendous problems with them. There is always room for improvement. We may discover in the future that certain ingredients in pet foods promote some of the diseases mentioned in this post.

However, there is no doubt that the currently available pet foods represent a massive improvement over the diets that animals receive in developing countries–table scraps, garbage and prey animals.

The widespread use of pet food has contributed to increased life expectancies for pets. So yes, in that sense pet foods are contributing to the increase in health problems that we are seeing in the developed world.

For those of you who want my opinion on which food is the best: I weighed in on that matter a while back. Click here to see what I had to say.

For more information on dogs in developing countries, I recommend the book Dogs: A Startling New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior, and Evolution by Raymond Coppinger and Lorna Coppinger (Scribner, 2001).

M.
NJ

I must confess that I am very hesitant to delve into this topic. The subject of feeding pets really gets people going. It seems that many people are more passionate about their pet’s food than their own.

Nonetheless, every day since I started writing for Dogster and Catster, I have been barraged with questions like the ones above. People really want to know which food is the best.

If you talk to 100 different people about pet food, you will almost certainly will get 100 different opinions. And the opinions may be strong. Some people swear by brand “A”. Others think that brand “A” is made by the devil himself. Some people think that pets can only thrive on raw foods. Others protest that they have been hospitalized after catching Salmonella from their pet’s raw diet. (One of my clients confessed that this happened to her three times!) In the court of public opinion, it seems that every food is simultaneously the best and the worst on earth.

So, what is a concerned pet lover to do? Consider an analogy with food for people.

A gentleman from Thailand once assured me that Thai cuisine is absolutely the best diet for a robust spirit and a hearty constitution. The French are famously loyal to their cuisine; Mexicans, Italians and Chinese are no less so. Japanese have long life expectancies, and they credit their diet. If you ask me, Indian food is as tasty and nutritious as it gets.

None of these foods is inherently superior to the others, no matter what their boosters say. The same is true of high-quality pet foods. People, cats, and dogs can thrive on many different types of food.

Here is what I recommend: feed your pet a high-quality, nutritionally replete diet that the pet likes and that doesn’t cause upset stomach or other individual reactions. Almost all of the premium commercial diets are nutritionally replete, and I have patients that are thriving on each and every one of them (including Iams). If you want to feed a home-made diet, that’s fine, too. But do your research, and make sure that the diet meets your pet’s needs.