What is the best food for my pet?
Dry Iams Cat food has been the only cat food my
girls have eaten since I got them. They are both
healthy and sound at 4 years of age now. Should I
consider changing the food and what would you
suggest as a safer food?
T.
IL
What’s the best dry food to feed male cats?
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.
You have questions. 
I feed my pets Lassie Natural Way. They’re thriving on it. Some foods may be better than LNW. I don’t know because I haven’t tried them. I figure as long as what you feed your pet works there is no need to play musical dog foods. I am also of the opinion that no one food works for all.
Hi- and thank you for this blog.
As a “mom” to 2 diabetic cats, and after years of research and being on some huge international feline diabetes message boards, I have firmly moved to the “no dry food for cats” camp. The lack of moisture leads to kidney problems, but- more immediate for me- the incredibly high carb/grain content (i.e. corn tends to be ingredient #1) overstresses the pancreas of an animal designed as a carnivore, and VOILA! diabetes.
I do know it’s a highly volatile topic, but perhaps you would be interested in reading some of the work by your own colleagues, specifically Dr. Lisa Pierson: http://www.catinfo.org/
Also, Drs Zoran, Rand, Greco and Hodgkins are all pioneers in the field of feline diabetes, and all have published extensively about dry food being the suspected #1 cause of the disease.
Both my cats came off insulin and stayed diet controlled for the rest of their lives by switching to low carb canned food…
Just throwing some food for thought your way (bad pun, sorry. :) )
Cheers
Karen
(Nova Scotia, Canada)
Hi how can you tell what really what is in your dog food when they say meat what kind of meat is it ? is it dogs or cats that have been put to sleep? how can we trust a pet food company? they are not required by law to tell you what is really in their food ? should the goverment step in to inforce the dog food companies to tell the truth. I lost A three year old Dog from the dog food I fead Him . so how can I trust them. I wrote a letter to the head Vet and told Her what happened to my dog . her respon to my loss was cold hearted to say the least. I guess you don,t bite the hand that feeds you. just to prove money talks. go to the Vet they all sell Dog Food now and they will tell you there brand is the best and they feed it to there Dog,s what a load of crap . money talks .
Like Karen, I have firmly moved into the no dry food camp for cats. I feed canned Wellness, because it has no corn, grain or soy. Why? Because corn, wheat, and soy are not easy for a cat to digest, are common allergens, and are not a natural part of the feline diet. These ingredients are high in carbohydrates, which are completely unnecessary for cats. Wellness is also high in meat protein and fat, but low magnesium and lowcarb. It is a bit more expensive than a grocery store brand, but it is worth it because Wellness has very high quality ingredients. I can be sure that they are getting the nutrition that they need to thrive.
Laura, N.C.
There is a new dry cat food under the Halo brand for both dogs and cats called Spot’s Stew. It is holistic, no wheat, corn, etc. no preservatives, no rendered, only pure “restaurant quality” meats. High protein and low carb- fantastic food my cats LOVE. I used to use Wellness and Feliadae. They are good as well, but I think Spots Stew is maybe one up on them. I have only found it so far at Pet Food Express who seems to carry only the best products (unlike Petsmart, etc) and their employees are extremely knowledgeable and everything is guaranteed, no questions-or receipt asked. Their brand of cat litter is the best that I have found as well- I have 3 cats. Their buying policy is buy 3 get one free which you appreciate when litter is almost $18 a box! Ps. ..Spots Stew has canned food as well, that is like a runny stew with whole peas, etc that my cat’s are not crazy about, prob. because of the texture. I may keep trying that and see if they can adapt to that as well over the other brands.
Mr. Johnson, I am so sorry for what happened to you. I lost a dog very young which led me to feed my current dog a whole food diet. She is now a very healthy ten year old GSD/Rott/ Pit mix. I am sorry too that you feel even your own vet is “part of the machine” but I can only suggest that if you feel you can’t trust your vet, you need to find a new one. My vet is holistic and while she is happy to treat those who feed their pets bagged or canned foods and have no interest in acupuncture or chiropractic medicine as an adjunct to traditional treatment, she will also provide nutritional information and Eastern medical treatments and referrals where necessary and, most importantly, where appropriate. She is not as rare as you might think. Just because a vet makes those services (selling food, etc.) available to clients, doesn’t mean that they do not also have the services you want. Be thankful that they are at least selling the best possible food to those people who want to, or for whatever reason must feed bagged or canned diets.
As the author points out, I feel convinced that what I feed my dog is best, based on the research I have read. That doesn’t give me the monopoly on being right. And it doesn’t mean it’s right for every pet.
Is corn a filler or a source of protien? I find it in so many dog foods. Hills Science diet even has it listed in the top three. Also, what is corn gluten?
[...] Eric Barchas of Dogster & Catster Vet Blog, has this advice on the subject, still pretty general but urging you to do your research and feed good quality [...]
Dr. Daniel Johnson in North Carolina gives you false hope. If you expect to see your animal alive run very fast from his office. he is the type who soaks your wallet and doesnt give the care required because his house calls are more important………just because you went to college doesnt make you smart, was you paying attention in class.
Much research on feline nutrition is likely to be published in the next few years. Feeding wet foods that are high in protein and lower in carbohydrates are very benificial to felines. Be sure to research the food you are interested in switching too. Just because it says on the bag that it is holistic does not necessary mean it is.