Pet Nutrition - Pet Blog

US Marshalls seize pet food products at Petco distribution center

Late last month, at the request of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), US Marshalls seized various petfood products stored under unsanitary conditions at the Petco Animal Supplies Distribution Center located in Joliet, Illinois, USA. US Marshalls seized all FDA-regulated animal food susceptible to rodent and pest contamination. The seized pet foods violate the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act because it was alleged in a case filed by the United States Attorney that they were being held under unsanitary conditions, based on standards for pet food supplies.

During an FDA inspection of a Petco distribution hub in April 2008, widespread and active rodent and bird infestation was found. The FDA inspected the facility again in May 2008 and found continuing and widespread infestation. Kevin Whelan, a Petco spokesman, said after the FDA inspection in May, the company "acted aggressively to address any concerns that were raised."

According to the FDA, there have been no reports of pet illness or death associated with the consumption of any pet food distributed by Petco and the government body has no evidence that the food is unsafe for animals. However, the seized products were permeable packages and held under conditions that could affect the food’s integrity and quality and have an adverse impact on pet nutrition.

Taking matters into their own hands

Pet owners are tackling other petfood-related tasks on their own.

As the aftermath of the dog food recalls continues, pet owners and the organizations they turn to for support and information are coming forth with their own prescriptions for what they see as the ills affecting the industry.

One theme shines through: Pet owners aren’t necessarily content to just sit back and wait to see how the industry is reacting.

Home cookin’

One of the most powerful, early pet food trends appears to be an even greater swing to natural and organic pet foods than we’ve seen over the past few years, plus a rapidly increasing interest in homemade and "fresh/raw" foods. A new report from Packaged Facts, Product Safety and Alternative Pet Foods, theorizes that billions of dollars in petfood sales may be in play as some pet owners consider switching brands as a result of the recalls. The beneficiaries may be petfoods chosen as alternatives to traditional brands, especially natural and organic products, but also raw dog food, refrigerated, homemade, 100% US sourced, locally grown and other smaller-batch petfoods.

In an online survey of pet specialty retailers conducted by Pet Age in late May, 69% reported increased sales of natural dog food, and more than one-third said sales of fresh/raw foods had risen.

Pet owners are also tackling other petfood-related tasks on their own. "Instead of waiting for the FDA or hearing that their food is unsafe from a company recall, many owners have been taking the matter into their own hands and testing their own cat and dog food to see if there are any contaminants in the food," reads an article on www.itchmo.com.

This trend seems to be the factor behind the recent, and ultimately unfounded, it seems, scare about acetaminophen showing up in pet foods. An owner whose cat died of kidney failure contracted with a private laboratory to test the cat’s food at his expense, according to reports.

Today you’ll see ads online offering testing packages for melamine, cyanuric acid, aflatoxin and other substances shown to be toxic to pets. The Itchmo article also reports that the University of California, Davis, USA, veterinary school lab relented to demand and tested petfood samples submitted directly by pet owners; its regular practice is to work only with veterinarians.

Whether this ends up being the extent of their hands-on involvement, you can be sure pet owners will continue their vigilance of the industry and its products. In surveys many Petfood Industry Magazine readers have said they regularly read consumer pet publications and websites. Let’s hope you’re continuing this habit; you might want to step up your own vigilance of how pet owners are staying informed.

Top 10 reasons pet owners visit a veterinarian

Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI) recently analyzed its medical claims received in 2007 to determine the top 10 most commonly claimed conditions for dogs and cats

Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI), the United States’ oldest and largest provider of pet health insurance, recently analyzed its medical claims received in 2007 to determine the top 10 most commonly claimed conditions for dogs and cats. For both canines and felines, the top 10 pet ailments accounted for about 25% of all medical claims received last year in the US.

Canine

1. Ear infections
2. Skin allergies
3. Pyoderma/hot spots
4. Gastritis/vomiting
5. Enteritis/diarrhea
6. Urinary tract infections
7. Benign skin tumors
8. Eye inflammation
9. Osteoarthritis
10. Hypothyroidism

Feline

1. Urinary tract infections
2. Gastritis/vomiting
3. Chronic renal failure
4. Enteritis/diarrhea
5. Diabetes mellitus
6. Skin allergies
7. Colitis/constipation
8. Ear infections
9. Respiratory infections
10. Hyperthyroidism

"Some pet owners may be surprised by what’s not on the list," said Dr. Carol McConnell, vice president and chief veterinary medical officer for VPI. "Falling just short of the top 10 are the major injuries that often motivate pet owners to purchase pet insurance: broken bones, poisonings or trauma from car accidents or animal attacks."

Of the most common canine maladies, the only condition not on 2006’s list, hypothyroidism, rose from No. 11 that year to No. 10 in 2007. The most dramatic change on either list was the rise of feline enteritis from No. 16 in 2006 to No. 4 in 2007. Nearly a third of all the common conditions could be related to or exacerbated by poor pet nutrition, diet changes or dietary indiscretions. The most effective way to reduce common dietary conditions, according to VPI, is for a veterinarian to recommend a quality petfood tailored to the pet’s dietary needs and to feed that food consistently.

"Gastrointestinal claims are common each year we publish our top 10 list, but our 2007 numbers indicate that pet owners took their pets’ gastrointestinal and dietary difficulties more seriously this past year, perhaps due to the petfood recall," said Dr. McConnell.

Aging pets stay healthy with proper pet nutrition

A proper diet can delay the onset or lessen the severity of various age-related signs and diseases.

Many pet food manufacturers have begun making food specifically for senior cats and dogs, which is commonly referred to as life-stage petfood. Body fat and lean muscle change as pets get older, and many senior animals lose their appetite. This can have an adverse affect on pet nutrition, as they are not taking in the nutrients they need. They therefore need concentrated, appetizing food in small quantities, which means the quality of pet food ingredients is vital to maintain ideal body condition, says www.petwise.co.za, which is affiliated with the Pet Food Industry Association of Southern Africa.

Dogs and cats put on weight as they get older, and being overweight puts stress on the body. Lean-fed dogs experience a healthy life for longer, display age-related diseases later and less severely, and can live up to two years longer than dogs that are allowed to overeat, according to www.petwise.co.za. Correct feeding throughout a pet’s life can also prevent the onset of kidney disease. Kidney failure is the number one killer of older cats and it is the second highest cause of death amongst senior dogs, but it is hard to detect.

As animals get older, they need food that is:

• - Lower in fat because they are less active;
• - Lower in calories because they may be overweight;
• - Higher in fiber because it helps regulate bowel function;
• - Lower in phosphorous because it helps reduce the risk of kidney disease;
• - Highly digestible because senior pets need to absorb maximum nutrition;
• - Lower in sodium because it helps reduce the risk of heart disease;
• - Higher in antioxidants to help boost declining immune systems and fight free radicals.

Vegetarian petfoods: Can they be "complete and balanced"?

A paper published recently in a prestigious veterinary journal comments on a study on the pet nutritional adequacy of commercial vegetarian pet foods (specifically, vegan cat foods). However, perhaps more interesting than the report itself was the niche industry’s response to the study’s findings.

The study

The paper appeared in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. Basically, the study consisted of laboratory analysis of two commercially available vegan cat food products. The first (Diet A) was a supplement intended to be combined with other ingredients from the pet owner’s kitchen (e.g., oil, flour, tomato paste) to make the complete meal. The second (Diet B) was a canned food intended to be fed alone as the sole source of pet nutrition. Each was reported to be claimed to meet the AAFCO Cat Food Nutrient Profiles for adult maintenance when fed as directed. Analyses of the prepared diets were compared to the appropriate AAFCO minimum and maximum values on a per 1,000 kcal ME basis.

Both products were found to have multiple pet nutritional inadequacies. Diet A was slightly-to-moderately low in the amino acids arginine, lysine, methionine and methionine/cystine, as well as pyridoxine and arachidonic acid. More critically, the taurine level was markedly low. On the other side, selenium and vitamin A were notably high. The vitamin A level approached the AAFCO maximum safe intake, and while there is no established maximum for selenium in cat foods, it approached the levels known to be toxic in other species.

Diet B was found to be slightly-to-moderately low in crude protein, methionine, methionine/cystine, arachidonic acid, phosphorus, niacin, pyridoxine and vitamin B12. More importantly, it was very low in taurine, calcium and vitamin A. No nutritional excesses were found in the analysis of Diet B.

The response

A Letter to the Editor appeared in the issue 10 weeks after the paper was published. Although the writer did not challenge the fact that deficiencies were noted in the analyses, it was his position that these must have been one-time flukes due to pet food processing errors, but that the products are generally nutritionally adequate. Otherwise, the author of the letter contended, far more evidence of pet nutritional deficiencies would have been seen in cats consuming the products in the field. Regardless, it was firmly held that the study in no way contradicted the premise that cats could be successfully maintained on a vegan petfood.

The manufacturer of Diet A was very apologetic, explaining in depth the possible reasons for the findings and promising that corrections would be made. For example, the probable reason for the high selenium and vitamin A, as well as the low taurine, could have been accidental substitution of one of the premixes in the formulation.

The manufacturer of Diet B, however, was notably unapologetic and stubborn in defense of the nutritional adequacy of the product. No explanation or excuse for the study’s findings was offered. Rather, the suggestion of any problem with the product was simply refuted outright. Not only did the manufacturer purport that tens of thousands of animals are thriving on the product in the real world, but that "major sanctuaries use our productsbecause they have lower rates of illness and mortality (compared to meat-based commercial foods)."

The contention in the Letter to the Editor that the deficiencies found in the study were isolated incidences is unlikely. I could buy that explanation if a particular batch of one of the vegan diets that were sampled just happened to be slightly off in one or two pet food nutrients. However, if the premise was true, I would speculate that the statistical odds of picking up two different batches of products and finding both to be deficient at the same time to be very low. Further, the multitude of unrelated problems in both of the vegan products suggests more than minor, rare slip-ups to me.

I would also challenge the presumption that if the diets were in fact deficient that much more evidence of such would have been seen in animals fed the commercial product. The AAFCO Profile values include pet food safety factors to ensure the vast majority of animals on the product receive nutritionally-adequate amounts of all nutrients, so many animals may still squeak by on diets that are marginally deficient compared to AAFCO values. Even in the case of severe deficiencies of some nutrients (e.g., calcium, vitamin A, taurine), signs in an adult at maintenance may take months to years to become clinically evident, especially if the body stores of that nutrient are ample prior to starting the deficient diet.

Also, even if the pet owner is diligent about maintaining a vegan feeding regimen, the occasional mouse, bird or treat from a sympathetic neighbor might be sufficient to keep the animal reasonably replete in nutrients. Finally, the advent of complete and balanced petfoods has made the prevalence of nutritional deficiencies increasingly rare, and since signs are often subtle or non-specific, these diseases may be easily overlooked or misdiagnosed.

The fact that apparently only one sample of each product was analyzed is a fault of the study, and leaves it open to the speculation that the products are typically nutritionally adequate. However, that premise should be pretty easy to refute with further analysis. I hope the authors of the study will pick up the gauntlet by conducting further testing and publishing their findings. If possible, subjecting these products to feeding trials under controlled conditions (e.g., AAFCO protocols) would also seem justified. In the interim, this study should serve as notice to manufacturers to practice due diligence in the formulation of these types of products.

‘Whey’ your protein options

Milk and milk proteins have been around for eons. While likely not a large part of dog or cat diets beyond the weaning period, some milk constituents have periodically found their way into pet diets for years - likely as leftovers from the family’s cereal bowls.

Most texts instruct us to avoid feeding milk products to cats and dogs past weaning as they lose the lactase enzyme activity necessary to utilize the lactose sugar found in milk. It is becoming increasingly common to find pet foods that contain whey, a milk protein, as a prominent member of the group of pet food ingredients on their labels.

Milk proteins, like whey, have been commercially available for many years. Likewise, research on milk production, composition and nutrition has been a mainstay for our agricultural universities for a hundred years or better. There are literally mountains of research on milk proteins like whey; but almost none of it pertains to this ingredient as part of a dog or cat diet. It would be nice if there were some published work directly related to pet food.

Whey as a member of the pet food ingredients list

In the US, children grow up hearing a traditional poem about Miss Muffet eating her curds and whey. Just before being scared by a spider, Miss Muffet is eating curdled milk that has separated into its two main protein components, casein and whey. This separation is a result of adding acid or rennin (rennet) to whole milk, which causes the proteins to separate into casein (the insoluble curds) and whey (the soluble liquid).

The feed term in the AAFCO Official Publication (2007) identifies whey as the watery part of milk separated from the curd. While casein is primarily made by the mammary gland, the whey fraction represents the protein in milk that comes from both the mammary gland and the liver (serum proteins). The most abundant protein in whey is Beta-lactoglobulin. Whey also contains alpha-lactalbumin, blood serum albumin (liver derived), the iron-binding proteins transferrin and lactoferrin, immunoglobulins and numerous binding proteins.

Make whey for petfood

As an ingredient, whey represents a quality, high protein component with nutritional and functional properties. Commercially, whey is the co-product stream resulting from the manufacture of cheese. Most of the whey in the market comes from cows. In the cheese-making process, the casein is separated from the whey and then salted, pressed and allowed to age for several weeks. Depending on the pet food processing facility and final product, some of the whey is used in the production of ricotta-type cheeses, and some is further refined and sold in the liquid form (e.g., sweet whey) often ending up in infant formula.

A large fraction of the whey is purified and dried, a form that is likely the most practical for pet food applications. The dried whey is produced by spray or drum drying with the net result being a dry, free-flowing, white to slightly tan powder. Several dried whey products are available: dried whey, whey protein concentrate and whey protein isolate. What really separates the whey products is the amount of protein and lactose they contain. For petfood applications, the whey protein concentrates (80% protein, 10% lactose) and whey protein isolates (80% protein, 0.5% lactose) have the greatest potential.

From a food functionality perspective, whey is used as a fat and protein binder, an emulsifying agent and a gelling agent. It has application as a browning agent and color development compound. It imparts a dairy (milk) flavor to foods, can aid expansion in extrusion and can influence product texture. Whey has also been demonstrated in meat and high oil products to improve shelf-life through physical and chemical antioxidant properties, which are important for pet nutrition.

Whey mixes well for applications that require miscibility such as baking or canning. It has also been used as a complimentary protein source in pet food palatability enhancers.

The nutritional whey

The amino acid composition of whey is quite favorable. It is high in essential amino acids, such as the sulfur-containing amino acids (methionine and cysteine), lysine, threonine and the branched chain amino acids (isoleucine, leucine and valine).

The protein quality of whey is quite good as well, which is good news for those looking for increased pet nutrition. The protein efficiency ratio (PER) of whey is approximately 83% of the PER of egg (the gold standard for protein quality). For comparison purposes, soybean protein is approximately 55% of the PER of egg. Whey is often found in protein supplements marketed to performance athletes and weight-lifters. One reason is because of its abundant supply of leucine, which has been identified as a key signal for the initiation of muscle protein synthesis.

The binding proteins in whey are known to aid in the transport of retinol and vitamin D, the immunoglobulins have been implicated in enhanced immune function and the binding proteins have been shown to reduce the impact of pathogenic bacteria. Whey is also a quality source of calcium, phosphorus, potassium and other trace minerals.

End of the whey

In the literature, no reports were found regarding negative effects of whey on overall pet health One can speculate that allergenic responses are possible, like that for any protein. As a pet food ingredient, whey represents a quality, high protein component with nutritional and functional properties that some petfood manufacturers are using to enhance dog and cat diets. Whether consumers will understand what whey represents and consider it to be worthy of their pets may be another question altogether.