Health Alert 138
Visit any vet and you’ll notice Fido and Fluffy are getting fat. The pet food companies have an answer: low-fat dog and cat food. Problem is – this will only make your pets fatter.
Today, you’ll learn about new trends in diet pet food. If you have a portly pet, I’ll tell you how the same principles that have helped my patients succeed can also trim your pet down and add years to its life.
* Same Lame Low Fat Advice *
The domestication of animals to complement agriculture life 10,000 years ago made humans and those animals less healthy. We, alike, ate more grains and less meat. This is not what nature intended. Dogs and cats have no requirement for fruits, vegetables or grains.
Domestication of dogs was a natural evolution out of their accompanying man on hunts. They are supreme hunters but also have a scavenger nature, eating whatever is available. The primary ingredient in most commercial dog food is corn or rice. It is no wonder dogs are battling the bulge too.
Cats, on the other hand were pure predators. They ate a strict carnivore diet. It is not surprising that domestication of cats has led to their obesity problem. We’ve put a high carb meal in a bowl.
The pet food industry caused the problem. Now they recognize it as an opportunity. They are marketing their “answer.” Pet food is big business. Sales of specialty dog food were up 10.2% in 2002. Varieties include low-fat, reduced calorie and brands for less active dogs.1 A record 865 new products hit the market last year alone.
Iams now sells 18 weight-control varieties and 3 dietary biscuits, compared with just one reduced-calorie product in the late 1980s.2 But, because protein is the most expensive component, when they make low-fat food, they add more of the cheapest macronutrient – carbohydrate. So, like humans, the low fat advice is just making pets fatter, not healthier.
* Returning Pets to their Natural Diet *
You can rarely find optimal nutrition for your dog or cat at the pet food store. The best diet for your dog or cat is simple. In a word, they need protein. Eggs are the most complete source of protein. Read meat ranks a close second followed by fish and poultry. I Have a Springer Spaniel named Cosmo. I feed him two raw eggs everyday. I mix them with steak, chicken or fish scraps.
For convenience, you can purchase high protein dry food and feed your pet that occasionally. But even the higher protein varieties still have grains and lack the right kind of fat. You can improve the dry food by mixing in a raw egg or meat scraps from your dinner. Of course, never feed him from the table. This encourages begging behavior. Save your scraps and feed your pet at a different time from your own meals.
More Fit Pet Tips:
• Dogs can function well on one meal a day.
• If you prefer to serve two, cut back on the portion size.
• Cats like to eat several small snacks per day. Put out smaller protein and fat portions at regular intervals.
Al Sears MD
1. Koerner, Brendan. “That Pudgy Pooch Is an Industry’s Best Friend” The New York Times: November 30, 2003: Section 3:1, 9.
2. Ibid.
3. Kidd, Randy. “Help Portly Pets Overcome Obesity” Herbs for Health: September/October 2003: 24-25.