Pet Check: Proper Food

DT - IN THIS WEEKS PET CHECK I'M HERE WITH DR. PETER NICHOLS WHO'S TALKING TO US ABOUT PET FOOD AND WHAT'S BEST FOR YOUR PETS OR WHAT IS NOT RECOMMENDED FOR YOUR PETS. DR. NICHOLS, THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME OUT TO TALK WITH US ABOUT SOME FOODS THAT ARE THE RIGHT FOODS FOR OUR PETS.

DR - THAT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST COMMON QUESTIONS WE GET IN THE EXAM ROOM, WHAT IS THE BEST TYPE OF FOOD TO FEED YOUR PET? PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS TO FEED A LIFE-STAGE FOOD. LIFE-STAGE FOOD MEANS THAT THERE IS A PUPPY FORMULA, AN ADULT FORMULA, MAYBE A LITE, OR SENIOR FORMULA. LIFE-STAGING, JUST LIKE IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO EAT FOOD BASED ON WHERE WE'RE AT IN LIFE, I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR PETS. THERE ARE SOME FOODS THAT ARE FOR ALL STAGES OF LIFE. YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU LOOK AT THOSE FOODS IT WILL SAY ALL STAGES, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THEIR KITTEN FORMULA IT WAS ALL STAGES, TOO. SO, REALLY, THOSE TWO TYPES OF FOOD ARE THE SAME FOOD. LOOK FOR A LIFE-STAGE FOOD AND AVOID FOODS THAT SAY THEY ARE FOR ALL LIFE STAGES. I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO FEED THE LIFE STAGES BECAUSE EVERYONE'S NUTRITION IS DIFFERENT BASED ON BEING A PUPPY, AN ADULT OR A SENIOR PET.

DT - AS FAR AS FOOD THAT YOU MAY NOT WANT TO GIVE YOUR PET, WHAT ARE SOME THINGS WE SHOULD TRY TO AVOID?

DR - ONE OF THE THINGS YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL OF IS FOOD THAT SAY IT IS HOLISTIC. THERE REALLY IS NO DEFINITION OF HOLISTIC. THERE ARE DEFINITIONS FOR ORGANIC AND NATURAL FOODS. THAT MEANS THEY HAVE NO INGREDIENTS, LIKE DYES, THAT ARE ARTICIAL. THEY ARE4 ALL NATURAL FOODS, OR THEY COMPLY WITH ORGANIC HUMAN FOOD DEFINITION. SO AVOID FOODS THAT SAY HOLISTIC. IF YOU WANT TO FEED ORGANIC FOOD, LOOK FOR THAT ORGANIC SYMBOL THAT'S ON THERE BY THE F-D-A.

DT - IF SOMEONE'S NOT SURE, WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S BEST FOR THEIR PET?

DR - BRING YOUR FOOD INTO YOUR VETERINARIAN AND WE CAN DISCUSS THAT AND GO OVER THE DIFFERENT INGREDIENTS WITH YOU. IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO READ THE AAFCO STATEMENT. AAFCO IS THE AMERICAN FEED COUNCIL AND THEY DETERMINE WHAT CAN BE PUT ONTO A LABEL. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE SEE WITH CATS, IS PEOPLE WILL FEED THE SMALLER SIZES OF CAT FOODS. ON THIS FOOD IT ACTUALLY SAYS APPETIZER, SO THIS ISN'T EVEN REALLY A FULL MEAL FOR THAT PET. SOMEBODY MIGHT CRACK OPEN ONE OF THESE SMALL CANS. THIS IS REALLY JUST AN APPETIZER, SO MAKE SURE YOU READ THE LABEL.

DT - DR. NICHOLS, WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AS ALWAYS, SIR. IF YOU NEED ANY OTHER PET CHECK TIPS, BE SURE TO CHECK OUT OUR WEBSIRE C-I-PROUD DO COM.