Is It Really Better to Read Labels on Pet Food?

I say a resounding yes. I was dismayed last year when I ran across a couple of articles on pet food and discovered most commercial pet food is full of filler ingredients, like wheat, that our pets wouldn’t normally eat outside in the wild. Corn is used to fatten animals up fast for slaughter, and it’s all over the ingredient labels on just about every commercial brand of pet food out there. Add that to all the chemicals dumped in their food and the meat by-products that are used instead of actual meat. And here I thought my cat was eating a mostly meat-based product, just like if he was outside chasing down birds and mice. 

So I took the plunge and bought some more expensive food for him advertised as corn and wheat free and using more natural ingredients with real meat. I was amazed at the change. The food is also much higher protein (most commercial food has only about 10% protein!!). I noticed right away I didn’t have to put as much food down for him anymore — he seemed to be more filled up with the new food. And months later he has the shiniest fur and has lost that firm belly he was starting to get as a house cat — now he’s a healthy, leaner looking cat. I also discovered one more benefit….I’ve tried feeding him conventional food again since, both canned and dry, and every single time he gets sick now. I don’t know if he had an intolerance to wheat or corn that wasn’t showing itself, or if the chemicals were getting to him, but he clearly does not do well with the old foods. 

Ever since the pet food scare a while back, more and more brands of organic/natural pet foods have shown up on the shelves in stores. There are even cheaper generic brands available now. A search online can show comparisons of different brands and which ones have safer ingredients and so forth. Keeping an eye on labels and doing some research can make your pet healthier.