A while back I did a post, Does Shrinkng Budget Mean Changing Dog Food? The article broached the subject of pet owners buying cheaper pet food due to tough economic times. At the end I asked Dogsters what they would do, we received over 100 barks back.

While some conceded they had changed foods, the majority did not, and had no plans to. The overall consensus was that spending more meant higher quality. So, does price really reflect what you get?  In the March 2009 issue of Consumers Reports there is an article comparing the pricier foods to the cheaper brands.

Consumer Reports asked eight experts in dog and cat nutrition at seven top veterinary schools what consumers get by spending more for pet food. They were also asked what they served their own pets:

Most of the experts said they use a variety of common brands sold at pet stores or supermarkets.

A recent survey by the Associated Press found that although Americans may be spending less on themselves, they’re not scrimping on their pets. According to the survey, just one in seven pet owners said they had curtailed spending on their pet during the past year, even as they cut back on other expenses.

Thirty-seven percent of U.S. households have dogs, and 32 percent have cats. But because of multi-cat households, felines outnumber canines: As of 2007, there were almost 82 million cats and 72 million dogs.

The bottom line, says Consumer Reports: It’s more important to look for the overall nutrient profile of a particular pet food brand than it is to shop by price or even individual ingredients. “As a pet owner, your main goal is to ensure that your animal is active and healthy,” says Jamie Hirsh, associate health editor at Consumer Reports. “That suggests that the food you’re buying is doing its job. But it’s also important to know that you don’t have to choose the most expensive food to get what’s best for your pet. Look for food labeled ‘complete and balanced,’ which indicates it can be the pet’s sole nourishment.”

Hirsh advises pet owners to look for labels stating that the food’s nutritional adequacy was validated by animal-feeding tests based on protocols from the American Association of Feed Control Officials, a regulatory group.

That statement is a step above the other one that AAFCO allows – that a food was formulated to meet the group’s nutrient profiles. “In addition, make sure the package has contact information for the food’s manufacturer, in case you have questions,” Hirsh says.

Consumers should also take into consideration the age of their pet and whether he or she has special needs. For example, cats with kidney or urinary problems might benefit from the moisture in wet food, while animals with dental issues might do better with dry food.

What Pet-Food Labels Really Mean: Read the rest of this entry »

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This story is concerning dog food sold in China not the United States. However, there is a question whether this food was imported from the US or Australia, as well as exactly where the blame lies.

SHANGHAI, China – A local distributor of a popular brand of dog food said Monday it had suspended sales of the product following reports that dogs who ate it died from poisoning.

China’s recent food safety scandals have centered on locally made products; this time it wasn’t immediately clear whether the product was locally made or imported.

A customer service manager at Shanghai Yidi Pet Co. said the company stopped selling Optima brand dog food last week following reports that more than a dozen dogs who ate it had died from aflatoxin poisoning.

An Optima brand of pet food is made by Doane International Pet Products LLC, based in Brentwood, Tenn. Mars Inc. acquired the Brentwood-based Doane Pet Care Enterprises Inc. in 2006.

U.S.-based Mars Inc., the world’s largest chocolate seller and the maker of several pet foods, denied involvement Monday but said it was investigating the reports from China.

“To the best of its current knowledge, the Optima-branded pet food which appears to have caused these reported incidents in the People’s Republic of China was not manufactured by, or under the authority of, Mars or any of its affiliated companies,” the company said in a statement e-mailed to The Associated Press.

This has turned into a bit of a blame game, no one taking responsibility. The saddest part is that while everyone is blaming each other over 30 dogs have died.

Thanks Kodi for barking this to me.

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