Commercial Pet Foods

Many commercial pet foods contain ingredients that your pet would not choose to eat if it had a choice. Most commonly, you will find that the label suggests main ingredients such as "chicken, rabbit and duck", whilst the list of ingredients on the back will show that those meats only make up a very small percentage of the actual content, sometimes as little as 4%. So what is the remainder made up of? Usually you will find a mixture of "meat and animal derivatives", carbohydrates and various additives. The term "animal derivatives" is pretty clear: it describes any substances derived from animals' bodies other than meat. This includes claws, beaks, bones, feathers, fur and fluids. Some of these substances contain very little nutritional value but are being used to make up a significant part of the food's content in order to make a profit. In addition to this, the ingredients used are often rancid, so that artificial colouring and scent is used to disguise the resulting unappealing smells and appearance of the food. Rather than using meat and derivatives exclusively derived from farm animals and other appropriate sources, the commercial pet-food industry also uses the bodies of euthanized pets in their pet-foods, complete with collars, microchips and any diseases that the deceased pet came with. Cats and dogs are not meant to eat their own kind, and few people would be happy knowing that their beloved pet may be used as a cheap ingredient in tinned food to be fed to other pets.

Aside from making your own pet-food, which some people may not find convenient, there are things you can do to ensure that you are buying suitable, healthy food for your pet. Look for foods that list only meat and organs as opposed to "animal derivatives", and make sure the type of meat is specified in the list of ingredients, such as "beef", "chicken", "rabbit" etc.
Cats and dogs have different dietary requirements, with cats needing a much higher protein content than dogs. Check the label for a protein content that is close to your pet's specific requirements and make sure that the protein used is from actual meat, as opposed to sources of inferior quality.

Your pet will thank you.