It is NOT the Age that Counts
Back to Basics Human Grade Food for Pets
All Life Stages Formula
We have all seen formulas for each life stage (puppy/kitten, adult, senior). However, recently the Super Premium pet foods are saying that single formulas made for "all life stages" are healthier for our pets. To know who is correct lets begin with a logical point of view.
Stepping away from pets for a moment we look at ourselves and ask... Does a healthy and complete meal change from when we are 4 years old to 29 years old or even 80 years old? The answer is obviously "no".
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The American Medical Association confirms that a nutritious diet of whole healthy foods is recommended for all people of all ages. Any meal that is complete, balanced, and healthy remains complete, balanced, and healthy even as we age. However, when pet food manufacturers tell us young pets need different food from adult or senior pets, and in some cases breed specific foods (which is like saying a tall person and a short person should eat differently), we simply nod and take their word for it. The question we should be asking is: Why is there a variation in the formulas and is this variation healthier for our animals?
Protein and fat are the ingredients most affected by different life stage formulas. We are told that puppies require much higher protein levels for their growth and overall health. his is very true. In fact, research tells us that the ideal protein range for growing puppies is between 20%-23%. Protein levels for puppies should not fall below this range (20%-23%); puppies fed 17% protein showed slightly depressed growth and restlessness. Puppies fed protein levels higher than 23% (from 25%-37%) grew at the same rate as those fed at 23% but showed growth problems. Excess protein (higher than 23%) causes the puppy's blood to be more acidic. Their bodies use the calcium from the bones to make the blood more alkaline. This causes a calcium deficiency which can cause growth problems. The same holds true with kittens except that the amount of protein and fat needed for cats is higher. Ideal levels of protein range between 33%-35% and optimum fat levels range between 20%-22%.
Does the level of protein needed for ideal health in our adult and senior pets decrease as they age? No, it does not. Protein levels of 20%-23% for dogs and 33%-35% for cats are still ideal for the long term health of our older pets. However, our adults and senior pet do not "require it for survival". They will, in fact, survive on the lower protein levels; they just will not be as healthy. That is the how many pet food manufacturers are able to lower the protein levels for our older pets. There are several benefits to feeding the optimum protein levels. For instance, less food is required to meet the daily needs, muscling is promoted, the higher protein provides additional amino acids for use in stress conditions such as disease, wound healing, lactation, etc., and it favorably influences antibody formation. So what benefit is it to the manufacturer to reduce protein in our older pets if the same protein is ideal for kittens, puppies, adults, and seniors? Protein is very expensive, and reducing protein quantities significantly reduces the cost of producing pet food. Simply put, profit is put before health.
The qualities of the proteins used are essential when reading protein levels. If low quality proteins are used; then much of this protein is not digested. In other words, our pets are not getting the protein it states on the label. The effect, either our pets do not receive enough protein for optimum health or, in puppy foods, labels show much higher levels than are needed because only a fraction of that protein is utilized and digested. Whether reading a puppy or kitten label, an adult label, or a senior label the protein quanitiy listed does not mean your animal is receiving that protein. To ensure our pets are getting the right amount of protein, pet foods made with human quality proteins listed in the "meal" form, such as "Chicken meal" are the best. Any by-products or vegetable proteins should be avoided as they are not as digestible and leave us guessing how much protein our animals are really getting.
Turning our focus to fat; animals metabolize fat the same manner humans metabolize carbohydrates. Animals use fat for almost every function in their bodies. High fat consumption dramatically increases endurance levels, and helps your pet maintain a healthy body temperature in extreme weather conditions. A high fat ratio provides important resistance to heat exhaustion, heat stroke and hypothermia. High fat promotes a healthy skin and coat. So, why do so many pet foods have low fat content (adequate in some puppy/kitten foods, and then dropping dramatically in adult and senior foods)? Simply put, there are three reasons;
(1) High fat in a food reduces the shelf life of that food.
(2) High fat used with low quality proteins will cause diarrhea in your animal.
(3) Fat is very expensive.
Does the amount of fat needed for your pet's optimum health decrease as they get older? No, but once again pets do not need as much fat to sustain life when they get older. We are told to reduce the amount of fat we are feeding our pets because it contributes to overweight pets. This is true in humans not animals. High carbohydrate levels interfere with your pet's ability to metabolize fat, causing them to store it. That is why, as our animals get older and are switched to adult and senior formulas in which the protein and fat levels have been cut significantly, our animals become obese. Fat will keep your animals lean. Carbohydrates used to replace the fat will make them overweight. This is not what is healthiest for our pets. Optimum fat levels are from 17%-20% in dogs and 22% in cats.
In conclusion, formulas geared to specific life stages (puppy/kitten, adult, senior) supply only the minimum nutrition needed for the basic survival of our pets at each life stage. In contrast, foods made for all life stages provide the best nutrition possible for all ages. There are other factors to be taken into consideration when choosing an "all life stages" formula, some of them are:
- Only feed formulas that use human quality ingredients that are hormone and antibiotic free
- Only feed formulas that use whole, healthy ingredients and never feed by-products or fillers (any carbohydrate source followed by the words "gluten", "flour", "hull", or "bran")
- Only feed formulas that use natural preservatives such as Vitamin E, C, and Rosemary Extract, never feed chemical preservatives (BHA, BHT, or Ethoxyquin)
By following these basic guidelines, we will have done our part to ensure the best health possible for our beloved pets.
