The current pet food trend encourages owners to feed their pets the same food that they eat, such as high-quality meat of “human grade,” organic produce, and even “superfoods.” While this is an emotionally appealing approach, it’s not good for your pets’ health or sustainability.
The food that pets eat can leave a significant ecological footprint. In their book, “Time to Eat the Dog?” sustainable living experts Robert Vale and Brenda Vale make the suggestion. The Real Guide to Sustainable Living states that a medium-sized dog can have the same footprint as a large SUV. Many experts came to the same conclusions regarding feeding pets.
The Pet Food IQ Quiz was recently released by our Clinical Nutrition Team, located at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine Tufts University. Three certified veterinary nutritionists wrote it. The quiz shows that there are many myths surrounding feeding pets. Cats and dogs have different nutritional requirements than humans. Understanding these differences will help owners keep their pets healthy and minimize the impact on the environment.
It’s all about the meat. Pet food is made with a large amount of animal protein. The current trend is for our pets to be fed a high-meat diet. Dog foods typically contain 20-40 percent protein, while cat food contains 30-60 percent. Most of the animal-based protein is found in dog foods. The ecological footprint of meat-based diets is larger for both humans and animals than that of plant-based foods. This is because feeding pigs and cows and raising sheep and poultry requires a lot more land, water, and food.
It may be ideal for you, but not necessarily for your pets. www.Shutterstock.com
Animals can safely consume by-products. They are healthy and sustainable. To feed pets a meat-based diet with the least amount of footprint, we should use all parts of animals that are slaughtered for human consumption. This includes organs. The ingredients that are often referred to as “by-products” (and do not include hairs, horns, or teeth) can provide pets with high-quality nutrition. The pet food industry knows this, but many companies continue to tell pet owners they should avoid by-products in order to make their diets more appealing.
It’s not always necessary or ideal for pets to have the same things that humans do. The term “human grade” is sometimes used by manufacturers to describe ingredients or pet food. Does not have a legal meaning, and it doesn’t necessarily imply anything about nutritional value or quality. A product cannot be sold as human food if it has ever left the chain of production for human food. This requirement may sound good, but it can add unnecessary costs and prevent the use of high-quality ingredients. While pets need high-quality food, they shouldn’t be competing for the same steak as their owners. They will happily eat less-pretty trimmings and organ meats.
In North America, obesity is the most prevalent preventable disease. Dale/Flickr, CC BY
Both cats and dogs can consume diets that contain properly cooked grains and other plant-based ingredients. Contrary to popular belief, feeding pets a diet that is free of grains or other plant ingredients does not have any documented health benefits. According to a study, dogs are better able to get nutrients from plants and grains. Grain-free diet trends have more to do with selling pet food than pet health and can result in less sustainable diets.
But vegan and vegetarian diets aren’t always the best choices either. While some humans choose to be vegetarians or vegans because of concerns about animal welfare and sustainability, dogs, and cats do better with some animal products included in their diets. Although eggs and dairy are good choices, strict veganism can cause problems in pets. Dogs, who are more flexible and omnivorous, are better suited to a vegan diet. Cats, on the other hand, are carnivores with special nutritional needs. Cats should be fed diets containing animal protein and nutrients derived from animals.
Reduce the amount of pet food you use to reduce its environmental impact. In the United States, obesity is a serious problem, both for pets and for humans. The main cause is the consumption of more calories than necessary.
You can make a healthy and sustainable choice by feeding your dog or cat a diet that contains moderate amounts of meat, using animal by-products, and only giving your pet the amount needed to maintain a healthy, lean body weight. It is possible to have a sustainable and healthy approach by feeding your cat or dog diets with moderate amounts of animal products and meat.
