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520.881.3221
4340 E. Broadway Blvd.
Tucson, AZ 85711

What’s In Your Pet’s Food?

Many pet owners want to feed their pets healthy foods. Various pet foods, however, are not very healthy. Knowing exactly what is going into your pet’s food can help you make a well informed decision about what type of food is best for your animal.  Our team of Tucson veterinarians will tell you that a healthy pet is a happy pet!

Many of the most popular dog and cat food brands have illustrations of the best ingredients on the bag. The back of the bag is what matters because it has information about each ingredient in the pet food, similar to how the ingredients on human foods are listed!

The first ingredient is very important because the pet food will have more of that ingredient when compared to the other ingredients. Each pet food brand must include each ingredient in order based on weight. The best pet foods will use natural, deboned meats. Generally, the first ingredient of many unhealthy pet foods is ground, yellow corn. Yellow corn meal has little nutritional value, and it affects pets that have allergies.  Also, corn and rice are known to be used commonly as filler ingredients.

The best pet food usually consists of 10 of the best ingredients by 80%. However, a few pet food brands use other methods. For example, the lower quality ingredients are usually at the bottom of the bag. There may be ground corn, chicken, corn gluten, and corn bran. When all the corn ingredients are grouped together, they out-weigh the chicken products.

When shopping for pet food always inspect the ingredients carefully. Some pet foods have artificial preservatives and colorings. Quality pet foods contain certain ingredients that provide benefits to pets. For example, the food should have natural meat because it is a source of digestible protein. Proteins are needed for growth, energy, maintenance, and more. Also, the food must have whole grains. Whole grains include oats and barley. Whole grain contains carbohydrates, and they maintain a pet’s energy level. Process grains don’t have healthy fiber. Healthy pet food also has veggies and fruit. They provide essential antioxidants, enzymes, and phytonutrients. Other benefits include minerals, fibers, and natural vitamins. They maintain wellness and health. Most of the pet food brands, however, contain unhealthy ingredients. Avoid foods that have chemical preservatives. They have side effects and provide no nutritional value.

Have questions about your pet’s nutritional needs? Contact the veterinarians at Encanto Pet Clinic, your trusted Tucson veterinarians, today.