Pet Food Myths You Should Know About

Although most of our pets have evolved to adapt to our lifestyle, including the food we eat, there are some ingredients in the human food that are commonly known to be harmful to pets while others are safe. But which of these common-sense beliefs are fact and fiction?

Corn isn’t good for fluffy
This belief probably comes from reports of humans getting allergic reactions to corn, but even if corn allergy among humans is genuine, corn allergy in dogs and cats is very rare, but there are cases of pet allergies to wheat, beef, dairy, chicken and chicken eggs, soy, and lamb. Corn is in fact highly digestible and an even better substitute to barley, rice, wheat, and sorghum.

Table scraps are bad
They’re not necessarily bad as long as the ingredients are not toxic to the pets. In fact, most pet owners alternate commercial pet food with homemade food to ensure that they are giving the best for their pets.

An all-meat diet is essential
Although dogs have evolved from carnivorous wolves, they are omnivores that need a balanced diet of meat, vegetables, and grains. Some scientists challenge this omnivore claim, however, but as long as your veterinarian says it’s okay for your dog, then you should play safe.

Grains are not for pets
Studies show that pets do not benefit from not eating grains, because they can digest grain and even get additional carbohydrates that active pets need. However, you should not feed your pet with food that contains wheat if it is allergic to that ingredient.

By-product ingredients are bad
If you read the labels on the pet food packages, you will find food by-products among the ingredients. These are not necessarily bad for your pet and are in fact highly beneficial to their health, especially ingredients such as animal protein, animal fat, beet pulp, tomato pomace, pork liver, beef liver, heart, and kidney.

More protein means more energy
Protein is necessary for a pet’s growth, but that does not mean it should be consumed in excess. A complete, healthy diet appropriate for your pet is the best way to keep it healthy, instead of an exclusive all-meat or all-vegetable diet.

My cat is vegetarian like me
Cats and dogs are omnivores and need a complete, balanced diet of protein, vitamins, and carbohydrates to be healthy. They do not need to follow diet and lifestyle fads because they have different needs than humans.

Pets need food based on age
Puppies and kittens do not necessarily need an age-based formula, although the size of each feeding and how often you feed them will matter. Vary their food choices instead by serving raw, homemade, canned, dehydrated, and freeze-dried pet food.