The most common ingredient in pet feed is...

[Azazel]

Corn.

Thought this was an interesting report about a report... What is the most commonly used pet food ingredient?

Chicken is the second most commonly used pet food ingredient – but knowing that chicken in pet food can be only chicken skin or only chicken bones (little to no meat), it provides little comfort being the second ingredient. As concerning as corn being the most commonly used cat food and dog food ingredient – the third ingredient Meat and bone meal – is just as concerning. FDA testing determined the pet food ingredient meat and bone meal to be associated with pentobarbital/euthanized animals.

And when looking at dry cat foods only... corn is the top two ingredients.

 

[Furballsmom]

With the FDA testing seeing those results, along with the other items, it's up to us as food purchasers to vote with our dollars as best we can by looking for and buying food that doesn't have corn, and by talking to the manufacturers about their meal sources.

 

[Willowy]

I don't like that, but I've also realized (moreso recently, of course) that if pet food weren't made of human food leftovers/rejects, there's no way there could be this many pets in the country. And most American pets are reasonably healthy; it's not as though foods with those ingredients are resulting in gross deficiencies. So. Idk. The firstest of first-world problems I guess .

 

[Azazel]

I don't like that, but I've also realized (moreso recently, of course) that if pet food weren't made of human food leftovers/rejects, there's no way there could be this many pets in the country. And most American pets are reasonably healthy; it's not as though foods with those ingredients are resulting in gross deficiencies. So. Idk. The firstest of first-world problems I guess .

It is true that it would require an overhaul of how we produce food to actually change the pet food industry. But, the more demand there is for higher quality foods, the more better quality options there will be for those of us who are able and willing to spend a little more. I think there will always be the lesser quality cheaper option, but the problem is that the cheaper option is marketed as if it is 'healthy' so people who are able to and willing to spend more for quality food are deceived by the cheaper poor quality options (e.g., Hills, Royal Canin). The problem is lots of misinformation and poor regulation in my opinion.

I disagree that American pets are generally 'healthy.'

In third world countries cats roam the streets eating wild game and are fed scraps of human cooked and raw meat. It's a completely different culture so it's hard to compare and say it's a 'first world problem.'

Obesity in humans is a 'first-world problem,' but it's still a problem..

 

[kittyluv387]

I don't like that, but I've also realized (moreso recently, of course) that if pet food weren't made of human food leftovers/rejects, there's no way there could be this many pets in the country. And most American pets are reasonably healthy; it's not as though foods with those ingredients are resulting in gross deficiencies. So. Idk. The firstest of first-world problems I guess .

I agree with A Azazel there are plenty of low quality options. It's hard when you're trying to look for high quality stuff and you read through the ingredients and email companies about the specifications and you realize 90% of the products are low quality. This is the reason homemade food is a popular section on the site. And no I don't really think most pets are as healthy as they could be. They certainly live longer than they used to but that mirrors the american lifespan too. Americans live longer but don't spend a majority of their middle aged and senior years being healthy. But in general I do have high standards for my health and looks as well.

 

[Willowy]

Do you know the impact meat production has on the environment? I shudder to think of the situation if every pet were fed human-grade meat.

no I don't really think most pets are as healthy as they could be.

I didn't say "as healthy as they could be", I said "generally healthy". The dogs I see walking around with their owners don't exactly appear to be on their last legs.

 

[kittyluv387]

Do you know the impact meat production has on the environment? I shudder to think of the situation if every pet were fed human-grade meat.

I didn't say "as healthy as they could be", I said "generally healthy". The dogs I see walking around with their owners don't exactly appear to be on their last legs.

I think it's pretty apparent that having indoor cats in general is not an environmentally friendly action. Think of all that litter tossed out in plastic bags when they can be pooping on some nice and natural dirt outside! Also cats are carnivores afterall, they need meat and a lot of it. But in general, except in instances where cats have sensitivities (like my black cat on my avatar) I think it's fine if the meat used isn't human grade. But corn as the first or 2nd ingredient is just simply not good for the cat since they are obligate carnivores. Yes dogs should be fed mostly meat as well but there is a little more room for error with them since they have a little bit of an omnivorous nature and more importantly they have an actual strong thirst drive. So I think the mixed dogs without genetic predispositions fare pretty well in our society. Most dry fed pet cats are chronically dehydrated even if they seem to drink water because they are meant to get majority of their water from their foods. Heck their tongues aren't even made for drinking.

Edit: Sorry probably got a bit off topic about my water rant haha. It kind of goes hand in hand with the corn being first or 2nd ingredient. Happens with the dry foods.

 

[Willowy]

Ah, yes, I do think cats should get wet food, they are desert animals and don't drink enough water on dry food. But I'm not going to complain that cheap canned food is made of "chicken feet and spleens" like the Truth About Pet Food blogger does .

 

[kittyluv387]

Also I think Royal Canin gets away with murder. Their dry foods are soooo carby and corny. But as we all know they are an expensive brand.

 

[Azazel]

Do you know the impact meat production has on the environment? I shudder to think of the situation if every pet were fed human-grade meat.

I didn't say "as healthy as they could be", I said "generally healthy". The dogs I see walking around with their owners don't exactly appear to be on their last legs.

I think it's pretty much a guarantee that most pet feed companies do not source their meat in a sustainable way. Actually I think it would be much better for the environment if we had better farming practices and pet food came from good quality meat. A lot of the parts of the animal that humans don't eat such as organs and bones could be used towards pet food. The problem is not animals requiring meat, the problem is humans requiring more than they need. I don't think animals should suffer poor diets because humans are excessive.

I still think "generally healthy" is a very subjective statement and still a stretch.

Ah, yes, I do think cats should get wet food, they are desert animals and don't drink enough water on dry food. But I'm not going to complain that cheap canned food is made of "chicken feet and spleens" like the Truth About Pet Food blogger does .

I don't think that's what she's complaining about. She would be happy with chicken feet and spleens if they were from quality sourced meat. She started that website because her dog died from eating poor quality food. She's not just sitting around complaining for no reason. And yes, sometimes her posts are over dramatic and biased, but I am thankful for people like her who stand up for consumer rights, attend AAFCO meetings, and put pressure on the pet feed industry to do better. You don't necessarily have to care about the cause, but lots of us have had cats who we believe could have had much longer and healthier lives had there been better dietary choices for them. Most of us who move to homemade food do so because our animals are sick.

 

[Azazel]

By the way, the point of this thread was to point out the inappropriate ingredients in pet food (i.e., mainly corn). It's not about truthaboutpetfood or whether pet food should or shouldn't be made from leftovers. I don't see much of a problem with using leftovers if they are not from diseased animals and if the bulk of the diet is made from whole muscle meat. The problem is that it's mostly corn...

 

[Willowy]

. I don't see much of a problem with using leftovers if they are not from diseased animals and if the bulk of the diet is made from whole muscle meat.

Whole muscle meat from healthy animals would not be considered leftovers, usually. The amount of grain, water, and fuel to raise a pound of usable meat is astronomical. I don't believe it would be sustainable at all for every cat and dog to be fed a primarily muscle meat diet.

Yes, there are more sustainable meat production methods but they all require a lot of resources.

I agree that the US is overly dependent on corn, and that's unsustainable for the long-term.

In short, I think a plant-heavy diet for the majority of pets is probably a necessary evil. Or maybe fewer people should own pets, but I really doubt that's going to happen.

The problem is lots of misinformation and poor regulation in my opinion.

I more often hear that there's too much regulation! What other regulations would you like to see?

I don't think that's what she's complaining about.

Just going by her "pet-sumer" post .

 

[Azazel]

Whole muscle meat from healthy animals would not be considered leftovers, usually. The amount of grain, water, and fuel to raise a pound of usable meat is astronomical. I don't believe it would be sustainable at all for every cat and dog to be fed a primarily muscle meat diet.

Yes, I know.
If people only ate what they need and not to excess then there would be plenty of meat to go around for all.

In short, I think a plant-heavy diet for the majority of pets is probably a necessary evil. Or maybe fewer people should own pets, but I really doubt that's going to happen.

It's a necessarily evil to feed an obligate carnivore corn? I value animals a lot more than that. Maybe we just differ in the amount of value we give to animal life. I would never want to resort to a necessary evil against animals so that humans can live their life in excess of their needs.

I just fundamentally disagree with the attitude that we should give up on giving better lives to animals because what humans want comes first.

I more often hear that there's too much regulation! What other regulations would you like to see?

Where are you hearing that there's too much regulation? I've never heard that. Pet feed companies don't even have to fully detail the amount of nutrients on their labels. And labels like 'chicken' have very vague meanings that the average consumer cannot look up freely unless they pay a cost.

 

[Willowy]

If people only ate what they need and not to excess then there would be plenty of meat to go around for all.

Possibly. I'm not sure. We've artificially increased the number of cats and dogs so high that I'm just not sure the environment could handle feeding every one of them an all-meat diet.

It's a necessarily evil to feed an obligate carnivore corn?

Doesn't have to be corn. Could be rice or oats or whatever is normally found in commercial pet food.

Where are you hearing that there's too much regulation?

Farmers, mainly. They hate regulations.

labels like 'chicken' have very vague meanings that the average consumer cannot look up freely unless they pay a cost.

I'm able to find it on the AAFCO website, which is not behind a paywall.

 

[Azazel]

Possibly. I'm not sure. We've artificially increased the number of cats and dogs so high that I'm just not sure the environment could handle feeding every one of them an all-meat diet.

Doesn't have to be corn. Could be rice or oats or whatever is normally found in commercial pet food.

Farmers, mainly. They hate regulations.

I'm able to find it on the AAFCO website, which is not behind a paywall.

I don't consider feeding an obligate carnivore primarily grains a "necessary evil." I actually consider that animal abuse.

I'm talking about the pet feed industry regulations, not farmers.

Can you provide a link to where on the AAFCO website it provides defintions of pet feed ingredients? I am interested in having it. It may be that they recently made it publicly available and I'm not aware.

 

[Willowy]

I think a cat eating an all-meat diet may consume not much less than a human; current American consumption is 225 pounds of meat per year:
Per Capita Consumption of Poultry and Livestock, 1960 to Forecast 2020, in Pounds

I actually consider that animal abuse.

I see. What will you do with the millions and millions of abused pets?

I'm talking about the pet feed industry regulations, not farmers.

They're the ones that grow the ingredients. It all starts with them---if they aren't regulated the pet food industry won't know what it's getting.

Can you provide a link to where on the AAFCO website it provides defintions of pet feed ingredients?

It doesn't include the definition for every ingredient, as I'm sure their big book does, but it defines all the meat ingredients:
What’s in the Ingredients List?

 

[Azazel]

I think a cat eating an all-meat diet may consume not much less than a human; current American consumption is 225 pounds of meat per year:
Per Capita Consumption of Poultry and Livestock, 1960 to Forecast 2020, in Pounds

I see. What will you do with the millions and millions of abused pets?

They're the ones that grow the ingredients. It all starts with them---if they aren't regulated the pet food industry won't know what it's getting.

It doesn't include the definition for every ingredient, as I'm sure their big book does, but it defines all the meat ingredients:
What’s in the Ingredients List?

The fact that many pet foods are primarily grains is exactly why people are pushing the pet food industry to change. Consumers are blind to the unhealthy foods they feed to their pets because of lack of transparency. Then cats end up with high rates of kidney disease, diabetes, and so forth.

Also, I'm talking about regulating the pet feed industry. You're talking about regulating farmers, two different things.

Yes, I know that's up on the site. I'm talking about the details that are available if you pay a fee.

Anyway, I'm stepping out of this conversation now because, as with most conversations that I have with you, it seems that you like to just disagree with me for the sake of disagreeing and we're going in circles.

 

[Willowy]

I'm sorry you feel that way. I thought the discussion was pretty cool.

Are there even more words on the definition of "chicken" in their big book? I can't imagine saying any more about it.

But for those who are also enjoying the discussion: what improvements would you like to see in terms of transparency? What other regulations would you like to see?

 

[kittyluv387]

I'm sorry you feel that way. I thought the discussion was pretty cool.

Are there even more words on the definition of "chicken" in their big book? I can't imagine saying any more about it.

But for those who are also enjoying the discussion: what improvements would you like to see in terms of transparency? What other regulations would you like to see?

Just actual direct calories from protein, carb and fat on a DMB labeled clearly on the can. None of that min and max bs. Percentage of all nutrients on a DMB available on their website.

 

[Willowy]

DMB would be nice, yeah. The percentage system is a bit confusing.

One problem is that due to the nature of organic ingredients, every batch will be slightly different. Which is the reason for the min/max listing, as I understand it. I'm not sure how they could do it differently.