Commercial Petfoods Flashcards
What often becomes problematic when choosing diets for multi pet house holds?
Multiple pets will require different diets or nutrients pending their age, breed, body score etc - but owners find it more convenient to feed the same diet
What percentage of money spent on pets is spent on their food?
33%
**this is a major US industry $$$
Where do majority of pet owners purchase their pet food?
Mass market/merchandise - Sam’s club, costco, etc
Followed by grocery stores
- What are some examples of private label or generic brands of pet food?
- Where are they sold?
- What is their market emphasis?
- Kirkland = costco, Old Roy = walmart
- They are sold at grocery, feed stores, and large format retailers
- Their market emphasis is LOW COST
* less emphasis on ingredient quality and control
What is the market emphasis of Grocery store brand pet foods?
Palatability
**usually have a high fat content to increase taste
Where do consumers purchase specialty brand pet foods?
Pet stores or vet clinic
What is the market emphasis of specialty brands?
Ingredients and “optimal nutrition”
+/- special needs and specific purpose
Where can consumers purchase veterinary medical foods?
licensed veterinary sales only
What are the four commercial food forms?
dry
moist
soft-moist
soft-dry
What is the moisture content of dry foods?
6-12%
T/F: Microbes do not grow well in foods with low moisture content
TRUE
like dry food (6-12%)
What nutrient holds dry food particles together?
Starch
What is the moisture content in semi-moist foods?
25-50%
Why should semi-moist foods be avoided in diabetic patients?
They use simple sugars to maintain moisture
***sugar content
What is added to semi-moist foods to prevent them from spoiling?
antioxidants - usually vitamin E derivatives to prevent fat from going bad
T/F: Semi moist treats are okay for all pets, if in moderation
FALSE
Should always be avoided in diabetic patients
What is the moisture content of soft-dry foods?
10-20% moisture
*this is a blend of soft moist and dry particles (ex: kibbles and bits)
T/F: Soft dry foods like kibbles and bits, generally are okay for any stage of life/any animal
FALSE
These should be avoided in diabetic patients because they are similar to semi moist foods and can have high sugar contents
What is the moisture content in moist pet foods?
68-85%
What foods are safe to feed ad lib, and what foods should only be meal fed?
Dry - can feed free choice
semi moist - free choice is okay
Moist food - can not feed free choice **microbes
When asking clients about their pets diet, what are some questions you must ask to get all of the information?
What is their primary, secondary, and or tertiary diet/food? (ex: dry with canned mixed in for dinner)
Does the pet receive any treats?
Are treats or food used to administer medication?
Does the pet get pigs ears or other edible chew toys? Etc
Does the animal get any supplements and why?
T/F: Adding supplements to a pets diet will always be beneficial
False
*over use often can pose health risks
Is it necessary to add supplements to a pets diet?
Not necessary if feeding balanced diets to normal/healthy dogs and cats
**sometimes there may be a specific medical application
What percentage of the daily diet should treats and human foods be limited to in domesticated pets?
Less than 10%
T/F: Most often, treats are complete and balanced
FALSE
Many are not. You may have to find the product information on the website or call the company to get the full nutrient break down
**if you can not obtain this information - get different treats!
What are the components of dry matter in pet food?
Carbs Protein Fat Minerals Vitamins
How do you calculate the dry determinants of a specific nutrient within a food?
Take the percentage of moisture on the label and subtract that by 100% to get your dry matter content
Then take your percentage of nutrient of interest, divide that by your dry matter content, and multiply by 100
Dry weight% = Nutrient %/Dry matter %
