Pet Food: Does the Highest Price Mean the Highest Quality?

There's one way in which pet food is exactly like human food.....it's highly marketed.

But buy pet food based on ingredients, not marketing.

You’ve seen the commercials…your best friends’ health and happiness depends on whether their food is full of quality cuts of meat! (I always imagine a bag stuffed with pork chops and sirloin steak whenever I hear this pitch.) Plus delicious vegetables! (A few pounds worth of peas, carrots and arugula scattered amongst the quality meat, yes?)

Forget all that. Commercials for pet food, just like commercials for human food, are designed to make things seem much better than they often actually are. So when you're buying pet food, don't think about the commercial with the bouncing, bright-eyed dog or the gorgeous kitty. Don't look at all the yummy lamb chops and salad fixings plastered all over the packaging.

Examine the ingredients list on the package. You need to buy pet food based on what's actually in the food.

Ingredients are listed in descending order based on quantity. So, after a quick check of some labels, you may find that dog or cat foods that cost much less have nearly the same ingredients, in the same proportions, as the high priced stuff. Chicken by-products, bone meal, corn meal, wheat meal, soy meal…you’ll find them in a variety of brands.

Compare ingredient list to ingredient list to find brands that are truly comparable. You may find that the most highly marketed brands have more grain and meat by-products (and less actual meat) than some of the cheaper brands….and that, in most cases, vegetables come far down on the list.

If your dog or cat has allergies for certain kinds of food--soy, gluten or wheat, for example-- check for those ingredients, too. And look for pet foods that are “complete and balanced” as defined by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO.) These foods have been tested to make sure they provide all the nutrients your pet needs. (You can check for pet food recalls at the AAFCO site as well.)

And, please, for the sake of your pocketbook, stay away from tiny packs of food marketed for tiny dogs. Many of them have exactly the same ingredients, but a much higher price tag, than larger cans or packages.

For example, you’ll find almost no difference--other than the obvious difference in packaging-- in the two sizes of food shown at the top of this article, both from the same pet food company.

The small envelope of food is almost the same recipe as the much larger can (I put the can up in the envelope display so I could get a shot of both of them together.) But the food in the can costs 6 cents per ounce, while the food in the envelope costs 23 cents per ounce.

“But Poopsy is such a little biddy doggy,” you wail. “She’ll take three days to eat all the food in that can, and it will stink up the fridge and get all dried out and icky!”

Uh-huh. Scoop the food out of the big can and put it in an airtight container, then refrigerate it. The food will stay moist and fresh. No odor in the fridge. And you just might be able to afford Poopsy's weekly manicure if you pay one-quarter the price for her food.

Finally, no matter what dog or cat food you buy, don’t overfeed your pet. It makes no sense to waste your hard-earned dollars to pack unnecessary and unhealthy pounds on your cat or dog. A reasonably lean (not bony!) pet that’s got bright eyes, a shiny coat and plenty of energy is the best proof of a good diet. As for food scraps from your table? Not usually a good idea. Maybe a tiny piece of meat, now and then, but be careful....some human foods, such as chocolate and raisins can actually make your animals very sick.

When it comes to feeding your pet, go with common sense, not high-powered persuasion from marketing experts....and when in doubt, ask your vet.