Critter Talk: Finding Fault with Fillers in Pet Foods (Part 1)
Reading a pet food label is easy. Translating it into usable information is quite another. In case you never tried it, let me offer you this frank observation: Even as a veterinarian, interpreting what’s what on the back of the bag isn’t always easy.
And nowhere is this tougher than when it comes to spotting “real” ingredients versus the so-called “fillers.” Mostly, that’s because “fillers” mean different things to different people. And that’s where the confusion begins…
Ask most people and they’ll say that fillers are cheap ingredients that serve to “fill pets up.” But for many of us, a better definition of a filler might be anything that:
a) Isn’t a biologically appropriate ingredient for the species
b) Adds bulk in lieu of other, more nutritious, or higher quality options
c) Adds nutrients in lieu of other, higher quality options
d) Offers the pet food company a higher profit margin at the expense of quality (especially, when that quality makes a difference to pet health)
Granted, any of the above can be said to march in time to the beholder’s POV. To wit, what’s “biologically appropriate” for any given species (including humans) is as hotly debated as climate change. Though there are some obvious examples of biological impropriety (cats should not be eating corn-based foods, nor should dogs be eating any amount of high-fructose corn syrup), it’s not always so cut and dry.
Which is why many veterinary nutritionists will agree that so-called fillers exist in pet foods, but some will hold they’re necessary for maintaining an appropriate nutrient balance. Here’s Angell Memorial’s veterinary nutritionist, Dr. Rebecca Remillard’s approach (speaking of dogs only):
“In a sense, [a carbohydrate filler is a much needed] part of the diet. The point to consider when thinking about why carbohydrates constitute a large fraction of most pet foods [is that] on a dry matter basis (no water included), the total of all five nutrients must equal 100. So the sum of protein plus fat plus carbohydrate (starch plus fiber) plus minerals plus vitamins must equal 100. There are no other components to consider.
If all the dog’s nutrient requirements … can be met in a twenty percent protein, ten percent fat, ten percent for all vitamins and minerals, what has to comprise the remaining sixty percent?
The least harmful is carbohydrate in some various form. There are no other nutrients. If you wish to feed less carbohydrate then you’ll have to overfeed some other nutrient like protein or fat.”
I wholeheartedly agree, and I absolutely respect Dr. Remillard. Nonetheless, my problem with her take (and I would love it if she would offer her opinion here) is three-fold:
1-I’m OK with feeding dogs more protein than twenty percent, as long as they have no aggression issues. Science hasn’t yet dictated this magic number’s preeminence.
2-This excerpt would seem to suggest that all carbs are created equal. But they’re not. This we know.
3-Fillers shouldn’t always be defined as carbs. To my nit-picky, curmudgeonly way of thinking, a filler is any substitute for something better that could have been offered in its stead. (Though I’ll freely agree that “better” isn’t exactly easy to agree upon, and fillers almost always arrive in the guise of carbs.)
(All of which males me thing Dr. Remillard and I simply have a differing opinion on how a filler is defined.)
Ultimately though, it’s the issue of food price and profit margin that raises the trickiest issue. How far should pet food companies go to offer a nutritionally balanced diet? When are substitutions for high-quality meats, vegetables, and grains considered acceptable? Do these substitutions (i.e., fillers) really make a difference to pet health? Should health ever be sacrificed for profit?
Unfortunately, the answer to this last question is a resounding “yes” in our culture. Otherwise, why would places like McDonald’s and “foods” like Coca-Cola exist? But I digress … which means it’s time to step away from the keyboard and take a break. Stay tuned for part 2 later this week: how best to spot fillers in pet foods.
Many thanks to Dr. Patty Khuly and our friends at Fully Vetted
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Because dogs are “easy pukers” (have no difficulty barfing- and indeed do so for their young) they can also be indiscriminate omnivores. Scavengers can’t afford to be picky- the hunting isn’t always good you know. If they eat something that doesn’t “sit right”, back up it comes. (People think rats are gross, but they are actually very picky eaters as they are unable to vomit.)
A cat is a carnivore in the wild. Other than the possibility of the cat eating the stomach contents of a prey animal, there is hardly anything other than meat in the diet. I have a cat (Krell’s cat actually) that recently ate a bunch of ant larvae I had uncovered when moving a rock. It was like watching a video of a honey badger ignoring the bees going after him as he brushed away the ants crawling on his face. I have seen him eat a slug, bugs, squirrels- not too picky as long as it is protein.
This high protein diet coupled with the shortness of the alimentary canal make a cat’s crap pretty high in “almost” food value waste. Which is why it smells so very very bad, and why dogs eat it with such relish.
Very interesting MH. My dogs hunt everything. Once in a while they are fortunate enough to actually catch a field mouse. Unlike cats they don’t play with their food. It is gone with 60 seconds 🙂
Thank you for all of the information, you have done your research which is very helpful. I have converted to IAMS for the two dogs and three cats and they are all healthy and happy. They have great coats and they all seem to enjoy the taste. Although my dogs will eat anything so I can’t judge too much on their taste. They have developed a strong affinity for bread and chips, not by my choice mind you.:-)
The cats on the other hand are very picky and they like the IAMS food and all are doing well. Now I just need to find something that will help my long hair cat with hairballs. None of the hairball food works and he hates the paste.
Thanks again for the info!
Angel: I am afraid cats are not my forte but we have a lot of cat lovers hanging around MMA and they might be able to help you with the hairballs 🙂 Glad I could help and pleased to know you are feeding Iams!
Dogs and cats will eat pretty much anything…especially dogs. Let’s face it they lick their own balls so their taste buds aren’t exactly an issue..;-)
Some will be ‘fussy’, most won’t.
What we have to do is make sure that whatever feed we’re giving them is really beneficial.
Small print people. Read the small print. If you’re uncertain talk to your Vet. They know and they care – let’s face it, they’d rather have your pet alive than dead….it’s worth more $!!! – and, mainly, they love animals.
I have two female dogs and they like to lick “themselves” as much as males do.
I actually knew a vet who was in it for the money. The love of the animals was a last consideration. That made me sad. I switched vets pretty quickly.
Personally, My daughter Tonya got me to switch to Flint River Ranch food for Rascal and the kitties. It has no fillers and is human grade food, not that I am going to fight Rascal for it. He really likes it when he can’t get corn on the cob, hot dogs, peanut butter, or sweet potatoes. 🙂
I’m not familiar with that brand Bill, but again, if I just had a couple of critters I would feed the designer stuff, but when you have a kennel….. 🙂 I would like to know more about it though. Iams also has no “fillers.”
Thanks Mike… my friends have been reading your animal medicine posts…. !
Thanks Gwen! That is nice to know and a high compliment!
I have several cats and I feed them nothing but canned food; and none of that sh*t from supermarkets either. There are several brands of canned food where the first 6 or 7 ingredients are actually meat, poultry or fish (assuming the label is telling the truth). I give them sardines or tuna once a day; other than that it’s nothing but canned food.
I’ve found a few brands of dry food where the first 3 ingredients are meat, but there’s still just too much junk.
This was an interesting post. I’m always researching this and trying to adjust and tweak what I give our cats. They’re our children.
Yes Tom! You said it. They are our children and we love them.
We have a new food that we will be recommending that was designed by a veterianarin. It is a great adition to our kennel and client information packs. I will be posting more info on GatorlandK9’s website and Facebook pages. We will have a new website this weekend , so make sure and check out the new look of GatorlandK9.
Thanks Dawn. I will work out a link provided you reciprocate. Looking forward to your new site. Still looking for a female BTW 🙂 I am going to put up a picture of Taser later today. You won’t believe him!
Thanks for the “book”. I am interested in your input. I feed my dogs Innova from Natura which my vet and the dogs love, but is damn expensive.
Natura makes a high quality food. Such foods are often referred to as “designer” foods. If I had perhaps one or even two dogs I would certainly consider feeding it. Unfortunately, when you have seven, 5 of whom are giants, it is cost prohibitive. Then again, when MMA starts paying, and I have sent the requisite bonuses to my loyal contributors, I just might consider it 🙂
Me too. I tried Iams years ago. It smells like fish oil to me and made his coat smell like fish oil. Phew.
I’ve always heard that it isn’t a good idea to feed too high a protein diet until the bones have finished developing. Opinion?
Iams has managed to get rid of that smell Leslie. Now it actually smells good :-).
Your question about the protein diet is important. Feeding all meat, or nearly all meat diets to dogs almost inevitably leads to feeding an improperly balanced diet, especially in the calcium and phosphorous ratios. There is no evidence that I know of that feeding more protein than is necessary for maintenance and repair of the enzymes, muscles, etc. in the body has any benefits. It doesn’t make a lot of difference to the dog’s system if the protein is high quality or low quality as long as it does meet those needs. It is necessary to feed higher quantities of poorer quality proteins (cheap dog food) as I mentioned in my comment to Jerry. This is bad for dogs who already have kidney failure because it increases the amount of protein products the damaged kidneys have to deal with. It seems logical that it might help the kidneys to feed lower amounts of higher quality protein throughout life but there really isn’t much evidence to support a beneficial effect except in dogs who actually have kidney insufficiency. Puppies are fine with a properly balanced high protein diet. I recommend Iams Smart Puppy. It is reasonably priced for a premium food and loaded with lots of good stuff to help your puppy grow. I have been feeding it for years and my dogs are extraordinarily healthy.
Remember that dogs are not true carnivores, because they can produce the essential amino acids and do not have to ingest them in their diet. Cats are true carnivores.
Personally, I think that the premium foods are a good bet. The big companies spend a great deal of money making sure their products meet the needs of dogs and cats. They have a vested interest in keeping their customer’s pets healthy and in doing all they can to help them live longer. A pet that lives for 20 years eats a lot more pet food than one that lives 10 years. A healthy pet’s owners are more likely to stick with the brand of dog food they are using because they perceive it may be part of the reason. Why wouldn’t these companies strive to produce these effects? My vet friends tell me that their patients are living longer than they were twenty years ago. They think that good quality pet foods are one of the reasons.
So, this is my side of the food argument. I know that there are lots of disagreements with this and one is free to take a different approach to feeding their pets. If you do, please have any diet you do come up with examined by your vet or a nutritionist to make sure that it is adequate. Don’t feed cheap foods if you want your dog to be happy, healthy, long-lived, and [relatively] fart free 🙂
Another book…but once you get me on dogs I find it hard to stop talking, or writing in this instance 🙂
Thanks Mike. I appreciate this. I’ve heard the same kind of argument about buying these puppy foods. I’m afraid I’m so poor that I’m lucky just to be able to buy buy food for either of us!
What would you recommend as acceptable dry dog food brands?
I used to feed Science Diet but so far as I’m concerned, they priced themselves out of the market . They now charge about $1.20 a pound and that is just too much, given that their closest competitor IAMS sells for about 75 cents a pound at the big pet stores, and even less with coupons and discounts. I buy about 300 pounds a month and always buy the 50 pound bags. If you buy from PetSmart you will find coupons in the bags that save you about $4 per bag. Those add up and I usually have enough for a free bag. You will pay about $33 for a 50 pound bag at PetSmart (with coupon) and it is the best deal I have found. I know that Iams is criticized in some circles, not for the quality of the food which is excellent, but for some of their food testing practices. I have never been able to verify the rumors.
People often ask me why I don’t just feed Purina, which is a lot cheaper. The fact is that Purina is loaded with filler which means you have to feed more. Your dog is more gassy (everyone loves that) and they eliminate at 2x the rate as with Iams. So, when you add it up the health benefits and the absolute cost of premium dog foods like Iams far outweigh cheap foods as a half-cup of Iams equals a full cup of Purina so you actually feed less.
There are also those so-called “natural” foods. They will cost you upwards of $60 for a 40 pound bag and really provide no real benefit beyond Iams and Eukanuba, the slightly more expensive food made by the Iams folk.
I also supplement their food with frozen chicken backs. They sell, in bulk, for 79 cents a pound. It is important that they are not cooked as the cooking makes the bones brittle and that can be very dangerous for your dog. Do not feed bone-in breasts or legs as those bones, even when frozen, can “shard” and pierce your dog’s intestines.
Wal Mart sells beef kidneys for 97 cents a pound and they are an excellent supplement. Just don’t feed more than a couple of pieces or you will certainly have a big mess to clean up as it can cause major diarrhea if you feed too much.
Pork neck bones are cheap, about $1.19 a pound when bought in bulk and make a great treat.
Dang! Didn’t mean to write a book Jerry 🙂 I hope this was helpful anyway.