There’s been a serious push for people to pay closer attention to what they eat. One way they do that is by checking ingredient labels for harmful ingredients. Meanwhile, what pets eat is equally important—but they can’t simply check out that handy ingredient list on that packaged food. Instead, it’s up to you. The experts from Enterprise, Alabama’s top animal hospital, Animal Health Center, are here to explain what you need to know about your pet’s food.

If you want to keep your pet healthy and well, it’s important to pay attention to what your pal ingests. Although pet food labels make it seem like the food consists of wholesome slabs of meat and other nutritious ingredients, often, the reality is far from that. For example, if your pet’s food has chicken or beef byproducts listed as ingredient, this means it contains non-meaty parts of slaughtered animals such as lungs, brain, blood, fatty tissue, and bone.  This helps pet food companies keep the protein content of the food high and the overall quality and price very low.

Another ingredient to be wary of is meat meal, which typically contains protein made from tissue remains, ash, manure, and blood. Meat by-product meal is another ingredient that is essentially a combination of the two aforementioned ones: none of it is actual meat. 

All of these ingredients, called “rendered” ingredients, are made from leftovers of the poultry, meat, and fishing industries. The temperatures used are known to destroy nutrients and proteins that are essential to your pet’s health. In addition to avoiding these ingredients, try to stay away from corn syrup, propylene glycol, and MSG, which are additives that are also often used to disguise poor quality. Preservatives like sodium nitrate, nitrate, BHA and BHT may also be harmful to your pet and are best avoided. 

You don’t have to feed your pet a five-star meal by any means, but for the sake of his or her health, you want to ensure you’re giving your pal mostly real food with mostly real ingredients. Since the packaging is typically misleading, it’s best to check the label. The Association of American Feed Control Officials mandates that pet food with names like “Beef Cat Food” or “Chicken for Dogs” contain at least 95% beef or chicken, respectively. Meanwhile, names that include “dinner,” such as “Chicken Dinner for Dogs,” must contain at least 25% chicken. If a name says something like “Dog Food with Chicken,” that means it only needs to contain 3% chicken. If it says something like “Beef Flavored Cat Food,” definitely avoid it. There might not be any actual beef in the product.

To keep your pet healthy and happy, ask the experts from Enterprise’s top animal hospital about proper nutrition. From nutrition to pet surgery and animal dental care, Animal Health Center is always on your pet’s side. To learn more, call today at (334) 347-0544, or visit the animal hospital’s website.