Ken Lambrecht DVM

Medical Director

Westside Family Pet Clinic

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Presented June 2nd, 2012

At the Howlin’ Hoopla Fundraiser for the Dane County Humane Society

www.westsidefamilypet.comklambdvm@gmail.com

www.slideshare.net

TOP 10 CONCERNS ABOUT THE QUALITY & SAFETY OF PET FOOD

2012

Bug Lance

Our buddies deserve the truth!

Pet Food is an emotional issue!

The top 5 concerns of pet owners

1) What are the best ingredients for my dog or cat? (corn vs chicken vs beef, byproducts, salt, sugar etc)

2) How do I read a pet food label?

3) Can I trust the manufacturer?

4) Will my dog/cat like it?

5) Will it be healthy for my dog/cat?

5 top concerns of veterinarians

1) Feeding study performed & verified by an American Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) statement on label

2) Good manufacturer quality controls & integrity

3) Appropriate life stage

4) Appropriate protein and calorie levels

5) Preventive ingredients

Why as pet owners are we concerned?

Menu foods melamine recalls of 2007 Diamond foods salmonella recalls of 2012 Distrust of “big box” companies Over processing of human food Organic, locally sourced food movement

Team work!

Have a veterinarian do a full nutritional assessment before you make your final choice

Our role as veterinarians

1. We are the trusted advisors/scientists

2. We want to avoid interactions/side effects

3. Be preventive if possible

4. Pet owners want us to make a recommendation

5. Above all we need to be educators!

What do dogs need?

They are omnivorous (like humans) Are NOT apex predators like wolf (more

like foxes = scavengers) Scavengers eat small prey, plant

material, berries, carrion, intestinal contents, etc

Variation in dog breeds (over 300!) Has eaten what man has given him/her

since domestication

What do cats need?

They are true or obligate carnivores Natural diet: mice, birds, lizards, crickets

etc ,which are 55-58% protein Evolutionarily have not changed in over

9000 years! Have always eaten what they can kill!

A pet food label is: FDA & AAFCO regulated Is a legal document Difficult to read!!!!!

Our pet food label checklist http://www.westsidefamilypet.com/nutrition-introduction/nutrition/

Pet Food Label Ingredient List

A. Ingredients must be listed in order by weight

B. Meat protein source should be in first three

C. Salt divides Major from Minor ingredients

D. Many unusual terms with specific definitions

E. Need better labeling!

What are best ingredients?

1. Are grains bad?

2. What is best protein source?

3. Are “byproducts” safe?

4. What about holistic, organic or human grade claims?

5. Are pet foods over processed?

1) Are grains (corn, wheat & soy) evil? “The great grain debate”

opponents proponents

CORN a filler and a poor protein source

poorly digestible

causes allergies

corn meal is good source of protein

digestible

doesn’t cause more allergies than any other protein

SOY cheap source of inferior protein

fine if used w/ complementary grains

WHEAT allergenic not allergenic

Most common ingredients to cause allergies or adverse reactions

Verlinden A, Hesta M, Millet S et al Food Allergy in Cats & Dogs a review Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2006;259-273

Cats (n=89)

1. Beef (20%)2. Dairy (14.6%)3. Fish (13%)4. Lamb (6.7%)5. Poultry (4.5%)6. Barley/wheat (4.5%)

Dogs (n= 198)

1. Beef (36%)2. Dairy (28%)3. Wheat (15%)4. Egg (10%)5. Chicken (9.6%)6. Lamb (6.6%)7. Soy (6%)

Allergies in pets are fairly common & difficult to identify causative protein

Only about 5% of pets are allergic to food proteins With multiple protein ingredients in food & treats

almost impossible to tell which one (blood tests correlate poorly)

Many more pets are allergic to environmental proteins 20-30% (house dust, pollens, and even grain storage mites)

Why do corn (and other grains) get such negative reviews online?

High fructose corn syrup? Aflatoxins? Grain storage mites? Others?

2) What is best protein source and how much protein does my pet need?

Crude protein (listed on bag) Digestible protein (from feeding study) Shouldn’t all pet foods be required to tell

us how digestible the protein is?

How much protein is needed in a healthy pet?2 omnivores (dogs & humans) 1 carnivore (cat)

Humans typically need 14% protein Dogs typically need 18 to 25% protein Cats need 40 to 50% protein

Zoran, Debra L., and C.A. Tony Buffington. “Effects of Nutrition Choices and Lifestyle Changes on the Well-being of Cats, a Carnivore That Has Moved Indoors.” JAVMA 239.5 (2011): 596-606

Protein digestibility

Poultry by product meal 65 to 70% Chicken meal 63 to 67% Fish meal 60 to 65% Corn gluten meal 60 to 64% Meat & bone meal 50 to 55% Soybean meal 46 to 50%

3) Are byproducts safe and necessary?

Simply defined… a byproduct is anything left over in the manufacture of a food product.

These products IF HANDLED PROPERLY are perfectly good sources of protein, fat & carbohydrates.

What would we do with all the leftovers from animal & plant processing if we didn’t produce?

“Feed Your Pet Right” Marion Nestle & Malden Nesheim

4) What about natural, holistic, organic, & human grade claims?

There are currently no legal definitions for “holistic” or “human grade” label claims

5) Are pet foods over processed?

The real issue is complex vs simple carbs

Refined & processed carbohydrates (simple carbs & sugars) should be avoided in pet foods just like in people

How do we tell that from a pet label?

Currently we can’t anymore than in human food labels!

5 top concerns of veterinarians

1) American Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) statement

2) Manufacturer quality controls & integrity

3) Appropriate life stage

4) Appropriate protein & calorie levels

5) Preventive ingredients

Our role as veterinarians

1. We are the trusted advisors/scientists

2. We want to avoid interactions/side effects

3. Be preventive whenever possible

4. Pet owners want us to make a recommendation

5. Above all we need to educate!

1) AAFCO Statement

“Feeding study performed” BEST “Meets established levels” GOOD “To be used under supervision of a

veterinarian” RX FOODS No statement = BEWARE

AAFCO feeding study

At least 8 dogs 6 months Blood work, physical exams Only way to tell protein digestibility/quality

digestibility=metabolizable (usable) energy from protein

2) Manufacturer details

Phone number Ability to track & recall Does internal controls & quality checks Follows all FDA rules Has Board Certified Veterinary

Nutritionist (DACVN) on staff Optional: Does research & shares freely

with veterinary profession

Branding vs Manufacturing MANY foods are not made by who we

think Mom & Pop vs “Big Box” pet foods Co-branding is fine if done with good

partners Are manufacturer details listed clearly

enough for consumers to know where the food was actually made?

The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) requires that all animal foods, like human foods, be safe to eat, produced under sanitary conditions, contain no harmful substances, and be truthfully labeled.

In addition, canned pet foods must be processed in conformance with the low acid canned food regulations to ensure the pet food is free of viable microorganisms

These companies had food recalls related to the Diamond Foods Recall of 2012

Wellness Chicken Soup for Pet Lovers Soul Taste of the Wild Kirkland Dog Food Kirkland Cat Food Solid Gold Canidae Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance Diamond

Recalls in 2011

Petrus Dog Food Recall Dec 2011 Arrow Brand DFR Dec 2011 Cargill Dec 2011 Iams Puppy Food Dec 2011 FDA Dog Treat Warning Nov 2011 Merrick Dog Treat Recall Aug 2011 Bravo Pig ears Salmonella June 2011

More Recalls in 2010 & 2011

Prime Time & KC Beef hide Pig Ears May 2011 Diggers Natural Treats Salmonella May 2011 Pig Ears due to possible Salmonella Merrick Pet Treats Salmonella Jan 2011 Kroger Dog Food Aflatoxin Dec 2010 Blue Buffalo Dog Food Vit D Oct 2010 Hartz Dog Treats Sept 2010 Merrick Dog Treats Aug 2010

Recalls for pet foods & treats are usually due to: Salmonella (or other bacteria) from

animal fat or product Aflatoxins (a plant fungus) from grain Toxins (melamine in 2007) Ingredient deficiencies or excesses

(2010 Blue Buffalo Vit D excess, 2012 Purina Rx OM Thiamine deficiency)

A closer look at the Diamond salmonella recall…

8 separate recalls over 2 months (new foods added weekly for over 4 weeks)

Now affects 2 plants (Gaston SC & Meta, Mo)

Triggered 2 FDA investigations Has sickened pets worldwide and at

least 16 people

4 FDA Violations to date1. No microbiological analysis conducted or no

assurance that incoming animal fat will not introduce pathogens

2. No facilities for hand washing or sanitizing in area where there is direct contact with exposed finished food

3. Paddles in conveyor leading to screens going to packaging were observed to have gouges & cuts which exhibited feed residues

4. Firm uses cardboard, duct tape & other non-cleanable surfaces on equipment.

4 FDA Violation #1

1) All reasonable precautions not taken to ensure contamination from any source

Violation: No microbiological analysis conducted or no assurance that incoming animal fat will not introduce pathogens . Also current sampling procedure for animal digest not adequate. Employee observed touching filter with bare hands

FDA Violation #2

2) Failure to provide hand washing & sanitizing facilities at each location in plant where needed

Specifically no facilities for hand washing sanitizing in area where there is direct contact with exposed finished food

FDA Violation #3

3) Failure to maintain equipment, containers & utensils in a manner that protects against contamination.

Specifically paddles in conveyor leading to screens going to packaging were observed to have gouges & cuts which exhibited feed residues which could harbor microbes (like salmonella)

FDA Violation #4

Failure to maintain equipment so as to facilitate cleaning of equipment

Specifically firm uses cardboard, duct tape & other non-cleanable surfaces on equipment. These materials were observed to have residues adhering.

These foods were all produced at Diamond’s plants

Wellness Chicken Soup for Pet Lovers Soul Taste of the Wild Kirkland Dog Food Kirkland Cat Food Solid Gold Canidae Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance Diamond’s own brands More details at link belowSummary article of 2012 Diamond Salmonella recall as of 6/2/2012

Can we trust the manufacturer of the food we have chosen to feed?

We need to ask the tough questions always for the safety & benefit of our buddies!

3) Life stage statement

Growth/lactation for puppies & lactating bitches

Maintenance for all others Light Formula food to be less than 320

Cal/cup Senior and all others have no AAFCO

definition!

4) Correct amt to feed and how much protein

Always need to know Calories/cup

Protein (plant or animal) levels are important especially for cats 40-50%

Only crude protein levels listed (need to know digestibility-only comes from feeding trial like AAFCO)

5) Preventive ingredients

A. Fish oils

B. Joint Supplements (Glucosamine, Chondroitin, Perna Green lipped mussel, ASU)

C. Probiotics

D. Higher Protein (for cats)

E. Antioxidants, isoflavones, others

What are we trying to prevent?

Overweight dogs & cats (even 10% overweight is not Ideal!)

Dental disease Arthritis Cancer Immune system diseases

Treating & preventing obesity in pets has to be done now!

Pets Reducing for Rescues 2012

55 participants (36 dogs & 19 cats) DCHS, Grey Muzzle, FOF, & LEARN top rescues DCHS Contestants Lilly & Teena were winners! $1000 in prizes awarded $1020 donated to rescues

Clover

Fish oils (EPA & DHA)

Anti-inflammatory dose = 20mg/lb of EPA/day 60 lb dog will need 1200 mg (typical human

capsule is 180mg) will need to give 7 capsules daily or feed Rx diet

Sources: Can get at Wal-Mart, Costco etc or in Rx foods (Purina, Hills & Royal Canin)

Flax oil does NOT = fish oil www.consumerlab.com www.westsidefamilypet.com

Joint supplements

Serious quality & quantity concerns! www.consumerlab.com Glucosamine (not enough in food by law) Perna Green lipped Mussel (not regulated) Chondroitin sulfate (expensive) www.westsidefamilypet.com

Use veterinary label products only!

Probiotics = The future is bright! LIVE organisms (need to know which ones

and how many) Killed by heat Dose very important 5 billion CFU/capsule Human products up to 450 billion! www.consumerlab.com www.westsidefamilypet.com

WFPC team’s favorite references

“Feed Your Pet Right” Marion Nestle “Chow Hounds” Dr Ernie Ward www.consumerlab.com FDA Pet food site

To minimize concerns lets work together to be educated!

and be as concerned about the calorie content & ideal weight, manufacturer details, the preventive value of evidence based ingredients & supplements as any single ingredient

Thank you for your attention! Questions?

www.westsidefamilypet.comklambdvm@gmail.comwww.slideshare.net