RULES ABOUT PET FOOD INGREDIENTS

What is in a name?

When it comes to pet food, sometimes not a lot. The food name is the first part of the label noticed by a consumer and for that reason, fancy names are used to emphasize certain features of a food. AAFCO has established four rules about ingredients:

1. 95% rule: at least 95% of the food must be the named ingredient. For example, "Chicken for Dogs" or "Beef Cat Food" must be 95% chicken or beef, respectively. If the food is "Chicken and Rice Dog Food", the chicken is the component that must be 95%. If there is a combination of ingredients such as "Chicken and Liver for Cats", the two together must make up 95% of the total weight and the first ingredient must be the one in higher percent in the food.

2, 25% or "Dinner" rule: when the named product contains at least 25% but less than 95% of the total weight, the name must include a descriptive term such as "dinner". For example, "dinner", "entrée", "grill", "platter", "formula" are all terms that are used to describe this type of product. For example, "Chicken Dinner Dog Food" must contain at least 25% chicken. This food could contain beef and possibly even more beef than chicken. It is important to read the label and check what other meat sources the product contains.

3. 3% or "With" rule: this one is tricky. Many times the "with" label identifies extra or special ingredients, such as "Beef Dinner for Dogs with Cheese" is a food containing at least 25% beef and at least 3% cheese. But beware of this type of "with" label: "Dog Food with Chicken". This dog food need only contain 3% chicken! Don't confuse that with "Chicken Dog Food" which must contain 95% chicken. Confusing, right?

4. "Flavor" rule: in this situation, a specific percentage of meat is not required, but it must contain an amount of flavor sufficient to be detected. For example, "Chicken Flavor Dog Food" may contain a digest or enough chicken fat to flavor the food, but there will be no actual chicken meat added to the food.

AAFCO: Their labeling requirements and the “Rules”

Written by Beth Laubenthal, January 2014.

Learn More Here

CHICKEN OR CHICKEN FAT

Inquiring minds want to know. Many pet parents are confused about chicken fat and want to know if their dog allergic to chicken fat? Many pets owners whose pets have a chicken allergy are confused when reading pet food labels. Many recipes list chicken fat as an ingredients. A dog or cat with a true chicken allergy reacts to the protein in the chicken. As pure chicken fat contains no protein, it should not trigger the allergic reactions that chicken meat or chicken meal would in a pet who is allergic to chicken. Fats are a necessary part of a balanced diet for dogs and cats.

Safety Tips for Disinfecting Your Home

PET PARENTS: If you are disinfecting your home against COVID-19 and you have pets, avoid Lysol and Clorox.

Lysol gives off potentially harmful volatile organic compounds in its vapors. Additionally, if your dog or cat licks or ingests Lysol, it can cause serious chemical burns, usually on the tongue and upper esophagus.

Household bleach can be very harmful for cats, dogs, and other pets. While they generally won't ingest the substance intentionally due to the potent smell, cleaning with bleach can inadvertently expose your animals.

Phenols are widely used in household products and as intermediates for industrial synthesis. For example, phenol itself is used (in low concentrations) as a disinfectant in household cleaners. Phenol can cause liver damage to pets.

Use Hydrogen peroxide as a disinfectant. Hydrogen peroxide is considered an environmentally safe alternative to chlorine-based bleaches as it breaks down into water and oxygen. Commercially available 3% hydrogen peroxide is considered a stable and effective disinfectant by the CDC when used on inanimate objects.

If  you know someone who sells essential oils ask about Thieves oil which is an excellent disinfectant.  Why is Thieves Oil so much better than bleach? It contains two antibacterial powerhouses: cinnamon and clove oil. A study confirmed that they were among the list of the top ten bacteria-inhibiting essential oils, eliminating 23 out of 25 types of bacteria.