What About Diy Designer Pet Food
If you choose to prepare your cats food, make sure the recipe meets your cats nutritional needs. Follow directions carefully for preparation and storage. Home-made cat food doesnt contain preservatives and needs to be stored safely.
There are nutritional resources with sophisticated computer programs to help calculate the amounts of protein, fat, minerals, and vitamins in a recipe. Some programs take into account a cats age, health status, and activity level in formulating an appropriate diet. But it can still be tricky verifying that your DIY pet food is nutritionally balanced, i.e., the bioavailability and metabolism of taurine is different in a lamb vs chicken. Also, the absorption of nutrients may vary with the amount and type of fiber in the diet.
Contaminated Ingredients: Wheat Gluten Rice Protein Concentrate And Other Vegetable Proteins
Q: What is wheat gluten and how is it used in pet foods?
Wheat gluten is the principal protein component of wheat flour and may be used as a thickener in pet foods. It also has uses in human food products as a stabilizer or thickener. It is not generally associated with food contamination.
Q: What is the difference between wheat gluten and wheat flour?
Wheat flour is prepared by grinding cleaned wheat grains. Wheat gluten is the principle protein component of wheat flour. Wheat gluten is obtained by hydrating wheat flour and mechanically separating the wheat gluten from the starch and other flour components.
Q: What is rice protein concentrate?
Rice protein concentrate is made by separating and isolating the protein portion from the carbohydrate portion of rice. It is used in many pet foods as part of the formulation . Rice protein concentrate adds plant proteins that contain little, if any, gluten.
Q: How are wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate related to the pet food recall?
Melamine and melamine-related compounds were found in products labeled as wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate imported from China. These products were used as ingredients in some pet foods. Melamine and its related compounds are not approved for use as an ingredient in animal or human food. FDA believes it was these contaminants that made cats and dogs sick.
Q: How did melamine get into the products labeled as “wheat gluten” and “rice protein concentrate”?
- wheat gluten
Is Wheat Harmful To Cats
Wheat is not harmful to cats but they can become deadly to cats having wheat allergy.
Some cats are allergic to wheat or the gluten protein found in it. Food allergies in cats can lead to unattractive and unpleasant skin problems. In order to correctly identify the allergy affecting your cat, you may need to put him on an elimination diet.
This procedure is time-consuming, but it is presently the most common and accurate way for determining which component is causing the patients response.
An allergic response to wheat is caused by your cats immune system overreacting to an unwanted protein found in wheat.
A food allergy, such as a wheat allergy, is a defence mechanism used by a cats immune system to fight itself against a protein that it has identified as a threat. An allergic reaction does not occur the first time an animal is exposed to an allergen rather, it occurs after several exposures.
Any meal can cause an allergic reaction, although some foods are more prone to do so than others, such as wheat, corn, shellfish, beef, and dairy products.
While food allergies, such as wheat allergies, are the immune systems response to what it perceives as a danger, food intolerance is unrelated to the immune system. Food intolerances are also significantly more common than allergies to induce a digestive response.
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The Myth Of The Sour Puss
Youve probably heard that cats are aloof, but thats not always the case. They can be aectionate, playful and highly attached to their owners, much like a dog. Its just that cats are at a disadvantage versus dogs because they dont have the facial physiology that lets their canine counterparts smile all the time.
So, dont be fooled cats are not only happy, but also immensely talented at bringing joy to their humans. In the market for crazy antics one minute, soft cuddles the next? Cats are a low-risk, high-yield investment in complex personalities.
Should Cats Have Wheat
Yes, cats should have wheat in small amounts as it is healthy for them.
Cats that have been diagnosed with a grain allergy, such as rice, maize, or barley, should eat a diet that excludes those components.
Because food allergies are best confirmed by intradermal allergy testing or costly blood testing, many pet parents who feel their cat has allergies depend on their own assumptions or a mention of potential from a friend, trainer, breeder, or veterinarian.
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Grain Free Vs Gluten Free Cat Food
All over the world, there’s a lot of attention being given to healthy food, as opposed to the regular food we have so long consumed. People not only want the healthy food for themselves but also for their own pets.
Natural pet food is in demand because humans have come to believe that it’s the best diet not just for them but also for their furry companions.
Take cat food, for instance. These days, pet cats are not only fed natural cat food but also grain free and gluten free cat food.
Going gluten-free is a dietary fad that’s being around for a while. Despite diet and nutrition experts all over the world raving about the benefits of a gluten-free diet, its benefits for those not allergic to gluten are yet to be proven.
Pet owners have started to believe that grain-free and gluten-free diets are good for their cats too, the reason behind the market getting flooded with cat foods without grains or gluten.
Difference between grain-free and gluten-free
Although the terms grain-free and gluten-free are used interchangeably, there’s a big difference between the two.
While grain-free cat food will always be free from gluten, the foods free from gluten may or may not have grains. That’s because gluten is present in only certain types of grains. Being gluten free doesn’t automatically signify grain free.
Gluten is the protein found in grains like wheat, barley, and rye. However, there are a greater number of grains that do not contain that protein.
What About The Average Healthy Adult Cat Does She Need A Designer Diet
For now, there is no documentation proving that designer diets have any health benefits over more traditional, commercially prepared diets. But keep watching, research is ongoing! Talk to your veterinarian to help you decide what to feed your kitty. Cats are ‘special’ creatures, but their diets dont always have to be special.
Contributors: Lynn Buzhardt, DVMRead Also: Is Cascadian Farms Granola Gluten Free
Dogs And Cats Should Avoid Grains And Carbohydrates
Most veterinary textbooks agree that both cats and dogs need almost no carbohydrates, yet the so called recommended diet of dry pet foods, which is a major component of most pets diets, contradicts both their natural diets and the veterinary literature. Many of these dry pet foods are high in carbohydrates, low in animal protein and fats, and contain almost no water.
This fact is largely ignored by major pet food producers, which is also noted in the book Canine and Feline Nutrition, which states that “the nutrient content of most commercial foods includes carbohydrates”4.
Many pet owners who feed canned, moist food to their cats and dogs do so believing that they are providing much-needed meat and moisture to their animals. This is largely true, but what is also true, as came to light in the recent spate of illnesses and deaths from tainted wet formula pet foods, is that wheat gluten is a significant ingredient in such foods.
The problem is that the digestive systems of dogs and cats have not evolved to digest plant proteins like glutenthey are designed to digest animal protein, and gluten is not the sameand feeding these animals foods that contain gluten can result in many of the same problems that afflict their human counterparts who are sensitive to gluten.
Cats Dont Digest Corn Very Well
Although cats can eat corn, they get very little nutritional value from it. Even though corn gluten meal does have protein, its not the kind of protein that cats can digest very well. Cats have to eat twice as much corn to get the same amount of protein that they would from meat or egg protein.
Even if your cat eats enough corn gluten meal to get the protein she needs, she probably wont be able to use very much of it. Corn takes several hours to digest, even for people. But cats have a shorter digestive track typical of carnivores, so food has to be broken down quickly before its gone. Unfortunately, your feline friend will spend a lot of energy trying to digest the corn before she leaves it for you in the litter box.
Aside from being a poorer-quality protein source, corn gluten meal poses some health risks for your cat. In the wild, a cats diet would only be 1 or 2 percent carbohydrates. Dry food containing corn gluten meal ranges from 35 to 50 percent carbohydrates. Since cats cant really break down carbohydrates or use them for energy the same way people do, excess carbohydrates can lead to obesity and diabetes.
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The Truth About Corn Wheat And Soy In Pet Food
Did you know that Tail Blazers does not sell food that contains soy, corn, or wheat? There are actually several ingredients we dont allow into our food choices, but do you know WHY?
The first, and most important reason, is that soy, corn, and wheat are not species appropriate and are not meant to be consumed by cats or dogs.
Soy is one of the most genetically modified foods on the planet. While their crops are covered in pesticides, everything dies, except for the soy. It is left to absorb all of those chemicals that were sprayed onto the crops. And, if its in the soy it will go into your pet.
Soy also wreaks havoc with the endocrine system causing problems for thyroid function. Soy has been falsely advertised as a health food, but in our opinion, it is most definitely NOT.
Corn. It is very common to see corn at the top of many of the more inferior pet foods ingredients panels. Corn is also more often than not, genetically modified and although many people call corn a vegetable, it is actually a grain. It also converts to sugar in the body, which has a negative affect on your pet. Sugar puts stress on the organs, and causes GI tract upset.
And finally, there is wheat. Wheat contains high amounts of gluten, which damages the small intestine, alters gut flora, and can lead to autoimmune disease. It can also cause inflammation leading to joint pain. There is little to no nutritional value in wheat, so we feel it has no place in your pets diet.
Why Is Gluten Bad For Cats
Before you can learn why gluten is bad for cats, you need to learn what gluten is. Gluten is a type of plant protein found in certain grains like wheat, barley, and rye. This protein acts as a sort of binder, helping to give wheat-based doughs their classic elasticity gluten is always what gives bread its spongy texture. Gluten can also be used as a stabilizing agent in certain foods like ice cream and ketchup. In cat food, gluten is not used for any specific purpose in most cases, it is simply a component of grain-based fillers and thickeners that many pet food manufacturers use in their products.
There are a number of reasons why gluten is bad for cats. For one thing, it is a component of many grain-based ingredients which are low in nutritional value for cats. Many pet food manufacturers use things like wheat flour or wheat gluten to add bulk to their products without increasing the cost or the meat content. Not only are wheat-based ingredients low in nutritional value for cats, but they are also one of the most common causes of food allergies in pets. Some cats can eat gluten without any issues, but many cats suffer from gluten allergies or gluten intolerance.
For cats that suffer from gluten allergies, sensitivities, or intolerance, eating a cat food that contains gluten can cause a number of unpleasant symptoms including the following:
- Diarrhea
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Skin problems
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What Do Cats Need In A Balanced Diet
Whether they are eating a regular or designer diet, felines need protein. Cats are considered to be carnivores while dogs are thought of as omnivores . Cats need much more protein in their diet than dogs do. Like most mammals, cats use most of the protein they consume for growth and body maintenance however, cats also use protein as an energy source. For this reason, kittens require 1.5 times more protein than puppies and adult cats need two to three times more protein than adult dogs.
“Cats need much more protein in their diet than dogs do.”
Cats dont just need any old protein, they need specific amino acids found in protein. For example, cats, unlike dogs, need a certain amount of the amino acid taurine to stay healthy. Taurine is found in animal muscle, particularly in the heart and liver. Plants dont have taurine, so cats dont eat as many greens or grains as do their omnivorous dog friends.
Cats are unique in their protein requirements, but like other mammals, they may benefit from consuming carbohydrates, roughage, vitamins, and minerals in their diets.
Corn Gluten Meal In Your Pets Food
Corn gluten meal is a by-product of processed corn and is used by the pet industry as an inexpensive protein source and kibble binder for pet foods. Despite its name, corn gluten meal has no true gluten, but simply corn proteins. The expression corn gluten is colloquial jargon that describes corn proteins. Only wheat, barley, rye and oat contain true gluten. Yet, because corn gluten meal is considered by many to be similar enough in its protein-boosting capacity to true glutens it is red-flagged as such.
All things considered, the higher the protein content of a dogs food, the greater its perceived value. However, the amount of protein only tells half the story. Its a proteins digestibility and its nutritional value that matter most.
Corn gluten meal is a plant-based protein concentrate acting as a meat substitute that binds the kibble together. Protein can come from just about anywhere, even from non-nutritious sources like leather, hair, feathers, and chicken beaks. Whenever you discover gluten on a dog food ingredients list, you should always question the true meat content of the product.
Due to its high concentration, feeding food with corn gluten meal can cause the animal severe allergies to corn over an extended period of time.
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