Is higher cost pet food better?

Is there a real difference in higher cost foods you buy for your pet?

Most pet foods, and food for humans also, generally contain the same or equivalent ingredients. Some of the higher cost pet foods may have extras blended in, such as canola oil or other enhancers.

A March N&O article quotes David Kirkpatrick, spokesman for the American Veterinary Medical Association as stating "Pet-food companies distinguish the more expensive brands by blending in higher-quality ingredients such as canola oil, lamb meat or vitamin supplements. But a few building block ingredients are common to almost any pet-food brand on sale in a typical grocery store aisle."

"Commodity products such as corn gluten, wheat gluten and meat meal form the nutritional backbone of many pet foods", said Robert Backus, assistant professor of small animal nutrition at the University of Missouri.

Read more about food content...

News and Observer
March 24, 2007
Christopher Leonard, The Associated Press

Fancy food for Fido?
Pet-food recall makes owners consider costs

ST. LOUIS - When dog lover Carol Will heard that tainted wheat gluten had spurred a pet-food recall, she wasn't surprised to find that the commodity ingredient was used in a lot of generic brands, such as Hy-Vee and Price Chopper.

But Nutro Natural Choice? That's top-shelf stuff.

"That made me sit up and say: 'Wait a second, I need to look into this further,'" Will recalled.

Will has more than her own pets to worry about. She makes a living selling high-end dog food -- along with doggy dresses and raincoats -- at her store, Lola & Penelope's Premier Pet Boutique and Wellness Center. Read more...