Iattended a veterinary meeting last month that was very informative.

The main point from the meeting was to stop feeding jerky treats to your pets.

This means all brands and types of jerky treats. The treats have been linked to kidney disease.

The cause of the problem and exact mechanism is not known. Not every jerky treat will cause a problem, but we just don’t know which ones will cause a problem.

That is why we recommend avoiding the treats altogether.

If your pet is affected, damage could be permanent. And the treatment to save their life is expensive.

Grain or no grain?

We are bombarded everyday with advertisements for pet foods.

There is a definite push in advertising about grain free diets.

These ads imply that grain free diets are better for your pet. I want to help give you guidance on fact vs. fiction.

The first fact is that grain free diets DO NOT offer health benefits over a diet that contains grains.

The diet should be judged on the complete nutrient content and not on specific ingredients.

It doesn’t matter if you have a cat or dog, their body does not treat grains differently than any other source of carbohydrates.

Your pet’s body recognizes food by the nutrients they provide.

Dogs are considered omnivores. This means they eat meat and plants.

Cats are considered obligate carnivores meaning meat is their main source of nutrition, but they will eat plants.

That’s why you should not try and make your cat a vegetarian.

Both dogs and cats can digest, utilize, and benefit from carbohydrates as part of a nutritionally balanced diet - including grains.

Meat and potato for dogs and seafood and peas for cats at its core in not that different from meat or seafood and rice.

Unfortunately, we are being misled to think the diet with potatoes or peas is better because it lacks grain.

Manufacturers are looking for ways to make their diet stand out in a crowded marketplace.

Many of the current grain free diets are actually similar in nutrient profiles to most other pet foods.

Grains can be an important source of fiber, essential fatty acids, and other nutrients.

Some manufacturers of grain free diets imply that grains are used as “cheap fillers” in diets.

However, grains contain protein and many important vitamins and minerals which provide nutritional value and not just empty calories.

Many manufacturers of grain free diets substitute simple carbohydrate sources such as potatoes and tapioca for more nutrient packed grains, while marketing the diet as being healthier for pets.

When potatoes and tapioca are compared to grains such as oats and corn, they have more sugar and in the case of tapioca, almost no protein.

It is crucial to remember that the ingredient list and the rest of the label do not provide a good picture of the total amount of quality of carbohydrates in a diet.

The fact is, some grain free diets can provide excellent nutrition, but they have no inherent nutritional advantages over diets that contain grains.

Pet food allergies

True food allergies are not very common.

In most cases an animal based protein source is usually the culprit, not grains.

Grains are an uncommon cause of food allergies.

Food intolerances, which don’t involve the immune system, are more common.

Technically any ingredient with protein can cause an allergy in a susceptible pet.

The most common food allergies in dogs are beef, dairy, chicken, and wheat.

In cats the most common allergies are to beef, fish, and chicken.

If you switch your pet to a grain free diet without making sure the protein and carbohydrate sources are different from the original diet, you may not see any difference.

Talk with your veterinarian if you feel your pet does have food allergies or food intolerances. Don’t be fooled by smart advertising.