Dr. Meg Smart, of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon, says that expensive pet foods labelled 'premium' are often no better or different than cheaper food. Dr. Smart is an educator of veterinarians, and warns that many vets do not know as much about pet foods as people think they do. Nutrition is definitely not a major component of the curriculum. They are given advice on what to feed pets and in turn pass on that advice. In the article “What do vets learn about nutrition? (Pet Food Report, 2007), Dr. Shawn Messonnier, DVM, expressed his concerns about the lack of nutritional information that he was taught in veterinary school. Of the information that was presented, he found it very biased because it was presented by one of several pet food companies who were trying to promote their own product and also who were providing free food to the veterinary students. He states that veterinarians coming out of school are usually biased towards one brand and are therefore “anti-natural” in their view of pet food.

Dr. Messonnier discusses the various “prescription diets”, and because they are made by the various pet food companies (Iams, Hills, Purina and Waltham) the quality is suspect. These foods often contain chemical preservatives such as BHA and BHT, by-products (often listed on the label as an animal by-product) and cheap plant products. These ingredients are not healthy and may contribute to excessive inflammation and oxidation; two important causes of chronic disease, in many pets. He says that prescription diets are usually no better than non prescription diets when it comes to the quality of the ingredients. He feels that these foods do nothing to improve the health of animals, and in some cases, actually contribute to illness.

There are so many new pet foods and formulations on the market now. A major change in company names and brands took place after the pet food recall of 2007. For consumers that means there is even more reason to educate yourself and do your own research. Many new foods have packaged themselves to promote ‘natural’ as they recognize that as a driving force behind our buying decision. Remember, the nutritional standards that a pet food has to meet, has not changed. There are no regulations for the use of the phrase ‘natural source’ or ‘human-grade’. Pet owners should spend some time reading the ingredient listing on the label of the various foods available. Do your own research. Understand what the food contains and why it is thought to be a better alternative to what you are presently feeding.

According to Dr. Messonnier, an important part in preventing disease is choosing and feeding the most wholesome food. Owners who do so help ensure better health for their pets. He states that regardless of what medications, herbs, homeopathic remedies, vitamin supplements, or other treatment a pet is being given, unless they are eating a nutritious diet, the pet will never have optimum health.