Product Y is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO for cat food nutrient profiles for all life stages, 2. Not even pet food. There is no restriction regarding breed or sex. 3. Furthermore, manufacturers are free to supplement the minimum protocol requirements with additional measures of nutritional adequacy. Dr. Cailin Heinze, also a board certified nutritionist, additionally prefers companies that perform testing above and beyond AAFCO trials, especially with veterinary therapeutic diets. The content of this site is owned by Veterinary Information Network (VIN®), and its reproduction and distribution may only be done with VIN®'s express permission. AAFCO – Association of American Feed Control Officials – is a non-government association made up of government employees (state and a few federal). “Complete & Balanced” products are those that meet all of the daily … These include: 1. Feeding Tubes for Dogs and Cats… Most pet foods in the marketplace make the claim that they are complete and balanced. Advancements in technology are allowing scientists to use microchips instead of animals to test drugs, questioning the necessity of anyanimal testing for any purpose. 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There are two different profiles for cat food nutrition. Therefore, these specialists are often a reliable resource for determining which diets are causing disease problems. It’s your responsibility to learn how to read cat food labels and compare cat foods … AAFCO approved cat food doesn’t exist. [Diet X] is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO [Dog /Cat] Food Nutrient Profiles for [gestation/lactation / growth / maintenance / All Life Stages]. Example of a AAFCO statement from a food that has just been formulated to meet AAFCO. 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Complete veterinary examinations are mandated at initiation and completion of the test. On the other hand, the FDA enforces food safety through the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act, which demands that pet foods, like human foods, be “pure and wholesome, safe to eat, produced under sanitary conditions, contain no harmful substances, and be truthfully labeled.” Therefore, pet food manufacturers are legally responsible for providing nutritionally adequate, safe and wholesome products that conform to local, state, and federal law. If you are interested in feeding your cat a raw food … However, the best chance for your pet’s good health is to begin with a food bearing an AAFCO nutritional adequacy statement on its label. AAFCO states that a minimum of eight healthy dogs are required for one trial and that the trial must last a minimum of 26 weeks where only one formulation of food … Many pet owners and clinicians have raised the concern that AAFCO feeding trials do not represent what really happens in a pet’s life, i.e., that feeding a diet for six months is not the same as feeding a diet for 10 years. Abdominal Ultrasounds in Pets. Understanding what’s best for your pet isn’t always easy. For adult maintenance canine and feline diets, the feeding trial guidelines are: For growth canine and feline diets, the feeding trial guidelines are: For reproduction canine and feline diets, the feeding trial guidelines are: Do AAFCO feeding trials accomplish what they claim to accomplish? The AAFCO and FDA regulate the product label. Answer: False, in many cases. There are some pet foods that are inexpensive but still good quality and are wholesome. Some of the most expensive foods are NOT necessarily the best foods. Some exceptions are treats, toppers and therapeutic foods, which carry a claim that states they are for intermittent or supplemental feeding. In the Feed Control Official world, feed is what animals eat, food is what humans eat. The food is then deemed to have passed one of the AAFCO feeding trials. if the life stage is growth or all life stages, the claim must also include one of the following depending on calcium content of the product (maximums vary): “including growth of large size dogs (70 lb or more as an adult)”, “except for growth of large size dogs (70 lb or more as an adult)”, Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that [Diet X] provides complete and balanced nutrition for [gestation/lactation / growth / maintenance / All Life Stages]. Finally, in a nutritional adequacy analysis, the pet food is compared to similar pet foods in terms of … By Dave Fairfield, Senior Vice President of Feed Services. Data are compared to a concurrent control group or to historical colony averages. Meet one of the Dog or Cat Food Nutrient Profiles established by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO); or; Pass a feeding trial using AAFCO procedures. Pet food companies use a laboratory analysis and will sometimes conduct feeding trials to prove that their food is complete and balanced for a certain life stage. ), cost, availability, and your subjective clinical impressions of how your pets are doing on various diets. 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With a successful feeding trial… Minimum crude protein and crude fat and maximum moisture and crude fiber (as fed basis) are required; other nutrients are optional. Product X is formulated to meet the nutritional levels esta… Cat food nutrition is regulated by a set of standards presented by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO).Cat foods labeled "Complete and balanced" must adhere to these standards. Specifies whether the product carries a complete and balanced claim, and if so, how the claim was substantiated as well as the species and life stage for which the product is intended. It is a group whose members are government agencies representing the 50 states, Canada, and the federal government. Foods can be put through AAFCO feeding trials even if they do not qualify for a “formulated to meet AAFCO” feeding statement due to deficient or excessive levels of nutrients. Clean Houses are Possible, Even With Pets! The AAFCO system is feed, not food. However, although AAFCO trials are imperfect, they do identify most serious acute and semi-acute nutritional deficiencies or excesses, and some minor ones. Although the minimum standards for each type of trial must be met, companies may add on other components to a feeding trial, such as plasma amino acid measurement, digestibility studies, full blood chemistry panels, and complete blood counts to gain additional information about the suitability of their diets for the life stage being tested. Note that ingredients as defined in AAFCO are not often similar to those typically used/defined for human foods; for example, “chicken” must include both flesh and skin and can include bone. Feeding trials use both a laboratory analysis of the food as well as conducting actual feeding trials. Most of us have learned to check the ingredients list on cat food, but there’s another set of information that merits your attention: the guaranteed analysis. Why Would a Puppy Need to See a Veterinary Behaviorist? 244 Thompson Road As much as some sources (such as internet ranking lists) would like it to be possible, you cannot evaluate 'quality' from the label, especially from ingredient lists. AAFCO does not necessarily ensure food adequacy and safety, but relies on current scientific knowledge to provide guidelines for pet food composition which, if followed, minimize the risk of malnutrition. Puppies are fed the same dog food (exclusively) for 10 weeks. This is calle… Not the quality of the food. Larger companies that have the resources to test both their incoming food items and their outgoing products are more desirable because they know the products being put into their foods are good because they have tested them. Many smaller companies cannot do these tests, usually due to financial constraints. Because of that they tend to have more recalls than the larger companies who usually catch contaminants and batches that have imbalances prior to even being shipped out to the consumer. Go to the official FDA pet food website to see for your self:http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/Products/AnimalFoodFeeds/PetFood/default.htm. If they have not undergone feeding trials, they must carry the statement: “This product is intended for intermittent or supplemental feeding only.” Such diets are not allowed to reference the AAFCO Food Nutrient Profiles on the label. Complete veterinary examinations are mandated at initiation and completion of the test. What you see on a dog food package is required by law. In addition, the World Small Animal Veterinary Association Nutrition Toolkit developed by the WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee provides many useful nutrition resources including Recommendations on Selecting Pet Foods. Activity, lifestyle or special needs. You need to consider the manufacturer (reputation, experience, investment in AAFCO trials and research, etc. Was the food tested in a feeding test, study, or trial according to AAFCO procedures? Feeding Trials. The labeling does not provide detailed nutritional information and it’s easily misunderstood by consumers. If a product is substantiated by a feeding trial and does not meet the AAFCO Dog or Cat Food Nutrient Profiles, the label cannot reference the Profiles. AAFCO does not approve or certify any pet food, treat, or supplement products. AAFCO feeding trials for cat food are not that impressive. Nutrient Needs. [Diet X] provides complete and balanced nutrition for [gestation/lactation / growth / maintenance / All Life Stages ] and is comparable in nutritional adequacy to a product which has been substantiated using AAFCO feeding tests. Adults consume the test food for 26 weeks. At the start all animals must be a normal weight and health, and weight is monitored weekly. Our members are charged by their local, state or federal laws to … Now cat owners can find foods that are labeled “natural,” “organic” or “human-grade.” They can feed commercial raw diets that have undergone AAFCO feeding trials and find recipes for homemade foods that are complete and balanced for cats. Animal feeding trials using AAFCO procedures substantiate that Product X provides complete and balanced nutrition for the maintenance of adult cats. AAFCO requires nine components to be printed on a pet food label: What are the different AAFCO nutritional adequacy designations for pet foods? 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