I have become very familiar with the pet nutrition world and just the space in general. It’s been my place for eight years. I definitely consider myself an expert (not a professional nutritionist or vet, but definitely not a novice). Take that for what it’s worth.
What I do know is that pet food is changing.
It is changing. And there are things that you are not being told. If you’re reading this and a pet owner, I want you to be prepared for what’s changing and how you can help your pet. I have three different tips I’m going to share with you today.
1. Become a professional label reader.
And by professional, I just mean make it a habit. Make it a habit to read those labels every single time you go to the store because they’re changing and the pet food companies don’t have to tell you that. I find it really interesting they don’t have to inform the consumers that things are changing, that labels are changing. But with price increases across the board, they are having to make changes (see #3 tip below for more on that).
If you see chicken dog food, if that’s the label, then you know that food is 95% chicken.
Now, if it says “dog food with chicken”, that means only 3% is chicken. Just because of that one word.
That also applies if it says “contains”. So if it says “dog food that contains chicken”, then that means it’s only 3% chicken, which I find alarming! Right? They’re carnivores. They need the protein from an animal source (well, that’s in my opinion. I know there’s other opinions out there), but in my opinion, they need that from an animal source.
So chicken flavored dog food. If it says chicken flavored, that means only 1% chicken flavoring as part of the ingredients. 1% of that is the named ingredient. If it says chicken flavored dog food, you know that you are getting less than 1% of that actual product in there. Chicken will be less than 1%, so look for that. Read the label! Know what you’re feeding your pet.
2. Look for claims
Claims are usually in the front of the bag and they’re placed prominently so that you will be seeing them as part of their marketing.
But any claims that they make are factual. They have to be proven. So claims are good things. The company that I represent, we have 20 different claims we can make about our dog food. Other companies might be able to make 15 or 10, or 18, but I don’t know of any other company that can make the 20 claims that we have.
They’re costly, they’re expensive to put on the bag. It requires a lot of research, but it’s very important. So just check the claims on the bag and make sure the food you feed has several.
3. Look for price increases.
You should be seeing a price increase in your pets food. If you’re not, you should be alarmed. I know the ingredients across the board are up.
Ingredients and packaging costs are up. Delivery charges are up. Manufacturing prices are up. Most of the products that are in a very nutritious dog food, like egg whites and protein sources, are all going up significantly. The potato supply is down, there’s not as many potatoes now, just like with everything else, right? So just be aware that many pet food companies are having the same issues that we are on a human level.
We also have rising shipping costs across the US. Everything in the pet space is being affected just like we are on a human level, the food that we eat and consume, the gas that we use, that’s all going up.
It’s no different with our pets food and products. If you’re not seeing significant price increases, they most likely are reformulating the product to cut costs.
AND (or) they might be changing the size of the bag.
You might have been getting a 30 pound bag and now you’re getting a 28 pound bag or 27 pound bag. You might be getting a little bit of a price increase and a smaller bag. A little bit of an increase and a smaller bag and reformulation. YIKES!
Again, they do not have to tell you this. They are not telling you that there’s reformulations out there. You just have to be watching for things.
4. Look for changes in your pet
If the dog or cat’s stool is suddenly different. That’s a concern. It just means that there’s probably something they’re not digesting well or may have an issue or an allergy to look for. Increase in itching. Itchy ears, licking paws, chewing paws, scratching the collar are all differences you may start to see. You may see an increase in ear infections.
They may be more lethargic. If they’re not digesting it well, if they don’t feel as well, they’re not going to be as active and running and jumping and playing like they normally do.
You might see an increase in vomiting, just any subtle change that you notice-be on the lookout.
Just pay attention and be really familiar with labels. Our company has had to make three price increases over the last little bit because of COVID, because of all the ramifications I just talked about.
We are standing strong and committed to giving our pets what they deserve and need to live long, healthy lives. We know what works, and we want it to continue to work and so we’re making it just as effective now with the same ingredients (which ultimately requires an increases in the price).
I just want you to be a knowledgeable pet owner. I have often said “if I knew better, I would do better”. That’s why I want you to know better. If you have any questions, let me know. You can contact me here.
Again, I want to make a disclaimer. I’m not an expert. This field is just something I know well after being in the industry for eight years. I hope what I’ve shared is helpful!
(If you want to watch this blog post as a video, just visit my Youtube channel!)
