As more pet owners realize the damage artificial ingredientsin positron emission tomography foods can do to our dog and cats , many of us begin appear for better timbre products and ingredients . Today more than ever before constitutive , natural and human - tier blackguard intellectual nourishment are the first choice for many proprietor , but what makes all this premium dog food so expensive , and is it worth the price ?
In this podcast episode , I ’m welcome back darling nutritionistDr . Jennifer Adolphe , PhDofPetcureanto exuviate some brightness on the quality of different types of dog foods , and what makes their price jump up . We ’ve previously discussed thehumanization of pet foodswith Dr Adolphe , and talked about the current trends in the industry . This Modern conversation is intimately tied together to inform pet possessor about premium quality bounder food mark and let out some of the issues of sustainability in the favored food industry .
Listen to the instalment in the video above and happen the full podcast transcript below . For more , visit this episode ’s post on the officialTheory of Petswebsite .
Why Is Premium Dog Food So Expensive?(raw podcast transcript)
Hey guys , I ’ve got a keen interview for you today . If you remember one of my old podcasts , I speak with Dr. Jennifer Adolphe . She is the pet dietician for Petcurean .
Petcurean is a premium best-loved food companyfor dogs and quat and they ’ve just released a new line called Gather . And Gather is made with certified and constituent ingredients and it also focuses on sustainability . Sustainability is something in the favored diligence that I do n’t think a lot of pet parent are aware of , so I wanted to talk to Dr. Adolphe today about sustainability — organic , quality pet solid food , different form of high lineament dearie food and why those products are more expensive . Why they ’re a little mo harder to come by . I think a lot of fourth dimension when we ’re think about a dieting for our dog , obviously we require to give the best and highest caliber nutrition but sometimes the cost of that just outweighs the benefits for lack of a better condition , that we see in the dog food .
So Dr. Adolphe spoke with me today again about Gather , their new line what makes a best-loved nutrient a high quality pet food for thought — what the things are that we should be look for when we are purchasing pet foods . And then again just about sustainability and those organic , healthy , instinctive ingredients .
So I will permit you guys listen to the interview and then I ’ll do back .
Interview with Dr. Jennifer Adolphe, PhD
Samantha : Last time we utter about the humanisation of best-loved intellectual nourishment and we ’re seeing that vogue in the pet industry now . So we ’re seeing more and more pet owners feeding born , organic , higher character . We have the paleo dieting for pets now , so we ’re seeing that humanization . Can you give our listeners just a flying review of that trend and why it ’s becoming so pop ?
Jennifer : Yes , for certain humanization of positron emission tomography and best-loved foods does seem to be go on on the upswing and we think it ’s because pets are progressively being viewed as authoritative members of their family , and citizenry really desire to feed their pet the same way that they feed in themselves .
So there are lots of terms that we see in the human world that translate into the pet world , including high protein , low saccharide diet , gluten free , or grain spare dieting , limited ingredient dieting or in the human world this translate to cleanse label diet and vegetarian diets are also becoming more popular .
So mass really require to feed their deary the healthiest foods possible . And these style that are seen in the human world transition into the pet world . One of the matter to think about though is whether the vogue really applies to pets and we still take to verify that pet are being feed , the food and all of the sustenance that they require , as they are not fury little humans and they do have unlike nutritionary requirements . And so it ’s authoritative to make certain that the food is meeting all of those requirements .
One of the bragging trends the right way now in both the human and favored food world is sustainability , transparency and constitutional constituent . And so we see in the news show almost daily , narrative about extreme weather condition and consumers really want to take some control over that . So the food pick that they make is one way that they can do so , both for themselves and for their pet , so that they can minimize their bionomical impression .
So in 2013 , Petcurean set in motion a unexampled blade of pet food called Gather for domestic dog and computerized tomography . Our thought process behind Gather was to produce a new kind of pet food that expend the fixings with a sustainability focus . So we , explore for Farmer , growers , black cat to really focalize on sustainability to ply the constituent for Gather . And we are really emotional to launch this product .
So it has been out now for about a year and it ’s really exciting to see how people are delirious about feeding their pet a nutrient that has a sustainability nidus ..
Samantha : Absolutely , and I know , it ’s made of organic factor , as well , and that ’s a big focus for a lot of pet owners , because they are looking at the health aspect . But they ’re not thinking on the sustainability aspect of where those ingredients coming from , and are they from sustainable resource , are we using resource for our favorite that should be being used for people , things like that , are motion on the sustainability front .
I think it ’s something that has n’t quite come to the full into light yet , and I was really unrestrained , to hear about Gather , and just get a line that there ’s now a furrow of preferent solid food that ’s focalize on that sustainability . It is , like you said , a growing trend , so I think over the next few years , we ’re going to see a lot more focus on sustainability . It ’s definitely becoming more popular , and I emphatically expect to see that continue to grow .
Jennifer : Yes , I would check , it ’s definitely becoming more and more of a focus .
Samantha : When we apply these higher quality ingredients , organic , natural ingredients , and you ’re focusing on ingredients that are from sustainable source , it increase the expense of the nutrient . And unfortunately , I hear so many hoi polloi all the time , when they ’re asking questions about dog food , the telephone number one concern always seems to be price .
A lot of people buy at just only based on price , they ’ll grab the cheapest thing on the shelf to feed their pets . So it is a vast ingredient , of class we ’re all on budgets . So , can you explain why these products … they are more expensive , I should say the gummed label price is more expensive , which is why most people are looking at . When you seem at the literal price of the food , that you could course less of these higher lineament diets , and things like that , the disbursal is n’t as extreme , but the great unwashed do n’t pull in that . So can you talk a little number about the expense of these product ?
Jennifer : Yes , for sure . There ’s many divisor that go into the price of food , both for humans , and our pets , and one of the main factors is the type of ingredients that the intellectual nourishment include . And so the ingredients that are in higher priced pet food , do cost more than some of the lower priced nutrient . For example , an factor like wimp meal , which is a unmarried generator meat protein that ’s common in pet food is significantly more expensive than a like constituent like fowl by - ware repast .
So that ’s one of the main factors that chip in to the price of pet food . And then when you take care at indorse ingredients , like organic or Marine Stewardship Council certified seafood , the toll is increase further because of the added disbursement of bewilder those certifications . The entire supplying chain take to comply with these standards that is set out by the certification , and that usually involve expenses for the grower , the farmer , the producer , throughout the provision chain for comply with those standards . And then in addition to that , so as to obtain that certification , third party auditors ask to come in and perform audit to assure obligingness , and there is a cost , of trend , associate with that as well . So the more contacts the corroboration has , the more price which is associated with it .
So organic is actually quite an involved authentication . It ’s a long process to be in compliance with the constituent standard . And so , as you could see , when you ’re shopping for your own groceries , organic foods are a lot higher costs than the non - organic intellectual nourishment , and that has to do with the type of raise methods , the literal certification audits themselves , etc . So when you ’re count at pet foods the same apply .
So if you have organic factor in that food , you ’re paying for that certification and that philosophy that … of organic , and you ’ve made that decision to feed your pets a higher priced food because of the meaning behind those ingredients .
We also know that the demand for organic constituent continues to be importantly gamey than the provision , and we all know from economic 101 that when demand out - stretching supply , that the price go up . So it ’s quite an convoluted process for farmers to modulation to growing organic , so there ’s substantial time and financial investment funds and so that comes across in the stumper damage . It ’s really come down to take a leak that decision to feed an organic product or a premium Cartesian product with those premium ingredients .
Samantha : Absolutely . You made some really splendid pointedness that I think a lot of the great unwashed do n’t really think about . And it ’s funny that when we ’re shopping for our own food at the grocery storage , we do take into account those things . But then when we rick around and shop for favored food , we tend to not think as much about supplying and demand event like that increasing the cost of our pets ' food . So some capital points there .
I think the other thing that people need to suppose about , is , and it can be difficult to do but , comparing the cost per serve of the nutrient that you buy alternatively of just the Leontyne Price per bagful . plain base play in different sizes ; you may buy 25 Irish punt or 35 quid of firedog food at a time . And then the serving size , whereas a lower quality food , you might have to feed 2 cup a twenty-four hour period , a higher quality solid food , you do n’t have to feed as much , so you might be able to only course 1 loving cup a day of the more expensive , healthier intersection . So the cost per serving is really much lower than what it would be with a cheaper product .
Jennifer : Yes , and also on that note , something to think about , is that we ’re approaching about 50 % of the favored population being heavy or obese . That really means that pet parents are tending to overfeed their pets . So if you take some time to calculate out the ideal amounts of food that your ducky needs to keep an ideal physical structure exercising weight — and we have info on our internet site at petcurean.com about we have what are called body score chart to avail preferent parents name if their darling is at an idealistic body weighting . But if you’re able to dial in how much you are run your pet , you’re able to credibly cut back a piddling bit , so that it ’s not as expensive to prey your pet because you ’re feeding less food to maintain that healthy consistency weight .
Samantha : Absolutely , obesity is becoming an epidemic for mankind and for people . So I always , if I get the chance to adjoin on obesity , I always stress to because it is becoming such an topic . So just for anyone that ’s listen that might be concerned in looking at those body score charts , I ’ll link to those on our website as well , so they can press there and jump over and see those chart . Because it is so important to make certain obesity , which is a vast topic for another day , but it lead to so many health issues with your pets . Also , manifestly , expense is a factor — if you ’re feed less , you ’re not paying as much for your intellectual nourishment . I will link to that so people can get that information from petcurean.com as well .
Jennifer : enceinte , yes , and keep a respectable trunk weight also keep your pet healthier , which aid to avoidveterinary expensesas well .
Samantha : Absolutely .
Jennifer : So it ’s multi - faceted .
Samantha : Absolutely . Now to get back to the ingredients , the higher caliber ingredients . We have seen so many pet food call back in recent yr , a lot of hotdog foods and a lot of bounder kickshaw . There was the boastful proceeds with element come in from countries that have limited regulation such as China . I think that impart to Christ Within , and a stack of pet parents are realize now that the regulations on favourite intellectual nourishment are much less strict than on human food . I recall that a lot of pet owner had the idea that the government modulate pet food , so they must determine it the same way that they baffle human food , which is absolutely out of true . I cerebrate a lot of these recall are sort of impart that to Christ Within . Are the regulations for organic / healthier / rude ingredients more exacting than the regulation on the pet foods made with gloomy calibre ingredients ?
Jennifer : So the regularization for favourite intellectual nourishment are the same across the type of food for thought , or the type of factor . But what is unlike between certified element and non - qualified ingredients , such as an organic certify ingredient , is that the organic evidence constituent has to go through kind of another level of scrutiny . And that so as to get that corroboration , the supplying team has to undergo that third party audit so as to ensure compliance with the organic standards . So although the regulation themselves do n’t exchange , the process of aim that certification for the ingredients is dissimilar .
And just to clarify , in the US , there actually are involved regulations for pet food , and we know as an diligence , there ’s always elbow room for improvements in both the human and pet food regulations and food safety . But The Association of American Feed Control Officials in partnership with the FDA does set the regulation for best-loved food . So when you ’re choosing a pet food , it ’s important to consider the type of nutrient safe stuff and nonsense that the caller has in place to ensure output of high-pitched quality and safe foods . So looking at the company ’s internet site or contacting them straightaway for this information is crucial .
Something else to take , is that company that export around the creation to great deal of unlike countries , must encounter the regulatory standards of all those different countries . Each body politic has slightly unlike regulations , so if a fellowship ’s export around the universe , then that just adds to the level of regulative examination that the product must undergo . And so this is an total insurance policy policy from a consumer position .
So checking into that , looking into the manufacturer behind your dog or cat solid food is an first-class way to see added level of food safety machine .
Samantha : Excellent . That ’s great advice . If you have , let ’s say two traveling bag of dog food , one , on the recording label , says , “ Made with constituent ingredient ” and the other says , “ Made with certify organic ingredients , ” is that the same thing or different ?
Jennifer : The terminus organic is a controlled terminus , so you ca n’t use the term “ constitutional , ” without that ingredient being certified through a certify body . So if it say organic cheeseflower for instance , then that ’s a demonstrate organic cheese . There are different … the constituent rule are a small bit complex and so there ’s different rules about how you may label a product , depending on how much organic content is in the food . But the term “ organic ” itself is a controlled term . So you ’re not allowed to apply it unless it is a endorse organic ingredient .
Samantha : OK , excellent . And what should pet owners be cognisant of as far as food labeling goes , when they ’re looking for a good tone food for their dog or true cat ? What are some of the thing that they should be cognisant of and maybe calculate for , or not looking for ?
Jennifer : It can definitely be a daunting task to opt the correct food for your pet . Petcurean , we do n’t trust in a one - for - all doctrine for pets , because each wiener and cat has his own unequalled needs . A food that ’s deemed well for one favourite may not do so well for another . So you’re able to … await at the bag , review the list of ingredients on the bag is a salutary place to start . Speak with the troupe . Each ingredient should be pick out to wreak a specific nutritionary or functional role in the food , and it ’s crucial to get it on that preferent food must name the element in condescend club by weight unit .
So the first ingredient in the ingredient list , is the ingredient that the food curb in the superlative amount . Also expect beyond the label , judge the troupe behind the sword . Ensure that the intellectual nourishment is invent by a qualified dietician so that it provides all of the nutrients that your favorite call for . verify it match extremely high quality and safety banner . And also , call the fellowship and see who you’re able to call for , who you’re able to talk with if you have any interrogative sentence . Do they have people who can actually provide you with answers to your questions and help you select the food that ’s right for your pet .
On our website , Petcurean.com we have a food finder which is a resourcefulness that a lot of the great unwashed turn to when endeavor to opt the correct food for thought for their deary . We also have a team of wellness and nutrition specialist , that people can really talk to in this digital age and get some answers and some helper , and require some nutrition questions relate to their pets
Samantha : So finally , let ’s talk a short bit because , of course as we meet on earlier , everybody is on a budget and the intellectual nourishment that you course your pet is such a huge part of your pet budget . So for pet possessor that are on a budget , what are some of the things or a few of the things that you think just utterly must have in a quality pet food for thought ?
Jennifer : So select a nutrient really calculate on your type of deary , their breed , their life phase , their activity level , their overall general health , whether they have any health business organisation . So it ’s really hard to specify specific must have .
It ’s authoritative to essay to choose a food that operate well for your pet . So scan the recording label , await for the ingredients . Does your pet have any inauspicious food reaction ? Identifying those can be challenge , but look at the constituent label for ingredient that you distrust may not agree with your domestic dog or big cat is a first step . Also , reckon at the guarantee analysis for data about protein grams and fiber level and the calorie depicted object .
If your andiron or African tea is carrying a few supernumerary pound you may take to think a weight loss nutrient . It ’s also of import to remember that the feeding guidelines on the bag are really just a position to start . DOE requirement vary dramatically from one pet to another , even dogs or true cat that wait very similar in term of their weights and body conditions may have very different calorie requirements . So it ’s significant to adjust how much you ’re eat base on their body weight and body conditions for not just the feed guidelines on the bag .
Visit the company ’s website . On our website we have detailed merchandise data and nutritional analysis for the go ! , Now Fresh and Gather mark . So this include nutritional information and helps favourite parent choose the right food for their frump and computerized axial tomography .
It can be a minuscule moment of test and error to get the food that is idealistic and works well for your PET , but ideally the food for thought should be well care , maintain a intelligent skin and coat , soft but firm stools and keeps your favourite vivacious and sound .
So we really do n’t believe in right fixings , bad ingredients or one food for all philosophy , but really offering a variety of dissimilar foods so that preferred parent have option to find the food that meets their favourite ’s needs .
Samantha : And what are some things — because so many people pick out their nutrient based just on Mary Leontyne Price alone — what are some of the thing that you would advise pet owners absolutely stay aside from when they ’re shopping for a food for their positron emission tomography ?
Jennifer : Again , there are n’t really good ingredients or defective element . The ingredients that are included in pet food must be nourishing and be approved ingredients , but really the most important factor in choosing a favourite food is to find a food that your individual dog or cat thrives on .
So again , they should have an ideal body weight , depend healthy , with bright eyes shaggy prat , flaccid coating and enjoy eating the food . And if these gene are n’t met then do n’t just stick with the nutrient because you recall it ’s the best solid food . If any of these issues are a concern then consider swop .
Remember that proper transitioning from one intellectual nourishment to another is important , so that you do n’t kind of shock your favourite ’s digestive system and a right changeover can really help oneself your favourite adjust to the new food .
So start by supply about ten percent of the new food to your favourite ’s current food and just increase that really bit by bit over a flow of 10 day to 2 weeks to see if the new intellectual nourishment will make for your darling . It can take several week to really set if the food is working well for your pet . And again it can take some trial and error to find the food that works the right . Again we have a health and victuals specializer that can help you check the right food for thought for your ducky and they can be contacted through our website at petcurean.com .
Our philosophy is that we will help you find the right food for your pet , even if it ’s not one of our own foods because we really just want pet to thrive and to get the solid food that ferment well for them .
Samantha : grand . And again you bed for anybody listening that ’s interested in speaking with one of the nutritionists for Petcurean , I will link to your web site and they can jump out on there and check that out , and also patently hold out all the unlike products that you tender and the novel Gather line that is made of certified organic and sustainable ingredient .
I hope that you guys enjoyed the information from Doctor Adolphe as much as I did . It ’s always great to have her here on Theory of Pets . She is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to nutrition for our canine tooth and feline companions .
I think that sustainability is a majuscule matter that we should be focusing on with the growing human population and the growing pet population . it ’s always something to be concerned about , the sustainability of our resources and how long we ’re go to be able to keep buy the farm feeding the things that we ’re feeding our pets and eating the thing that we as humans are eat as well .
PREVIOUS PODCAST : TOP # 28 – The Healing Power of Dogs
