We all know that super-premium pet foods can appear expensive to buy – but are they really?
When daily feeding amounts for individual foods are calculated correctly there isn’t actually that much difference… for example, for a 5kg cat “X” brand premium food compared to “X” brand supermarket food costs only 26 cents extra per day, and for a 20kg dog only 15 cents extra per day. Now, is it really worth that little bit extra?
Quite simply – super-premium pet foods provide exceptional value for money. Remember, you get what you pay for. The better the quality of ingredients used in a pet food, the easier it is for that food to be absorbed and utilised by the body. Here is a little example of this – leather boots are a form of protein, but how easy do you think it would be to eat, digest and use this protein in your body!? The bonus of higher quality ingredients is that you are able to feed less volume meaning less comes out the other end for you to tidy from the litter tray or the back lawn.
Super-premium pet foods are also ‘complete and balanced’. This means that premium foods contain all the essential nutrients, including vitamins and minerals, which your pet needs each day. These are provided in the correct ratios to each other for the body to be able to function properly. It is essential to make sure that the pet food you feed states ‘complete and balanced’ on the packaging.
Premium pet foods are also made with a “fixed formula”. This means that the same food contains the same ingredients 100% of the time. Lesser quality foods are often made using a floating formula which means some of the nutrients may differ each time a batch is made, depending on what ingredient is cheapest or readily available at the time of manufacturing. Premium foods are not only formulated to meet world-wide standards established by AAFCO (the American Association of Feed Control Officials) but most give you the added assurance that they have been fed to animals in feeding trials to test the nutritional performance of a food, which gives a guarantee of its quality.
There are many other added benefits to feeding your pet a super-premium food. Some of which include:
- DHA – a fatty acid which aids in healthy brain development, especially important for puppies and kittens
- Added glucosamine and chondroitin – for joint health, especially important in large breed dog and senior foods. As well as Omega 3 which helps with inflammation, joint and skin issues
- Dental defence systems – enzymes added to help prevent the formation of plaque and tartar on your pets teeth
- Life-stage specific – kittens and cats, puppies and adult dogs, and senior pets all have very different nutritional requirements
- Breed specific – dogs are classified into three categories, small, medium and large breed, and these groups have very different nutritional requirements
- Urinary tract, gastro-intestinal and skin health – premium pet foods all contain added vitamins, minerals and supplements to support these vital body systems.
Nutrition plays a vital role in the overall well-being, health and longevity of our pets, just as it does in our own lives. So, which would you chose if you were in your pets shoes? The answer is simple. Feed your best friend, companion or working partner the very best – so they can thrive, not just survive.