Pet insurance customers 'confused' by diet advice
27 January 2010 16:55:56
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| The calorie content of pet foods varies widely. |
Researchers at Tufts University in the US analysed 93 different pet food products, all of which made weight-loss claims, and found wide variations in their calorie content.
Despite all of the products claiming to be low-calorie, scientists found that the calorie density of dry dog foods ranged from 217 to 440 calories per cup, while that of wet food varied between 189 and 398 per tin.
It was a similar story for cat foods, the calorie content of which ranged from 235 to 480 per cup.
Study co-author Dr Lisa Freeman, from the university's Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, warned that the findings in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association could have implications for owners who want their pets to lose weight.
"There is so much information - and misinformation - about pet foods, it's understandable that people are confused about what to feed their dogs and cats," she claimed.
"To counteract these myths, people are accustomed to turning to the labels on food - but, as this study shows, packaging might not always be a reliable source of information."
According to veterinary charity PDSA, a good quality dog food should provide all the nutrients a pet needs.
Owners who like to give their dogs the occasional treat should ensure their pet does extra exercise to prevent the calories from being turned into fat.
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