Pet food under the spotlight

There is a lot of discussion, and has been since time immemorial, about the best food to feed your dog. Should it be a raw diet, should it be  raw meat mixed with organ mixed with vegetable and cereals / rice, is the cooked stuff from the supermarket OK, should it be just dry food, and if dry food, which one?

Dogs are not different to humans, they also need a balanced diet with the right amount of protein, carbohydrates, fats and all the other nutrients, and it changes depending upon the age and activity of the specific dog.

As there is a possibility that some dog food may be eaten by humans, it is a requirement that all dog food made in Australia must be made to the same food safety standards as human food.

However that is where the  similarities in food stops, as there is not the same labelling and testing requirements on the food for our furkids as for ourselves.

There have been stories in the news over the last year of dogs eating a food and dying shortly after. It is likely that the cause of those deaths is megaesophagus, a problem with the esophagus which prevents food reaching the stomach. It is of particular concern in older dogs, and although there is no cure, surgery and changing the way that the animal eats can make life more comfortable. There is belief that this condition may be linked to the food the dogs eat.

So there is a call by the  Senate’s Regional Affairs Committee for a review of pet food safety and particularly the labelling and testing of that food.

One of the recommendations by the Committee is the establishment of a reporting process for people to raise concerns about specific pet foods, and then the investigation process coming from it.

Australia has one of the highest percentages of dog owners in the world, so these animals are not just pets they are often “furchildren”, so this issue of ensuring that their food is always safe is becoming increasingly important.