By Julie Lauzon, agr. MSc, Pet Nutrition
In the pet food industry it is common to see claims like; for growing puppies, for senior pets, all life stages, giant breed, adult – and the list goes on and on. Have you ever wondered why dogs and cats are the only animals on the planet that seem to require a different diet when they have reached adulthood? The reality is, they don’t. This belief has been perpetuated for decades by the marketing efforts of kibble companies who have built out their portfolio (and subsequently consumer habits) around these “unique” offerings and innovation.
Adult Dogs and Cats Need Nutrient Rich Diets Too
In the traditional pet food industry, the difference between adult pet food and puppy/kitten food is that the one reserved for adults is far less nutritious: protein and fat levels are lowered, while the carbohydrate content increases. Many vitamins and minerals are also decreased in adult food, and crucial ratio such as calcium to phosphorus are not taken into account. This means it is made up of ingredients with lower digestibility and contains more filler – with the assumption that adult dogs and cats can “handle it”. By “handle it” we mean lower nutrient quantities can be given without noticeable physical effects, because large changes are not occurring over a short period of time. However, optimal nutrition may not be reached, and these compromises are made to cut ingredient costs for increased profitability. Because vitamin and mineral content is often lowered in these options, it may be dangerous to feed “adult” pet food to any other life stage.
Why a Puppy or Kitten Formula Might Not Be Right for Your Pet
Another consideration when it comes to feeding puppy / kitten formula to growing pets, is the lack of variety available. While puppies and kittens may get enough nutrients daily through basic complete and balanced diets; giving only one main source of nutrients – especially only one protein – during their first year of growth, can be harmful for the rest of their life. Feeding a single diet or protein in the early months of life increases the risk of pickiness and food intolerance once adulthood is reached and can lead to food allergies (especially if the predominant protein is one commonly associated with food allergies). Puppies and kittens should be fed complete and balanced diets, but there should be variety from one day to another. We strongly recommend 3-5 different protein options in rotation. This also promotes optimal gut health and prevent neophobia – the fear of new foods.
The Big Country Raw Difference
Big Country Raw complete diets (Dinners for Dogs and Fare Game for Cats) are formulated to be nutrient-dense. Nutrient levels in the food are carefully selected to bring all essentials for growing pets, including all breeds from puppy to senior and of various activity levels. This is achieved by being well over the minimum requirement (based on NRC guidelines), under the safe maximum, and in-between the recommended mineral ratios (calcium to phosphorus, as an example). This means that with Big Country Raw you can offer your puppy up to 8 different complete recipes and 8 different protein sources! For your kitten, up to 3 recipes and 8 different protein sources, for their best possible start in life!
Nutrient-dense also means that adult dogs and cats, will need to ingest less food to get all their required nutrients when compared to other brands. Big Country Raw does not use any fillers or dilution. It’s no different when comparing “high quality” kibble to lower quality – the lower quality food has a higher recommended daily feeding volume to compensate.
Senior dogs and cats need nutritious food as well. As they age, their animal-protein requirements increase. This is because many experience atrophy, or loss of muscle mass. To increase digestibility, senior dogs may require moderate fat and lower carbohydrate content in their diet. Raw diets option will usually bring enough fat and low carbs to increase digestibility, but options like Turkey, Chicken and Beef Dinners would be the ideal for senior dogs. White meat poultry are the easiest to digest and will bring moderate fat. Beef is also a great moderate fat option to include some red meat. The Dinners, with 10% low glycemic fruits and vegetables, are also ideal for a little extra fiber without reducing digestibility. However, others also can benefit from a higher fiber content to help regulate bowel movements. In those cases, our Side Dish Superfood blend as well as Organic Pumpkin Puree are great additions. Senior dogs and cats benefit from added probiotic and joint support supplements. Big Country Raw and Thrive Supplements offer many options to add fiber, omegas, probiotics and joint supplements to the highly-nutritious Dinners or Fare Game diets. Senior cats (like adults and kittens) should not have any carbs added to their diet, because carbohydrates can reduce the digestibility of some essential nutrients like taurine and zinc, that are essential for optimal functionality of the cardiovascular and immune systems for felines. Fare Game would be a good option for senior cats, because of the added heart and lower bone content.
There are some situations where our Pure or Blend line options may be suitable for your growing, adult, or senior pet. These formulas follow the 80/10/10 ratio and are a great meal base for pets that require a personalized or customizable diet. We recommend adding Thrive Fortify to these formulas, for dogs and cats, to achieve NRC requirements for all life stages. We also recommend, when possible, a rotation of 3 to 5 proteins per month to help balance nutrients through natural variety over time.
Big Country Raw believes in feeding nutrient-rich food to dogs and cats for all of their life stages. It’s true that puppies have different nutrient requirements than adult dogs. Senior dogs may have specific needs that adult dogs do not; however, adult and senior dogs, do benefit from the same nutrient-rich foods as puppies. It’s no different than with people – the way we feed our children is usually the same way we eat ourselves – the same applies to all animals on Earth!
Just remember, when feeding raw, fresh diets made from whole foods and natural ingredients, there is no such thing as puppy and adult food, as long as the diet is properly formulated for all life stages.
Do not hesitate to reach out to us and request a free personalized meal plan if your pet has special dietary needs and would benefit from our Pures or Blends with an individualized touch! Big Country Raw is here for you and your pets, for all life stages!