Nutritional Counseling

Great Pet Health Starts with Nutrition

Your pet’s age, general health, and species are just some of the important considerations when it comes to selecting nutritious food. Unfortunately, lack of close regulation by the Food and Drug Administration makes it easy to fall prey to pet food company marketing ploys. This often includes listing words like holistic, organic, or natural on a food label with no proof that they accurately describe the contents of the package.

Almost all pet food is processed, which means it may contain preservatives, flavor enhancers, additives, and other fillers with no nutritional value. Newport Center Animal Hospital in Newport Beach, CA, is pleased to offer nutritional counseling to help pet owners make the best possible feeding choices.

What to look for on a pet food label

We encourage you to check for certification from the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) when reading a pet food label. This organization is a group of agencies at the federal and state levels that reviews the contents of pet food available for mass distribution. When you see AAFCO certification, it means that the pet food contains an acceptable level of trace minerals and vitamins. The organization uses the following criteria when deciding on certification:

  • Beef, lamb, turkey, or another type of meat as the first ingredient instead of animal by-products. Any type of meat meal is acceptable for the second ingredient.
  • The third and fourth ingredients should be a whole fruit or vegetable.
  • The food should not contain preservatives or flavors such as wheat, corn, and soy since these may contain carcinogens.
  • The food should have Vitamin C or Vitamin E fortification.

You can become a pro at reading pet food labels with nutritional counseling

It can feel like you need a degree in animal science to actually understand what is in your pet’s food. At Newport Center Animal Hospital, we help people in the Newport Beach, CA, area choose the right food in addition to establishing healthy portion sizes. Please contact us at (949) 644-5460 to request a nutritional counseling appointment today.

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