Busting Pet Food Myths on WGN Radio

Dr. Lisa Freeman, veterinary nutritionist and clinical professor of nutrition at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, is a buster of myths about pet foods! Listen HERE from Steve Dale’s Pet World, WGN radio to myth-busting professor Freeman.

Dr. Lisa Freeman

There’s lots to talk about because there are so many misconceptions. We target these:

1. The list of ingredients. What do they really mean?  Freeman says when people make buying decisions based on the ingredient list “it pains me.”
2. Byproducts. These aren’t even what people think they are; by definition people eat byproducts, too (though not as much in America). If they are of good quality, they are typically excellent parts of pet foods, for both nutrition and palatability. The real question isn’t so much “is it a byproduct,” as much as “is it good quality?”
3. Grains. Marketing aside, grains can actually be nutritious for dogs and cats. Dogs and cats can digest and metabolize grains quite well. They’re not there as filler, but instead provide proteins, vitamins, and minerals. In fact, grains can be more nutritious than what they are sometimes replaced with in grain-free diets. It’s not that grain-free diets are bad, but neither are diets with grains.

When it comes to pet foods, to cut through the clutter, check out PetFoodOlogy.  It’s a GREAT website that offers TONS of factual information, and it’s new! It answers many questions, like does premium pet food really matter (and what does that term mean in the first place?).

I also talk about the new Mayor of Rabbit Hash, Kentucky. I usually don’t talk politics, but this election was won by a dog, and I do mean a dog.