South Mississippi Weight Pull Association (Taylorsville, MS)
http://www.continentalkennelclub.com/clubs/smwpa

FEATURED ARTICLE II

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Questions you always wanted to
know about Petfood.
By Denny Hughes, Profile Pet Nutritionalist
 

How can I tell if my pet is getting overweight?
The best way is by palpation of the ribs. If the ribs are not somewhat evident, the pet is over-weight.
 
Why are ingredient listings on pet foods that contain meat (chicken, lamb, etc) misleading to consumers?
The ingredient listings on all pet food labels in the U.S. are on an "as-is" or humid basis. Weights of the ingredients are listed in descending order of predominance in the formula. Rendered ingredients like meat meal and by-product meals in conventional dry pet foods contain less than 10% moisture. So called "real" meat ingredients like chicken, lamb etc. in certain "premium" pet foods are actually meat slurries containing 75 to 80% water that are pumped into the mix during extrusion. Since all dry pet foods are dried down to 10% moisture or less after manufacture, the water content that was a part of the slurry used in "meat"-containing pet foods is lost and the remaining weight of the meat slurry is a much smaller part of the mix than the label leads you to believe. It is for this reason that the ingredient listings are misleading to the customers of pet food containing "real" meat.
 
Why are products that include soybean meal considered premium, whereas products similar to Profile Active and Profile Adult (high protein, medium range fat) but with no soybean are considered super-premium?
Marketing personnel tend to use hyperbole in their discussions with potential customers or in their literature. There is no technical basis for the terms "super-premium" or "premium." Most so-called premium or super-premium pet foods have more fat or some other distinguishing feature such as "no-soy" or "with lamb and rice."
 
Why is soybean less distinguished?
Soybean meal is an integral component of many top selling brands, e.g., Purina Dog Chow and Purina Puppy Chow. Soybean meal has been over‑used in some of the less expensive "generic" store brands, often showing up in the #2 label position. This will lead to digestive disturbances due to the complex carbohydrates that are an integral component of the soybean.  Stools from these dogs contain more moisture and are more difficult to remove from pens. For those reasons, many kennel operators reject dog foods containing soybean meal. If properly used, soybean meal is an excellent ingredient. We have dog foods that have no soybean meal for those producers that insist on "No Soybean Meal."
 
Why is animal protein preferred to vegetable protein?
Pet foods containing a variety of protein sources may more consistently provide the intended or guaranteed levels of nutrients. Only a few ingredients will provide adequate nutrition if fed alone, e.g., milk and eggs. Many individual sources of protein will be harmful if their dietary inclusion level is too high. For example, use of too much meat and bone meal, a by-product of slaughterhouses, will result in excess dietary calcium, phosphorus and total ash. On the other hand, too much soybean meal will result in excess gas production and flatulence. Also, many plant proteins are seriously lacking in one of the essential amino acids (lysine) and some contain anti‑nutritional factors, e.g. gossypol in cottonseed meal that can cause some nutritional problems. So, it could be said that animal proteins are superior, but animal proteins are less consistent than plant protein products in nutrient content, which also creates problems. The best pet food is created when the nutritionist formulating the food takes into account the individual limitations of the available ingredients.
 
People care about the size of their pet's stools. In particular, kennel operators care about this too. How good are the Profile foods in this regard?
Fat is extremely digestible by dogs, so high fat diets will generally be more digestible and result in smaller stools than lower fat diets. Of course, high fat diets are not appropriate for many sedate housedogs, as they will gain too much weight. Profile Pet Foods vary in digestibility and fat content depending on their intended purpose. But in all cases, stool size of these feeds will be smaller than generic brands containing large amounts of fillers.
 
Are the Profile Growth Dog Food morsels too large for small breed puppies?
We have evaluated dog response to varying particle sizes in our Pet Research Center. We found that young puppies were able to consume large kibbles with no difficulty. Since puppy food is often also recommended for lactating females, a larger kibble size than has traditionally been  used might be most appropriate. However, Profile Elite is recommended for use as a lactation and puppy food for small breed owners and others seeking a smaller particle size.
 
Which pet food process is better: extruded, baked or pellet?
Raw starch from most cereal grains is less well utilized by the dog than is cooked starch. The usual pelleting process will result in less cook or gelatinization of starch than will baking or extrusion. For that reason, pre-gelatinized starch will normally be used in a pelleted pet food. All of the processes can be used to produce excellent pet foods.
 
 
What are the causes of mold?  Is mold harmful to dogs or cats?
Mold spores are present at all times in the air and on all work surfaces. Most molds are not harmful to our pets or us. However, molds can and do produce toxins that can be harmful so we do not recommend that anyone give moldy food to their pets.
 
What are the ideal protein, fat, and fiber for dogs and cats?
Dogs and cats evolved differently; cats being true carnivores (meat eaters) and dogs being omnivores (both meat and plant eaters). For this reason, cats require a higher level of protein than dogs and are less tolerant of fiber in the diet. Also, cats must have a dietary source of animal fat while dogs do not. The absolute levels of nutrients required by both dogs and cats are dependent on their physiological state, e.g., growing, lactating, senior, etc.
 
Is one source of fat better than another?
Dogs and cats have distinctly different requirements for fatty acids derived from fat. Cats require arachidonic acid that is present only in animal fat. Also, our studies have indicated that there are differences in palatability among the different sources of fat.
 
Does Profile Pet Products contain fillers?
All ingredients that contain a significant amount of fiber could be considered to be fillers, as dogs and cats do not digest fiber. But there are differences among the fiber sources and also different reasons for inclusion of those products in pet foods. Light dog foods may contain fiber sources such as rice hulls or peanut hulls simply to reduce energy content. Many quality dog foods like ours will contain absorptive fibers like beet pulp or tomato pommace for a firm stool and improved digestive function. Intermediate fiber sources such as corn bran and wheat middlings are generally used to reduce the cost of economical pet foods.
 
Is energy content (Metabolizable Energy, kcal per lb.) important?
The energy content of a pet food will determine how much will be needed to satisfy the energy requirement of a pet. Feeding directions on a bag are based on the food energy content. It is necessary to feed more low-energy dog food than of a higher energy product.   The estimated energy content of pet food, especially of low-energy food, is less reliable than determined energy content.


How do Profile Pet Foods compare to Purina Hi Pro or Diamond?
Our products are routinely compared from the standpoint of palatability to our competitors, including selected products manufactured by Purina and Diamond.  It is our goal to be as palatable as our major competitors.  
 
Why aren't the levels of all vitamins and minerals shown on the bag?
We add to all our pet foods 100% of the required levels of all vitamins and minerals, irrespective of natural ingredient content. From a regulatory standpoint, a simple listing of how much we add would constitute a guaranteed level. Substantiation of guaranteed levels by assay would be unnecessarily difficult and expensive.
 
Why are feeding directions so general and how closely should they be followed?
It is our intent to provide directions in sufficient detail that a novice could properly feed their pet. Since the physiological stage or use of the pet consuming the feed is not known, it is necessary that the directions be somewhat general.
 
What is the expected shelf life of pet food?
Our studies indicate that nutritional levels are maintained at adequate levels for six months of storage under rigorous conditions. Under less challenging conditions, pet foods can be maintained in good condition for a year or more.
 
What effect do table scraps have on pet nutrition?
That depends on the scraps offered. An occasional bone from the table would be enjoyed by the pet and have little impact on nutrition. On the other hand, high-fat table leavings reduce intake of balanced pet food and contribute to obesity.
 
Should you feed once, twice a day or full feed cat and dogs?
Young growing dogs should have free-choice access to an appropriate dog food, or be offered multiple (three or four) feedings per day. Once per day feeding is satisfactory for adult dogs.
 
What is the most important thing to consider in picking a pet food?
The consumer needs to select the product that will provide the right nutrition for the physiological stage or use of the pet. All other considerations, including palatability should be secondary. Unfortunately, palatability too often plays too large a role.
 
Which is the most important, protein or fat?
All nutrients are important but only a small amount of fat is required and the requirement is easily met and exceeded. So the protein level becomes more important. On the other hand, fat is a concentrated source of energy and may influence the intake of all other nutrients. In that sense, the level of fat in a diet becomes most important.
 
How should pet food be stored?
Pet foods should be stored in as cool and dry a place as possible. Preferably, the pet owner should purchase no more than needed for a week or two.
 
What makes Profile Pet Products nutritionally different from other brands?
All our products are tested in our kennel and cattery prior to being introduced to the market. We are one of few manufactures that operate our own research center.

Did you know that you could advertise on CKC's Website?

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CKC would like to see your canine buddies in action! Each month we will pick a theme and ask you to submit photos of your dog(s) relating to the theme of the month. You can e-mail or mail your snapshot ATTN: Snapshot of the Month, PO BOX 1627, Walker, LA 70785.

December's Theme of the Month
is
"How The Dog Stole Christmas"

For the "How The Dog Stole Christmas" theme we want to see pictures of
your dog stealing the attention during the holiday season.

Congratulations.....

The winner of November's Theme of the Month, "Giving Thanks", is K. Spear of Seabrook, MD. Below is the picture she submitted along with her story.

"Giving Thanks" - Why we are so thankful to have Duke in our life!

We have two beautiful little girls a Pug and a Pomeranian. I am thankful for both of them; they bring great joy to our lives. I am even more thankful for Duke, a handsome Boxer that my mother & brother rescued from the Virginia Boxer rescue. My Mother is 80 years old and suffers a great deal of pain spending allot of time on bed rest. Duke knows when she is hurting most and comforts her. My Mother was suffering a great deal of pain to the point where she cried and wished she would just die. Duke sensing her pain jumped up on her bed and lay beside her. Duke licked away her tears letting her know he was there for her. Duke is a well-behaved dog watching over her on the floor next to her bed. He must have known there are exceptions to this rule of not being allowed on the bed. We can't understand why someone would have given up such a loving dog, but we are grateful they did.

Note: All pictures submitted become property of Continental Kennel Club and
may be used at our discretion

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Here we GROW again.

This month Continental Kennel Club would like to welcome Aaron C. as the newest
member of the CKC family.  Aaron is only a week on the job and is already keeping up
with fast pace and large work load of the CKC Processing Department. We are proud
to have Aaron as part of the CKC family!

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