Counting Calories in Diet Pet Food
New York Times blog: Well
By TARA PARKER-POPE
Dog and cat owners who buy diet pet foods may be feeding their animals more calories than they realize.
That’s because the calorie counts of pet foods marketed for weight control vary widely, according to research by the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. The study also found that feeding instructions on diet pet foods are often inaccurate and may even lead to weight gain in some animals.
The study, published in The Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, counted the calories in 93 commercial pet foods marketed for weight control, including 44 dog foods and 49 cat foods.
The amount of calories in just one cup of dry diet food varied widely. Depending on the product, one cup of dry dog food had 217 to 440 calories. For cats, a cup of diet food contained 235 to 480 calories. That means a pet owner accustomed to serving one cup of dog food could inadvertently add more than 200 calories a day to their pet’s food simply by switching brands.
The calories in a can of dog or cat food also covered a wide range. For dogs, a can of diet food contained 189 to 398 calories. For cats, a can of diet food had 78 to 172 calories.
Feeding recommendations also varied. For some brands, the suggested serving sizes amounted to feeding about 25 percent fewer calories than the pet’s resting energy requirement, whereas recommendations from other labels amounted to 50 percent more calories than the animal’s resting energy needs. And half the foods studied also contained more calories by weight than typically allowed under federal guidelines for the marketing of light and low-calorie pet foods.
The study authors noted that for most of the foods studied, pets would not lose weight and might even gain weight if pet owners followed the feeding instructions on the label.
The lesson for pet owners is to talk to their veterinarian about the specific daily calories needs of a pet that is overweight. If the vet recommends a calorie-controlled food, discuss the best options and read the label to determine calories counts. If the feeding instructions on the label don’t match the recommended calories suggested by your vet, talk to him or her about adjusting the serving size or switching foods.
New York Times blog: Well
By TARA PARKER-POPE
Dog and cat owners who buy diet pet foods may be feeding their animals more calories than they realize.
That’s because the calorie counts of pet foods marketed for weight control vary widely, according to research by the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. The study also found that feeding instructions on diet pet foods are often inaccurate and may even lead to weight gain in some animals.
The study, published in The Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, counted the calories in 93 commercial pet foods marketed for weight control, including 44 dog foods and 49 cat foods.
The amount of calories in just one cup of dry diet food varied widely. Depending on the product, one cup of dry dog food had 217 to 440 calories. For cats, a cup of diet food contained 235 to 480 calories. That means a pet owner accustomed to serving one cup of dog food could inadvertently add more than 200 calories a day to their pet’s food simply by switching brands.
The calories in a can of dog or cat food also covered a wide range. For dogs, a can of diet food contained 189 to 398 calories. For cats, a can of diet food had 78 to 172 calories.
Feeding recommendations also varied. For some brands, the suggested serving sizes amounted to feeding about 25 percent fewer calories than the pet’s resting energy requirement, whereas recommendations from other labels amounted to 50 percent more calories than the animal’s resting energy needs. And half the foods studied also contained more calories by weight than typically allowed under federal guidelines for the marketing of light and low-calorie pet foods.
The study authors noted that for most of the foods studied, pets would not lose weight and might even gain weight if pet owners followed the feeding instructions on the label.
The lesson for pet owners is to talk to their veterinarian about the specific daily calories needs of a pet that is overweight. If the vet recommends a calorie-controlled food, discuss the best options and read the label to determine calories counts. If the feeding instructions on the label don’t match the recommended calories suggested by your vet, talk to him or her about adjusting the serving size or switching foods.
