Part 3: Why veterinary diets?

Most veterinarians work with just a few different companies (primarily those who provide a veterinary line). This has led to veterinary diets, and the veterinary practices who promote them, often being perceived as a monopoly. Before reaching the conclusion that your veterinary practice sells certain diets because of financial reasons, it might be interesting to ask them why they stock the products they do.

Veterinary practices are in the business of making and keeping your pet healthy! Many practices recognize that nutrition is a huge part of overall health, so they have products on hand both for healthy pets (life-stage diets) and for pets with medical conditions or predispositions where nutrition can play a role in treatment, management, or prevention.

They have chosen the diets on their shelves for a number of reasons:

1) Track record of success. Many of the products on their shelves come from companies that have been helping them care for their patients for 20 or 30+ years. They have seen these diets work reliably to help their patients and have faith in their performance. New companies and new diets can be a vital part of your veterinarian’s practice, providing they, too, are meeting the same rigorous standards.

2) Scientific backing. Just like they would evaluate any other treatment or preventative medicine, they have evaluated these diets. They have read the studies that show how and why these diets work. They have read the research behind how nutrition can impact pets and medical conditions.

3) Connection with the company. They know who is formulating these diets. They know the testing the diets have undergone. They know who they can reach out to when they have questions. This allows them to make the best choice for your pet.

Part 2: Diet testing and fear of recalls

Welcome back to our series on how to determine if a diet is “good”. In our last piece, we talked about the importance of step one – WHO is formulating the diet.

Step 2 is WHO is testing the diet, WHAT is it being tested for, and HOW frequently is this testing done? As we talked about in part 1, once a diet has been formulated (the recipe has been created on paper), that recipe needs to be made in a small “trial run” to see if the kibble can be made. Most kibbles are made through extrusion (cooking with steam). There is a lot of science behind this, but also some art!

Kibble can be tricky to make; small differences in humidity, or moisture, or temperature can result in large differences in kibble size, shape, and structure. A diet formulation must be one that can be made into a consistent kibble. The trial run is also the first opportunity to test the kibble. Diets should be going through a FULL nutrient analysis, which will allow the company to tell you precisely how much of each nutrient is in the kibble. Different companies will express this information in different ways, for example, they may tell you there are 80 g of protein in each 1000 kcal of food. Many companies do not list this information on the bag (too crowded!) or on their website – but they should have it easily accessible if you ask. It is essential before a kibble is launched BUT definitely NOT always done! If you can not find out the nutrients that your kibble provides, it is NOT a “good” food.

It is important to ask not only what the nutrient analysis is, but how frequently this is being run. Having a full nutrient analysis done on a product prior to launch is a great start, but ingredients can change over time, and changes in kibble size or density will impact nutrition, ideally a company will be doing a nutrient analysis every time they make a new batch. There are some exceptions to this. Products that have been in the market for years with frequent testing and close scrutiny, like veterinary diets, may now be doing a nutrient analysis quarterly – they have perfected a formulation and the mix of art and science of extrusion to be able to run a consistent product. Their nutrient analyses are now just a “fail-safe” to ensure products stay consistent.

For smaller or new companies – if they are not running a nutrient analysis on every batch, they are likely missing shifts in the nutrition the diet is providing, and their information may no longer be accurate.

Additional testing: Nutrient analyses are essential for consistent nutrition, but what else is or SHOULD be tested for? We have all heard of scary recalls, and all want to know that we are not putting our pets at risk. The truth is, it is impossible to test for EVERYTHING. No company can test for every possible contaminant or risk…so look for a company that is truly dedicated to safety. Ask about their safety procedures and their quality assurance and quality control programs. Their answer should be comprehensive and include a discussion of what measures are in place to produce a diet free of contamination of other products made at that facility, with checks to prevent metal (from machinery) or other foreign materials (from ingredient packages, etc.). They should also be doing regular ingredient testing to minimize the risk of mycotoxins or contaminants. They should be doing finished product testing (like a nutrient analysis) that will help alert them to anything being in the food that shouldn’t be there.

Just like with “human” food – there are not processes that provide zero risk – but there are many companies who have invested significant resources in developing safe products that you can rely on. If you are not getting answers that you feel good about, then this is NOT a good diet for your pet.

One of the most common questions asked to veterinarians, breeders, groomers, or other pet experts is “how do I choose a dog/cat food?”. There are SO MANY brands out on shelves, most of them LOOK great. They have beautiful packages, their ingredient lists sound great, their claims are wonderful…but how can you know about what is IN the package?

It is impossible for any pet care professional to know about ALL of the products out there – there are new diets and new brands being launched every day. There are some reliable ways to evaluate products, though. One of the most important parts of a product is WHO formulated the diet? One of the first steps in creating a diet is the formulation. The formulation is both a “recipe” for what ingredients will go into the diet, but also a prediction on what nutrients those ingredients will provide. For example, a diet that is made up of 26% chicken might then provide 80 g of protein per 1000 kcal consumed. There are no “rules” on who formulates diets. Most companies use the same base software, and the formulator might be a company employee with pet food experience, or a veterinarian, or a PhD nutritionist. Although each of these people will work hard to create the best diet they can – there will be a significant range in expertise and nutrition knowledge.

So – step one of deciding “Is this is good food?” is finding out who formulated it. Some companies will list this information, some will provide it when you reach out to them, some won’t tell you…if you can not find out who formulated the diet or their credentials then this is likely NOT a diet you want to feed your pet.

The next step in creating a new diet is to run a test run of the formula – it may look great on paper, but will it translate into a kibble that can be made well? (i.e. can that kibble be consistently produced) Will it be palatable? Will it provide the nutrition to the pet that the formulation predicts? The next critical step in deciding if a diet is “good” is learning what testing was done in creating the diet, and ongoing to ensure consistent nutrition – join us for Part 2 to discuss pet food testing!

In our last edition we talked about the importance of exercise.

Now, on to the next two facets of keeping your healthy pet health! Nutrition and Veterinary care.

Nutrition:

You are what you eat….and so is your pet. Nutrition is the FOUNDATION for health. Without a healthy diet, we can never truly have a healthy pet (or person). This is why we are so passionate about nutrition at ADORE. We have seen, first-hand, the role of nutrition in the health of our pets, and of pets in veterinary practices across Canada.

There are lots of great diets on shelves across Canada, and there are an OVERWHELMING number of options. Here is a synopsis of some of ways to evaluate different products. :

1. Expert formulation: every diet starts as a formula on paper before it becomes a real product. The people who formulate the diet, before it is ever “made” are critical to your pet’s health. The best diets have both nutrition and medical experts – veterinarians, veterinary specialists, and PhD nutritionists.

2. Expert manufacturing: not every pet food manufacturer is created equally. Although some variation in size/shape/colour of kibble and colour/texture of wet food may be a normal reflection of the ingredients within your pet’s diet – there should still be consistency from batch to batch to ensure that your pet is getting consistent nutrition. Speak to your nutrition companies about where they manufacture, why they chose that manufacturer, and what quality and safety steps are in place.

3. Independent testing: it is critical that you know what your pet is getting from a diet, not just what is going in. The only way to know for sure is to have every product undergo a full nutrient analysis of the finished product (meaning testing the kibble or wet food, not evaluating based on the formula or recipe). Talk to your nutrition company about what testing they are doing, and how frequently they are doing it (every batch? Quarterly? Annually?).

4. Quality guarantee: your pet food company should stand behind their product, no matter what. What if your pet doesn’t like the product? Or doesn’t do well on it? Will they be there to support you?

5. Connection with the company: how response are they to your questions? Can you speak to someone within a reasonable time frame? Do they follow through with what they’ve promised?

6. Seek expert advice!: your veterinary team is a great source for a nutritional recommendation. They know your pet (including their medical history, current weight, BCS and MCS), they know you and what is important to you when feeding your family, they know things your pet could be at risk for based on their age, breed, or lifestyle, and they REALLY want to help! They want your pet to be happy and healthy.

Veterinary Care:

Your veterinary team is your best resource for pet health, whether that is keeping your pet happy and healthy, or helping you and your pet with a medical concern. Different pets have different needs and risks. Your veterinary team can individualize a care plan that will take into account your pet’s age, weight/BCS/MCS, activity level, risk factors such as breed, activities, travel, and help you make great decisions on what you can do to help keep your pet healthy.

Remember to ensure your pet is seen at least annually, even if you are following a different vaccine protocol, it is VERY important to your pet’s health to have a comprehensive physical exam at LEAST once a year! Your veterinary team will evaluate your pet’s weight (including BCS and MCS), skin and coat health, eyes, ears, teeth, organs – all of this gives them the ability to help keep your pet healthy for longer and catch any issues early on.

Part 1: Exercise

In Part 1 we will be talking about the first of the 3 facets of keeping  your pet healthy: exercise, veterinary care, and nutrition.

Exercise:

A key part of keeping pets (and people!) healthy is exercise! Exercise helps keep your pet at a healthy weight. Being active builds muscle, and muscle is critical to keeping your pet happy and healthy. Different pets require different amounts of exercise and needs also change as your pet ages.

What is a muscle condition score?

Muscle Condition Score, or MCS, is a grade for your pet’s muscle, either normal, mild muscle loss, moderate loss, or severe loss. This can be a good tool for evaluating your own pet, and is increasingly used in veterinary medicine as one more indicator of your pet’s health, and something that can be tracked year over year. You can read more about muscle condition scoring, and see a chart for how to evaluate a pet’s muscle condition score, here:

https://www.wsava.org/WSAVA/media/Documents/Committee%20Resources/Global%20Nutrition%20Committee/Muscle-condition-score-chart-2013-1.pdf

There is a bit of a learning curve to scoring muscle condition in pets. Your veterinary team can validate the score you have given your own pet, and give you some tips and hints. They have their hands on MANY dogs and cats, so have lots more opportunities to practice!

Dogs:

Every dog will benefit from daily exercise. Your veterinary team is your best source of advice, particularly if your dog has any medical conditions or limitations.

Still growing?

Exercise is important for growing puppies, but it is also very important not to overdo it! Growing joints are at a higher risk of injury or strain, and overuse can set your puppy up for long term joint issues. If your puppy came from a breeder, they may have some guidelines for you based on their experience in the breed. Your veterinary team will again be a great resource and can advise on appropriate and inappropriate exercises for your growing puppy. In general, it is important not to do any “forced” activity – definitely no running on leash/beside a bike, etc. until your pup is fully grown! Walks are great, but need to be appropriate distance to your pup’s development – ask for guidance for your individual puppy. Soft surfaces are best, the less walking on pavement/roads the better. Safe areas where your pup can run an explore at their own pace, while you supervise, is ideal to build healthy muscle and joints without putting stress on your growing puppy. Playtime with other similar sized and aged pups can be a great exercise – this might be a good opportunity to find a local puppy socialization class or group.

Adult?

Different breeds have different requirements, and there will be individual variation within a breed. Some breeds, such as Dalmatians, were bred to run long distances. They have natural endurance and often thrive on significant exercise. Other breeds, like a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, were bred to be companions, so they may find a more sedate walk around the neighbourhood sufficient.

When starting out with a new exercise regime, work up slowly, just like you would with any exercise program. Going from the couch to a marathon is a quick path to injury for you AND your pooch! There are lots of different activities you can do beyond daily walks, some dogs enjoy “joring” sports where they are pulling a bike/scooter/sled etc. in harness. Others may thrive on swimming, particularly on hot days. Some dogs may prefer play time with other dogs. You know your dog best. Your veterinary team is a great source of information and advice.

Cats:

Many cats live the life of luxury as a pampered housecat, but these feisty felines still require exercise, in fact it is even more important than their outdoor counterparts as they may not be very active when left to their own devices.

Sometimes we need to be a bit more creative with cats to ensure they are staying active. You can try hiding their food in multiple places, so they can “hunt” for it. This is great to keep their mind AND their body active! Start out small, if they are used to eating from one place, add a second bowl in an area they are likely to find, or just take them to the second bowl 😊. Once they are going to two places to eat it will be easy to add a few more – then you can start mixing it up! Sometimes there will be food in 3 of their 5 spots, sometimes in 2, sometimes in all of them…this keeps your kitty on their toes and having fun “hunting” their food.

Cats often have a preference for one of two styles of toys. Either they are natural “birders” and like toys that fly through the air (like toys on strings) or they are “mousers” and like toys that run along the ground. If your kitty seems uninterested in toys, they may just have a different preference! There are also toys that will dispense food. If your kitty is food obsessed, they may enjoy a ball or other toy that will spill kibble as they play with it.

Stay tuned for our next edition, where we tackle the next two facets of health pets: nutrition and veterinary care!

The Human/Animal Bond has been studied extensively, showing clear health benefits (both physical and mental) to owners who spend time with their beloved pets. Of course, pet owners could have told you this themselves 😊. There is something very special about the bond between an owner and their pet. The vast majority of Canadians view their pets as part of their family.

Our pets rely on us for everything. We control all their resources; food, water, access to the outdoors, play time, social interaction….everything. In return, they give us all of their love, in an unconditional way that we are not used to with many of our human relationships!

Rather than mocking those owners who anthropomorphize their pets, we are now celebrating those same owners who share a clearly special bond with their pet. ADORE was developed to celebrate the HAB – a pet food made by pet lovers who want the best for their pets and for yours.

Grains can be a controversial subject! The market has swung from grain inclusive, to primarily grain free, now landing somewhere between with options on both sides. The push against grains stemmed from the belief that grains are not an appropriate food for dogs. Although unprocessed grains may be of little nutritional benefit, properly processed grains can be a great source of nutrients. The push back against grain free options stems from current concerns about taurine-deficient dilated cardiomyopathy. Although there is no definitive cause, some experts believe the is a correlation between grain free diets that are high in legumes (peas, chick peas, etc.) and emerging cases of cardiomyopathy.

Our goal at ADORE is to bring you the best nutritional options for your beloved furry family member. To do so we worked with some of the top nutrition and veterinary experts in North America to formulate and develop these products. We elected to work with beneficial, healthy grains that add nutrients to the diet, while still keeping meat proteins the number one ingredient. We strove to bring you a diet that combined the newest nutrition knowledge with a mindfulness for what owners are looking for in a diet.

ADORE was created out of a desire to bring something new to the Canadian veterinary community. A Canadian owned, Canadian made veterinary diet designed for both veterinary professionals and for loving pet owners.

ADORE is the continuation of a line of products that have been helping veterinarians and owners care for pets for many years, brought to the market by people who LOVE pets, and who care deeply about the veterinary community. The name ADORE stands for everything we believe in, bringing the best products to care for the pets who make our lives whole.

You adore your pet. We do, too.

While humans are often allergic to something the first time they are exposed to it, dogs and cats tend to develop an allergy over time to something they are regularly ingesting. Classic allergy signs are chronic ear infections, chewing/licking at feet, recurrent anal gland problems, and red/itchy skin. If your pet has any of these symptoms, consult your veterinary team! Not all pets will present with the same symptoms, so if you notice any changes with your pet, it is always best to call your veterinary practice for their advice.

Although pets can develop allergies to many different ingredients, the most likely culprits are proteins. These are the largest molecules and are most likely to be recognized as “foreign” by the immune system.

A very common method of diagnosing a food allergy or intolerance is to feed your pet a new or “novel” protein. To determine the best protein you need as thorough a diet history as possible, what proteins has your pet NOT eaten? What proteins have they had in their food? Treats? Chews? Snuck from the dinner table? Work with your veterinary team to come up with some protein options that you are confident your pet has not had before. They can then guide you to which product might be best for your pet.

Diet trials are often 8-12 weeks long, sometimes longer. You need to be very strict and ensure your pet is not eating anything other than the prescribed food so you can evaluate whether the food is making an impact. If your pet is eating a novel protein diet, but still sneaking snacks from the table, it will be impossible to know whether the diet was working or not.

The “gold standard” in diagnosing an allergy would be to challenge your pet once they have improved. For example, if after 8 weeks on a new diet your pet’s previously goopy ears look great, the most definitive diagnosis would then involve re-introducing the food you believe was the initial problem, and evaluating whether your pet’s symptoms re-emerge. However, most owners are understandably reluctant to do this and proceed under the assumption that their pet DOES have a food allergy and that they have identified a diet that will work and they continue to feed the new diet, being mindful not to add in any conflicting treats/chews/etc.

Veterinary diets are the best option for pets with novel protein needs. The veterinary diet companies are very careful to minimize any risk of cross contamination between ingredients, ensuring that their novel protein diets are as pure as possible. They are also very proactive in communicating any ingredient changes so you know if your pet’s diet has changed.

If you think your pet might have an allergy, or you want to discuss novel protein diet options, connect with your veterinary team! If you have questions about the Adore products, connect with us at:

HELLO and thank you for your interest in ADORE. We are new to the market, but not new to pet food. ADORE was created from a collaboration of people who have spent their entire career in the pet care industry, working to improve the quality of pet’s lives. We are passionate about the role of the veterinary team in caring for Canada’s pets. We wanted to bring something different. Something unique. Something completely Canadian.

Why Veterinary diets?

We believe strongly that the veterinary team is the best source for a nutritional recommendation. Your veterinary team knows your pet better than anyone (other than you!). They have your pet’s medical history, they understand any breed predispositions, they know your pet’s current weight and body and muscle condition score. They have the knowledge, expertise, and information to help you choose the right diet for your pet. We wanted to develop an amazing life-stage diet that would help keep your pet happy and healthy for many years, and design it FOR the experts in pet care, your veterinary team.

You ultimately know your pet best. You know what has and hasn’t worked for them in the past. You also have your own nutritional philosophy that guides how you feed yourself, and the rest of your family. We want you to feel as great about your pet’s food as you do about your own!

Proudly Canadian

We LOVE to “buy Canadian”. We shop at farmer’s markets and farm stores so we know where our food is coming from. We want the same for our pets! As proud Canadians, we wanted to have a line of veterinary products that were truly Canadian; Canadian Made, Canadian Owned.

What’s Next?

You tell us! ADORE exists to bring unique products to areas where there aren’t many options. There are TONS of great pet food products on shelves across Canada. We don’t want to displace those products, we want to bring something new, unique, and different. What we develop next will come from what veterinary team members and owners across Canada tell us what they need. Our research will be guided by what Canadian pet’s need – so join in the conversation with us! Send us an email, join us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram…be part of deciding what comes next from ADORE. You ADORE your pet, and we do, too.