Calorie Content on Low Calorie Pet Food Labels May Be Unreliable

Apparently nearly 50% of domesticated animals are overweight or obese. But how to cut down? Are you confused about the amount of calories in pet food, even the low-calorie pet food? If so you are not alone.

A study by the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, recently published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, examined nearly 100 commercially available diets with weight management claims. From study co-author Dr. Lisa Freeman, Professor of Nutrition at the School:

There is so much information--and misinformation--about pet foods, it's understandable that people are confused about what to feed their dogs and cats. To counteract these myths, people are accustomed to turning to the labels on food--but, as this study shows, packaging might not always be a reliable source of information.

The results of the study were:

• Dry dog foods range in calorie density from 217 to 440 kilocalories per cup (kcal/cup). The recommended intake ranged from 0.73 to 1.47 times the dog's "resting energy requirement".
• The numbers for wet dog food (189-398 kcal/can) and cat food (235-480 kcal/cup) marketed for weight control were similar.
• The diets also varied markedly in price--from 4 cents to more than $1.10 per kilocalorie.

Read More in: Cats | Dogs | Food, Feeders and Waterers

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