Don't be Afraid to Question Your Veterinarian!

While I honestly believe that most veterinarians have your pets best interests at heart, I also believe that many of them have been mislead by the big pet food manufacturers that fund everything from their textbooks and education all the way up to (and including) the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Don't believe me? Elsevier, one of the main publishers of medical and veterinary textbooks, has a page on their website inviting corporations to advertise in their publications. You can view this page here. That means that the research done by pet food manufacturers, which obviously have a pretty specific agenda, becomes cannon educational material for veterinary students.

One of the most popular, expensive and, in my opinion, worst "premium" foods on the market is overwhelmingly recommended by veterinarians... and not because of the food's outstanding quality or health giving properties. Why? Well, just by browsing their website, you'll learn that they make regular and large donations to veterinary scholarship programs, universities, "research" labs, and to the AVMA itself (their support of the AVMA can be found here, but if you look around their site, you'll see that they have their fingers in many different pots). It may seem charitable, but in reality, it's a shameless advertising campaign targeted straight at the animal health care providers we have been taught to trust.

I left the company's name out of my writing so as to avoid accusations of slander. However, I have provided links for you to follow so that you can view their gimmicks and pseudo-science for yourself. I prefer to let them dig their own grave, so to speak.

It's all about money, folks. They make a lousy product out of inexpensive grains and animal by-products (read the ingredient panels, like this one), then convince vets that it's top-of-the line (or offer them perks for recommending the food, just like drug reps do with human doctors) and then they make unbelievable profits because they can charge an arm and a leg for this "vet recommended" food.

I used one specific brand as an example because of their focus on the vets, rather than the consumers themselves. Most people are automatically suspicious of advertisements, but trust their pet's doctor and that's why I find this particular strategy so offensive. However, please understand that most of the giants in the pet food industry do the same thing to one degree or another.

One important factor to understand is that vets are not nutritionists. Just as many human doctors accept a drug rep's claims because the doctor is not a chemist, vets often believe what they are told about food rather than doing additional research for themselves. Also, unfortunately, they make more money by repeatedly treating "chronic" conditions than from suggesting simple dietary changes that would render their treatments unnecessary. I am in no way saying that they are all horrible and greedy but, for whatever reason, I have found that there are precious few that are aware of how essential proper nutrition is for a feline's health... or what proper nutrition is for a cat.

I'm really not a conspiracy theorist... the evidence isn't hidden or confidential. It's right on the manufacturer's own website, on the food ingredient labels, and on the shelves at your vets office. A little understanding of corporate motivations and human nature is all it takes to put the pieces together.

Next up: The dangers of dry food.