The biggest problem is the lies the pet food companies boldly state. And the idiot vets who pretend to beleive them.
Purina Pro Plan stated the other day that cats need a significant amount of carbs in their diet, and corn is highly nutritious to them and provides all they need. I kid you not.
I've taken some snips from the discussion
To quote Charlie Brown: "I can't stand it."
I'm trying to remember the last time I saw any cat, domestic or wild (like a lion, for example) grazing on corn. Still thinking . . . . . still thinking . . . . Nope, never seen it, not even on PBS. Chowing down on a wildebeest? Sure. Gazelle? Absolutely. Corn, wheat, soy, other carbs? Never.
All that came to my mind is that at least there's a study to throw into the faces of traditional vets.
Good point, though I'm sure they'll jump on the part about more research is needed.
P.S. In all seriousness, let me explain something to the folks that read this forum to learn from those of us who, sadly, learned the hard way.
All protein is NOT created equal. Telling consumers that the protein from plants, be it corn, wheat, tapioca, potatoes, etc. is the same as meat is a bald-faced lie. Plants are not complete proteins, esp. for carnivores. They do
not include certain vitamins, such as B12, or amino acids like taurine. These are things that can ONLY be obtained from meat. And just because you see those things on the ingredient list (they were added for a reason: processing destroyed a lot of the nutrients) doesn't mean your pet is getting enough to meet his/her needs over time. And who knows what else is lost in commercial processing that isn't supplemented because they don't even know it's missing, like trace minerals?
Please, I beg of you, do not be fooled by what the pet food companies tell you. They are businesses and they are trying to sell you their products so they can make money. Profit is fine if it's honest and doesn't come at the expense of your pet's health, but too many of us here have watched our pets go through h-ll because we trusted the industry and didn't ask questions until we finally got desperate for answers and started looking into things on our own. Do your research, read this forum and others, read Dr. Hodkins' book, Dr. Pierson's website, and learn as much as you can. But please do not make the mistake of thinking the pet food industry has your pet's best interest at heart.
Species-appropriate nutrition for dogs and cats has not changed since they've been "domesticated." They still need meat (do those look like the teeth of an herbivore like a horse or cow? So why would they thrive on corn?) Only what we've fed them has changed.