Pet Food

Reading the Labels

WHAT TO LOOK FOR:

Whole, named meat sources:

Chicken, salmon, turkey, beef, lamb, venison. You know what you’re getting and they are good quality, human-grade meats – not by-products.

More protein than carbs:

Dogs and cats are meat-eaters. They are NOT designed to have a diet full of carbs and grains. Dogs can tolerate more carbs than cats, who are obligate carnivores and have little to no need for carbs. Ideally, at least 2 of the first 3 ingredients should be a named protein (fresh or meal).

Whole Grains, Vegetables, and Fruits:

Foods are meant to be consumed as nature intended. Breaking them up alters how they are digested and used by the body. The less processed they are going into the mixture, the more likely they are to retain their nutrients.

A Good Reputation:

Just like with human-food, you want to look for a company that not only makes a good quality food, but is an honorable company that has the animals’ best interest in mind. Smaller companies are able to maintain better quality control and are more likely to use better quality ingredients. Mass-produced “anything” is never as good as those made by small, specialty companies.

What to Watch Out For:

Unnamed Meat Sources:

i.e. Poultry instead of chicken, meat instead of beef – You don’t know what kind of meat it is or how it has been handled.

Meat By-Products:

These are ingredients that are not fit for human consumption. Therefore, there is no guarantee of what they are or how they have been handled. Ingredients called the 4Ds: dead, diseased, dying, downed, are not allowed in human food but are allowed in pet food – and can be found in the cheap, lesser quality pet foods.

Grain By-Products:

Products like brewer’s rice and wheat bran are left-over by-products from other food manufacturing processes. They are cheap sources of protein that make the protein levels look good on paper, but do not provide the meat-based protein that dogs and cats need. Look for whole grains like brown rice or barley, or better yet, no grains!

Too Many Carbs:

Ideally, at least 2 of the top 3 ingredients should be named protein sources; i.e. chicken, chicken meal, deboned chicken. Plant proteins are a cheap source of protein. While they may make the protein level look good on the label, they are not as beneficial to animals as meat proteins. Additionally, an over abundance of carbs in the diet increases the risk of diabetes and other chronic illnesses.

Fractionated Grains:

The sum of the parts is larger than you might think: For example, instead of putting “whole brown rice,” they may put “rice bran” and “rice flour,” each weighing less than the first ingredient, but the sum of the two would weigh more. Using whole grain ingredients is not only healthier, but it also offers a more accurate accounting of the ingredients used and their true proportions.

Fresh vs. Meal:

The trick: Ingredients are listed by weight, so you may look at an ingredient list and see: “chicken, brewers rice, corn gluten meal, poultry by-product meal” (Purina One Adult for Cats), and think “Chicken is the first ingredient, so that must be good.” The problem: 80% of the weight in fresh chicken is water. Once it is cooked and the water is removed, the chicken now doesn’t weigh as much and falls farther down the list of ingredients, so essentially, your ingredient list by weight is more like: “brewers rice, corn gluten meal, poultry by-product meal, chicken” – not so good!

Unnecessary Chemicals:

Chemical preservatives like BHA, BHT and ethoxyquin can potentially cause cancer, create a weakened immune system and speed aging. Farmers use ethoxyquin as an insecticide in their fields and are required to wear mask and gloves to handle! Propylene glycol is used to help keep foods moist (think the Bits in Kibble ‘n Bits) and add sweetness, yet it is a less-toxic version of antifreeze! Also steer clear of artificial colorings – who cares if the food is a natural brown or an artificially dyed red (think Beneful)? If the food is made from actual meat instead of corn, wheat or other non-meat products, artificial flavorings are unnecessary because it will taste good naturally!

DID YOU KNOW?

Vets get little to no training on nutrition? Companies like Hills, Iams and Purina provide books, food and sponsorships to vet students and have a huge presence at veterinary conferences. Unless they search it out on their own, most traditional vets simply buy-in to these large companies’ mantra. For an alternative, consult a holistic vet, look for a vet who understands how good (or bad!) nutrition can affect an animals’ overall health, ask an educated staff member at your local independent pet supply shop (like PetMAC!!), or do some independent research on the internet (see suggested reading at the end).
AAFCO “complete and balanced” markings on bags of pet food are based on the assumption that dogs are omnivores and can be sustained on plant and vegetable matter – but that is not the case. Dogs, and cats more so, NEED MEAT PROTEIN! Additionally, feeding trials determine the minimum standards necessary for the average dog or cat. Since there is no “average dog or cat,” some may do fine on the food for a while, but others may need additional protein, nutrients, etc. Just like each human is different in what we need to make us healthy, the same is true for our pets. Be a critical thinker. Observe your dog or cat and make adjustments as necessary.
A dry coat, flaky skin and/or excessive shedding could be a sign of a nutritional deficiency. The life-critical systems use the nutrients first and if there are any left over, the skin and coat get them. Salmon or fish oil is an excellent supplement for any dog because it is rich in Omega 3 fatty acids, which are beneficial to the heart and immune system (just like for us!)

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Clear the Shelters Adoption Weekend – August 31 and September 1

Reduced and Waived Adoption Fees! Join Homeward Trails as we participate in NBCUniversal Local’s 10th annual Clear The Shelters nationwide pet adoption event. Help us clear the Adoption Center and our foster homes August 31 and September 1 – many of our adoptable cats and dogs will have reduced fee and fee waived adoptions. Homeward Trails Manny Law Adoption Center 11116 Fairfax Station Rd. Fairfax Station, VA 22039 Saturday, August 31 10 AM – 4 PM Sunday, September 1 10 AM – 4 PM Our nation’s animal shelters are facing a capacity crisis and need your help now to get pets from shelter kennels into the couches of loving homes! Since its 2015 inception, Clear The Shelters has led to more than one million pet adoptions and raised more than $4.5 million. The 2023 campaign resulted in more than 158,000 adoptions – lifting the all-time adoption total past one million – and raised over $575,000.
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Helping Happy Hounds – Fee Waived Hound Adoptions

As you may or may not know, Virginia animal shelters are filled with Hounds. These amazing dogs are most often discarded by callous hunters, found starving wandering the countryside. Many never make it as hunters and are then tied up to chains or left along the side of the road like old furniture. A good number of them do not make it out of shelters alive.But these dogs – like all dogs – are amazing and worthy of families. We just cannot get them families fast enough to stop them from dying in our shelters when there is no more space.And so we are trying something new here. ALL HOUND DOGS ADOPTED FROM HOMEWARD TRAILS WILL BE FREE. Yes, we are WAIVING ADOPTION FEES for Hounds for the foreseeable future.We hope that will entice well-matched applicants to consider a Hound now. Use the money you save on training, treats, toys.We think all dogs are worthy. But the reality is that some take extra incentives. Some have more barriers to getting adopted. And the result is well, more end up dying. And no – this does NOT mean we are just giving dogs away. All applicants will still go through our application/screening process to ensure good homes. This is just us trying to save more dogs by eliminating one more barrier to adoption. And hey, Hound lovers can use all the extra money they can get to buy treats, right?Help us help these Hounds. Our program Helping Happy Hounds is live NOW. Let’s save some lives!
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Our Current Supply Needs – Can You Help?

Each year Homeward Trail spends thousands and thousands of dollars on supplies to care for our animals and support the general operations of our organization. We always strive to keep our costs as low as possible so that we can spend every extra dollar saving more lives. One simple way you can help is by donating these supplies – everything from postage stamps, to cleaning supplies, to ink cartridges and paper, to dog and cat food and litter. Our wish lists are updated regularly so you can always find our most current needs. Please consider donating supplies to help us cover the cost of these items. The more we are able to get donated, the more animals we can help. Thank you! Adoption Center Wishlist Meow Palace Wishlist Dog Enrichment Wishlist Trails Home Farm Wishlist Farmhouse Wishlist Trails UP Wishlist Puerto Rico Wishlist
Learn More

Clear the Shelters Adoption Weekend – August 31 and September 1

Reduced and Waived Adoption Fees! Join Homeward Trails as we participate in NBCUniversal Local’s 10th annual Clear The Shelters nationwide pet adoption event. Help us clear the Adoption Center and our foster homes August 31 and September 1 – many of our adoptable cats and dogs will have reduced fee and fee waived adoptions. Homeward Trails Manny Law Adoption Center 11116 Fairfax Station Rd. Fairfax Station, VA 22039 Saturday, August 31 10 AM – 4 PM Sunday, September 1 10 AM – 4 PM Our nation’s animal shelters are facing a capacity crisis and need your help now to get pets from shelter kennels into the couches of loving homes! Since its 2015 inception, Clear The Shelters has led to more than one million pet adoptions and raised more than $4.5 million. The 2023 campaign resulted in more than 158,000 adoptions – lifting the all-time adoption total past one million – and raised over $575,000.
Learn More