Wild cats live on raw meat from their prey, so are raw food diets for cats safe? Although domestic cats can eat raw meat, that may not provide all the nutrients they need. Learn more about raw diets for cats here.
What is Limited Ingredient Pet Food?
As many people have done in their own diets, today more dog and cat owners are turning to limited ingredient food as part of a “simple ingredient” approach to their pet’s nutrition.
After all, the fewer the ingredients in the recipe, the easier it is to know exactly what your pet is eating. Also, the more recognizable and familiar those ingredients are, the more confident you can be that you’re feeding your pet a meal that is naturally nutritious.
The kinds of ingredients you might find on a limited-ingredient list include:
- Real meat, poultry or fish
- Whole grains
- Egg
- Vegetables
This is why dog food brands such as Purina® Beyond® Natural Pet Foods are providing a way for cats and dogs to eat healthy, with foods featuring short, simple ingredient lists.
For DogsBeyond® Simply 9 plus vitamins and minerals is made from nine natural, recognizable ingredients, with real white meat chicken as the first ingredient. Other ingredients include rice, whole barley, canola meal, chicken meal (natural source of glucosamine), oat meal, beef fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols, natural liver flavor, and sunflower oil. What you won’t find in this Beyond recipe are ingredients such as poultry by-product meal; corn, wheat or soy; or artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
For CatsBeyond® Simply Salmon & Whole Brown Rice Dry Cat Food plus vitamins and minerals is made with recognizable ingredients, with real salmon as the first ingredient. Other ingredients include whole brown rice, whole barley, chicken meal (natural source of glucosamine), oat meal, dried spinach, whole cranberries, and taurine. What you won’t find in this Beyond recipe are ingredients such as poultry by-product meal; corn, wheat or soy; or artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
With a quality, limited ingredient dog food, a recipe with fewer ingredients doesn’t mean less nutrition. Each ingredient is thoughtfully selected to work with other ingredients, to provide the nutrition your cat or dog needs. The key is to know the nutritional needs of your pet, and to make sure the food you choose meets those needs.
If you have questions about whether a limited ingredient food can benefit your pet’s health, ask your veterinarian.
