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flock-talk · 1 year

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Transparency With Parrot Food Manufacturers

There's been a significant rise in the expectation of transparency between pet food manufacturers and the general public. Dog food manufacturers, for example; have AAFCO, feeding trials, and an array of nutrient digestibility charts, base nutrient expectations, and sanitary guidelines to follow which a lot of brands then openly share with the public. These standards help pet parents make more active choices in what they feed their pets, tailor their pets diet to meet their individual needs, trust that their food meets a base line of nutrition, and that the food was produced in a sanitary manner. The dog food industry is far from perfect and even these regulations have their flaws and the tests aren't without fault but it is a good base for us to compare to when we're trying to sort out what we want from other pet food manufacturers. In this case I'm focusing on parrot pellet manufacturers.

I had a few different goals heading in to this.

I wanted to see how transparent pellet manufacturers would be with sharing information that is common to ask dog food manufacturers (information is not confidential, revealing formulas, secrets, etc.)

The availability of nutrient analysis charts (breakdowns of how much of each nutrient is in their pellets)

What standards parrot food manufacturers held themselves to

If any feeding trials were performed on their pellets

And to preface this with my own bias, I am pro-pellet, I currently feed pellets.

Before we get too deep in to this let's break things down a bit.

As it stands there really aren't any regulating bodies above parrot food manufacturers as far as I could find. There doesn't seem to be much of any standards when it comes to their sanitization or product quality, the best you get is the FDA/ CFIA which basically just make sure a food isn't outright toxic. As it stands there haven't been enough studies done on parrot nutrition for there to be a governing body stating what the minimum nutrient requirements are for parrot food, we simply do not actually know what those requirements are yet so there cannot be a set standard for it. This unfortunately leaves us open to a lot of problems, if there's no nutritional requirements and no standardized testing then we're really just putting a lot of trust in to a company that wants to turn a profit. We're hoping that the food that says it's nutritionally complete is what it says with no evidence to show for it, and no science to confirm it.

So with that said no parrot food can actually claim to be "100% nutritionally complete", we do not know what nutritionally complete looks like for parrots, there is no science to back up those claims.

So I set out and emailed every parrot pellet manufacturer I could think of and asked them the some questions.

"Does your company do feeding trials? If so, is that data available to the public anywhere?"

"Do you have a nutrient profile available?"

Feeding trials are very simply a test where you feed a set of animals exclusively one diet and then monitor them to see if the food is capable of providing the base essential nutrients needed to live. Usually they do blood work, urine and fecal alongside regular physical exams to monitor things like nutritional deficiency, ailments, and nutrient digestibility. This helps show that a food is capable of providing what the target animal needs to survive without causing health problems and provides vital information on what amount of vitamins/ minerals in the produced food are actually being digested and absorbed. These tests are common among well-known dog food companies and most are more than willing to share that data to give their consumers peace of mind with easy transparency.

And let me tell you I am beyond disappointed at what happened when I asked parrot food manufacturers the exact same thing.

TOPs: No nutrient profile listed on the website, does have a detailed breakdown of why every single ingredient was added though. Happily discloses that parrot nutritional science doesn't have all the data to claim any food as 100% nutritionally complete and advises for the feeding of fresh foods in addition to their food, didn't specify exactly how much of each to maintain optimal nutrition.

I emailed them three times and never got a response back from any of them.

Harrisons: Does say you can feed 20% vegetables by weight while the pellet should be 75%, has an easily available nutrient analysis on their website.

also emailed three times with no response back.

Caitec: no nutritional analysis listed on their main website, website did not state how they want their product to be fed, product packaging states that veggies should be a treat/ addition and lists the pellet as a "complete diet".

emailed three times with no response back.

Lafeber: Primarily promotes mixed seed and pellet formulas, doesn't state any risks of parrot's selective consumption (study on that problem), does promote the feeding of fresh produce in conjunction with their formulas at 20% of the diet, no nutrient analysis on their website.

emailed three times with no response back.

Zupreem (Compana Pet Brands): did respond back but they phrased their response in a way to dance around the subject, after some pushing they confirmed they do not do feeding trials. Encourages use of fresh foods with their formula, at least 60% pelleted diet recommended. Had an extremely small nutrient profile that just skipped over the important nutrient requirements like the Ca:Ph. I asked for a nutrient profile which they did not want to provide but were able to tell me that the naturals pellets have 0.59% calcium

Roudybush: Says fresh foods can be fed but "as a minor part of the diet", does say that science doesn't have enough information to make a product tailored to each species of bird, did make changes to their formula recently to remove menadione in favour of alfalfa due to it's potential toxicity. does seem to be evolving as science progresses. Ingredients list wasn't listed on the website, nor was a nutrient profile.

did not reply to any emails.

Tropican (HARI): I was hopeful for this one by the way their website boasts about their feeding trials and research. So so hopeful.

Talks about doing feeding trials openly on their website, recommends 70% pellet to 30% fresh foods (by caloric content not weight) but mentioned that their birds eat 100% pellets. Easily accessible albeit basic nutrient profile but it covers the main things.

After my email Mr. Hagen actually ended up calling me and what I was hoping would be a motivating call ended up being very hostile. Whenever I asked questions about data or results of a feeding trial I was immediately shut down, the topic was changed, I was interrupted mid-sentence over and over again. I was able to get small tidbits of info that were as vague as "we've fed multiple generations of birds on this food" and "we do annual weigh-ins". He would casually mention data from a study he had done but then dart away if I asked for the name of the study so I could read it later. It was an extremely off-putting phone call. Completely unwilling to say how many birds were in a trial, how many years the trial went on for, if there was bloodwork or nutrient digestibility charts, nothing at all. He also casually mentioned that once the birds are old enough they get sold to stores which was very unnerving to me.

So I guess they maybe do legitimate feeding trials but they will under no circumstances offer that data to the public? I don't know. They wouldn’t provide any published articles or data to actually prove that the trials exist and I will definitely not be contacting them again to find out. They suggested I was trying to steal their formula and lying about my identity. I'm not going to try to get a simple answer out of them again.

Mazuri: recommends 20% fresh foods 75% pellets, nutrient profile available on the website.

did not reply to any emails.

Pretty Bird: Does not do feeding trials, prompt to reply, at least knew what a feeding trial was. Couldn't find feeding recommendations on the website, no nutrient profile aside from the generic guaranteed analysis having a few add-ons but still skipping on the important nutrients you'd want to know about.

Kaytee: Did not know what a Feeding Trial was. Thought I wanted samples and offered me a coupon. I had to explain to this animal food manufacturer what a feeding trial was. Unsurprisingly they do not do feeding trials. Website had no listing of a nutrient analysis. Recommended 70-90% pellets to some fresh foods. In their own published article they went over how damaging seed diets are for parrots but then they also sell seed-only diets with the ingredients they were specifically bashing in their own article. When I asked for a nutrient profile this is what I was given:

"Nutrient levels are calculated based on ingredient data, feed compendium tables and direct diet analysis. Actual levels may vary slightly due to ingredient and analytical variation."

Kaytee exact naturals cockatiel pellet:

"0.4% Calcium 0.2% Available Phosphorus (non-phytate P) 0.1% Magnesium 120 ppm Zinc 140 ppm Iron 700 IU/kg Vitamin D3"

and that's just extremely limited information. I'm glad they were willing to provide something but in comparison to some of the others it's just not a lot of data.

Psittacus: advises for the use of grit in parrots, recommends 100% pellets but says you can feed a minimum of 70% to make room for fresh foods. Their response to feeding trails was really vague: "our products have been evaluated and tested in our centre as well as collaborating centres. This information is for internal use and it is not published anywhere". Wouldn't say what tests were done or elaborate further than that in any way. I then inquired for a detailed nutrient analysis chart saying that Mia's calcium has been a bit of a struggle (since it has been), curious if their brand may have more calcium than the ones Im using now to help her out to which they replied with "our food contains the calcium levels appropriate for him/her". (you literally cannot say that, you haven't run tests on my bird, you haven't worked with my vet regarding my bird, you cannot guarantee a blanket statement like that.). They did offer me a link to this catalogue which has more detailed info on their pellets production and a more thorough nutrient analysis chart.

I am shocked by the responses I received. I am disappointed in parrot food manufacturers. I am frustrated with parrot food regulations.

I knew I wouldn't get much out of these emails since the standards for parrot food are so low but the amount of companies that just pretended not to get my emails or didn't even know what a feeding trial was is ridiculous. The amount of companies that were making claims that science can't back up, or making claims that science actually disagrees with is astounding.

The complete lack of transparency is terrifying.

#I am never doing this again #don’t ask questions to pet food companies they will try to throw you in jail #dude straight up was like WHAT WILL YOU DO WI THE THAT INFO YOURE NOT A VET???#HUH?????#feed my birds a diet that’s confirmed to be healthy for them……..#bring the data tm my vet and ask if this looks like a good option for my pets……#I will now be rethinking their diets entirely #thank you for coming to my ted talk #pellets #science

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canisitsnotlupus · 2 years

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There is a lot of misinformation when it comes to pet food, I hope this can shed some light. - Grains are necessary (Unless diagnosed with grain allergies by a veterinarian). - Raw isn't always best. (Raw/home cooked diets need to be properly formulated by a board certified nutritionist to be balanced, more information below). - Grain free can be dangerous. - The vast majority of companies do not follow WSAVA guidelines. - Veterinarians DO NOT get kick backs from suggesting food. How are they going to get a kickback from a food you didn't even buy from them? If anything, the pet store employees are getting kick backs for suggesting foods! The “Big Five” Brands are the five brands that adhere to WSAVA guidelines (World Small Animal Veterinary Association). Which are: - Employs one or more full-time qualified nutritionist(s) and willingly discloses their credentials. - Foods are formulated by a qualified team of professionals such as nutritionists, toxicologists, food scientists etc. - Undergoes feeding trials that meet or exceed AAFCO standards, for most or all formulations. - Foods are produced and manufactured in US facilities, owned and operated by the manufacturer, or under close supervision of the manufacturer. Equipped with machinery, laboratories and staff that provide extensive on-site quality assurance. - Provides detailed description on quality control protocol. Selection criteria for partners, analysis and sample tracking of externally sourced ingredients, daily safety checks of product batches and facilities, physical inspection, key nutrient testing before final packing. - Provides exact number for any nutrient on an energy basis (grams per kcal). - Readily provides kcal content per gram and per cup. - Conducts research relevant to nutrition, products marketed, and product claims. Publishes research in peer-reviewed journals. So let’s get to it. The “Big Five” Brands are: Royal Canin - Breed specific lines that were created in conjunction with breeders and veterinarians, general health lines and targeted health lines + RX diets Eukanuba - Owned by Royal Canin, mainly their performance lines + general health lines Purina - Sport lines, general health lines, targeted health lines, most accessible and cost effective + RX diets IAMS - General health lines, cost effective, easily accessible Hills Pet - General health lines, targeted health lines + RX diets If you’d like to do some reading… Here are multiple links for kibble, raw diets, grain free vs grain inclusive, Diet Associated DCM and WSAVA. Peer reviewed resources on dog kibble: https://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2019/03/stop-reading-your-pet-food-ingredient-list/ https://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2016/06/why-you-shouldnt-judge-a-pet-food-by-its-ingredient-list/ https://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2019/12/pet-food-decisions-how-do-you-pick-your-pets-food/ https://vet.osu.edu/vmc/companion/our-services/nutrition-support-service/myths-and-misconceptions-surrounding-pet-foods https://www.aaha.org/publications/newstat/articles/2017-01/myth-busters-corn-edition/ Peer reviewed resources on raw diets: https://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2016/01/raw-diets-a-healthy-choice-or-a-raw-deal/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3003575/ https://www.veterinarypracticenews.com/debating-raw-diets-january-2019/ STOLEN FROM HERE

#dcm #dog food #resource

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elvenferretots · 2 years

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I will forever be grateful to Hannah Brannigan for the small/picky dog hack that is buying treats you would feel good about if it was all your dog ate that day.

Between AAFCO complete toppers and FDR, there's so many options and flavors that you'll never run out of high value goodies. Bonus benefit: it cuts down so much on stomach upset.

#dog training #did an hour of training today and got two cups of food in my dog #two birds with one stone #I've been using the FDR with bigger nuggets for outings with Ten to keep the rate of reinforcement low and the value high #and the little kibble sized Instinct and Wellness mixers for shaping sessions #it's been a godsend

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fruitless-vain · 3 months

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You feed raw right? I'm looking into feeding half kibble half raw and just wondering what brand you use. I feel like you always research so thoroughly that I trust your opinion

I currently feed hungry hunter (sub brand of big country raw) and rotate proteins, they meet the AAFCO nutrient profiles, CFIA standards, are readily available at common stores which make stocking up way easier, are a well established brand, and have an extended feeding trial readily available which they happily provide the full research paper for upon request (which is quite rare for raw brands currently!)

It is not the Worlds Largest Feeding Trial Ever but that’s to be expected when raw is new and research takes time.

And of course my two get annual bloodwork to ensure they’re getting everything they need and we’ve never had an issue.

I’ve tried a few brands in the past

Primal raw- is well reviewed and quite popular (and pricey here) but Yoshi hated it because the frozen meats are squeezed in to shapes which makes the meat pretty dry. Freeze dried formulas she hated no matter what we used to rehydrate the meal with

Stella and chewy’s- again well reviewed well known and expensive. I only ever used the freeze dried as treats since they have some fun exotic flavours like goose and rabbit. It was fine but Yoshi just doesn’t love freeze dried as much. Their frozen formulas are also packed in to shapes which squeezes the juice out so picky dogs might not like it

Iron will raw- I honestly loved this one and so did Yo but it ended up being difficult for me to stock up on with only one company carrying it. Lots of unique flavour options like kangaroo! great bulk boxes and mixes. Just sold in satchels so they’re bloody and delicious to picky Yoshi. They didnt have as much research backing them as my current food choice

Instinct- another highly popular and expensive brand, only ever tried their freeze dried formulas and it was /fine/ but wasn’t a favourite and so enormously overpriced. Again frozen form is Patties and nuggets which lack Juiciness

Ofc I’m in Canada so idk what brands are really going to be available to you, key things are to look for current research from the brand, if they have reports on bacteria present in packing (raw brands should regularly be testing their packs to ensure salmonella, etc. aren’t present/// far below accepted measurements in their packs) and to talk to your vet.

Yes a lot of vets will be weary when you mention it- most of them are worried about cross contamination from poor prep work and bad formulations- but often when you explain that you are a knowledgeable human being wanting to do your best here they’re willing to work with you and help. Vets will know what brands have sent pets to their ER more than others, vets will know what brands have caused deficiencies for their clients in your area. They can help you figure out what foods are available around you that they Do recommend, and what ones they really hope you stay away from.

Raw isn’t nearly as scary as it can seem once you find the right brands to work with. Keep your area clean, don’t have anything in the fridge for more than 3 days MAX and when you thaw to portion it out ensure it’s only semi thawed- you should be cutting through it with force, not like jello, otherwise you’re letting bacteria develop before re freezing it.

#these are all Yoshis opinions bc we did not have sham when we tried them

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evolutionpetfoodshop · 7 months

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The Path to Healthy Puppies: Choosing the World’s Best AAFCO-Approved Puppy Food

Puppies are bundles of joy, curiosity, and boundless energy. As responsible pet owners, ensuring their well-being starts with providing them with the best nutrition. When it comes to feeding your little four-legged friend, it’s essential to choose AAFCO-approved puppy food that meets their specific dietary needs.

#AAFCO-Approved Puppy Food

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turochamp · 2 years

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i love random bullshit about the food industry and more specifically whats required to label things a certain way. i know more abt pet food in this area bc of my job and because its MUCH weirder regulations of wording in pet foods...

handy guide (US centric idk other places)

100% chicken = 100% chicken

chicken recipe/dinner = 25% chicken

chicken and rice recipe/dinner = could be 24.9% rice and .1% chicken

with chicken = 3% chicken

with chicken and rice = again, could be 2.9% rice and .1% chicken

chicken flavor = 0% chicken

and if something doesnt say "complete and balanced" somewhere on it then it doesnt have all the nutrients that AAFCO says dogs need in a staple diet.

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wholewheatgrump · 2 years

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I had to make a second post, because I knew Reveal was shady about not being a complete food, but I haven’t looked at a can of Applaws in forever, so I hadn’t realized that they’re also now being shady about it.

Reveal and Applaws are NOT complete foods. They don’t even come close to meeting the AAFCO standards for nutrition. It’s frankly irresponsible to even list them as food. You NEED to feed a complete and balanced wet and/or dry food along with them.

Not every additive in pet food is a bad thing. Most of them are there to ensure that you’re meeting all of your pets nutritional needs.

#cat nutrition #cat health

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dogfoodzoneonline · 2 years

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The AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles

AAFCO stands for Association of American Feed Control Officials. AAFCO is a non-profit institution that specifies benchmarks for animal feeds and pet foods in the United States. The AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles are the primary guidelines pet food companies follow while manufacturing their products. This AAFCO created Nutrient Profile is available in the AAFCO Official Publication. These AAFCO…

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#AAFCO compliant feeding trials #AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles #aafco nutrient profiles for dogs #All Life Stages #Growth and Reproduction #Nutrient content analysis #Supplemental

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dogtraintips · 2 years

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Puppy Needs New Food!

Here are the most critical things to look for when shopping for your puppy's food.

Michael Pollan, author of the best-selling books on diet The Omnivore’s Dilemma, In Defense of Food, and Food Rules, once came up with the world’s most succinct guide for a healthy human diet: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”

If only we could come up with something that simple for puppies! The advice could start in a very similar fashion: “Feed food. Not too much….” But in order for the slogan to be nutritionally sound, the next part would be far too complicated to put on a book cover or tote bag: “Mostly quality sources of animal protein, delivered at adequate levels. Same goes for fat. Not too much calcium, but enough, depending on the expected adult size of the puppy . . . .”

There’s more, but you get the idea. There are a lot of factors that have to be carefully considered when feeding puppies – that is, if you want them to grow into healthy and sound adult dogs.

On the other hand, I don’t want to scare anyone; feeding puppies isn’t rocket science. But there are a few little details that you need to attend to in order to make sure your pup grows at an appropriate rate – things that aren’t as critical with an adult dog.

STANDARD ISSUE

The differences between the nutrient requirements for puppies and those for adult dogs are laid out in tables developed by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO); these are called the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles, and they include the standards for what comprises the legal definition of “complete and balanced” diets for dogs. One lists the nutrient levels required for the “maintenance” of adult dogs only; the other lists the nutrient levels that meet the needs of breeding animals, pregnant or nursing females, and growing puppies. The latter is often referred to as the “growth and reproduction” nutrient profile.

These tables differ in notable ways. Puppies need higher amounts of protein (including higher amounts of many specific amino acids that contribute to the food’s total protein), fat, calcium, phosphorus, and several other minerals than the amounts needed by adult dogs. This is why you must make sure that the food you buy for your puppy (any dog less than a year old) is formulated to meet the standards for complete and balanced nutrition for growth.

Often, dog food labels say that the food contained in the package meets the standards for dogs “of all life stages.” This implicitly includes puppies. If a food is labeled as either meeting the nutrient levels or passing a feeding trial for dogs of “all life stages,” it has to meet the “growth” requirements.

Often – but not always – food that is formulated to meet the needs of puppies has the word “puppy” in the name of the food. Again, if the label indicates that it’s “complete and balanced for dogs of all life stages,” it has met the AAFCO standards for growth (puppies). But if the label says it is “complete and balanced for adult maintenance,” it is not suitable for puppies.

Where will you find this information? This is where things get weird: This statement is the most important thing to check on the label of your puppy’s food, and I will almost guarantee that it will be printed on the bag or can in teeny, tiny type. Scan the label carefully for the words “AAFCO Nutrient Profiles” or “AAFCO Feeding Trial.” The block of text containing one of these phrases will probably appear on the back or even the side of the package, and it will reference either “growth” (great!), “dogs of all life stages” (super!), or “adult maintenance” (womp, womp, no!).

CHECK THE SIZE

All puppy foods used to be formulated to meet the same nutrient standards. In recent years, however, animal nutrition experts came to understand that large-breed puppies should receive less calcium than puppies of smaller breeds to prevent their bones from growing too quickly. Excessively fast growth can result in the development of bone and joint abnormalities in large-breed puppies. So, in 2016, AAFCO began to require food makers to explicitly state whether their products contained calcium at an appropriate level for large breed puppies (defined as those pups expected to reach an adult weight of more than 70 pounds).

If the AAFCO statement says the food is for growth/all life stages “including growth of large-size dogs (70 pounds or more as an adult),” it is safe to feed to large breed pups.

If the statement says the food is for growth/all life stages “except for growth of large-size dogs (70 pounds or more as an adult),” it should not be fed to large-breed puppies.

To be safe, if you have a large-breed puppy, or a mixed-breed pup who looks like he may grow to more than 50 or 60 pounds, you should choose foods with the “including growth of large-size dogs” statement. Smaller-breed puppies can be safely fed foods with either statement.

OUR USUAL CRITERIA

Once you are confident that you can identify foods that are appropriate for puppies of the size you expect your pup to be, you can search among those products for diets that meet our usual selection criteria (listed in the box below) and that are in your price range.

Check the protein and fat content of the food you are feeding your pup right now. If his weight and energy are good, try to buy only those foods that contain similar levels of protein and fat. Be aware that these levels range widely. If you start feeding him a product with double or half the protein or fat content of the food you are giving him now, you will see changes in him; his appetite, weight, stool quality, and/or energy may be affected.

Finally, don’t be afraid to try different foods. Pet food companies want to win your loyalty, but the fact is, variety is actually good for your puppy. The more you change foods, the more accustomed his digestive tract will become to a wide variety of ingredients. Also, because each manufacturer’s products contain different levels of each required nutrient (within the AAFCO specifications), by routinely switching products, you are sure to provide “balance over time” and prevent him from suffering ill effects of any potentially excessive or deficient nutrient levels.

LEARN MORE CLICK HERE

#dogtrainer #dogs #doglover #puppy #dogbehaviour #dog #my puppy #bordercollie

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