The desire to save on food can lead to expensive treatment. Such stories are often published on the Internet.
PetFood Industry magazine revealed the secret that in 2023, 90% of cheap foods contained less than 20% meat.
Manufacturers replaced it with soy and bone meal.
According to Russian bloggers, cheap cat food can cause vomiting, diarrhea and renal colic. However, it is not the price that matters, but the quality.
How to recognize a fake
Real food does not have a strong smell and does not color the water when soaking. Also check the Roskachestvo website - there is a blacklist of brands.
But even “proven” cheap foods hide a threat.
As part of the investigation, Russian journalists found out that at one of the animal feed factories, one batch of meat is divided into “premium” and “economy”.
Expensive feeds add fillet, while cheap feeds add offal with intestines and feathers.
And fragments of plastic were found in one of the popular pet foods in Russia.
And in Novosibirsk, a Sphynx kitten died from intestinal obstruction after being fed one of the popular foods for a month.
An autopsy revealed that the stomach was filled with cellophane, which is added to the pellets to give them volume.
“Producers use fast food waste – it’s cheap and deadly,” said feed expert Andrei Zverev .
How to choose safe economy feed
Look for the “complete” label and check the ingredients: meat should be listed first.
Avoid feeds with an ash content higher than 7% - this is a sign of excess bone meal. The alternative is to prepare your own.
Raw food blogger Alena Murzikova shares a recipe: “Mix ground turkey, liver, pumpkin and egg – a serving will be cheaper than the feed.”
But veterinarians warn: a home diet requires vitamin supplements, otherwise the pet will get vitamin deficiency.
Salvation for the budget-conscious: medium-class food - ProPlan Essential or Royal Canin Digestive Care.
They are 20% more expensive than the “economy” ones, but contain the necessary minimum of nutrients.
Author: Igor Zur