MOST South African pet owners carefully read the ingredients on the food they buy for themselves, yet many spend very little time looking at what goes into their pets’ bowls.

With International Dog Day taking place on August 26, it is a timely opportunity to consider not only how much we love and care for our dogs, but also whether we are giving them the nutrition they need to thrive. The same principle applies to cats, whose specific biological and nutritional needs also deserve careful consideration.

We have become increasingly conscious of what we put into our own bodies, asking questions about ingredients, what is good for us, what to avoid and how foods are processed. According to Sonja Maricevic, Chief Operations Officer at Pack Leader, pet owners should be applying that same level of curiosity to the food they choose for their dogs and cats.

With more than 15 years’ experience in the pet health and nutrition space, Maricevic believes that taking a few moments to read the ingredient list on pet food packaging could make a meaningful difference to a pet’s long-term health and well-being.

“Pet owners want to make the best possible choices for their furry family members, but food labels can often be confusing,” says Maricevic. “Understanding what is actually inside the bag empowers owners to make informed decisions based on ingredient quality, rather than relying solely on the marketing claims displayed on the front of the bag.”

Maricevic encourages pet owners to make the ingredient list one of the first things they read when choosing pet food. They should look for real, named meat among the first ingredients and recognisable whole food ingredients, while considering whether the recipe avoids unnecessary fillers, artificial additives and highly processed ingredients, and whether the food is designed to support a pet’s biological needs rather than simply meeting minimum nutritional requirements.

But what happens when pet owners don’t read the ingredient list? Depending on the formulation, some pet foods can contain vague or unnamed animal and plant derivatives, by-products or mystery meals, industrial grains and lower-cost fillers, highly processed ingredients, artificial flavours and preservatives, as well as generic or synthetic vitamin and mineral additives. While the presence of any one ingredient does not automatically determine whether a food is good or bad, understanding what makes up the overall diet can help owners assess the quality and nutritional value of what they are feeding their pets.

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The quality of a pet’s diet can also be reflected in everyday signs. Digestive issues, poor-quality stools, fluctuating energy levels, unnecessary weight gain, itchy skin, red ears or paws, poor coat condition, fussiness at mealtimes and declining mobility in older pets can all be reasons for owners to take a closer look at their pet’s overall nutrition. These signs can have many contributing factors and should not automatically be solely attributed to diet, but nutrition remains a vital part of the overall picture.

“Dogs and cats have specific biological and nutritional needs, and the quality of the ingredients used to meet those needs matters,” says Maricevic. “Choosing food made with substantial amounts of real meat and recognisable whole food ingredients, while avoiding unnecessary fillers and artificial additives, can provide a strong nutritional foundation for pets.”

As pets age, their nutritional needs also change, as does their ability to effectively extract nutrition from lower-quality diets. Adequate, quality protein is particularly important for maintaining muscle mass, mobility and overall condition in older pets. Similarly, diets high in fast carbohydrates and lower-quality fillers can contribute to excess weight gain without necessarily delivering the nutrition a pet needs.

Nutrition can also play a role in digestion, energy and appetite. Highly processed ingredients, artificial flavours and diets that rely heavily on carbohydrates may not provide the variety and nutritional quality that many pet owners assume they are providing based on claims on the front of a bag.

Maricevic believes ingredient transparency should become a priority for every pet owner. “If you wouldn’t be comfortable eating anonymous ingredients or highly processed fillers yourself, it’s worth asking whether you are comfortable with them being a regular part of your pet’s diet,” she says.

Ultimately, the ingredient list tells a far more important story than the marketing claims on the front of the bag. Taking a few extra moments to turn the bag around and understanding what is actually inside can help pet owners make more informed decisions for the animals that depend on them.

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