![\"Cat](\"https:\/\/www.neuropool.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/Katzenfutter.jpg\" "\\"Cat")
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A pet's diet should be taken as seriously as your own. When it comes to pet food, there are rumours that keep popping up; some of them are true, others can be hazardous to the pet's health. What is true about the most common myths about pet food?<\/p>\n
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Rumour 1: Home-mixed pet food is healthier for the animal.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Commercially produced pet food is thoroughly tested and formulated to meet the specific requirements of each animal species. Animals need different combinations of minerals and vitamins than humans and the right diet for each species is comparatively complicated.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Pet food mixed at home does not necessarily contain all the nutrients your pet needs. It is therefore better to buy special ready-made food for the animal and pay attention to quality.<\/p>\n
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Rumour 2: Canned food causes flatulence.<\/p>\n
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What causes flatulence are pulses such as peas and beans or particularly fatty and spicy foods. Dogs and cats are also lactose intolerant and can only tolerate small amounts of cow's milk products, which means that milk and cheese can also cause flatulence. High-quality tinned food contains no dairy products and only small amounts of pulses and is therefore not responsible for body gas.<\/p>\n
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Rumour 3: Animals can drink with you.<\/p>\n
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There are people who let their pets drink from their wine glass because they think a sip won't harm the animal. However, depending on their size, animals have a correspondingly smaller blood volume and just one sip of alcohol can lead to devastating poisoning. Alcohol can lead to vomiting, diarrhoea, depression, breathing difficulties, coma and even death in animals.<\/p>\n
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Rumour 4: Sugar is unhealthier than sweetener.<\/p>\n
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Sugar is unhealthy for animals in any case, but artificial sweeteners are even worse. Xylitol, a sweetener often used in chewing gum or toothpaste, is even toxic to animals.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Rumour 5: Gluten-free food is good for losing weight.<\/p>\n
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Only about 1% of people suffer from gluten intolerance, yet many believe they can lose weight on a gluten-free diet. As a result, they assume that their pets will also stay nice and slim on a gluten-free diet. Gluten intolerance is extremely rare in dogs and cats. Gluten is an important source of protein, provides essential amino acids and gives the food the right structure. For humans and animals that are not gluten intolerant, gluten is easily digestible. Even if it is possible to lose weight on a gluten-free diet, this can lead to severe deficiency symptoms.<\/p>\n
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Rumour 6: Preservatives in animal feed make you ill.<\/p>\n
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The word preservative has acquired a negative connotation, as many people believe that these are chemical additives. Preservatives can be natural or synthetic. Natural preservatives can be found in herbs, vegetable oils, spices and cereals, the most commonly used and most effective natural preservatives being soya oil.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Synthetic preservatives are 5 to 10 times more effective than natural ones and are less easily destroyed by moisture, pressure and heat during cooking. Fats, proteins and vitamins are the essential nutrients in animal feed and require adequate preservation in order not to break down and reduce the quality of the feed.<\/p>\n
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Rumour 7: Carbohydrates make cats fat.<\/p>\n
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Cats get their energy from the main groups of fat, protein and carbohydrates. Even though cats, as carnivores, digest carbohydrates differently to dogs, the intake of sufficient carbohydrates is important for energy balance, the immune system and tissue structure. What leads to obesity in cats is not just the amount of carbohydrates, but the total intake of excess calories from fats, proteins and carbohydrates as well as lack of exercise. In fact, low-carbohydrate foods often contain more calories than conventional foods. For cats suffering from diabetes, a low-carbohydrate diet may be advisable, in consultation with the vet.<\/p>\n
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Rumour 8: Senior dogs and cats need low-protein food to protect them from kidney disease.<\/p>\n
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A balanced diet with conventional feed does not have a bad effect on the kidneys of older animals. This rumour dates back to the 1940s and has since been proven false. Instead of reducing protein, seniors should be fed less phosphorus-containing food. In fact, older pets actually need more protein than younger ones, which means that their calorie requirement decreases but their protein requirement increases.<\/p>\n
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Rumour 9: Food labelled \"natural\" is better.<\/p>\n
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\"Natural\", \"organic\" or \"bio\" as well as \"holistic\" are used liberally on commercial food because it gives the impression that the content is better. Not everything labelled \"natural\" is better, just as it is not automatically the same as unlabelled food. \"Natural\" refers to the fact that the food has been produced from plant or animal products and contains no synthetic additives. Synthetically produced vitamin supplements are generally acceptable.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\"Organic\" means that the feed is free from pesticides and that animal products do not contain hormones or antibiotics.<\/p>\n
\"Holistic\" is an unprotected word and can be used freely.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Rumour 10: Animal feed is being fortified with maize meal, which can cause allergies.<\/p>\n
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Cornflour has gained a bad reputation for being used as a filler and for being difficult to digest. However, corn is a very good source of nutrients. Corn contains carbohydrates, protein and essential fatty acids as well as a number of antioxidants such as vitamin E and beta-carotene. Maize meal is very easy to digest and, in combination with other protein sources, is a high-quality addition to feed.<\/p>\n
Maize is not known to cause allergies. About 10% of allergies in dogs and cats are caused by food. The most common allergens are beef, dairy products and fish.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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