SNAP Smart Nutritional Advise for Pets

Finally my long awaited App is available through  Google Play Apps and the Apple Stores. Please ignore the screen shots as they are a disaster. If you can find the errors let me know and I will recognize you on my blog as an astute observer.

An independant review of dog foods

I was recently approached by a company called review.com this company does unbiased non partisan  reviews on a variety of topics. The following review was done after extensive research into what constitutes a desirable dog food. http://www.reviews.com/dog-food/ and is well worth reading.

SNAP Update by Meg Smart DVM,PhD

I am happy to announce that my app – SNAP: Smart Nutritional Advice for Pets – will be available in the iTunes Store and on Google Play within a week!

SNAP allows the pet guardian, nutritionist or pet store owner to keep a concise dietary and health history for the lifetime of their furry friends or clients. SNAP helps to eliminate some the guess work associated with feeding our pets by providing:

·         A personalized profile for each pet – picture, birthdate, current and target body weight, current health status, activity level, vaccines, diet, etc.

·         A personalized diet analysis  and comparison to both the current industry minimum  and the ancestral nutrient requirements  for each pet based on their individual profile as well as nutritional calculations of the food and treats currently being fed.

·         A comprehensive and exportable dietary and health history to share with your veterinarian.

Understanding your pet’s dietary requirements and the impact on their health will be a SNAP with detailed nutritional analysis of the daily food and treats you are currently feeding. Using a simple kitchen scale and the details of their present diet (manufacturer, product name, cost, dietary goals, etc.) you will be able to create a personalized diet analysis that can be adapted for new health goals and changes in the food you are feeding.

Feedback from the user community is welcome; I invite you to send me your comments and suggestions so they can be incorporated in to future versions of the app.

Thank you for your continued support!

Meg Smart, DVM PHD

petnutritionbysmart.blogspot.com

petnutritionaladvice@hotmail.com

Read on for updated Blog version:

Part 2: Who manufacturers Pet Foods by Meg Smart DVM PhD

Part2: The Pet food Manufacturers

Branded vs Private Label/Co-packing

Most pet food companies co-pack all or some of their diets. Co-packing  can involve dry and wet foods and most of the major pet food companies have some of their diets manufactured for them or they will also co-pack diets for large grocery chains such as Costco, Walmart, Loblaw’s. These chains can in fact have several co-packers making their diets. All the co-packer needs is the nutrient profile of the diet and  the company’s bags .  The co-packer may formulate the diet using their ingredients or they will use the ingredients requested by the company they are making the diet for. The company that owns the brand may not have any input as to the source of ingredients.

The only way the consumer can tell if the diet is co-packed is by looking on the label which will state: “product Manufactured for” or manufactured by.

Pet food ingredients and transparency : Is it possible? By Meg Smart DVM, PhD

Complexity of the Pet Food Industry and Why Transparency is Almost Impossible: Part 1 by Meg Smart DVM, PhD**

Introduction:

 For more detailed information pet foods visit http://truthaboutpetfood.com/about-truthaboutpetfood-com/

Take a hand full of kibble and look at it. Appearances alone will not support the marketing claims made by the manufacturer and it is very difficult to find unbiased information to support these claims. Thus you must rely on the integrity of the manufacturer. The industry claims to be highly regulated especially after the Congress in the USA passed the” Food Safety Modernization Act”. The date of implementation and enforcement of this act by the FDA has been hotly debated. Since given this responsibility the budget for the FDA has been significantly reduced making enforcement reactive instead of proactive. This article is my attempt to introduce you as pet owners how complex the pet food industry is, and how the pet food manufacturer being responsible for the quality and safety of their diets are potential “scape goats” when the big picture is disclosed. This makes it difficult for the pet owner to find definite answers.