{"id":3008,"date":"2019-05-16T10:00:25","date_gmt":"2019-05-16T15:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com\/?p=3008"},"modified":"2023-10-27T00:37:27","modified_gmt":"2023-10-27T05:37:27","slug":"buying-breed-specific-dog-food","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com\/health\/buying-breed-specific-dog-food\/","title":{"rendered":"Should I Spend the Money on a Breed-Specific Diet?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Last year, owners spent almost $73 billion on their pets, according to the American Pet Products Association. What accounted for the majority of those expenditures? Was it veterinary care or toys? Actually, the single largest expense, accounting for just over $30 billion was \u2014 you guessed it \u2014 pet food.<\/p>\n
As if choosing between dozens of brands and flavors wasn\u2019t overwhelming enough, now there\u2019s another factor in the mix: breed nutrition, or pet foods tailored to specific dog and cat breeds. Designed around the health conditions that may be common to those breeds, these diets may also feature kibble shapes and sizes tailored for your breed\u2019s particular mouth.<\/p>\n
First off, a breed-specific diet probably won\u2019t harm your pet. And special kibble design might be helpful. For example, kibble shape and size can be designed to make it easier for flat-nosed pets (think pugs and Persians) to pick up and chew food with their short jaws. And larger, donut-shaped kibble might help a Labrador eat a little slower, rather than inhaling each meal.<\/p>\n
But can these diets really help prevent particular health issues?<\/p>\n
Currently, we know a lot about disease prevalence among breeds, but there\u2019s very little research available on whether nutrition will prevent those diseases. What\u2019s more, over-the-counter maintenance diets aren\u2019t legally allowed to make claims about preventing, treating or curing a disease. Only therapeutic diets, provided under the guidance of a veterinarian, can do that \u2014 and only after demonstrating that the food actually lives up to the claim.<\/p>\n
The truth is, there are plenty of diets on the market that suit your pet\u2019s (and your wallet\u2019s) needs. Your veterinarian can recommend a few diets based on your pet\u2019s size, life stage and health.<\/p>\n
For example, large-breed puppies \u2014 whether they\u2019re Newfoundlands or mastiffs \u2014 can benefit from special diets designed to help them grow slowly so they\u2019re less likely to develop orthopedic conditions such as hip dysplasia.<\/p>\n