Well, decided to wade into the mire of the great food debate.  First of all,
I have to agree with most of what Mo Bob has said about protien/fat and the
combinations there of.  But being the pushy person I am, (BG), I can't let
it go at that.
 
I think one thing Bob has overlooked is the quality of the protien/fat
content in food.  Can't say as I have a degree in nutrition but after owning
and feeding horses, cats, dogs and ferrets for 20 years or so I have
definite opinions about it all.
 
One of the main problems I have always found in any type of manufactured
animal food is the quality of the ingrediants that go into it.  Many food
manufacturers, mainly those that produce a cheaper food, will up protien
content by adding left over parts to the food.  In horse feed a common way
to up the protien percentage is by added such stuff as chicken feathers.
Does it help the horse?  No.  But it does raise the percentage the maker can
print on the outside of his bag.  Makes the food look better on label while
not being of the right stuff for the animal to get the most use out of.
Horses are like ferrets, they can be hard to get adequite nutrition into
unless you educate yourself about foodstuffs.
 
Can an animal live off of a food made from poor quality foodstuffs?
Certainly.  Will the animal thrive on it?  No.  Can the animal appear
healthy on it?  Yes, most inferior quality food has high levels of fat
content and make the animal's coat appear in good condition.  But it doesn't
neccesarily follow that the animal will be healthy.  And most animals will
prefer the taste of the poorer quality food, due to the high fat and salt
content.  Don't you like nice McDonalds fries, loaded with fat and salt?  So
do my cats and ferrets but they aren't good for any of us.
 
You may laugh but one of the best and least scientific ways of checking out
your pet's food is by eating some yourself.  Your taste buds can pick up any
excess salt or fat easily.  And trust me, none of it tastes like it smells.
 
Maggie Mae and the 19 fuzzie butts
[Posted in FML issue 1708]