Fall 2015

Pet Pages Volume 2, Issue 3
“The entire staff is knowledge and very nice. They make recommendations based on your pet's health, but also give you different options. This place is fantastic.” -Evelyn & Jordan, Scottsville
“I always find the staff at HFVH to be friendly, compassionate,
caring, and attentive. Our family wouldn't think of going anywhere else!” -Karen, Honeoye Falls
We are extremely lucky and proud to
have the wonderful staff on board
caring for your pets at both our
Livonia and Honeoye Falls offices.
We would like to highlight those
who have grown with us for over 15
amazing years!
Do You Really Know What
Your Pet Is Eating?
Jean has been working at Honeoye
Falls Veterinary Hospital for 26 years!
Jean has always been the smiling,
cheerful receptionist at HFVH, but
she has also helped in the kennels
and worked as a technician assistant
when she was needed.
Jean loves her job and says, “Seeing
the love and dedication of individuals and families to their pets is amazing. It speaks volumes about living
and loving life as we go through the
years. Our staff and doctors truly go
above and beyond to make our
clients and pets happy and healthy.
A lot has changed over the years,
but this seems to just keep getting
better. We have a great community!”
3 Pet Food Label Myths
Adapted From: Tony Buffington, DVM, MS, PhD, Diplomate ACVN
GETTYIMAGES/RETALES BOTIJERO
With so many pet food options, choosing the right diet can be
tricky. We can help you select the best foods based on our
experience with many pets, ignoring the blizzard of marketing
ploys designed to appeal to your emotional needs rather than
your pet’s nutritional needs.
Myth 1
Foods labeled premium are always better for your pet.
Truth: Some premium food companies may call out other manufacturers
for using ingredients like corn or meat meals knowing full well that pets
do not need ingredients they need the nutrients contained in the ingredients. The nutrients contained in those ingredients are more important
than the ingredients themselves. Manufacturers, nutritionists and pet
owners simply can’t predict a food’s performance based on its list of
ingredients. There are too many unknowns: the amount of ingredients
present in the food, the quality of the ingredient or the exact identity and
nutrient composition of the ingredient.
Myth 2
The best food for your pet is the one that lists real meat as the first ingredient.
Truth: Some manufacturers make unsubstantiated claims about ingredients and will manipulate their own ingredient list. For example, some dry
food manufacturers tout real chicken, fish or beef as their first ingredient
because the food contains more of this ingredient by weight than any
other ingredient. What they don’t say, is the real meat is mostly water
weight which is removed when the food is made, moving it way down on
the ingredient list. They also neglect to mention that the technical term
for “real meat” is mechanically deboned meat, also known in the industry
as “white slime”!
Myth 3
Kelly has been with Livonia Veterinary Hospital for 18 years! She has
been everything from a kennel
attendant, receptionist, technician
assistant and is now one of our most
passionate veterinary technicians.
When asked what she loves about
her job and Livonia Veterinary Hospital, Kelly says she loves the people
she works with. “They continue to
educate themselves and strive to be
the best they can possibly be. The
dedication and compassion our staff
and doctors have for our patients is
truly amazing.” And of course she
loves all of the adorable animals that
come walking through our door
every day. She says, “This is my
community.”
The order of the ingredients is the most important factor in selecting your pet’s diet.
Truth: Another trick manufactrers play is called ingredient splitting, where
they will list different carbohydrates separately- corn, rice, wheat, barley
or oatmeal, for example- or list out different forms of the same carbohydrate, such as ground wheat or wheat flour so these individual carbs
appear lower in the ingredient list. Doing so makes it appear as if carbohydrates are not the first on the ingredient list.
As you can see, it is important to read your pet’s food labels
and choose a food that you can trust. Try not to be fooled by
good marketing tactics on television and in stores! Use these
tips and tricks to find a brand and formula that you can be
confident in. A healthy pet is a happy pet!
The pet food guessing game
Once you get past the marketing and product
claims, what are you really feeding your pet?
Lynnea has been with our Livonia
office for 18 years! She has worked
on our bookkeeping and is now one
of our lovely part-time receptionists.
Lynnea says, “I love my job! Working
with animals is extremely therapeutic. Having been with LVH for 18
years, it is extremely gratifying to
have clients call in and know they
have comfort that I know them and
they know me. I also consider the
doctors and staff of LVH more than
coworkers - they are family to my
husband, myself, and our furry
children. I don't think a pet owner
could ask for anything more! I can
not even begin imagine LVH not
being part of my life!”
W
hen it comes to the best nutrition for your
dog or cat, always start at your veterinary
clinic. There isn’t one right food for every
pet, but your veterinary team can guide you to what’s
best for you and your pet. Then use this quick guide
to help decipher the vast array of marketing claims
that often overwhelm the pet food aisle so you can
make an informed decision about your pet’s nutrition.
THE NAME GAME
What’s in a name?
>If an ingredient is used in the name, such as “Salmon
Dog Food”, at least 95% of the product must be that
ingredient. It should be the first ingredient that
appears on the ingredients list.
>If the name includes a combination of ingredients,
such as “Chicken’ N Liver Dog Food”, the two ingredients must total 95% of the product and there is
always a higher percentage of the first ingredient
than the second.
>If it’s not an ingredient of animal origin, it doesn’t count. Products such as “Lamb
and Rice Dog Food” must still contain at least 95% lamb.
Ring the dinner bell!
>When a pet food name reads “Beef Dinner For Dogs”
or any other fancy-sounding title that includes “dinner”,
“platter”, “entree”, “nuggets” or “formula”, the named
ingredients must comprise at least 25% of the product.
>A combination of ingredients such as “Chicken N’ Fish
Cat Food Dinner” must equal a combined 25%.
However, the second ingredient named only has to
make up 3% of that total.
And of course we cannot forget
Julie! If you are a client at our Livonia
office, you defintely know Julie! She
has been with us for 20+ years and is
a true staple at our hospital. Always
a smiling, cheerful face when you
walk through our door! LVH
wouldn’t be the same with out her!
Thank you to Jean, Kelly, Julie and
Lynnea for sticking by our side
through the years and growing with
our hospitals. We are lucky to have
such a wonderful staff!
>The “dinner rule” includes all ingredients, so if a pet food name is “Lamb and Rice
Formula for Cats”, lamb may be the predominant ingredient, but at least 25% is made
up of both lamb and rice.
>An ingredient in pet food “dinners” may be the third or fourth ingredient on the
product’s ingredient list. Read the label to ensure the primary ingredients are
ingredients you want to feed your pet.
Quick Links
www.dogstardaily.com
www.lollypop.org
www.drsophiayin.com
www.honeoyefallsvet.com
Do you know what’s actually in your pet’s food?
Adapted From: dvm360.com,Firstline
Honeoye Falls Veterinary Hospital
383 Monroe Street
Honeoye Falls, NY 14472
585.624.1088
[email protected]
www.livoniavet.com