Complete or Complementary Food?

When you last bought food for your cat or dog, did you check the label to see whether it was Complete or Complementary? And what's the difference anyway?

It's so easy to assume that the premium brands, often at the most expensive prices, are going to be the best to feed your pet. But many of these will be labelled as Complementary, so won't have all the nutrition necessary for proper health and development.

I've been doing a bit of research, and have learnt that Complete foods can be classified as follows:

"A complete pet food is one which, when fed for an extended period (ie covering the whole period of the life stage) as the only source of nutrients, will provide for all the energetic and nutritional needs of the particular animals of the given species and physiological state for which it is intended."

In particular, cats must eat food that contains taurine, as they are unable to synthesise it themselves. This is essential for optimal retinal function and is vital for reproductive efficiency. All Complete foods will contain the required amount. Taurine is found naturally in meat, but not fish, so a Complete fish food for a cat will have added taurine. It shouldn't be assumed though that a cat food with a meat flavour - for example beef - will contain sufficient taurine (and other essential nutrients) unless it is labelled as a Complete food.

The legal definition of a Complementary food is:

"......one, which by reason of its composition is not sufficient to ensure a daily ration unless used in combination with another food."

Complementary foods are absolutely fine to feed your cat or dog, but you will always need to ensure that a Complete food is also provided. This doesn't mean that Complementary foods are poor quality - the vast majority are extremely good quality, but will not contain all the nutrients needed.

The information in this blog post has been found in the following document from the European Pet Food Industry Federation, which contains much more information - if you feel inclined to read it! http://http//www.fediaf.org/Pages/NutritionalGuidelines%202005.pdf

All you need to do though, is to check the labels when you're shopping and ensure you know what you're feeding your cat or dog. Complementary food is absolutely fine as a treat from time to time, but always ensure that they receive Complete food at least every day.