Turkey, sweet potatoes and broccoli. That sounds like a pretty healthy meal, but it's being put into pet food these days as a way of "humanizing" it. It's one of the latest consumer trends.
Once a month a box arrives at Rachael Warshaw’s home.
And inside is something her dog Sadie is always excited to counter-surf for: human-grade dog food.
“We decided to go this route because I just felt it was a better option for her.”
It’s created with ingredients like beef, lentils, carrots and kale.
Once it’s made, it is shipped in vacuum-sealed packs on dry ice, because there are no preservatives.
Warshaw stores the pouches in her fridge and freezer.
“I just love being able to read all of the ingredients and not question what any of them are, not have to google what something means.”
We found companies making pet treats with labels things like human grade, cereal food, nothing artificial, minimally processed, and higher safety standards.
Some food makers boast that even you can even chow down.
Sometimes employees sample it themselves. Brett Podolsky is Co-Founder of The Farmer’s Dog.
“People have finally started to really understand the power that food has on our health. Now people are making that connection for their dogs.”
A spokesperson for the American Veterinary Medical Association says:
Before changing your pet’s diet, consult with your own vet. Pets have different nutritional needs than people.
And, there’s no peer-reviewed research that supports human-grade pet food is a better choice than any other well-balanced pet food.
But Podolsky says they’re hearing from pet owners who are seeing results.
“Human-grade pet food is a fairly new thing and, you know, we can wait for years to get the science behind it. We've been getting tons of anecdotal evidence to prove that it's really changing dogs' lives."
Warshaw says all she knows is that she’s seeing positive changes in Sadie.
“I saw the benefits of it right of way. Her coat got shinier.”
The AVMA says if you’re thinking of changing foods, print out the ingredient list and bring it to your vet to get advice, especially if your pet has health concerns or a metabolic problem.
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