Dog food study: You knew you were paying too much

A recent article in the New York Times detailed a study conducted by two professors at New York University and Cornell on the nutritional value of various dog foods. For anyone with a pet pooch, sticker shock from buying fancy dog food is a common experience. Despite our love for our domesticated wolves, it sometimes seems hard to believe the claims on the packaging -- many of the descriptions make Fido's meal sound better than what we are planning for the night.

The article notes several intersesting facts about the "$18-billion-a-year pet food industry," including:

• Your dog probably eats too much: "Veterinary groups have estimated that 20 to 60 percent of American dogs and cats are overweight or obese and at risk of developing heart disease, high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes." On the positive side, most Americans are overweight, so at least the dog won't feel like the odd-family member out. 
• Sticker shock is real: We all know the non-store brands cost a lot, but how much more? According to the professors, "... premium pet foods cost three to four times more than supermarket brands ..." The price jump is bad enough for the small bag you pick up at Store24 to hold you over for the night, but when you lug that 40-pound monster up to the register, your shopping trip total skyrockets.
• Many listed ingredients don't matter: According to the professors, most food has the same top-5 ingredients, and all the extras added are usually present in such small quantities that they are almost irrelevant. That means don't fall for all the fancy ingredients listed on the call-out label -- most likely there's just a pinch of them within. They're to make you feel good, not to make Fido more healthy.
• The Fox News label is key: Apparently, all of the food you buy is made from the same source -- what food producers can't sell to our dog's (alleged) masters. That said, the professors point out that finding "complete and balanced" on the label of a bag of non-premium food will most likely deliver a meal perfectly healthy for your dog and much less impactful on your wallet.

So, does that mean you should never buy the high-end product? Not necessarily. The professors advice is that if your dog has a certain problem or condition (e.g., scratching or trouble digesting certain brands) then finding a food that addresses these symptoms may be worth the extra cost.

And a final thought: Should you broil that chicken for Fido or save some steak tips from your BBQ for him? The professors would say you don't need to -- your "complete and balanced" bag of food should provide everything your dog needs to stay healthy.