Hey, Happy Wednesday! Back in November, I wrote to you about
Copper Storage Disease (CSD), also known as Copper-Associated Hepatopathy (CAH), and urged you to visit this article: What is Copper Storage Disease in Dogs? Copper has recently been in the news again with AAFCO’s Pet Food Committee, in late May, voting against a voluntary ‘controlled copper’ label for dog food — for now anyway. You can read the details here: AAFCO Committee
Votes Against ‘Controlled Copper’ Claim for Dog Food Copper is an essential mineral in dog food (and human diets) but you can have too much of a good thing and high copper levels are increasingly of concern to dog parents. So, what do we think about AAFCO's decision? This is DFA’s current opinion.
Copper Storage Disease is a worrying condition that appears to be on the rise. We can't be complacent about it. Some people are angry about this decision and think AAFCO is in cahoots with 'Big Pet Food'. However, while pressure from big pet food brands behind veterinary diets (currently the only commercially available foods with strict copper levels) could play a part in
decision-making, it's very hard to make a case for any collusion or conspiracy. The truth is, while we know that some vets are very outspoken on the topic and
would like to see a legal maximum in place, choosing what that maximum should be is difficult given the current evidence. So, to that extent, the AAFCO
committee's decision to monitor the situation and wait for more information before making such a major move is understandable — if a little cautious. There’s also the
question of other nutrients and minerals — should these be more carefully controlled? Should a senior diet, for instance, have a protein limit or stricter maximum mineral levels? There can always be more research and tighter guidelines but these need to be regulated sensibly.
There you go. We don’t like knee-jerk reactions or conspiracy theories, and we have no reason to doubt AAFCO’s expertise or integrity. No organisation is perfect and we'll always hold it to account, but it does important work and deserves the benefit of the doubt. And, of course, we'll keep you up to date with any developments.
Until next time, Andrew Editor
The Dog Food Advisor
Saving Good Dogs From Bad Dog Food
A while back we emailed you asking what you’d like to ask Dr. Marty Goldstein. Hundreds of you wrote in with excellent questions. We compiled the most popular ones and put them to him. We kept these to general questions on dog nutrition, dog health and his career. They included... - Why is my dog a picky eater?
- Why is my dog always itchy?
- How do I help my dog lose weight?
- What are your views on dog food supplements?
- Should I express my dog’s anal glands?
- How can I deal with my dog’s food allergies?
- How do I feed a senior dog?
- What made you become a
veterinarian?
- What common ingredients in dog food would you avoid?
- Can you give us one of your favorite dog-related stories?
To hear Dr. Goldstein’s responses and advice, go to Dr. Marty Answers Your Questions and watch the two videos. Dr. Goldstein is also the man behind Dr. Marty’s Nature’s Blend freeze-dried raw dog food — and DFA subscribers can get up to 54% off their first order with this exclusive link.
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