AAFCO supervises the state regulation and pet foods. As of January 1994 the regulations stipulated by AAFCO have been followed by the dog food manufacturer rather tan those guidelines determined by the NRC. AAFCO requires that certain testing procedures for dog foods be used in order to receive its stamp of approval. The testing is done in independent laboratories and the food must pass the labeling requirements.

For example, if a label states that a food is "complete and balanced" or is "nutritionally complete," or words to that effect, the food must go through certain feeding trials. These last from two to six weeks and ensure that the food does what the label states. If it says that the food is for puppies, or adult dogs, or all life stages, laboratory testing must prove that the food can indeed support life at those stages. The tests include blood plasma levels as well as fecal and urine analysis. When the test is completed satisfactorily, the AAFCO statement is placed on the label.

Two to six weeks is a short time frame to have a food tested, but at least the test is carefully controlled, and gross deficiencies of protein or other nutrients are revealed. It is one way for the consumer to be assured of the consistency of a product. Most foods today contain the AAFCO statement on the label.

AAFCO also requires the manufacturer to submit its food to be tested by an independent laboratory to ascertain what is in the finished product. If, for example, the product states it is 22 percent protein, the laboratory profile or assay must support that assertion.

Labeling of dog food is strictly controlled. A company is told what can and cannot be put on the label. At present, a company that uses organically grown grains or superior sources of animal protein is unable to differentiate itself from a company that uses inexpensive, chemically laden ingredients. The consumer is left in the dark.

The dog food industry is in transition. There are no definite guidelines as to minimum amounts of nutrients required to keep dogs healthy in all life states. In the meantime, the NRC guidelines printed in 1985, which list most of the minimum requirements of known nutrients, is one of the protocols that is followed. Another is a new concept of shared data from the Expert Committee on Nutrition. This committee is made up of dog food manufacturers.

At the very core of the dog's health and fitness are amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein and are necessary to life. If you are feeding an unsupplemented food high in cereal and vegetable proteins, chances are that your dog has an animal protein deficiency. Diseases that may result include:

• skin and chronic ear infections
• reproductive, heart, kidney, liver, bladder, thyroid and adrenal gland malfunctions
• some forms of epilepsy
• some kinds of cancer
• rage syndrome
• "spinning," or tail chasing
• lethargy
• timidity
• lack of pigmentation
• inability to think and act clearly
• lack of appetite
• excessive shedding, as well as gastrointestinal upsets

Protein is composed of amino acids, of which 25 are presently known. Ten or 11, depending on the reference source you use, are essential and cannot be produced by the dog's body; the other 14 or 15 can be converted from the essential amino acids through a chemical chaining process taking place in the liver. These 10 or 11 essential amino acids can be obtained only through what the dog eats, and they must be consumed at the same meal in order to sustain a healthy life.

In a commercial dog food, protein is provided by combining animal sources, such as meat byproducts, chicken, cheese, milk, fish, turkey or lamb, together with grain sources, such as corn, wheat, rice, soy and so on. The sum total of these proteins appears on dog food packages as crude protein. How these ingredients are arranged in the recipe and the quantity of those ingredients--whether the animal protein is listed first, third, or fifth--dictates the kind of protein available to the dog.

Amino acids are altered by heat, which in turn affects their bio-availability. Dry, semimoist or canned foods go through a heat process in manufacturing, and the finished product can be deficient in amino acids. Such a food, if fed without supplementation, can cause disease. Many amino acids are available only from animal sources, and if grains are the main source, a dog may develop one of the animal protein deficiency diseases listed above. Since amino acids are dependent on one another, a diet that contains too little of one will have a chain-reation effect on the others and will reduce their utilization. To achieve the proper balance, it s necessary to combine foods with the correct amount of amino acids.

While the chemical composition of protein is similar for some grains and meat products, the bio-availability is different. Soy protein is used as a source of amino acids in food for animals that have complex stomachs, such as cattle and sheep, and as food for pigs, turkey and chickens. Some component parts of soy bind up their own nutrients and make them unavailable to the dog. Young dogs and old dogs cannot utilize the amino acids from soy, hence it should be avoided. Cottonseed meal falls in eh same category.

The need for amino acids in the diet changes during different life stages, climate and season changes, trauma or stress. When these stresses are experienced, your dog's food should contain extra animal protein.

The National Research Council's findings showed that certain breeds of dogs, i.e., Labradors and English Pointers, had a greater need for amino acids from animal sources, than did Beagles. In our work, we have found there are many breeds of European origin who requirements are similar to the Labrador. The content of dog food is made to accommodate the Beagle, not the Labrador.

1. FOOD PROTEINS ARE CONSIDERED COMPLETE ONLY WHEN THEY CONTAIN ALL THE ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS. Animal proteins are complete. Vegatable proteins are incomplete and unbalanced, but can be mixed with complete proteins to provide adequate amounts of essential amino acids.
   
   
2. DIETARY PROTEIN REQUIREMENTS ARE INFLUENCED BY VARIOUS FACTORS. These include digestibility, rate of protein synthesis, carbohydrate and fat levels in the diet and the timing of meals. Clinical factors can influence protein needs of the dog. These include disease, medications and surgery or any other trauma to body tissue.
   
   
3. YOU CAN TEST TO SEE IF YOUR DOG IS DEFICIENT IN AMINO ACIDS. If you wish to supplement the dog's diet, test each of the following supplements to see what is best for your dog. Needs change with the seasons, so test several times during the year.

   Animal protein: Raw meat, raw liver, cooked meat (lamb, pork or venison), cooked chicken, cooked fish, milk, whole eggs (cooked for 5 minutes, plus shell), yogurt, kefir, cottage cheese, goats' milk, You can add a small amount of any of these proteins to your dog's diet. In total, supplementation should not exceed 10 percent of your dog's total diet.
   
   Amino acid complex tablets: We like this form of supplement. The one that we use and that tests very well for most dogs comes from a milk (casein) base. This has not created allergies in the dogs we have tested. We prefer the complex taste because without good reason it is inadvisable to isolate any of the amino acids when feeding dogs. Their interdependency is such that unless you have a degree in chemistry and understand a fully how the isolated amino acid works, more harm can be done than good. Avoid supplementing with methionine alone if there is a history of liver disease. Too much methionine in relationship to other amino acids can cause coma and even death in dogs that have diseased livers.

4. WHEN YOU SUPPLEMENT, MAKE SURE THAT THE DIET CONTAINS ADEQUATE VITAMIN C AND B COMPLEX, NECESSARY FOR PROTEIN DIGESTION.
   
   
5. MAGNESIUM MUST BE PRESENT IN THE DIET FOR THE ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS TO WORK.