Our team at Cypress View Veterinary Clinic in Medicine Hat are continually educating ourselves to provide you with the most up to date, and accurate  information. We wanted to touch on a few things as part of our ongoing dog food and cat food education. This month, let’s discuss the meaning of “by-products” in pet food.

A common misconception is that by-products are an inferior source of nutrition. However, they are common ingredients in both human and pet foods. The definition of a by-product is something that is produced in the making or processing of something else. Seldom will a diet NOT have a by-product in it.

Some examples of by-products are:

Processed soybeans produce Vitamin E = by-product

Processed seeds and fruits (eg. flax seeds, olives) – flax seed oil,  olive oil = by-product

Beet pulp is the vegetable matter that is left after sugar has been extracted from sugar beets = by-product.

By- product meal includes internal organs such as pork, chicken and beef liver and are an excellent source of copper, vitamin B2 and selenium. They are highly palatable and provide a high quality source of protein.

“The U.S. Department of Agriculture lists beef liver as a significant source of vitamins B6 and D as well as folate, an essential nutrient for cellular health. It is an excellent source of copper, vitamin B2 and selenium. A serving provides about half the protein you need in a day. The U.S. Department of Agriculture lists beef liver as a significant source of vitamins B6 and D as well as folate, an essential nutrient for cellular health.”