Have you ever wondered why your veterinarian recommends one brand of kibble over another? “ Why these, when I can't find them in the supermarket? » The answer is simple: because not all kibbles are designed the same way. So, beyond the words “premium” or “high-end”, let’s look at what really makes the difference between these foods recommended by veterinarians and supermarket kibbles.
More in-depth quality controls
Before arriving in your pet's bowl, recommended brand kibbles go through several inspection stages. The ingredients are carefully selected and then checked, just like the finished product. Each batch is subject to rigorous checks, with particular attention paid to quality, safety and traceability.
A consistent recipe, batch after batch
Your dog or cat eats its kibble every day: it is therefore essential that their nutritional intake remains stable over time. However, raw materials can naturally vary depending on the harvest and the seasons. Manufacturers can therefore adjust their formulations to maintain a consistent nutritional profile from batch to batch. A consistent recipe does not necessarily mean always using the same ingredients in the same proportions, but guaranteeing nutritional intakes that are controlled and adapted to the needs of your animal.
Formulations really designed for dogs or cats
Each animal has its own nutritional needs, depending on its species, age, size, activity level, possible sterilization or even its sensitivity. And when certain health problems are present, such as overweight, diabetes, allergies or kidney failure, specific foods can also be offered to support veterinary care.
The formulations developed by specialized brands are therefore not limited to a simple nutritional balance: they can be adjusted to meet specific needs or objectives. Their design is based in particular on scientific research, in order to develop foods that are ever more suitable for dogs and cats.
Therefore, faced with all the options available, choosing the right kibble can quickly become complicated. Indeed, even when a veterinarian directs you towards a brand, it is not always easy to understand what really distinguishes different foods. To help owners make their choice, some brands fortunately offer advice and resources to better decipher kibble. In particular, you can discover Hill's advice to give you your opinion on kibble and the different criteria to take into account when choosing the food most suited to your companion.
Clinical tests
Finally, let us add that some brands go further by testing their foods directly with animals in order to evaluate their digestibility, palatability, tolerance or certain nutritional effects. Concretely, these studies make it possible to observe and measure what really happens when the animal consumes the food. For certain ranges, clinical studies can thus evaluate the benefit of a formula to support weight management, support certain body functions or contribute to urinary health.
So why might your vet recommend one brand over another? Quite simply because he knows the specific needs of your animal and can adapt his advice to its age, size, lifestyle, sterilization or even its state of health. When it directs you towards a recognized brand rather than a supermarket product, this choice is not based on marketing: it takes into account the quality of the formulation, the control of manufacturing and the data available on the food. The objective is above all to help you choose a diet suitable for your dog or cat, to best meet its daily needs.