Dog food has come under the spotlight in a Channel 5 programme which airs tonight.

Pet Food Manufacturers Association says programme is sensationalism

A Channel 5 documentary on dog food, which is due to be screened tonight, has been called "extremely offensive" and "completely untrue" by the chief executive of the Pet Food Manufacturers' Association (PFMA).

"The truth about your dog's food" is due to air at 9am.

Michael Bellingham, chief executive of the PFMA which represents 90 per cent of pet food industry in the UK, said: "The PFMA has seen an advanced copy of the programme and while there are some voices to balance the more wild statements from opponents of prepared pet food, the piece still comes across as very sensational.

"The programme attacks not only the pet food industry but also challenges the veterinary profession for being 'in league' with the pet food companies."

He said the claims in the programme ignored evidence that show dogs are living longer and healthier lives, thanks in part to better nutrition.

Mr Bellingham said the pet food industry works with veterinarians, scientists and animal nutritionists to continually improve products and match them to the needs of animals at different stages of their life.

Veterinarian Zara Boland,  said: "It is in every reputable pet food manufactures' interests to produce the best pet food possible with the optimal formulations for the animals they are feeding.

"This goal has driven many innovative breakthroughs in the nutritional requirements of dogs and cats at all stages of growth.

"It is more common today to see animals suffering from old-age health conditions than it is to see nutritional deficiencies.

"We’re still learning and developing how best to manage these cases, but one thing remains startlingly clear: in sickness or in health advanced pet food nutrition is key.”

The programme claims that nine out of ten visits to the veterinary surgeries, are due to dietary problems, which Mr Bellingham said: "Goes against the wealth of scientific evidence."

He said pet food does not contain undesirable substances – the maximum level for mercury found in fish, is five times higher in human food that in dog food, he said.

Only food fit for human consumption, is used in pet food, and the industry adheres to strict EU laws on the use of cuts which may not sound appealing to UK consumers, but have bee eaten here in the past – such as pigs trotters, Mr Bellingham said.

John Foster, chairman of the Pet Health Council said: “The amount of nutritionally related problems we encountered 30 years ago was legion.

"We saw bad coats, poor teeth, poor digestion, rickets and shortened life spans. This was all as a result of inadequate nutrition.

"The widespread feeding of prepared pet foods and advancements in these diets has made a major difference. The majority of modern diets are sophisticated, constructed on the back of intensive research, and trustworthy."

The PFMA also attacked the programme's claim of a link between pet food additives and behavioural issues, saying there was no evidence of this, and that common causes of behaviour problems often relate to the way the animal was socialised, trained and a lack of exercise.

Canine obesity, which the programme also links to pet food, the PFMA said is caused by owners giving their animals too much human food and not enough exercise. It added that there are feeding guidelines for pets based on age and exercise to help stop the problem of overweight animals.