Passover or Pesach, takes place this year from the 19th – 27 April 2019, and is a major Jewish festival celebrated around the world. During Passover, the consumption of leavened grains is forbidden. How does this have any bearing on our pets?
For those observing the festival , it is important that their homes are free from any products with ingredients such as wheat, barley, rye, oats, spelt or their derivatives. Many of the foods our pets eat include these ingredients, therefore every year the Beth Din (Judicial council) releases a list of “safe” foods for our pets to eat.
Please Note: It remains the pet owner’s responsibility to check the ingredients when purchasing pet foods, as the manufacturers cannot guarantee that changes will not be made in formulation of the foods due to the volatility (price and availability) of raw materials. The products listed have been checked extensively before Pesach.
People who want to use Hills Ideal Balance or Orijen and Acana Dog and Cat Food must check that the product doesn’t contain — wheat, barley, oats, spelt, rye, sorghum, brewer’s yeast or yeast of any other origin.
Please see below the list which either states foods kosher for Passover or not kosher for Passover (this list was extracted from the Passover Guide 2019/5779):
Hill’s Pet Nutrition (Prescription Diet)
1. Dogs
Dry: Derm Defence, D/D, I/D, K/D, K/D + Mobility, L/D, T/D & T/D mini, W/D, Y/D & Z/D
Wet: A/D, C/D, I/D, K/D, L/D, Metabolic (excluding stew), U/D & Z/D
2. Cats
Dry: D/D, I/D, J/D, L/D, S/D, T/D, W/D, Y/D & Z/D
Wet: A/D, K/D (excluding stew), Metabolic (excluding stew) & Z/D
Hills’s Pet Nutrition (Science Plan)
1. Dogs
Dry
Puppy (Mini/Medium/Large Breed), Light (Mini/Medium/Large Breed),
Wet: Only Light tinned food
2. Cats
Dry
Adult Light, Adult Hairball, Kitten
Wet: Only Kitten Mousse, Only Kitten Ocean Fish Pouches
Ideal Balance – (Check contents as mentioned above)
Eukanuba/Iams — No foods are acceptable.
Royal Canin
If your pet is on a Royal Canin diet that is not on the list below, Royal Canin suggests you use Royal Canin’s Sensitivity Control (Prescription Diet) over Pesach. This product is designed for food and skin allergies and is safe for growing puppies and kittens. It is very easy to digest, so you can change straight on to Sensitivity Control without risking stomach upsets in sensitive pets. Sensitivity Control Canine and Feline is available in dry, tins and pouches.
Veterinary Diets
1. Dogs
Dry: Only Early Cardiac, Hepatic, Hypo-Allergenic Dry, Renal, Sensitivity Control, Skin Support and Urinary S/O are suitable
Wet: Only Sensitivity Control & Urinary S/O are suitable
2. Cats
Dry: Only Hypo-allegenic Feline & Sensitivity Control are suitable
Wet: Only Senitivity Control pouches are suitable.
1. Dogs
Dry
Dachshund Adult
2. Cats: None
Vets Choice
Only Sensitive is suitable
SVD – (Ultradog)
Only Hypo-allergenic food is suitable
Speak to your local vet shop regarding Kosher for Pesach bird, rabbit, hamster, mice, rats and guinea pig’s food.