Pet Nutrition

This is a very complex and ever changing subject. There are many different pet foods out there each claiming to be the best for your pet. How can anyone decide which to feed to their pet? It is a difficult choice, so it is best to be informed.

We have posted a few links to companies that invest a great deal of money and effort into researching pet nutrition and may help you to learn some more about your pet's nutritional needs. We also encourage you to stop by and ask our team members questions as well, if we don't have an immediate answer, we would gladly look into it for you.

PET FOODS - SO MANY QUESTIONS...
"What should I feed my pet?" and "How much food should I feed them?" are two of the most common pet nutrition questions that we get! Those two questions are also some of the more difficult ones to answer. There are many high quality, nutritionally complete pet foods available from veterinarians and pet stores these days. It can be very difficult to tell the "good" from the "bad" because pet food labels don't always tell you everything you need to know to make an educated choice.

The old saying "You get what you pay for" generally does apply in choosing pet food. Just like our own meals, if you want a top quality steak you will pay a premium price, rather than having an inexpensive hamburger. Pet food manufacturers have to pay a higher price for top quality raw ingredients. Not to mention the finances and time invested into feeding trials, research and development, nutritional analysis and constant upgrading of their diets. A "good" pet food manufacturer only makes and sells pet food, they should stand behind their product and guarantee you and your pet's satisfaction. Remember though, not every pet is going to do well on only one diet.

Watch for signs of poor nutrition such as; dull haircoat, dry, flaky skin, body/mouth odor, flatulence, loose/soft stool, vomiting and too much stool volume. Don't be afraid to switch diets, just don't switch too often or too sudden.

A change in diet should be done gradually to allow your pet to adjust by mixing in the new food a bit at a time into the old food over 7-10 days. Once you have your pet on a new diet, monitor them for at least 6 weeks before deciding if the new diet has been an improvement for them, be patient.

Above all make an educated decision, ask a lot of questions, don't get caught up in the "hype" of a new trend, and look at your pet's overall appearance for how well they are doing on their diet In addition to the standard maintenance diets, there are many "therapeutic diets" available for a variety of health problems.

Just like your doctor would put you on a special diet for certain health concerns, our veterinarian may recommend a therapeutic diet to benefit your pet's health problem. As you know many diseases can be controlled with proper diet, and so it is very important to try the recommend therapeutic diet and possibly improve your pet's long term health. We are always there for you to answer any of your pet food questions.

Our veterinarians and team members have many resources available to them and would be happy to help you choose a diet that will provide the best nutrition for your special pet.

Now for the second big question "How much should I feed my pet?". This will greatly depend on the type of food you have chosen to give your pet. Most pet food labels will give you an average daily feeding guide based on your pet's weight on the bag or can. This of course is only an estimate, as every pet is different and leads a different lifestyle. Also the feeding guide will tend to estimate more for your pet so that no one will under-feed.

Some pets will only eat during the evening, some prefer to nibble all day, while others will eat anything, anywhere, anytime!! It is best to go with the average estimated daily requirement and tailor it to your pet's needs. If they tend to leave some in the bowl, cut back a bit or if they are ravenous you could try feeding a bit more or try feeding the same amount but divide it into multiple meals.

If your pet is getting "pudgy" you should reevaluate what and how much you are feeding them. Remember we all require a basic minimum amount of nutrients to allow our bodies to function properly and keep us healthy. This holds true for our pets, therefore any change or adjustment in diet should be done carefully, keeping your pets best interest in mind.

As always if your pet is doing well on a diet; they have a glossy, thick haircoat, good body condition, normal bowel movements and are happy and active, then why switch diets?! Stay with what is working best for you and your pet.

LINKS

Medi-Cal

www.medi-cal.ca

Waltham

www.waltham.com

Iams/Eukanuba


www.iams.com

Purina

www.purina.com

Hill's pet food

www.hillspet.com