It’s our goal to help you keep your pet healthy and happy. We’re going to share some information about nutrition and your pet. Through the simple act of providing daily meals with the right food, you have the power to significantly enhance your pet’s health and wellness.
This is more than just a bowl of pet food. It’s a daily dose of preventive medicine.. The right kind of diet has effects both on the pet’s interior and exterior. While the proper meal makes the pet’s fur coat shiny and muscles strong, it also gives a stronger defensive system against disease.
But you should know that poor nutrition can contribute to:
- Allergies
- Digestive issues
- Other health risks
Nutrition goes beyond what you actually feed your pet. Information regarding the type and amount of food nutrition on the label of pet food can often be confusing. So, here’s an overview on ingredient deck that is required on all pet food labels.
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It’s a list of ingredients and their common names according to weight before processing. It starts with the heaviest. This means that if a meat ingredient is listed, it is listed at its weight before processing including the weight of water and fat.
When meat meals are used there are:
- Concentrated sources of protein that means you’ll have 45 to 60 percent meat protein after processing. Therefore if a pet food label claims to have polled chicken as the first ingredient and another has a chicken meal as the first ingredient, the diet with a chicken meal has more actual chicken protein than the diet
That just lists chicken, for example :
- Fresh chicken is actually 70 to 75 percent water
- When the waters removed during processing the portion of actual is only 10 to 20%
- Regulations help establish the minimum amount of nutrients needed to provide a complete and balanced diet.
Most ingredients on the label have a corresponding definition in the official publication of the Association of American feed control officials or (AAFCO) The publication :
- States exactly what the components are and what can be used in pet foods.
- Like you, your pet needs a balanced diet to be healthy.
- In general. good pet food will have a quality animal protein source listed within the first few ingredients.
Additional quality. ingredients might include :
- Vegetables
- Whole grains
Specific ingredients and healthy pet foods include real animal proteins like :
- Chicken
- Beef
- Fish and
- Lamb or meals from these proteins.
Animal proteins are essential for:
- Growth
- Maintenance
- Reproduction
- Repair
- Energy
Whole grains include brown rice barley and oats which:
Supply complex carbohydrates to maintain energy levels.
Vegetables and fruits provide with essential phytonutrients antioxidants and enzymes together with natural vitamins, minerals and fiber to promote and maintain health and wellness.
Corn when properly prepared is not cheap filler. It’s part of a healthy diet and an excellent source of energy.
Corn also supplies carotenoids to help Support
- Vision
- Skin health
- Reproduction
- Bone and muscle growth
The pet food label should indicate the life or strength stage for which the food is proper. For some pet food companies produce pet foods that are specifically designed to address a purebred dog or cat’s unique needs. Other foods are designed to optimize nutrition for puppies, adult pets of certain sizes or lifestyles. The pet food label should guide you to feed a daily total amount based on your pet’s ideal body weight. However, remember this is just an evaluation. Your veterinarian can help you discover the exact amount of food appropriate for your pet.
Feeding Guideline
- Use a measuring cup to be exact
- Eyeballing it can result in over or underfeeding
- Free feeding is not recommended
- Overeating is a key factor in obesity
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A word about treats. Treats are generally high in calories; so be sure to limit them to less than 10% if your pet eats everything and wants more. It’s important to avoid overfeeding. Feeding smaller amounts more often can help.
Many medical conditions can cause a lack of appetite. Cats, in particular, can become sick quickly if they stop eating. If you notice a change in your pet’s appetite, talk with your veterinarian so he or she can help determine the possible causes and recommend the appropriate treatment.
Some people think giving pets a custom made or crude eating routine is more advantageous and progressively regular since they can control precisely what goes into the nourishment bowl. Although these diets may be free of additives and preservatives, there are concerns, especially with raw diets.
Raw meats and eggs often contain:
- Bacteria
- Viruses
- Parasites
Salmonella, in particular, is very dangerous, because it can be deadly to pets and harmful to people. There are also physical risks of feeding a homemade or raw diet to your pet˗ hard bones can fracture teeth and sharp bone fragments can seriously damage the intestinal tract. Other health issues may arise from imbalances and vitamins and minerals that lead to disease. We caution that homemade or raw diets should only be fed to pets under appropriate circumstances and with the right expertise so your pet is getting legitimate sustenance.
Converse with your veterinarian today about the right diet for your pet. He can help you create a custom nutrition plan based on your pet’s breed, age, and health needs. An ideal health plan bundle of preventive consideration administrations will assemble a significantly more grounded establishment for your pet’s long-lasting wellbeing and Happiness.
