Our pets need a healthy, balanced diet to help maintain their overall health and well-being. It’s up to us to ensure our companions are meeting their nutritional needs throughout every stage of their lives. At Loveland Regional Animal Hospital, we can provide guidance on how to choose the right diet for your dog or cat.
Preventing Unhealthy Eating Habits
It is up to us to provide pets with a balanced diet to meet their nutritional needs. However, it can be easy to indulge our adorable dog or cat with treats or table scraps which may lead to some bad habits or unwanted weight gain. Fortunately, there are several ways to avoid these unhealthy habits such as:
- Feed pets their meals at the same time each day.
- Measure your pet’s meals based on their veterinarian’s recommendations.
- Do not leave cat’s food sitting out all day.
- Avoid feeding your pet a steady stream of treats during the day.
- Don’t feed pets scraps from the table and discourage begging.
- Use a food puzzle to make meals more engaging and prevent pets from eating too fast.
- Your veterinarian is always available to provide recommendations as well!
Choosing the Right Diet for Your Pet
There are a variety of options available when it comes to choosing pet food. We understand how confusing it can be and we’re here to offer guidance on how best to determine which pet food is right for your dog or cat. Specifically formulated diets can provide a range of benefits for pets, including helping to manage numerous medical conditions, such as kidney or heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis. If you’re not sure what the best option for pet food can be, we recommend the following:
Seek AAFCO Guidelines
Pet food packaging should have a nutritional adequacy claim for the individual animal’s life stage. If a pet food brand has been through AAFCO feeding trials, it can be considered a suitable option for your pet. If a food brand is intended for supplemental or intermittent use, do not feed this to your pet on an extended basis unless directed by your veterinarian.
Read Labels Carefully
An easy tip is to read the label of any pet food you may consider buying for your pet. This label includes useful insight into the quality of the food. We recommend paying close attention to the list of ingredients, feeding directions, and guaranteed analysis.
Consider Your Pet’s Specific Needs
When trying to determine the best food option for your pet, it is important to consider your pet’s individual nutritional needs which can vary based upon age, size, species and possible health conditions. For example, food for older or senior pets is formulated differently than food for young puppies or kittens. Our veterinarians can help you select the pet food best suited to fit your pet’s needs.
