Nutrition is the key to your pet´s health
Anne Hyle, BA, MS, DVM, CVA
It is probably no surprise that proper nutrition is the most important factor in your pet’s health. Feeding an optimal diet will prevent many health problems in your companion including skin and ear disease as well as more serious issues such as metabolic diseases, arthritis, and cancer. The allergies that are so common here in Florida may be significantly reduced or eliminated by feeding a healthy diet.
What may be surprising to some people is that most commercial dog food is junk food. It contains only the minimum daily requirements for pets, not the optimum requirements. While these foods are AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) approved, they may still contain dehydrated garbage, numerous chemical preservatives, poultry, cow and pig feces, antibiotics and chemotherapy agents, plastic, and poultry feathers. Believe it or not, these are officially allowed on the AAFCO list of approved substances. Animal carcasses may also be found in these foods. Although the FDA does not officially approve of Sodium Pentothal (a common euthanasia agent) to be in pet food, a 1998 study by the FDA showed that many of the foods tested had measureable amounts of this substance in many popular brands of pet food.
The best food is composed of fresh, preferably organic, vegetables, meat, and fat. A raw diet is ideal because all of the vitamins and enzymes are still intact in this food. Dogs and cats are carnivores and they are designed to derive their necessary nutrients from raw food. Because dogs and cats have a limited amount of their own enzymes, they depend on the enzymes present in raw food to fully utilize the food. These enzymes are destroyed by cooking the food at high temperatures. All dry foods are cooked at high temperatures and, therefore, they lack the enzymes necessary for dogs and cats to extract the most nutrients out of their food.
Because dogs and cats digestive tracts are different than humans, they are not as susceptible to the bacterial contamination which may occur in raw food. In the wild, they eat dead carrion which is crawling with bacteria. However, our pets are not accustomed to this bacterial load so they may still develop digestive upset when they consume rancid food.
In order to avoid possible intestinal upset due to rancid raw food, I recommend a pre made frozen raw diet. There are a number of pre made frozen raw diets available from specialty pet food stores. These diets are formulated by veterinary nutritionists and many of them are designed to provide a complete diet. They are also screened for bacterial contamination at the manufacturing facility, reducing the risk of bacterial exposure.
Variety is also important for your pet’s diet. Feeding the same diet every day may lead to some nutritional deficiencies. There are numerous formulations available and I recommend varying them so that your pet is more likely to obtain all of the proper nutrients.
If you plan to cook for your pet, it is extremely important to have the diet formulated by an experienced veterinary nutritionist. Although many books are available which have recipes for animals, none are complete diets to support the long term health of these pets.
While many pets love the raw diets, some pets do not like them and refuse to consume them. For dogs, mixing a good quality canned food and dry food may be an option. For cats, feeding a variety of canned foods is recommended. Cats should not eat dry food because they do not consume enough water and dry food tends to dehydrate them, leading to many disorders, especially kidney failure.
Dry foods do not prevent tartar buildup in cats because they do not chew their food very well.
As a rule, anything you can buy at the grocery store is not good for your pet. Also, price does matter. If a food is cheap, this means the ingredients are cheap and probably contain some of the undesirable ingredients listed above.
Many of the health problems which I see in my practice could have been prevented with a better diet. However, it is never too late to improve your best friend’s diet. Make the transition gradually as the more nutritious food may take some time for your pet’s digestive system to adjust to. Your holistic veterinarian or knowledgeable holistic pet store personnel should be able to give you advice for making the transition. Remember that the right diet for your pet is the one that they thrive on. Every animal is different and what is ideal for one, may not be right for another one. If they do not enjoy the food or have digestive upset, try a different food. Geriatric pets or those with significant health issues should consult with their holistic veterinarian prior to changing the diet.
In summary, feeding the optimal diet to your pet is the best way to ensure that they live a long, healthy life. Although the frozen raw diets or the premium foods found in specialty pet food stores are more expensive than those found at the grocery store, the health benefits far out weigh the expense. You can either pay for the good food now or pay the veterinarian later to treat your pet’s health issues.
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