#Pet nutrition

[drferox]

Pets are very commonly overweight. And very commonly the reason given will be ‘because my parents feed them more than they’re supposed to, and they won’t listen when I tell them to stop’.

And I sympathise. I understand. Parents are hard, especially when they still think of you as ‘their kid’ and not ‘grown adult with autonomy’. Getting your parent to change their behavior is very difficult.

My two cats have a scoop in their bag of food, and they get one scoop each for dinner. It’s a very simple system: 1 scoop 1 cat. If I notice they’re getting a bit podgy then I make the scoop a bit concave. If they’re looking a bit light, I give them a little extra breakfast. But dinner is always the same, never more than one scoop.

But last night I watch my mother (the very same woman that scolded me for my weight since I was ten) decide to feed the cats for me while I finished washing the dishes.

The cats follow her, mewing pathetically, as she carries the food bag to their bowls. And I watch, as she’s talking to me and making eye contact, while she gives one cat a slightly heaped scoop of food, and then the other.

And then, dear reader, she replaces the scoop into the bag, as though it’s the most natural thing in the world, and proceeds to give each cat an additional handful of food.

I was astounded. I was politely mortified that you just increased the cats’ meals by at least 80%. No wonder they’ve been podgy!

We had a polite but firm discussion about how that is a measured scoop in the bag, and have-you-been-feeding-that-much-the-whole-time, but I do not think she has listened. I think I will need to gently ban her from feeding the cats.

[ask-a-vetblr]

How safe are garden variety dog treats? I see dog owners who only feed their dog raw meat and vegetables, and then I see dog owners just feed them treats. So I've always been curious, how safe is your middle of the shelf name brand from WalMart? I'm interested in this from a nutritionist perspective, kind of.

gettingvetted here.

Dog treats made in the USA (basically any that are not manufactured in China/Taiwan) are by and large safe. Some of them technically fit AAFCO standards for a complete and balanced diet (doesn't mean you should do it though). In general, as long as treats or people food items don't amount to more than 10% of the pet's daily caloric intake, you're not running the risk of unbalancing their (species and life stage appropriate, WSAVA compliant, commercial) diet.

[valuablerecipes]

Q: What is diabetes mellitus in creatures?

Diabetes mellitus is a consistent infection that affects dogs and cats. It causes an extreme glucose charge due to the body’s inability to create or respond to insulin.

Q: How does high blood strain affect pets tormented by diabetes?

High blood stress can worsen the complications of diabetes in pets. It burdens organs, including the kidneys, and might result in more fitness problems if not controlled nicely.

Q: How crucial is a weight loss program in controlling animal diabetes?

Answer: Proper vitamins are critical for controlling diabetes in animals. By feeding a balanced food regimen, proprietors can help keep blood sugar levels within the normal range and maintain the well-being of pets with diabetes.

[gettingvetted]

Hello! I saw your ask response about pet food and was wondering what you feed your cats? I hadn’t realized that the lesser known brands weren’t as good but I’m unsure if one of the main brands is better than the others

I personally feed my cats Purina Pro Plan LiveClear as my boyfriend is allergic. Prior to that I was feeding Hills Science Diet. If I run out between bags I will feed Iams while I wait for Pro Plan to come in.

[chrisstoddard-championofpet]

Chris Stoddard - Champion of Pet Welfare through My Pet Matters

Chris Stoddard is the founder of My Pet Matters, a charitable organisation dedicated to improving the lives of pets and their owners through education, assistance, and advocacy. My Pet Matters focuses on fundraising efforts to support animal shelters and rescue centres across the UK. Through various initiatives such as prize draws, events, and campaigns, the organisation raises funds to provide essential resources and supplies for animal shelters. Chris Stoddard, a devoted animal enthusiast and advocate, leads these efforts, aiming to enhance pet welfare and promote responsible pet ownership. The organisation offers workshops, seminars, and online materials to equip pet owners with vital insights into pet health, behaviour, nutrition, and more. Visit: https://www.chrisstoddard.co.uk/category/my-pet-matters/

[formulaorange]

Cat Nutrition - An Off-Topic Post

I've worked in the pet food industry for the last 7 years and it always shocks me how little people know about the nutritional needs for their cats/ pets in general. A lot of people just follow what their parents did or whatever the vet or pet store recommends (often promoting their own brands). Here's a big blurb of everything you should know about feeding your fur beans. For those short on time here's the spark notes version: Kibble is really bad for cats and was really only made for human convenience and profit- it dehydrates them which is one of the main causes for kidney disease which affects 1 in 3 cats and is ridiculously high carb - 3-5x more than what they need. Even fancy feast or the lowest quality wet/canned food is better than the highest quality dry/kibble. While Raw can have it's downsides if fed improperly, there's lots of balanced brands that can make it easy and is really the best for them, it's what their bodies are made to eat! Picky cats: Add warm water to their food. Play with them before meal times. Find 4-5 different foods they like and rotate so they don't get bored. Do your own research! Find out what works best for you, don't blindly follow what vets tell you and what friends or family have been doing. Here's everything to know about Cat and their role in the Pet Food Industry:

1. Cat are desert animals! This means that they are made to be getting 80-90% of their moisture from their food! Most cats will only drink water from a bowl when they are severely dehydrated. This is why feeding wet food (canned) or raw is so much more important. 2. Kibble is a new invention for Human Convenience! Kibble has only been around for 67 years! The first kibble was invented in 1956. Back in the 40s during WWII there were sanctions put on the use of cans and metals, essentially removing the option of canned pet foods. This pushed companies to find an alternative, working with by products (left overs) from cereal companies they created a high-profit cheap food they could sell to customers that had a better shelf life. -How is Kibble made? Almost all kibble goes through a process called extrusion where the initial ingredients, meats, by-products and additives are processed under intense heat and pressure 4-5 times before they're cut to shape and sprayed with flavors and oils. This process removes nutrients, vitamins and pretty much everything from the original ingredients. Try cooking a high grade steak at max output on your oven 4-5 times and see if anything is really worth eating at that point. -Veterinary Diets In the late 60s, a generation after the invention of kibble, there became an increase in kidney and liver failures, prompting a French vet to create his own trademarked food - Royal Canin with Hill's Science Diet being created later in the US. (Fun fact, Hill's has actually trademarked the term "prescription diet" so that no other pet food brand is allowed to use it in their packaging.) 3. Cats vs. Dogs - What's the difference? While dogs are much more flexible in what they can eat, Cats are obligate carnivores. A Carnivore (Dogs) does well on meat based diets, while Obligate Carnivores (Cats) need a meat based diet in order to survive. Broken down in food- dogs ideally need 30% protein, 63% fat and 7% carb from their food cats need 53% protein, 35% fat and 12%. 4. Why does this matter and what does it mean for their food? Dry foods are primarily carbohydrates. 35-50% on average. This is 3-5x more than a cat needs in addition to the lack of protein, which is what keeps a cat functioning. Grains - or carbs can be extremely detrimental to a cats body: Carbohydrates turn into sugar in the body, meaning the more carbs a cat consumes, the more sugar, which increases their chances of getting diabetes. In the wild, most cats choose to avoid eating the intestines of their prey, where most of the grains and fibre are kept, indicating cats also use very little to no fibre in their diets. On top of that, the lack of moisture in kibble actually dehydrates cats, one of the primary reasons for kidney problems down the line, affecting 1 in 3 cats. 5. What do I feed my Cat? Feed wet or raw! At the end of the day, if your cat only eats fancy feast or whiskas, or if that's the only wet(canned) food you can afford, it's a huge step forward for their diets. These brands are going to be better than any of the highest quality dry foods you can find because it means they're getting the moisture and protein they need without the extra carb and salt content. Raw foods have come a long way. They aren't all the frozen patties or having to home cook the meal with all these added supplements. There's lots of complete brands out there in different formats that make it easy for everyone. Freeze-dried is a form of raw that you rehydrate and feed. Air-dried (most expensive) is fed like kibble, and is kind of a jerky texture. If you're on raw, or with any food, make sure to wash your hands with soap before and after feeding and I recommend getting your cat dewormed twice a year for precautionary actions. -Treats the common ones like greenies, tempations are all kibble like treats, filled with carbs and salt, that make them irresistible but also horrible for them. Single 1 ingredient treats are the best out there. Even a scrab of unseasoned chicken from dinner or salmon sashimi from a sushi night is a great alternative.

6. Reading the Label Once you get into canned foods, there's hundreds of options. Here's a few things that help me decide what's worth it and what to avoid. Starting from worst to best with the wording: "Flavor" ie - "Beef flavor Dog food" it doesn't even need a certain percentage of beef, as long as it's technically detected in the food. "With" ie - "Dinner with beef" - beef only has to be minimum 3% of the food. 25% rule - If the food has 25% or more of the main protein, it can be labelled as "Beef entree" or "lamb Dinner". If there's more than 1, they can be labelled together but must add up to 25% and be labelled in the order of their percentage. - ie "Lamb & Lamb Liver Entree" 95% rule - At least 95% of the food must be of the listed protein. "Chicken dog food" Often - those with a 95% label will proudly show it, while the others you'll have to read to notice. 7. Kitten vs. Adult vs. Senior food There's really only 4 categories a food can be put into - Gestation/Lactation (for Mama cats) Growth Maintenance All Life Stages "Senior food" does not have a category as there is no clear definition on a change of nutritional needs as a cat ages. While "Growth" is typically attributed to kittens, most wet foods will have kitten portioning as they are all life stages. The biggest difference is that kitten food is fattier and has some added nutrients needed for growth. These can also be found in any other canned food with the appropriate portioning. 8. Urinary Food There's a lot of misconceptions about this. Brands will advertise Urinary dry food or the vet line - Kidney food. But if it's dry, as we now know, it dehydrates them, furthering the damage to the kidneys, making it extremely counter intuitive. Any wet food will be better than a dry "urinary" food to help treat this issue, ideally a low phosphorous brand. - Weruva is the most popular and has a low phosphorous line as well. 9. Fish Fish is not a naturally occurring food for cats! Cats only started eating fish when fishing became prominent in human civilizations. Fish is the most common occurring allergy in cats! - some symptoms are constant itchiness, rashes, immediately throwing up, or butt dragging after a poop. I personally recommend avoiding fish in cat foods, especially Tuna, if it's bad for us in large quantities due to the toxic build up of chemicals and things like mercury, imagine what it does to them. 10. Pickiness and Meal Time Cats are notoriously picky or fussy or spoiled. This is because they have 4 stages of food preference that need to be just right. 1 - smell 2 - taste 3 - texture / consistency 4 - how it sits in their stomach

It's hard to find exactly what they want and unfortunately there's no shortcut. It's really just trial and error.

Hot tips: -Add warm water to their food - it's gross but cats like their food at prey body temperature, if it's cold to the touch for us, it's likely not that appealing for them either.

-Just like dogs, keeping a routine is incredibly important for cats. they're actually a lot more meticulous about routine than dogs are and will let you know exactly when breakfast and dinner time is. Leaving the food out makes it less appealing for them. If they don't eat breakfast, take the food away and they have to wait for dinner. Over time they'll eat until they're done during meal time.

-Play with them before food! Cats are hunters, their goal for survival is catch, kill, eat, sleep etc. Play with them near meal time, get them real worked up until they're exhausted, then put down food, they'll be much more likely to eat now that they're gotten all the hunting out of the way.

-I recommend having at least 4 or 5 different flavors or brands that your cat likes, to rotate through so they don't get bored and you don't end up at square 1 when they decide that one they like isn't good enough anymore.

Keep in mind: Beef, Lamb & Duck are often high in fat and should be used as a once in a while protein. Chicken & Turkey are the best proteins. Even if your cat doesn't like chicken from one brand, they could go nuts for one from a different brand or even the same brand with a different texture. Try them out and see, don't eliminate a whole protein so easily because of a few that get turned down.

I think that's a wrap. Food really makes a world of a difference for these guys, their whole world revolves around it and getting it right can mean years of a difference. - For reference, the average life expectancy for indoor cats is 15-20 years old! For the devils' advocates - yes there are cats that have lived long lives on the worst quality dry foods, but they're really the exceptions, same as people. There's definitely people who have lived to their 90s or older surviving off McDonalds or the equivalent, but that's not really the kind of quality of life or food you want to be giving your pet who is entirely dependent on your choices at the pet store. If you stuck around to the end, I appreciate you, and I'm glad there are other people out there who care just as much about their furry friends as I do. I'm more than willing to discuss any questions, even it it's not directly about their nutrition! Side note - some of the canned food brands I'm a big fan of: Feline Natural Rawz Tiki Cat Nature's Logic Identity Weruva/BFF

[angelcatsstuff]

FDA’s Avian Flu Update NOT Provided to Pet Food’s Largest Stakeholder – Truth about Pet Food

https://truthaboutpetfood.com/fdas-avian-flu-update-not-provided-to-pet-foods-largest-stakeholder/

[manuelnunezmd]

🐾 Want your pet to thrive? Discover the secrets of pet wellness visits! Learn how to maximize these appointments for a longer, healthier life. #PetWellness #HealthyPets #VetCare

[drferox]

I'm anxious about posting a pet nutrition post in general, let alone a video to youtube, but please enjoy a very basic one as an introduction to dog & cat nutrition.

[poochwell01]

🐶🥒 Can Dogs Eat Cucumbers? Prepare to Be Surprised! 🤯🎥

Cucumbers: Crunchy, hydrating, and… dog-approved? 🤔🐾 You won’t believe your pup’s reaction to this unexpected snack! Watch now to find out if cucumbers are a healthy treat or a surprising no-go for your furry friend. 👀👇

📲 Hit play & let us know—does YOUR dog love cucumbers? 🐶💬

[ultimate-healing-blog]

What to Do If Your Cat Refuses Food: Expert Tips

What to Do If Your Cat Refuses Food: Expert Tips - #CatHealth #PetCare #CatNutrition #VetAdvice #CatOwners #FurryFriends #HealthyCats #PetWellness #CatAppetite #WeightLossInCats #CatFeedingTips #PetHealth

Why Is My Cat Not Eating? Causes & Solutions People joke about cats and their finicky eating habits, but it’s actually a serious issue if your cat won’t eat. Although a refusal to eat is a cause for concern for all pets, it can be more dangerous for cats. When animals don’t eat enough, they must rely on their fat reserves for energy. Before stored fat can be used for fuel, it must be processed…

[gettingvetted]

My dog is allergic to salmon, chicken, lamb, turkey, duck, and fish mix. Also rice. It's so funny because every source I find says "beef is one of the more common foods that dogs form allergies to" but I guess she's just a trendsetter.

Anyways if you have any recommendations for beef food that doesn't have rice I'm all ears :)

That is highly unlikely. How was that diagnosed? Did you run a food trial that avoided each of those ingredients exclusively for 6 to 8 weeks and then put them back on a food containing those items and the symptoms returned? If not, know that's the only way that food allergies can be accurately diagnosed. Blood and hair tests are completely inaccurate.

Your best bet is a hydrolyzed protein diet if the pet is truly allergic to all of the above. Your vet will have told you this if you completed any testing with them.

[saraichinwag]

Can Pigs Eat Blueberries?