One of the most frequently asked questions we get asked is, "What should I be feeding my pet?" Unfortunately, there is no one right answer, because there is no one right food for every pet. Every pet has different needs. A 6 month old Great Dane puppy needs a much different set of nutritional guidelines than a 16 year old diabetic cat. With the pet stores adding new foods to their shelves all the time, going to the store for a bag of food isn't as quick or as easy of a trip as it used to be. Here are a few rule of thumb tips to help you find the right food for your pet.
First thing's first. Ignore the front of the bag. Flip it over to the ingredient list. That Turkey and Barley food may not be just Turkey and Barley. You have to read the whole list.
Is the first ingredient a named meat or meat meal? You want to see ingredients such as Chicken Meal, Lamb, or Beef meal versus corn, wheat, soy, etc.
Avoid any food that lists by-product meal. By-product means everything besides the meat. This can include beaks, feathers, hooves, and other equally unappetizing parts of the animals.
Does the food remind you of Lucky Charms with all of its 'exciting' colors and shapes? Skip it. You wouldn't eat Lucky Charms or Fruit Loops for every meal, why would you make your dog or cat? Also, steer clear of foods with dyes as these usually also contain high levels of preservatives and sugar.
While most animal nutritionists and Veterinarians are leaning towards grain free diets for pets due to allergies and for digestive health, not every pet needs to be on one. However, this doesn't mean that all grains are good. Look for the high quality grains such as rice, barley, and oats. Steer clear of corn, soy, and wheat as these can be aggravating to allergies and difficult to digest.
The same rules apply to canned food. Always check the ingredient list.
Here are a few websites that have analyzed most of the big name (and not so big name) foods that are out there. Please keep in mind, again, there is no one food that is good for every pet.
http://www.petfoodratings.net/cats.html
http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/
Now onto prescription diets. If your pet has been diagnosed with a disease, allergy, or condition that requires him or her to be on a Hills or Royal Canin prescription diet, be aware that in most cases, there is no over the counter equivalent available. Due to the extreme restrictions on certain ingredients, many of the foods do not follow the above rules. Not having them on the special diet may be more detrimental to their health than switching them to one of the suggested foods on the websites above. For example switching a cat with renal disease from a prescription diet to most over the counter cat foods may actually worsen the disease. Always check with your Veterinarian before switching from or to a prescription food.
Need help choosing a diet that's right for your pet? Feel free to e-mail us through your Pet Portal, at wecare@fsah.net. Then we can work together to find that perfect diet!