The best diet for your cat or dog is a high quality premium diet, also known as an ultra or super-premium diet.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
These foods are generally free of artificial preservatives and formulated for each life stage - puppy/kitten diets, toy/medium and large breed adult, senior, dental, joint health, etc. These are available from your veterinarian.
Factors to consider:
- The fat content needs to be adjusted for your pet’s life stage and activity level.
- Vegetables are fine to feed your pet when combined with a balanced diet. Raw carrot is particularly beneficial for teeth health.
- An all-meat diet is not recommended as the calcium/phosphorous ratio is incorrect.
- Eggs are safe to feed in moderation to healthy animals however excess can cause a biotin deficiency which leads to skin conditions.
- Most dogs and cats are lactose intolerant so no lactose.
- Fatty acid supplementation may be required for coat health.
- Diets for illnesses such as diabetes and kidney disease are available from your veterinarian.
There is always debate around the topic of giving your dog bones.
From a veterinarian’s standpoint, we see many preventable medical conditions caused by bones, such as tooth fractures, intestinal perforations and obstructions.
Overfeeding bones can also cause constipation.
To lessen the risk, consider rare soft bones such as chicken necks/wings, lamb necks, cutlets and beef spare ribs.
The safest alternative to using bones as a preventative dental method is an appropriate chew toy or veterinary-recommended dental chew.