June2012_Old Mill Vet
Food for thought in pet health
Nutrition is a vital part of your pet’s health, but is often overlooked for more obvious concerns such as sore joints and itchy skin. Ironically, many seemingly unrelated ongoing health problems can be solved with good quality nutrition well before a trip to the vet is necessary.
Nutrition is a vital part of your pet’s health, but is often overlooked for more obvious concerns such as sore joints and itchy skin. Ironically, many seemingly unrelated ongoing health problems can be solved with good quality nutrition well before a trip to the vet is necessary.
The topic of nutrition and pet food choice is a hotly debated one, but only your veterinarian is best placed to offer advice which takes into account your pet’s lifestyle and history.
There are some basic myths that need to be tackled before we can all be content that our pets are receiving the best diet for their needs. Even if the food you’re currently feeding suits both your dogs’ tastebuds and your hip pocket, read through this article to see if it really ticks all the boxes.
Firstly, look beyond appealing packaging, cute TV ads and coloured biscuits. Take a moment to think – why would dog food need to include food colouring? The artificial colours, cleverly designed packaging and elaborate advertising campaigns are purely for the benefit of the person who chooses which packet to buy off the shelf.
The ingredients list should be perused before buying any pet food, and gives an insight into the ratios of the ingredients inside. Whichever product appears first on the list is the ingredient which makes up the majority of the food. If the word “meat” is included, it can literally be any kind of meat protein, and will vary from bag to bag. The phrase ‘Meat By-product’ refers to any part of an animal which is not fit for human consumption, such as eyeballs, skin, hooves, beaks and fur. Lower quality dry foods often list cereal grains as their first ingredient, although the label at the front will claim it is chicken. With regard to tinned food, it is important to note that water does not have to be listed as an ingredient but often makes up more than half of the finished product. Some foods also boast herb and vitamin additives but be careful to remember that garlic and a host of often-used herbs are actually toxic to dogs, and some will be in such low quantities to not have an effect anyway, they are purely included for marketing purposes on the label.
There is a common misconception that high quality foods such as Royal Canin and Hill’s Science Diet are vastly more expensive than a low quality brand such as Beneful or Pedigree. On a recent evaluation, it was established that the ‘per-month’ cost is comparable, given the lower quality brands need to be fed at almost twice the rate of high quality food. Plus, you save money on expensive shampoos and supplements to make the coat artificially shiny, or an unnecessary trip to the vet for allergies. As with many other things in life, you get what you pay for. And buying a smaller bag of a low quality food with your weekly groceries could be setting you back a fair bit each year of your pet’s life.
Whilst it’s not a pleasant topic, the best judgement of a pet food is the smell, size and consistency of your pet’s poo. A high quality food, full of the right nutrients and proteins, will make the stools small, well-formed and have only a slight odour. If this is not the case for your pet, you can pop into the Old Mill Vet Surgery and get free nutrition advice from our vet nurses.
So next time you’re browsing the many packets of food available at your local supermarket or pet store, think of these basic facts. We see many pets with conditions such as skin allergies, joint soreness, urinary problems and obesity, that can be fixed with a simple change in diet and a commitment to making a better pet food choice today.
There are some basic myths that need to be tackled before we can all be content that our pets are receiving the best diet for their needs. Even if the food you’re currently feeding suits both your dogs’ tastebuds and your hip pocket, read through this article to see if it really ticks all the boxes.
Firstly, look beyond appealing packaging, cute TV ads and coloured biscuits. Take a moment to think – why would dog food need to include food colouring? The artificial colours, cleverly designed packaging and elaborate advertising campaigns are purely for the benefit of the person who chooses which packet to buy off the shelf.
The ingredients list should be perused before buying any pet food, and gives an insight into the ratios of the ingredients inside. Whichever product appears first on the list is the ingredient which makes up the majority of the food. If the word “meat” is included, it can literally be any kind of meat protein, and will vary from bag to bag. The phrase ‘Meat By-product’ refers to any part of an animal which is not fit for human consumption, such as eyeballs, skin, hooves, beaks and fur. Lower quality dry foods often list cereal grains as their first ingredient, although the label at the front will claim it is chicken. With regard to tinned food, it is important to note that water does not have to be listed as an ingredient but often makes up more than half of the finished product. Some foods also boast herb and vitamin additives but be careful to remember that garlic and a host of often-used herbs are actually toxic to dogs, and some will be in such low quantities to not have an effect anyway, they are purely included for marketing purposes on the label.
There is a common misconception that high quality foods such as Royal Canin and Hill’s Science Diet are vastly more expensive than a low quality brand such as Beneful or Pedigree. On a recent evaluation, it was established that the ‘per-month’ cost is comparable, given the lower quality brands need to be fed at almost twice the rate of high quality food. Plus, you save money on expensive shampoos and supplements to make the coat artificially shiny, or an unnecessary trip to the vet for allergies. As with many other things in life, you get what you pay for. And buying a smaller bag of a low quality food with your weekly groceries could be setting you back a fair bit each year of your pet’s life.
Whilst it’s not a pleasant topic, the best judgement of a pet food is the smell, size and consistency of your pet’s poo. A high quality food, full of the right nutrients and proteins, will make the stools small, well-formed and have only a slight odour. If this is not the case for your pet, you can pop into the Old Mill Vet Surgery and get free nutrition advice from our vet nurses.
So next time you’re browsing the many packets of food available at your local supermarket or pet store, think of these basic facts. We see many pets with conditions such as skin allergies, joint soreness, urinary problems and obesity, that can be fixed with a simple change in diet and a commitment to making a better pet food choice today.
