Sometimes, with all the hype about name brand pet food, natural pet food, and diet pet food, it can be a bit overwhelming when deciding which to feed your pet. While it very common for people to purchase pet food at a supermarket or pet supply store, an increase is showing in the number of people who are beginning to make their own pet food.
An article by Shirley Lipschutz-Robinson sings the praises of a raw food diet for all pets. Her argument revolves around the feeding habits of animals in the wild. She states that domestic pet diets lack the necessary nutrients to keep our animals healthy and active. Veterinarians report an increase in multiple diseases resulting from that lack of raw meat in both dogs and cats, according to the author.
However, veterinarians usually recommend a well-known and trusted brand of pet food that has been specifically designed for your pet. This is where pet feeding can become difficult. The quality of pet food can vary tremendously between brands and can differ in the amount of animal nutrition, therefore it is usually a good idea to choose a brand with a good reputation. For instance, Science Diet dog food and Purina dog food are very well-known and trusted brands.
The different types and brands of dog food are vast, and it can take a lot of research to find the right one for your dog. Most commercial brands of dog food offer moist canned dog food, dry food, and semi-moist food. Veterinarians usually do not recommend that you feed your dog semi-moist food on a regular basis, as there can be additives and chemicals in them to help them last longer. If you decide that you want to keep your dog on a more natural diet, there are all natural dog food available. A dog’s diet is half made up of carbohydrates, usually in the form of grains. When feeding a dog, the general rule is that puppy feeding should be done frequently throughout the day, and adult dogs should be fed once or twice a day.
There are some foods in which you should NEVER feed your dog. The following are some: onions, garlic, plant leaves (potato, tomato, etc.), mushrooms, persimmons, chocolate, grapes or raisins, or macadamia nuts. Some people mistakenly believe that human vitamins are suitable to dogs, but this is absolutely incorrect. There are pet vitamin supplements available, which you can usually purchase through your vet or at a pet supply store.
Pet Feeding for Cats: Cat food, as with dog food, comes in three forms: canned, dry and semi-moist. Again, semi-moist is not recommended. Carbohydrates are not good for cats. Also, cats need relatively high water content in their food. Therefore, some canned food is good for indoor cats.
Cats should never be fed yeast dough, mushrooms, onions or garlic an any form, plant leaves, salt, sugary foods, raw eggs, persimmons, grapes / raisins or macadamia nuts. Milk is not good for a cat’s digestive system, even though kittens are able to tolerate a small amount.
