Nutrition

Different Life Stages require different nutrition. Visit the sites below for more information to help your pet live a longer healthier life! Obesity starts when puppies and kittens are young. Prevent it while they are young. Don't let them gain excess weight as puppies and kittens. Excess weight can cause a variety of diseases later in life. Don't feed your pet table food. This can lead to obese pets! They do not need to eat all of the excess food that we can provide them.

Puppy: Young puppies should be on a puppy food until they are at least 6 months of age. Large breed puppies (Labradors, German Shepards, Rottweilers, etc...) should be on a large breed puppy food, and changed to adult food at 6 months of age. We do not want large breed puppies to grow to fast, as bone abnormalities may develop.

Adult Canine: Adult dogs should be on a high quality dog food.

Senior Canine: Dogs are considered to be senior patients when they are about 7 years of age (visit our age chart). They should be switched to a high quality senior food about this time. Senior diets will have a higher amount of calcium and phosphorus to help maintain strong bones. They should also contain a higher level of protein, as our senior patients need more protein as they age.

Kitten: Kittens should be on a high quality kitten food until they are one year of age. Careful, kittens can eat to much and become overweight at a young age! It is very important to introduce a variety of dry and canned food at a young age. It is also important that kittens be introduced to the variety of canned food flavors and textures while they are young. Cats develop a sense of taste and feel in their mouth at a young age. As they get older, they may not like "canned" food if they were not introduced to it at a young age, as they are not use to the texture of canned food. Canned food may become important to their diet as they age. (Friskies Pet Care Company, Taste of Nutrition, 2000)

Adult Feline: Adult cats should be fed a variety (canned and dry) of high quality cat foods. It is very important that cats eat cat food (many cats like dog food)! Cat food contains the essential amino acids cats need for their unique metabolism. Other diets do not.

Adult Senior: Senior cats should be fed a high quality senior diet. A senior diet contains higher levels of calcium and phosphorus. This helps maintain strong bones. Protein levels should also be increased, as senior cats need more protein as they age.

Pregnant and Nursing Mothers: Pregnant and Nursing Mothers should be fed a high quality puppy or  food until the babies are weaned. Puppy and kitten food contains increased levels of calories, protein, calcium, phosphorus, as well as other essential ingredients to help promote the health of the mother and puppies.  

Obese pets: A variety of diets are available to help your pet loose weight. Increased weight can cause: arthritis, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Obese pets live approximately 2 years less then lean pets, and have an average onset of disease 2 years sooner than lean pets! How overweight is your pet? See the score card, and learn how to score your pets weight!  

Canine

Feline

There are many ways to help reduce your pets weight.

• Do you exercise with your pet? Take your dog for a walk or run, and throw a ball or Frisbee. Cats love to play as well. Many cats like a simple fake mouse, others will like peacock feathers. Find something that interests your pet to increase exercise.
• PORTION CONTROL! How much does your pet really need to eat? Every bag or can of food lists how much your pet should eat for their approximate weight. Do they get treats? Be sure to include ALL of the treats your pet gets in one day, and subtract those calories! If the pet food bag recommends 1 cup of food, how big is your cup? All cups should be an 8oz cup only! Not a "large soda cup" from the corner gas station.
• "Diet" food is available in many forms. If one type of diet food is not working for your pet, try another brand. Prescription diets are also available to help aid in weight loss
• Not every pet has the same metabolism, so some pets may be able to eat more food than another pet (you can eat a donut every morning for breakfast and not gain a pound, but your friend Alice can't even look at the donut without gaining a pound!)
• Not all foods have the same calorie content. You must read the label on each brand of food to determine what is best for your pet
• Your pet may have a disease that decreases the metabolism. If you have done all of the above with your pet, and he/she is still not loosing weight, please call our office and schedule an appointment with our doctors to discuss hypothyroidism.

Diabetics: Feline Diabetic patients require a high protein, low carbohydrate diet to help regulate their diabetes. They should be fed that specific diet only, and fed at the same time every day. It is imperative that the cat eats prior to receiving insulin therapy for the day. Please see our section under feline health for more information on diabetes. Canine Diabetic patients require a high fiber diet in order to help regulate their diets. They must also be fed at approximately the same time each day, and prior to receiving insulin.

HOME