Whether you have had a pet before or are getting a new pet, often many questions of feeding come to mind.  Many new pet pet owners will ask their vet, breeder, friends or local pet stores questions like; “What is the best food to feed my pet? How often and how much should I feed my pet? Should I feed my pet raw or bones? If so what sort?  What about treats?” Depending on who you ask or what website you visit, you may get conflicting answers and then start to worry that you may not be doing the best for your pet.  So, what should you believe? In this article, we look at basic nutrition

  From the very beginning, the nutritional needs of a pet are extremely important. A dog is what I like to call an opportunistic carnivore.  For centuries of evolution cats and dogs differ greatly; cats are meat eaters and dogs in the wild would eat whatever they could find. One Size doesn’t fit all

 Don’t be fooled by marketing claims

Don’t be fooled by the claims of natural ingredients and complete nutrition.  Most dog foods may not carry enough of human grade ingredients to really give your pup the nutrients that he/she requires.  If I were to tell you that in order to be healthy you needed to eat a highly processed diet, full of ingredients that would not be fit for the human food chain, mixed and cooked at very high temperatures, loaded with preservatives and some food coloring, you would tell me that I was crazy.  Common sense tells us that I might like to eat at fast food from time to time but a diet loaded with carbs and fillers is not one that will foster bone development.

 Myths

Some of the top myths out there are:

-   Only pet food companies can create a nutritious diet for your pet

-   Dry kibble is the healthiest diet for your pet

-   A larger kibble is needed to keep teeth clean

-   My favorite: never feed “people food”; What does “people food” really mean? Whole fruits, vegetables and human grade proteins are nutrient rich.  However, there are some exceptions that are not good for your pet like grapes(raisins), some nuts and onions.

-   A natural pet food is expensive. If you feed a diet that has less fillers you actually feed less per feeding.

 Why Natural?

 Dry pet foods were created out of convenience, not for nutritional reasons. Not all kibble is created equal. Some are made with what I like to call the leftovers of the human food chain (that is not fit for human consumption).  It is no coincidence that pet food companies have been following the trend toward more natural ingredients.  It is the identical trend that we see in our own diets.  We feel better as we eat healthier and reduce our processed diet.  There is a greater impact on our puppies as their systems are not meant to thrive on a highly processed diet. Common sense tells us if we feed our puppies a natural diet, they will be healthier, which, in turn, will lead to less issues in the future such as joint and kidney issues. 

 Read the FOOD label.

 Turn the bag over and look at the ingredient panel.  The first five ingredients typically make up over 90% of what is in the bag. You always want to look for protein(s) to be first.  Avoid corn soy, wheat or processed grains (gluten etc) because they are difficult to digest and are the top culprits for allergies. You want to see whole grains, fruits and vegetables. If you would not eat a protein/carb only diet, why should your pet. 

 Selecting a FOOD

 It is important to select a food that best meets your pet’s needs.  First, you should follow a needs checklist:

 1)   Size – Do you have a large breed pet? (expect adult weight to be >70lb. or a small breed)

2)   Digestive tract – Does your pet or his breed have a sensitive digestive tract?

3)   Allergies – Does your pet have allergies? What are the common signs?

   How big or little your pet is going to be is a key factor in selecting a food.  For large breed puppies, you don’t want them to grow too fast. For small dogs you want a food with bites that are not too big.

   We don’t know why, but some pets have a more sensitive digestive tract than others.  They could eat a shoe in your closet and not have a problem, but if you switch the food suddenly, your pet could have loose stool or diarrhea. The issue can be hereditary to the breed.  For example, boxers and bulldogs typically have a sensitive stomach.  Look for foods that have probiotics and feed proteins that are easier to digest, such as chicken or pork.  If you are going to switch foods, take about a week and transition by mixing the old food with the new food.

   Chances are your pet will have some allergies or sensitivity to food or the environment during its lifetime. Key indicators that your pet has an allergy is that you will start to see signs from the exit points in their body (ears, eyes, feet).  In addition you may see hot spots or red skin.     Many pets have developed allergies to things that have been around for a long time in their food chain.  For example, how many times have we heard that little children are very allergic to peanuts? If you look at most processed foods at the grocery store, you will see the words, “may contain peanuts”.  If you think your pet has allergies, you probably want to stay away from corn, soy, wheat and limit processed ingredients in their diet. 

HOW much should I Feed?

Start with the guidelines on the bag.  Puppies eat more as they grow, but it is important not to feed too much as it taxes their system to process all the food.  The feeding guidelines on the bag are typically set by calorie guidelines set by AAFCO (Associate of American Feed Control Officials).  If your pet does not eat all the food in his bowl, you probably should cut back.  It is also good to feed your pet at least 2-3 times a day.  You wouldn’t eat once a day so why would your pet.  You want to make sure he has the nutrients available to keep him going all day.  Depending on what food you select, foods that are full of human grade protein, whole grains, fruits and vegetables can be feed less than a food that has lower quality protein and lots of processed ingredients.

 Other common questions.

When should I switch to adult food?.

Rule of thumb is 1year for small/medium breeds and up to 2 years for large breed dogs.  If you are feeding a large breed pet diet, it should be feed until your pet gets to his adult skeletal size.

RAW

Not everyone is comfortable feeding raw food or bones.  Dogs systems are meant to digest raw protein, because these nutrients are more easily absorbed.  Have you ever seen a dog eat a bone that has been in the yard and not get sick.? If you are thinking of raw, it is important to start slow so that their pancreas and internal digestive tract creates enough enzymes to break it down.  As you feed more raw, their system will be ready for it.  Dry food was developed out of convenience, not because it was better for your pet.  Raw is not for everyone.  However, by feeding less processed foods you will see a shiny coat and white teeth.  You would never think of a wolf having to go to a dentist.

TREATS

   Chewing is important for a pet.  If you don’t find something for them to chew on, they will find something themselves  (a carpet, a shoe).  Ideally, you would want to give them something natural like a raw meaty bone.  Never feed them a cooked bone from the dinner table or a dried out cooked bone from a store.  Raw bones are best, but if you want one that is cooked, look for a slow roasted bone.  If you were to shatter a slow processed bone vs a overcooked bone, you will see the slow cooked will have smooth edges while the overcooked bone will shatter is sharp edges.  Also, never feed rawhide.  Rawhide, when ingested, will expand and can cause blockages that may result in a trip to the emergency room.  Try putting a rawhide in a bowl with water and see what happens.

   As for other treats, look for nutritious treats.  You don’t want to feed treats that equate to candy.  Feed healthy, nutritious snacks.  Look for the same things in treats as you would for food, the less processed, the better.  Pieces of cooked chicken, raw carrots or broccoli make good snacks.

   Feeding a nutritious diet to your pet is key for his/her development into a grown adult.  If your pet doesn’t like its food, change it.  It may be that he/she doesn’t like it or it does not give him/her the nutrients its body craves.  If you want some advice on what to feed your pet stop by your local pet store.  There is a growing number of “natural” foods and treats in the market.  However, be careful of marketing hype.  Typically small food makers of premium foods are those who are committed to achieving truly excellent products that contain things like fresh, whole meats, vegetables, fruits and grains.  As we become more educated about our own diets, use the same principles to select products for your pets.  They will love it and be healthier.

 It does not just affect people, our pets suffer from joint pain and inflammation.  

Arthritis is caused by joint inflammations which leads to pain and stiffness.  Pets have high pain thresholds so you may not even notice.

Ways to help joint pain/inflammation

Exercise – Keeps joints flexible.  Be careful of too much high impact exercise (on concrete) as it may have the opposite affect, making joints more sore.

Weight – We all know that being overweight causes more stress on joints. Many commercial pet foods are full of fillers and dogs/cats become obese.  Most 

Supplements – Glucosamine, Chondroitin and MSM and Sea Cucumber.  These help build up cartilage and reduce inflammation, making joints more flexible. Salmon Oil is also linked to healthy heart, shiny skin, increased immune system and healthy joints. 

Acupuncture – Often this can help alleviate symptoms and discomfort. Acupuncture can help treat ailments ranging from hip dysplasia and chronic joint disease, as well as other illnesses.

Surgery – Sometimes, you may need to explore surgery.  

 How many cats’ illnesses can be attributed to their diet. Most people may not even notice that their feline is unhealthy until it is too late.  It is much more difficult to notice the signs of issues in felines, many which could possibly have been addressed by simply changing their diet.

What you feed your cat(s) can very possibly help them avoid or minimize the severity of serious, painful, and costly illnesses  Diseases ‘brew’ long before being noticed; that is why the statement “but my cat is healthy/fine on their food”  is often believed to be true until it is too late.

 KEY building blocks needed for a Cat

-  What a cat eats is very important

-  Cats inherently have a low thirst drive.

-  Prevention is the best policy – don’t wait until you see major warning signs as it may be too late.

What you feed is important

A cat’s nutritional needs have not changed, but the pet food industry has. As the pet food industry has grown, so has the use of ingredients that may not be needed or healthy for your cat.

Cats Need Animal-Based Protein

Cats need meat to be healthy.  Cats are obligate carnivores.  Humans and dogs can get some of what their basic nutrition requires from plant protein, cats cannot do this.  Taurine is one of the most important amino acids that is present in meat but is missing from plants. A deficiency in Taurine might cause blindness and heart problems in cats. Cost is the primary reason that pet food companies use so much plant based proteins (grains).

READING the LABEL

It can be very confusing when you read a label. Looking at the list of ingredients also does not tell you how much or the quality of each ingredient is in the food. The top 5 ingredients can often make up 90% of what is in the diet. You want to look for a muscle meat such as “chicken” turkey” as the first ingredient, not “chicken by-products” or “chicken by-product meal,” or “chicken broth” or “liver”.  By-products can include feet, intestines, feathers, egg shells, etc. and can be less nutritious than meat.  It is safe to assume that there are different grades of protein and if your food is inexpensive, it does not contain high quality ingredients.  However, just because a food is expensive does not mean that the ingredients are high quality.  It is important to do your research (on the internet, your local independent pet stores, ask friends…). The % nutrient values on the bag are also misleading.  You cannot compare protein percentages (%) from a dry bag of food versus a canned food. This is not an apples to apples comparison. Canned food contains moisture so if you were to remove the moisture it would be equivalent or possibly higher than your pet’s food since many canned foods do not contain a lot of grains.

 CARBOHYDRATES – why they are bad for cats

Obligate carnivores are designed to eat meat – not grains – and they need to consume water with their food. You would never see a wild cat chasing down a grain stock or eating from the vegetable garden.  I tried once to give my cat some cooked broccoli and he looked at me and I could see him saying,  “really, you expect me to eat that, did you forget I am a cat?”.  In the wild, your cat would be eating a high protein, high-moisture content, meat-based diet, with a moderate level of fats and a very small amount of carbohydrates.  It is not surprising that we have an epidemic of overweight cats with medical issues .  A cat’s lack of a salivary enzyme called amylase is dangerous because it is needed to be able to process carbohydrates. The inclusion of carbohydrates is primarily due to costs, they are cheaper ingredients than meat.

BEWARE of these ingredients 

Some pet food companies continue to use preservatives such as BHA, BHT and ethoxyquin in many of their products. Those preservatives are no longer used in human products as there have been concerns of being linked to health issues. Many pet companies no longer use them.  Most pet food companies that focus on high quality ingredients utilize natural preservatives. Other things to avoid are food dye. Food dyes are used to make the food more appealing to their human companions and are not healthy for their pets. In addition, beware of some fat sources, what your pet food is sprayed with after it is cooked, glutens and sugars. You have to wonder/question how healthy it is if they have to add all these processed items to make the food more palatable to your cat.

 WATER, WATER, WATER

Water is extremely important to overall health. Cats have a very low thirst and in the wild, typically get most of their moisture from what they eat.  Since many cats eat a dry diet, it is not surprising that there are a large number of cats that suffer from serious medical conditions.  A cat’s lack of a strong thirst drive can lead to chronic dehydration. Adding canned food or feeding a diet of canned or raw helps them get more of the much needed moisture.  Cats also do not like to drink from still water because in the wild this would possibly mean that it was stagnant.  Consider adding a fountain; the flowing water typically encourages cats to drink more water.

 HEALTH CONCERNS

Always consult first with your vet before changing your cat’s diet but here are some common cat health issues that can possibly be helped by a diet change.  Prevention is key.

• Diabetes: Diabetes is a very serious, and difficult to manage, disease that is not uncommon in cats. Many diabetic cats may reduce significantly the need for insulin by a dietary change. You should move to a less processed (more natural) diet that is low in carbohydrates and high in moisture.

• Kidney Disease (CKD – formerly called “CRF”): Chronic kidney disease is probably the leading cause of death in cats.  What is concerning is that chronic dehydration may play a big role.  If your cat is primarily on a dry diet, the chances of being dehydrated is much higher and can increase their risk of CKD.  Is it important to increase moisture, which can be achieved by moving to a canned or raw diet, and also to use high quality food.  It makes sense that the kidney does not have to work as hard to process human grade USDA chicken versus a low quality protein or by-product.

Cystitis (bladder inflammation), Bladder/Kidney Stones/Crystals, Urethral Blockage:

People who feed dry food to their cats often say, “but my cat drinks a lot of water”.   It is likely that your cat only consumes 1/2 the amount of water compared to a cat that only eats.  Another contributing factor to these conditions can be stress. The urinary tract needs water flowing through it to be healthy, think of it constantly flushing out impurities in the body.  To treat the issue, vets will often prescribe antibiotics which can address the symptoms associated with the problem, but the negative consequence may be that antibiotics can wreak havoc on the cat’s body and can also promote bacterial resistance to the antibiotics.  The water content of the diet is easy to control – feed canned food with added water. The stress issue is another issue that is often hard to detect. Any sudden changes in diet can stress your cat.  You should look to do it slowly.

•Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): IBD can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and/or constipation in the cat. Sometimes it can manifest itself with a sudden weight loss as the only sign. Feeding a high quality, easy to digest, moisture rich diet is important. You can also look to add some unsweetened canned pumpkin to their diet.  Since cats can be very finicky in diet, make sure to add just a small dab and mix with their food and slowly increase it over time.

• Obesity is an extremely common and very serious health problem in cats. For instance, overweight cats are more likely to develop diabetes than cats that are not overweight. A cat is designed to thrive on a high protein, moderate fat diet with little to no carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are typically stored as fat.  Have you ever noticed that many cats (and a lot of dogs) do not lose weight on a low fat diet.  Low fat diets are loaded with carbohydrates. Lower calories may result in some weight loss but typically it is offset by your pet’s metabolism’s tendency to store the fat.  A low fat diet can also lead to them being hungry all the time.   The reason for this is that their bodies do not get sufficient protein, so pet owners will over feed, thus defeating the purpose of the low fat diet.

• Feline Asthma/Allergic Airway Disease: Many cats have had their respiratory symptoms (coughing/difficulty breathing) reduced significantly once they were placed on a grain-free canned food diet, or a meat-based home-prepared diet.  We are not sure why, however, moving to a less processed, more natural diet does make good sense for many reasons.

 Want to learn more – here are a couple of really good articles

Feeding Your Cat: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition

Lisa A. Pierson, DVM, www.catinfo.org

Caring for Cats: Food and Nutrition – Wet vs. Dry Food, http://www.cathealth.com/food-wet-dry.htm

Natural Pawz – click here    

Rocking the rescues video  

CINHouston(Chinese news) – West U Grand Opening  

Chron.com – Small business developing a business plan video

• Stainless steel bowls are easy to keep clean and are harder to scratch and will not chip, which can harbour germs. With a multi pet household it is important that all your pets have their own bowl.  The best types of dog bowls are those made of stainless steel with a rubber bottom to prevent slipping. Stainless steel bowls are also durable, easy to clean, dishwasher safe, and can’t be broken.  Having bowls for each pet allows you to ensure that each pet is getting what they need rather than one pet eating all the food. Water should be changed twice a day to ensure it is fresh or you should consider using a pet water fountain that also does the trick. A pet that is not properly hydrated may develop urinary tract problems. As a rule, a dog typically drinks approximately one ounce of water per pound per day.

• Slow Feeder Bowls
• Elevated Feeders

Keep your pets in a secure place when you have people coming and going at your house.  I don’t know how many times I have heard of pets running out the front door or back gate was improperly shut.  Noise and lots of people in the home can be stressful for your pet.  Ask your guests and family members not to leave food around or doors open.  Even the best behaved pet may bolt or eat something they shouldn’t if the opportunity arises.

 Pet costumes may be cute but they can be dangerous.  Buttons, elastic and shiny fabric can be dangerous if ingested or can injure your pet. If you want to dress up your pet, make sure that the costume is not too  tight.  If you think your pet may ingest parts of the costume, never leave them unattended. A fun idea might be to make your own costume.  A bandana can be made with a piece of fabric cut in a square or triangle.  You can also look to modify some everyday pet apparel as a costume.  If fits better and typically will not have all that shiny material and buttons.

 TREATS, TREATS, TREATS.  Of course everyone wants to spoil your pet. Ask your guests to not to give your pet anything without your permission, especially cooked bones.   Rich foods can result in diarrhea and fatty foods can result in pancreatitis which is never fun. Cooked bones, especially poultry can splinter and can create blockages or tear something. Just keep a stash of your pets favorite treats nearby and let your guests give those to your pets.  Another fun thing to do is to get a toy that you can fill with treats and and freeze it.  Some good stuffers are bananas, yogurt, sugar free apple sauce. Or you may want to consider having a long lasting treat  such as an antler, bully sticks or interactive toy filled with treats to keep them occupied. Remember don’t give them too many treats as your pet may have gas (which we all have experienced the odor emitting from it) or could have loose or runny stool  My rule of thumb is that the less processed the better.

 Increased fear or nervousness of pets during the holidays.  Costumes can be scary for most pets. Face masks and loud noises are sure to make even a docile pet nervous.  Although your pet may be good with kids, when kids are over excited them tend to scare pets. Instead of taking Pets trick or treating with your kids, why not take your kids and pets to a pet friendly event. For example Natural Pawz locations will have halloween goodies for all the four legged dressed up this Halloween.

 Of course, make sure all candy is out of reach. Firstly, candy is bad, can cause blockages and can be toxic (chocolate).  Wrappers can cause internal injuries if swallowed – foil wrappers can be like a razor as it is swallowed and ingested.

Don’t be surprised if your pet children are in the kitchen while holiday goodies are being prepared.  Your pet can easily tip pots with drippings (that smell fantastic to them) or you might trip over your pet, causing severe scalding and burns.

 Decorations

Hang your treasured ornaments up high out of reach. Use wooden, metal, resin-cast or the like decorations.  Also, replace any metal hooks for hanging decorations with tightly knotted ribbon or twine. 

Seasonal Plants.

A number of Christmas season plants are poisonous to pets. Some festive plants that can be toxic are; Holly, Ivy, Mistletoe, Poinsettia, Lily, Star of Bethlehem , Christmas cactus,  Jerusalem cherry, Hibiscus, Christmas green (e.g. pine, cedar).[ http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/plants].

Presents

Keep in mind possible dangers to your pet when you buy presents.  With all the excitement your Pet may chew on items they shouldn’t be chewing on.

Enjoy spending time with your family, friends and make sure to include your pets.  By including your pets as part of the festivities, you will be able to minimize possible harzards.
NATURAL PAWZ TIP of the MONTH.

Create your own treats.  Find an ice cube tray with a cute shape and fill with unsweetened canned pumpkin and freeze.  Pumpkin is an excellent source of minerals and vitamins and also helps pets digestion.

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