You Are What You Eat and so Is Your Pet!
We’ve all been told that we are what we eat, but did you know that this principle applies to your pet too? We would never feed pizza to a little baby or offer a teenager a bottle of formula, would we? We give those we love the foods they need for their particular stages of life. We can greatly enhance our pets’ lives by following the same strategy. Your dog or cat needs a different diet for each phase of its life. Here’s why:
- Proper nutrition can help encourage growth in your pet. Just as little children need lots of good nutrition to support their high level of energy, so do puppies and kittens. This does not necessarily mean feeding them more in quantity, but it does mean selecting the right kind of food for your young pet. The more optimal your puppy’s or kitten’s diet is from the very beginning, the healthier your pets will be as they grow.
- A good diet can prevent obesity. Overfeeding your cat or dog can certainly lead to obesity, but so can feeding your animal the wrong type of food. Reading labels and talking to your vet can help you select the best kind of food that will provide the right number of calories.
- A good diet can provide support to your pet during hormone changes. Female cats and dogs who become pregnant or are nursing their babies will require a different type of diet for that stage in their lives. Giving your pet what she needs during this time can help her sail through the puppy or kitten bearing years with greater ease and can help keep her strong after she gives birth.
- As your pet gets older and reaches its senior years, it will need special dietary accommodations. Just as puppies and kittens have unique needs, senior pets do as well. Perhaps your older dog is beginning to exhibit signs of digestive issues. Or maybe your elderly cat has been diagnosed with feline diabetes. Your vet can help you select the right kind of food and can help you tailor a diet specifically to your older pet’s particular needs.
- Feeding your pet an optimized diet for its phase of life helps you understand your pet more. Think about it: if you observe new behaviors or unusual symptoms in your pet but know that you have been feeding it an optimal diet, you can rule out food as an underlying cause. If you are consistently giving your pet the right kind of food, you will have a better pulse on the overall wellbeing of your pet, which can only lead to better quality of life for your feline or canine companion.
Here at Hudson Animal Hospital we take great care to make sure our pets are nurtured through every phrase of their lives. If you are in the upper west side, we would love to talk with you about how you can select a diet that will support your pet’s overall health. Call us today at 212-706-4088.
The post You Are What You Eat & so Is Your Pet – diet & nutrition info appeared first on Hudson Animal Hospital.