Nutritional Advice and Veterinary Diets

Nutritional Advice and Veterinary Diets

Along with regular exercise and veterinary care, careful nutrition is the best way you can contribute to your pet’s prolonged good health.

How do you make sure your pet’s diet is healthy?

We strongly recommend that you:

• Feed premium pet foods. Premium foods offer high-quality ingredients and are made by companies specialising in nutritional research. Feeding generic pet foods may lead to obesity, irregular bowel movements, or excess intestinal gas.  
• Make sure the food is fresh. When you purchase pet food, check for freshness and purchase only the amount necessary for your pet. Store pet food in a cool, dry place and keep it tightly closed. Discard uneaten food and always place fresh food in a clean bowl. In general, hard food (or “kibble”) is preferred for maintaining dental health and minimizing tartar build-up.

• Feed the right amount. Ask us or check the label for how much to feed according to your pet’s ideal weight. Avoid feeding pets as much as they want or feeding a large amount at one time. Doing so can lead to obesity, gastrointestinal upset, or even bloat, a life threatening condition.

• Maintain a daily routine. A regular schedule will help your pet keep normal bowel movements and avoid indoor accidents. Younger pets need to be fed more frequently, as they are usually more energetic and burn more calories.

• Avoid “people” food. Your pet’s digestive system is simpler than yours and can be easily upset by changes. Feeding table scraps will result in an unbalanced diet, can cause stomach upsets or even life-threatening inflammation of the pancreas.

Life Cycle Feeding   Your pet’s nutritional requirements will change as they age. Puppies need puppy food because it is higher in energy, calcium and protein, but feeding it to an adult dog can lead to obesity. Older pets need diets restricted in fat and supplemented with fibre.

Please discuss your pet’s nutritional needs at your next consultation or drop in to see one of our trained staff. We can recommend a diet specifically for your pet that will give them the optimum quality and length of life.