The Benefits of a Balanced Diet for Your Pets

In this blog post, we'll delve into the importance of a balanced diet for your pets. From understanding their nutritional needs to choosing the right food, we'll provide all the information you need to ensure your furry friends get the best possible nutrition. We are not sponsored or compensated for any brands mentioned in this article.

The Importance of a Healthy, Balanced Diet for Your Pet

As a pet owner, one of the most important things you can do for your furry friend is ensure they eat a nutritious, balanced diet. The right food can go a long way in supporting your pet's health and happiness at every stage of life. In this post, we’ll explore the components of a healthy pet diet, specific nutritional needs for dogs and cats, top vet-recommended pet food brands, whether veterinary experts recommend homemade food, and whether table scraps are okay. The benefits of probiotic supplements. Hold onto the leash, and let’s see what the experts have to say.

The Basics of a Balanced Pet Diet

So, what makes up a nutritionally balanced diet for pets? There are six key nutrient groups that pets need:

1. Protein: Protein provides amino acids that pets need for maintenance, growth, and reproduction. Dogs and cats need more protein than humans.

2. Fats and fatty acids: Essential for skin, coat, and cognitive function. Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids support overall health.

3. Vitamins and minerals: A variety of vitamins, like vitamins A, B, C, D, and E, is needed. Minerals like calcium, phosphorus, zinc, and iron are important too.

4. Carbohydrates: An energy source for pets but keep the carbs low. They cannot process them as fast as we can.

5. Fiber: Supports healthy digestion and nutrient absorption. Soluble and insoluble fiber play different roles, but both are needed.

6. Water: Essential for organ function, temperature regulation, and transporting nutrients. Cats are especially prone to dehydration.

Reputable pet food brands ensure foods contain complete, balanced nutrition tailored to dogs and cats. It’s okay to question whether the so-called reputable brand you are using covers all the bases. Also, one size doesn’t always fit all regarding pets’ nutritional needs.

The Importance of Tailored Nutrition for Dogs

While all dogs need the basics mentioned above, some breeds and life stages require special attention regarding diet.

For example, large and giant-breed puppies need controlled growth to avoid developmental issues. This has been a big issue recently, with dogs losing mobility too early. Slow, steady growth depends on calcium and phosphorus levels. Meanwhile, small dogs expend more energy per pound of body weight and burn calories faster than bigger dogs. They need energy-dense food to maintain a healthy weight.

As dogs become seniors, their energy and nutritional needs change, and conditions like heart disease may emerge, requiring a lowering of their sodium intake. Joint supplements can ease arthritis, while digestive aids promote the absorption of nutrients.

That’s why it’s so important to discuss your individual dog with your veterinarian. They can identify any genetic predispositions, health conditions, and recommendations for tailored nutrition. Don’t hesitate to ask about your breed’s particular needs.

What Vets Say About Feeding Table Scraps

Many pet owners wonder if sharing table food with pets is okay. The veterinary consensus is to use caution with table scraps. While pets beg and table scraps seem like a harmless treat, human food can negatively impact your pet's health.

Table scraps from our meals are often highly processed and seasoned with excessive fat, salt, and sugar. They throw off the nutritional balance of your pet’s diet and condition them to beg more. You know how addictive sugar can be to humans. Some human foods, like onions, garlic, grapes, raisins, nuts, and more, are even toxic to pets. Not all human food is good for your pets, especially the extra spices, dairy, sugar, etc. Remember, too, what's healthy for you may not be healthy for them.

Additionally, sudden diet changes or rich foods can cause indigestion, diarrhea, or vomiting. Sticking to a controlled diet keeps nutritional levels and digestion regular. Who wants to clean up the mess after bad digestion issues?

If you want to spoil your pet occasionally, there are safe human foods to choose from, like lean meat, eggs, carrots, and apple slices. You should confirm the appropriate foods and portion sizes with your veterinarian. Overall, resist those pleading eyes at the table and redirect your fur baby to their own nourishing diet. We keep around some soft food for a treat. I also add their probiotic and Vetsmart Critical Immune Defense (good for cats and dogs) to the soft food and a teaspoon of water and stir. I give each cat a heaping teaspoon, then refrigerate and give them the rest over the next couple of days. The dogs get their helping of Vetsmart Critical Immune Defense and the Advanced Hip plus Joint Complex mixed in with a helping of their favorite human-grade mix. Available at Chewy.com.

Top Veterinarian-Recommended Cat Food Brands

If you’re puzzling over pet food options for your feline friend, veterinary experts endorse these top cat food brands for balanced nutrition in no particular order:

1. Weruva wet: Weruva is grain-free, using a generous amount of named meats as its dominant source of animal protein.

2. IAMS: Makes both wet and dry food with quality protein sources. Includes probiotics for digestion.

3. Dr. Elsey’s dry: Over 90 percent of the protein is animal-based. no added fillers or preservatives.

4. Wellness: Grain-free wet and dry formulas packed with protein and made in the United States. Natural with no by-products.

Top Veterinarian-Recommended Human Grade Natural Cat food brands

Best Human-grade Natural Cat food brands. No, that doesn’t mean you should start eating cat or dog food, but you could. :<) Cats are hunters and carnivores, so they naturally crave real meat. That’s why they get the chatters when seeing tweedy birds outside the window. The good news is there are no tweedy birds used in the making of human-grade natural cat food.

1. Darwin's Natural Selections: Selections is made with 100% real meat (chicken, turkey, or lamb) and contain no fillers, antibiotics, or grain. We currently use this one, and the cats love it.

2. Open Farm Open Prairie Grain Free Raw Mix - 100% human-grade, 100% delicious. Their healthy wet cat food is made with ethically and sustainably sourced meat. No-Antibiotics

Caution: When feeding raw meat, be sure to keep their pet bowls clean with hot soap and water. We use paper camping bowls for this, then toss them when they are done.

Top Veterinarian-Recommended Dog Food Brands

Non-staff veterinary experts endorse these top dog food brands for balanced nutrition in no particular order:

1. Weruva: Weruva Classic is a grain-free canned dog food using a generous amount of named meats as its dominant source of animal protein

2. Wellness Core: Grain-free recipes packed with premium protein and nutrients without fillers. Natural ingredients.

3. Eukanuba: High-quality nutrition backed by research and trials for digestibility. Breed and need-specific formulas.

4. Iams: Tested formulas for breeds and veterinary conditions with useful ingredients like glucosamine.

5. Instinct Original: Their recipe contains 40% protein, 23% fat, and 29% estimated carbs.

As always, consult your vet about foods suited to your pet's age, activity level, unique needs, or issues. If transitioning from an old pet food to a new one, do it slowly so their body and tastes can adjust more easily.

Top Veterinarian-Recommended Human-Grade Natural Dog Food Brands

Non-staff veterinary experts endorse these top natural dog food brands for balanced nutrition in no particular order:

1. Darwin's brand uses board-certified veterinary nutritionists to formulate each recipe to be 100% complete and balanced according to AAFCO standards and use all human-grade ingredients.

2. Raw Paws uses Natural ingredients in Raw meat or Freeze-dried versions.

3. Ollie Fresh brand is a vet-designed meal that’s optimized for your dog’s age, weight, breed, activity level, and allergies. Made with 100% human-grade ingredients.

Caution: When feeding raw meat, be sure to keep their pet bowls clean with hot soap and water. Consider slight cooking to kill any bacteria or viruses.

Should You Make Your Pet Food?

With so many commercial pet food options, do vets recommend making your own at home? Veterinary nutrition experts advise against homemade pet diets unless you do your homework. Creating properly balanced and safe meals can be tricky, but the cost savings and peace of mind are worth the extra work. Remember that too much or too little of some nutrients can create long-term health risks. We will provide some tried-and-tested homemade recipes at a later date.

Common pitfalls of homebrewed pet foods include:

- Incomplete or unbalanced nutrition lacks essential vitamins and minerals

- Safety issues if raw ingredients carry bacteria. Not cooked properly

- Recipes don’t meet pets' changing needs across life stages

- Difficult to personalize for individual health conditions

High-quality commercial pet foods undergo trials to formulate and test for nutritional adequacy. They're engineered to provide optimum protein, fat, carb, vitamin, and mineral levels. Some brands also adjust recipes to meet nutritional standards for certain breeds and life stages. If we could trust our regulators to ensure proper monitoring for the quality and safety of commercial brands, it would be a no-brainer, but they have proven that is not the case. We just have to trust that these brands are doing the right thing for our pets. Check the link at the bottom to the recent video by Dr. Judy Morganon, on issues with the top brands.

If you are concerned about what's being added to your pet's food and kibble is causing issues, I recommend going the human-grade natural route. If you can make it yourself, using the proper nutrition and safety precautions, then that will be the healthiest and most cost-effective way to go. If you just don't have the time for DIY, then I highly recommend The Darwin's brand or the Ollie Fresh brand. We are currently using the Darwin's brand along with Ollie Fresh. The dogs have been more energetic since we switched, and they like it better than the grocery store brands. It’s a bit more money, but seeing the extra pep in their step is worth it. Their vet was the one who recommended Darwin's and when our seven-year-old German Shepard lost his energy.

Before Moving to a New Pet Food Brand

When moving to a new brand, a word of caution is to start with a small quantity and ensure they will like it. Then, make sure they still like it after several weeks. We tried to go natural with cats about a year ago, but they would not eat it. We recently introduced them to Darwin's Natural Selections, which they love. We are introducing Darwin’s slowly, like once a week and now three times per week. We will stop at 3-4 times a week along with Iams brand and see how it goes. The Iams has its advantages too and mixing them helps us with the budget. We will let you know how this goes.

The Benefits of Probiotics for Pets

Maintaining healthy digestion goes hand-in-hand with a balanced diet. Probiotics are (good bacteria) supplements that support your pets GI health. According to veterinary experts, adding probiotics to their diet can help:

- Improve digestion and nutrient absorption

- Support and balance immune function

- Reduce stomach upsets from diet changes or stress

- Alleviate occasional diarrhea or constipation

- Limit intestinal gas, bloating, and bad breath. No one likes the gas or bad breath.

Probiotics produce enzymes for breaking down food while stimulating movement. As your pet’s digestion improves, so does stool quality and overall wellness. Who doesn’t like a good stool? Vets may recommend probiotics to improve the absorption of prescription foods tailored to specific health problems, too. Cats and dogs can start probiotics at any age or life stage. I personally know that when I take probiotics or enzymes along with my supplements, I see a boost in the effectiveness of the supplements. I have a compromised immune system due to cancer treatments years ago, and supplements have been my main defense against the latest flu virus passing through our household.

Choosing the best probiotic supplements for pets depends on their assured potency, diversity of strains, and CFU count. Here are the top recommended brands by veterinary nutritionists, in no particular order: Available at Chewy.com.

1. Proviable DC (capsules and paste)

2. Nutramax Proviable

3. NWC Naturals Total-Biotics

4. Pet Ultimates Probiotics for Dogs and Cats

When in doubt, consult with Your Vet

Like human nutrition, the best pet diets start by understanding your dog or cat’s needs. Different breeds, sizes, ages, and health conditions dictate optimum nutritional requirements. Work with your local veterinarian to choose the right brands to support your pet’s well-being.

Update:2/19/2024

See the video shown here by Dr. Judy Morgan on the possible issues with major pet food brands:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5entIa31eVM

Also, go to our Pet Food Recalls tab (link below) for what you need to know or sign up for our Newsletter to get the info. in your Inbox.

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Disclaimer\ Affiliate Discloser:

Information in this content may become outdated or inaccurate at the time of your viewing. You are responsible for making pet health decisions based on this information. Please consult your veterinary professional for health questions regarding your pet.

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