What Should I Feed My Pet

Diet has a big affect on skin condition and overall health of your pet.

The Skin is the biggest organ on the body, and a window to your pet's overall health. If the diet you are feeding is not meeting you pets needs it will show in the condition of the skin and hair coat.

Skin should NOT be . . .

• Dry
• Flaky
• Oily or Greasy
• Dull
• Itchy
• Come Out Easily or Shed Excessively
• Have An Odor

Pet foods can be divided into several groups; generic, name brand, premium, all natural, and homemade.

• Generic foods are some of the foods that pets find the tastiest. These include foods such as Ol' Roy or Western Family. The reason pets eat these foods so well is because they are very high in fat. They taste good. They are the equivalent of feeding a steady diet of ice cream. The ingredients used are often difficult for the body to digest and the nutritional needs of your pet are not met. Pets fed these foods often become overweight or obese and are severely malnourished. Some signs of malnutrition are coats that are dull or greasy, dandruff, and itchiness. The cost of treating the health problems that result from feeding these foods make them THE MOST EXPENSIVE food available
• Name Brand Foods include Purina One and are the foods you should use when shopping in the grocery store. They are better balanced nutritionally for your pet.
• Premium foods are high grade foods often restricted to sale in Pet Shops or Vet Clinics, these include Royal Canin, Purina Pro Plan, Eukanuba, Iams, and Science Diet. These foods seem more expensive but they often have additional benefits for your pet that make them worth the cost (See the cost analysis and benefits of Royal Canin below). If cost is prohibiting factor in purchasing your pets food, then feed a Name Brand Food, if you can not afford the Premium Foods. Do not feed a generic foods.
• All Natural Foods are very popular today. The all natural foods also have the same range of generic natural foods to premium natural foods. Just because a bag says it is all natural does not make the food a good quality food. Royal Canin and Waltham foods are all natural premium pet foods. Nutro and Natural choice are name brand natural foods. Nutriplan is a low end natural food, equivalent to the generic pet foods.
• Homemade diets can be great for your pet, or cause terrible health issues and premature death. The difference is in the recipe used! Simply feeding your pet what you eat will NOT keep your pet healthy. Homemade diets MUST be properly balanced to meet your pets nutritional needs. The best place to get a recipe is to ask your vet to help you create one that is tailored to your pets specific health issues and needs.

In addition to choosing the right brand of food it is very important to also chose the right stage of food for your pet.

• Puppy food is designed for Small Breed Dogs that will grow up to be less then 40 pounds. It has higher calcium and phosphorus levels for growing bones and higher protein levels for muscle and higher calorie content to help meet the needs of a rapidly growing body. Small Breed puppies fed adult food are often very skinny and undernourished while they are growing.
• Large Breed Puppy food is NOT puppy food in a larger size! Large Breed dogs that will grow to be over 40 pounds, have very specific nutritional needs. If the calcium/phosphorus ratio in their diet is not correct, they will develop bone and joint disfigurements that will lead to chronic pain and movement problems. Large Breed Puppies are the most susceptible group of dogs to major health problems from being fed improper diets. For this reason it is also very important to monitor what treats you feed your growing puppy, ice cream, milk and banannas could cause health problems later on.
• Pregnant and Nursing Mothers should also be on puppy food. Their body is using an increased amount of calcium in both puppy development and milk development, in addition they need the extra calories to keep a healthy weight after deliver and during nursing.
• Adult Dogs from 1-7 years of age should be fed an adult food that will help them maintain a healthy weight. Indoor dogs that are not very active should be fed a lower calorie diet to help control weight gain. Highly active dogs should be fed a food designed to meet the extra calories they are using
• Senior pets should be fed a senior food. Senior diets are designed to help control weight gain and are designed to meet the special needs of aging kidneys and liver in the older pet.

Consider this when choosing a food for your pet . . .

The Royal Canin diets we sell (Weight & Osteo, Weight & Stone, and the Neutered Cat line) are premium pet foods designed to for healthy pets to PREVENT common problems. These diets are designed to help prevent obesity, urinary stones and crystals, hair balls, and other common health problems. They also promote healthy bone growth, healthy skin and hair coat, and proper chewing to reduce tartar build up!

All the foods are GUARANTEED, if your pet won't eat them, or you don't like the food for any reason, you can return any unused portion for a full refund.