FEEDING YOUR ANIMALS THE BEST POSSIBLE DIET IS IMPORTANT FOR THEIR HEALTH.

Nutrition, for me, is a fascinating topic from my profession’s side as well as the animal welfare side, and it is something many pet parents are unsure about!  I am not a veterinarian or animal food specialist, so all this information comes from a trusted vet, who is also the co-author of The Forever Dog.  I have tried many of these for my animals and just like humans, animals, even from the same species, certainly have food preferences.  Our one dog, loves pineapple and blueberries, while the other two like bananas and strawberries.

It is important to remember that every type of food you feed your animals has the potential to do 1 of 2 things: HEAL or HARM. What are the food and treats you give them, doing to your animal’s body? Do they help reduce inflammation or cause it? Provide antioxidants or just empty calories? Provide polyphenols or just synthetic flavours and dyes?

“I only feed my dog their kibble and nothing else!” was once a proud pet owner’s statement, but microbiome research proves this is a big mistake. Study after study shows that the more diverse your pet’s diet is, the healthier their gut and immune system can become.

TRAITS OF A GOOD DIET FOR YOUR ANIMALS

• Minimally processed
• Low carb
• Species appropriate
• Fresh
• You can try an eating window for your dog (8 hours of eating time & 16 hours of fasting)

Some questions are:

• Can my dog eat MEAT, FRUITS & VEGGIES, DAIRY & EGGS?
• What other SUPPLEMENTS might be healthy?
• Any other helpful FOOD TIPS?
• What foods are DANGEROUS?
• How can the kind of BOWLS my pet eats from be helpful?

You can also check out this link by Dr. Karen to search for particular foods that are safe for pets.

VERY IMPORTANT! – Please note that the whole food item might not be ideal for the pet or even dangerous. Removing for example the seeds or skin of the food might be necessary. If your pet has any medical conditions, it is important to discuss what they eat with your vet who knows your individual pet best because certain foods, too many carbs, too much protein, etc., may have a dangerous effect on certain health conditions. 

THE NO CARB REQUIREMENT

Dogs and cats don’t have a carb requirement, so why do grain-free pet foods often contain so many carbs? The reason is that it’s cheaper to produce foods with less meat protein. The issue starts with many pet food companies using excessive vegan fillers (including peas, lentils, rice, corn, potatoes, quinoa, oatmeal, tapioca, wheat, etc.) to offset the large amount of critically important (and more expensive) meat that dogs and cats require for health.

The end result of excessive plant-based fillers in pet foods can be a chronic amino acid deficiency from not enough meat-based protein in pet foods, which can lead to heart and other organ dysfunction as well as many other issues.

There are too many plant-based ingredients and not enough real meat in many pet foods on the market. Keeping carbs low in any type of pet food is important (“grain-free” or not).

Also, read more on pets and exercise.

HOW TO CALCULATE

• CARBS

To ensure your pet is receiving an adequate amount of protein, you have to calculate the amount of unnecessary starch (carbs) in the diet. Aim to feed dry foods with less than 15-20% carbs.

Here’s how to calculate the carbs in your dry pet food – find the numbers under the Guaranteed Analysis on the side of your pet food bag, and put them into this equation:

100% – % protein – % fat – % moisture – % ash (if not listed, use 6%) = % carbs

• DAILY CALORIES

Dog Daily calories = Body weight (kg) x 30 + 70

Cat Daily calories (feline) = Body Weight (kg) x 30 + 70 x 0.8

Use their ideal weight, not their current weight, in formulas!

• WATER INTAKE

The amount of drinking water your dog needs daily depends on their size, diet, age, activity level, and weather conditions. A good general guideline is that a healthy dog should drink between 30- 60 mL per kg (½ – 1 ounce of water per pound) of body weight each day.

Provide fresh, good-quality drinking water for your animals. This means water that doesn’t contain fluoride, heavy metals, or other contaminants. Filtered water is ideal, not only for two-legged family members but for furry family members as well.

CHANGING YOUR PET’S DIET

Changing your pet’s food too fast can cause digestive issues. Follow this general guideline over 7 days.

READING FOOD LABELS

It can be overwhelming to decide which food is best for your pets and it is our responsibility to do our homework on it because food can heal or harm. You can’t blindly trust what’s on the internet!

Although there are vets who know a lot about nutrition, not all do. One vet I follow shared that they cover only a very small portion of nutrition during their studies. They mostly sell the big-name brands, and this vet said that although it is not bad food, vets trust the brands cause those are the ones they know and the ones that sponsored “pizza talks” about their products. He believes that other foods can provide similar value at a lower cost. I agree.

What are some key things I look for when buying food?

• Human grade is a priority for me instead of feed-grade ingredients. If it’s not fit for humans, then I do not want to feed it to my pets. Our pets mainly get home-cooked meals.
• There is a lot more to it, but look for the following:
• Choose products where they list many of the ingredients specifically and not just a general few.
• Where they do not just say “animal proteins and derivatives”, but rather chicken proteins or which proteins specifically. If there is more than one animal protein source, for example, chicken and beef, then I would rather buy that one.
• If they start the list with animal proteins instead of other ingredients like cereals, then it is likely better too.
• An exception to the above will be if they start with rice if they eliminate corn and wheat thus offering a single-grain product which is better. Usually as part of the carb source they use wheat, corn or rice. Rice as an ingredient is more digestible. Remember our cats and dog’s no-carb requirement.
• I try to avoid products with BHT or BHA (artificial antioxidants/food additives, possibly associated with cancer).
• I look for other extras like rooibos which include antioxidants. Beet pulp, Inulin or chicory fibre can be helpful as fibre sources. Look for products with Omega oils in them. Brewer’s yeast is rich in vitamin B. Other ingredients like glucosamine and chondroitin are also helpful.
• Be careful with flavours and palatability enhancers (which contain phosphorus). Beef flavour doesn’t mean there is actually beef in it.

A few extra notes

• Be careful with bulk buying. Try to use the food within 30 days of the opening so it doesn’t lose quality.
• Choose good bowls and wash them after each meal.
• Keep food in glass containers instead of plastic.
• Work out what your pet needs calorie-wise instead of following the too-wide range regarding weight on the packaging.

MORE ON THE SCIENCE

• A recent study from Finnish veterinary scientists shows that healthy leftovers of human food offered to puppies significantly reduce allergy symptoms and skin problems later in life. This long-term, protective effect increased the more often real foods were added, so the more exposure puppies had to a variety of healthy leftovers, the more protection there was from developing skin issues down the road.

“…even if the dog eats 80% of its food as dry, adding a minimum of 20% of the food as raw significantly decreased the risk of AASS [allergic skin disease] later in life.” – Dr Anna Hielm-Björkman

• According to scientists, feeding a variety of raw or minimally processed, real food early in life may lead to microbial exposure that enhances the immune system early on, reducing allergic responses later in life. Some of the owners of the foods fed in this study were fish and meats, vegetables and roots, culinary mushrooms, buttermilk and other fermented milk products and berries.
• It is important to look at the studies when someone claims Yay or Nay for a food item. For example, a study that said garlic is toxic for dogs was based on too much garlic/day for any dog. This also includes myths about other foods like avocados and nuts. Context is important!

Are you looking for more DIY fresh food ideas to inspire healthy canine snacking?! Dr Karen coaches you through how to successfully swap unhealthy foods and treats for healthier choices. She does support more natural foods and raw diets instead of kibble. In the book, The Forever Dog, the authors list over 40 of their favourite fresh foods from the fridge to add to your dog’s bowl, backed by the most surprising new science as to why they’re so amazing at building health and longevity! They also show you how to add them and how much to offer in a way that keeps your pup’s nutrition in balance.

The health of your pet should be important to you and providing them with a healthy and species-appropriate diet is crucial. It is also your responsibility to make sure that the particular food is safe for your individual pet.

Join us again next week as we learn about the pets of our lives.

WHEN YOU KNOW BETTER, DO BETTER!