Showing posts with label Food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Food. Show all posts

Picking The Right Food For Your Pet

Pets are wonderful creatures to share our lives with, and they need just as much care as humans. All pets need to be fed properly, though we always have the question of what that might be. There are individuals who give their pet’s human food, while others strictly give pet food. We will concentrate on dogs, cats, and rabbits for proper feeding.

Rabbits

How many times have you heard that rabbits like their vegetables? This is true. Most rabbits need a steady diet of rabbit food that includes lettuce and carrots. Most of the time we raise our rabbits on pellets, however, this may not be fibrous enough and can cause obesity. A steady diet of hay, vegetables, and pellets will lead to a healthy rabbit.

Dogs

Is it wise to feed your dog human food? Most dogs are related to the wolf family a very carnivorous bunch, which means they need to have meat in their diet. This does not mean human food is the correct food for them. It is best to find a dog food product where the first ingredient is meat. Make sure it is real meat and not some processed substitute. Feeding your dog human food is a bad idea because it can be too greasy for them and block their arteries. Dogs have very sensitive digestive tracks so they are susceptible to diarrhea and upset stomachs if you change their food. It is best to find a dog food you prefer and that is healthy for them. You also want to keep them on the same food. Changing food can cause problems. If you feel you need to change food, you should slowly integrate the new food with the old until you have fully replaced the old. This should take two weeks or a little more. Dogs when full grown should be fed once a day at the same time.

Cats

Cats are great hunters if you let them explore the outdoor world. They will often find mice, birds, and other animals to gain protein. Like a dog, your cat needs a consistent diet. You should find a cat food that has the proper amounts of protein. Cats can also have a very sensitive digestive system. Finding the right food may be difficult and take a few tries. If they have a smelly litter box, you will need to change their food. This is a sure sign they are not receiving a proper diet. When you change their food you will want to integrate it slowly over two weeks. Cats also need the vitamins from milk, though our processed milk can be too rich for them, they do sell milk for cats in the pet stores. Another idea is occasionally giving them a small piece of cheese to help with their dietary needs, however you should try and find pet food that fits all of their needs. Grass is also available for indoor cats and may be a needed to get rid of hairballs. Cats eat grass when they have an upset stomach. The grass will allow the cats to rid themselves of the problem and can help them cough up hairballs.

Picking the right food for your pet will often mean not feeding them human food, but checking the ingredients of pet food found in the stores. You want to keep you pet just as healthy as you would want to keep yourself. Proper nutrition for any animal is important to having your pet around for many years. Some types of pets are more susceptible to disease, like dogs with heart problems, but they can be monitored through proper care.

Tips On Buying The Right Food For Your Pet

by: Derek Rogers

Food is one of the most important necessities in your pet’s life. It provides the nutrients they need in order to grow and develop into mature animals as well as giving them the energy they need each day to enjoy life by your side. There is a vast array of manufacturers that provide food for all animals and it can be a confusing task to decipher all the ingredients, proteins and benefits of each one in order to choose the very best one for your pet.

Depending on the type of pet you have, you will still have to do some research to find out exactly what you should be providing them for their main meals as well as any snacks or treats on the side. You can find a multitude of information on the Internet, from friends or family with similar animals, or even from sales representatives at your local pet shop. When it comes down to the final decision though, you are the responsible one who will choose what you feel is best for your pet, not your aunt or the guy in the pet store.

With the awareness of organic foods for the public in every supermarket and health food store, there has also grown the niche for organic pet food. There are many painstaking efforts that go into providing a balanced meal for your pet that is free of many additives that are not necessary for your pet’s nutritional health and yet are included in many other manufactured pet foods.

Organic pet foods are not always available at every pet store or grocery store where other popular brands are sold, thus making it harder to find for some pet owners. With the increased awareness, organic meals are being produced more than ever, but due to the nature of the process, these types of foods for your pet are generally more expensive than a store-brand bag of dry food that you could pick up at any local corner store. As with any food for your pets, there are positives and negatives to each.

Price is not always an indication of the quality of food, but it tends to be a good guide for the market shopper. If you examine the store-brand plain dry food, you may find the ingredients to list not as many proteins or pure foods like some other popular brands. Additives may be more abundant in cheaper brands, but they can still be apparent in many higher-priced brand name pet foods. Just like you shop for your own health and wellness, be sure to read the labels and shop for your pet’s health and wellness.

There can be side effects to supplying the low-cost alternative food for your pets in some cases. Your pet can develop anywhere from mild to severe health issues that are directly related to the type of food provided. With some cats, liver problems and kidney stones can develop rapidly if not provided with a good quality food each day. You will want to be sure that you are doing everything you can in order to maintain your pet’s health and wellness for years to come.

About The Author

Derek Rogers is a freelance writer who represents a number of UK businesses. For advice on pet food, he recommends Seapets, one of the UK's leading suppliers of http://www.seapets.co.uk/ pet supplies.