Which Food is Best For Your Pet

Which Food is Best For Your Pet

Dog Nutrition – Which food is best for my pet?

“What is the best food to feed my dog?” … This is a question on the minds of all dog owners. Which food is best? There are countless resources and lists online of ‘The 10 best Dog Foods’, and similarly to how we are continually confused with the mixed opinions of human nutrition, dog nutrition is just the same. Raw or processed? Wet or Dry? Beef or chicken? Kangaroo??? Please think for a moment. How can any one particular dog food – or even a list of 10 or 20 be “best” for every dog? That’s right. It can’t. Dogs have different requirements as people do through every stage of their life from puppy to senior. Plus, breeds have particular needs and individual dogs within breeds all have specific needs.

Luckily, this is becoming more broadly known and as you will find many websites include search tabs for certain breeds, age of dog, etc. However, it is very understandable that dog owners become overwhelmed if they choose google search as the method of choice for determining an appropriate food for their dog. (I am even overwhelmed doing a small bit of searching to familiarize myself with the websites out there as I write this blog post!).

The fact is I can’t tell you in this blog what food is best. I can tell you the food companies that have become my favorites through the years of being a dog groomer, veterinary technician, and dog owner. However, there are many mixed opinions and controversy surrounding dog nutrition, and I don’t want to send you running away on my first blog post!!  Instead, my goal today is to give you a simple suggestive approach in order to tackle what really is the best food to feed your dog.

You are getting a new puppy/dog. My approach will work for any age or breed of dog!

Step One – Determine what the dog has been previously fed and go buy that food!

It is not a good idea to drastically change any dog’s food … no matter how bad the food is! Abrupt changes may result in gastrointestinal disturbances, which can compromise your dog’s health and comfort. Changing their food quickly also may be stressful and discourage the dog from eating. A slow transition onto new food by mixing over a period of several days to weeks is best.

Step Two – Veterinary check up!

It is very important to have any new member of your pet family examined by a Veterinarian as soon as possible. This is a good opportunity for your Vet to meet the new member in your household, and the best chance you have at getting off to a great start with your puppy/dog! The Vet will check your dog’s general health, skin, weight, heart and lungs. All of these are key pieces of information in determining which food you will feed. Ask your Vet what they recommend you feed your pet based on the health exam. Most Vets will recommend prescription diets or those that have been veterinary approved. I am in full support of these food brands as the research shows their benefits. However, if your wish is to feed something different, bring the food information into your Vet and ask their opinion.  Please keep an open mind with your veterinarian recommendations and be sure to look at the cost benefits long term for feeding a veterinary recommended diet. Although it may seem that “cheaper brands” are more suited to your lifestyle, these may come with costly health consequences in the future.

Step Three – Blood Work

Routine blood work is a great way of keeping tabs on your dog’s general health and nutrition. After determining a nutrition plan with your vet, once a year it is a great idea to do blood work to check in on what your dog’s body is doing. A complete blood count (CBC) identifies whether there is anemia, inflammation or infection present. It can also indicate immune system response and blood clotting ability. You may also choose to do a biochemistry panel which tells your vet whether your pet’s liver, kidneys and pancreas are healthy and working as they should. Conditions like Pancreatitis, Cushing’s disease, liver disease, kidneys disease, hypothyroidism, and Addison’s are some of many diseases that can be recognized by blood work and biochemistry. These conditions require dietary changes in order for the pet to remain stable, which is why blood work is so important in determining the best food for your dog.

Step Four – Remember treats are Food!

Always remember that treats count as food too! It seems like a straightforward statement, but many owners fail to remember that treats are calories, nutrients, and allergens just like dog food. You could do everything right and make the best nutrition plan possible for your dog with your veterinarian … and giving the wrong treats could mess it all up!

In summary, there is no “one diet fits all” scenario, however rest assured there are a large variety of wonderful diets available, fabulous veterinary support teams, and you are a dedicated pet owner for taking the time to read this article. Your care for your pet shows. Congratulations! You are already on your way to giving your dog its best life.