Choosing the right pet food

Awareness is growing around the importance of what we feed our family members… human and furry alike. Often pet food packaging is difficult to read, and there are so many options available that it can be difficult to know where to start.

Life stage:

There are three life stages to consider when feeding: puppy/ kitten, adult and senior. Dogs and cats are considered puppies and kittens until 12 months old, with the exception of giant breeds (i.e. Newfoundlands and Maine Coons, etc). Giant breeds are usually not considered adults until 15 months old.

With puppies, it’s very important to put them on a puppy food that correlates to the size they will end up as an adult, because small and large breed puppies require different levels of energy input for their different growth rates. Kittens do not need size specific kitten diets, but it is important that you choose a well-formulated food.

Adulthood typically spans from 12 months until seven or eight years old. From this point, dogs and cats technically become senior citizens. With cats, this can be difficult to comprehend, as an eight-year-old cat may not look or act old, but remember that it’s what’s on the inside that counts. Older animals tend to struggle to keep their weight up and maintain lean muscle, a healthy diet high in protein is important to help counteract this trend.

Health:

Once you’ve worked out which life stage your animal is at, the next thing to consider is whether or not your animal has any health issues that need addressing. Diet is a really important place to address these issues, and the impact of diet on health should never be underestimated.

A premium food to address specific health problems can either be vet prescribed or a more general one. Usually this is for dogs that have sensitive skin, sensitive tummies, concerns around their joints, or dogs that need a little extra help keeping the weight off. Adult cats are slightly different from dogs, in that there is less genetic variation between breeds. A highquality diet is a perfect way to keep your cat in tip-top shape through the most active years of its life.

Reading the labels:

Looking at a pet food label might seem intimidating, but these key rules can help keep it simple: The first five ingredients on the label will be the majority of the food’s content, so make sure these are good things! Meat should always be the first or second ingredient. The ingredients’ panel lists all food sources in the product in order of precooked weight, from the highest to the lowest quantities.

For dry food, a key ingredient should be a source of highquality protein, such as chicken, lamb or salmon. Animal fats are also important for good health, they are a vital energy source, and add tasty flavour to foods.

Dogs and cats are carnivores, so it’s not surprising that vegetable proteins can’t be utilised as well as meat proteins. Vegetable proteins are usually added in as a cheap substitute. Avoid added glutens, and watch out for foods putting cereals or grains as the first ingredient.

Look out for the Guaranteed Analysis on the back of pet food packaging and use it to compare foods. The GA gives the minimum or maximum percentage breakdown of the basic nutrients in the formula, i.e. protein, fibre, and moisture content.

A high-quality diet is a perfect way to keep your cat in tip-top shape through the most active years of its life.

Your vet can suggest the right food for dogs that have sensitive skin, sensitive tummies or concerns around their joints.

Choosing the right food for your pet’s health and age is very important.