Feed your furry friend right: Dietary tips for pets
Your pet’s health cannot be based on guesswork. It’s for that reason that feeding them the right food can make a big difference to the quality of their life.
“It’s important to first understand the basics — dogs are omnivores but have short digestive tracts, so they are not meant to process large amounts of vegetable matter. On the other hand, cats are obligate carnivores with even shorter digestive tracts. They need mainly meat with a small amount of fibre,” says nutritionist Anjali Kalachand.
Here are some nutritional tips that pet parents should keep in mind:
• If you are getting a puppy from a breeder, follow through with what the breeder was feeding the pet for a week before making any dietary changes.
• If your puppy is less than three months old, start with a starter dog food.
• If the puppy is older than three months, pick the food appropriate for their size.
• If you’re planning to transition to a new brand or variant of food, do it gradually (generally over a period of 10 days) to avoid digestive problems.
• Introduce some fresh additions to your pet’s diet, even if you are choosing processed food. This enhances the nutritional quotient of their meal. You can add veggies, meat or fish to their meals. Other essential additions can be healthy fats such as cold-pressed coconut oil, hempseed oil and even fish oil.
• For cats, you need kitten food until the pet is 12 months old.
“If choosing to fresh feed puppies or kittens, it is important to work with a nutritionist or a professional in the field who can guide you regarding the various ingredients which will help create a balanced diet for your pet at this crucial phase of growth,” says Kalachand.
“The general rule of thumb that is followed for adult dogs is 2-3% of body weight in food. For cats, it is to feed 1.5%-3% of their body weight, depending on activity levels and whether they have been neutered or not. However, this is just a starting point — every pet is an individual, and to get the components and ingredients right, it is important to work with a qualified nutritionist to help and guide you through this,” she explains.