The good food guide: it’s not what you think
AHATMA GANDHI is quoted as saying “the greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated”. If so, as a practising vet, I have seen the British nation at its greatest and sometimes at its worst. However, in my new practice I have come across some of the most caring and wonderful pet owners that you could hope to meet and consequently, some of the happiest and healthiest pets. However, I still come across myths almost daily, especially about feeding and vaccination.
THE RIGHT FOODS
“Wild dogs eat only meat, so this is what we should feed our dogs. Carbohydrates are just useless fillers in dog food.”
MYTH. Wild dogs eat plenty of meat, yes, but the gut contents of their prey (often grasses and plant material, bones, cartilage etc) are all on the menu. Even then, they are not happier than our pooches. A study on the dental disease of African wild dogs in 1999 suggested that they suffered the same dental diseases as domestic dogs and that their natural diet did not protect against these tooth diseases. Other work has found that domestic dogs digest carbs (grains and starches) and release nutrition from them significantly better than their wild cousins —maybe because when they were first domesticated, dogs that could pull off this trick were more likely to survive living with people. “Cats cannot be vegetarian.” TRUE. Cats do some amazing things like fall massive heights and still land on their feet, or turn their owners into staff who satisfy their every whim while they just swan around, doing their own thing (and I love them for it). But one trick they have not mastered yet is surviving on a vegetarian diet. Cats have many biological adaptations that make them specialists at eating meat and it is those very adaptations that mean, in general, that if they are not given animal proteins at all, they can end up very ill.
“Rabbits should eat rabbit food and lots of carrots.”
MYTH. No prizes for guessing where the idea of rabbits eating carrots came from. Although tiny portions of carrots might be enjoyed by rabbits, this vegtable is just too sweet and, as part of a normal diet, the sugar in carrots can play havoc with a rabbit’s digestion. Rabbit food (muesli or pellets) is also often too high in calories to make up a big part of the normal diet. It should be used as a supplement (in small amounts) with just a little fresh veg and plenty of fresh hay (ask your vet for specifics). A diet too high in rabbit pellets or muesli means the teeth will not do enough grinding and often become overgrown. At the worst, they can grow down through the jaw or up through the poor bunny’s eye.
VACCINATION/HEALTH CHECK
“Annual vaccination is unnecessary and the annual vet examination is a waste of time.”
MYTH. Annual vaccination for many diseases in many animals unnecessary. However most vets nowadays do not vaccinate every pet against every disease every year. At my practice, we give distemper vaccination only every three years to adult dogs. However, most pets will need a vaccination against at least one disease every year and the yearly health check is vital.
Animals age much faster than we do (the oft-quoted figure is roughly one dog or cat year equals five to seven human years) and they cannot tell us when they feel ill.
At every health check, a good vet should look at many different things. At The Finchley Vet, we call it our eight-plus point check — weight, eyes, mouth, lymph nodes, abdomen, heart, lungs and skin are our eight points and then the health status of the pet or any concerns that an owner has will direct us to our “pluses”.
The health check is about making sure our pets are healthy but also about making sure that they stay healthy. Therefore, you should always insist that some of the consultation is dedicated to discussing what measures you can take to prevent illness, disease and pain. This usually involves a discussion about parasites and gives an opportunity to administer that vaccination (if necessary).