Your Pet's Diet Matters
Your Pet's Health
As a conscious pet owner, you may have noticed the amount of pet foods on the market that claim to be weight management products. These products differ from one pet to the next, but most often help the pet by increasing the amount of fiber they get, lessening the amount of fat they take in and provide them with more protein and carbohydrates. Many of these diets are a good option for dogs and cats, but should be used sparingly if they do not fit other requirements for that animal.
Find out how the product will work, its nutritional value to the pet and then incorporate them into your pet's daily lifestyle. Consult with your vet to be sure that the product will aim at your pet's specific needs in weight loss. Most will provide for lower calories, but having a healthy, well balanced diet is most important in any food.
If you look at the label of any type of pet food, you are likely to find what is called the "serving suggestion" of that food from the manufacturer. Most pet products will have this on the nutritional label. This is the amount of food that the pet should be given based on the average pet with the average amount of activity (from the manufacturer's view point.)
Going by this guideline is helpful as long as you are able to provide your pet with the recommended calories for them as well as balance it between other foods that the pet takes in. More so, start at the low end of these product portions and make sure that the pet is getting enough, but not so much that they begin to put on more weight.
You should also want to be sure that you consider what type of food you are feeding the pet in terms of their size and type. For example, a food especially designed for kittens will have more calories than one designed for older cats. Adjust the amount of food given to them from the manufacturer's suggestions accordingly.
Artifical Flavors
Flavorings And Sauce
Perhaps you have seen the various products on the market for pet foods. These are often aimed at dog products. They are sauces or gravies that can be poured over the foods to enhance their flavor. If you are planning to provide these to your dog, be sure that you are very careful doing so.
Most of these products are very high in fats and calories, making any dog food, even healthy food much more likely to cause weight gain. Those that use them must make sure to reduce the amount of food that the pet takes in to compensate for this increase.
It is recommended that you avoid these toppings as they really do not provide any benefit to your pet's health and diet needs. Most often, they are simply ways for your pet to gain weight. You can remove them from the pet's diet in the same way that you will switch to new foods. Slowly decrease the amount used until it is completely gone. Be sure to look at the nutritional value of any complimentary product you put on your dog food.
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© 2008 Fierce Manson
