With the various options for pet food on the market, deciding on the best one for your cat or dog can be a little overwhelming. Having an idea of what to look for, and what to avoid, can however help you identify the right food for your pet. Outlined below are a few tips and ideas on how to find the right pet food.
1. Take Byproducts Into Consideration
Although widely misunderstood and criticized, by-products make a good meal for pets. They are considered byproducts because most people find them disgusting to eat. These include cleaned intestines, kidneys, liver, and other organ meats. Although most people will go for muscle meats and clean cuts, organs to contain high-quality vitamins, proteins, and minerals that come in handy for pets. Pet foods with such organs or byproducts may be more nutritious for the pet than the desirable meats humans prefer. Discover the pet shop Glasgow where you can find all of your pet supplies. In addition to this, some of these byproducts are considered a delicacy in many parts of the world.
2. Consult A Board-Certified Veterinary Nutritionist
Most people will want to cook for their pets once in a while. While it is a nice gesture, you need to ensure the meals you prepare for the pet are not only nutritionally balanced but wholesome as well. Overcooking or adding excess minerals or vitamins to the pet’s food could spell disaster to the dog/cats health. For this reason, your best bet would be by consulting a certified vet nutritionist. Most companies that prepare and sell pet food often provide supplements and recipes to help you out. You can use these to avoid getting your pet into trouble. You might also want to buy meals pre-prepared from a dog-kitchen. This way, you will be assured of the quality and nutritional balance.
3. Be Wary of Fancy Marketing Terminologies
Some companies will use fancy and almost “natural” terminologies to market their products. Do not be surprised to find products marked as human grade, natural, or organic. Although some of the foods may be genuinely organic or natural, most of these are simply marketing gimmicks to get you to buy the product. The term organic, refers to how the ingredient had been grown, harvested, and processed, and not anything related to its quality. Be careful when picking pet food from stores, and especially those with big fancy marketing terminologies. How the foods are handled, and especially fruits, meats, and vegetables matter a lot to avoid contamination (salmonella or E. coli).
4. Don’t Avoid Grains Unless Necessary
Very few pets are allergic to grains. Most pets will benefit significantly from foods with grains included. Whole grains, for example, are rich sources of valuable vitamins, minerals, and high-quality carbs. These grains also have a lower fat and calorie content as compared to most grain-free products out there. It is also worth noting that, many of the grain-free products use simple sugars and less nutritious starches as a substitute for grains.
5. Raw Diet Isn’t Always the Best
Many people are of the idea that pets should have a raw diet plan. Although animals in the wild only have access to raw food, this doesn’t mean your pet enjoys it either. There’s no scientific proof showing traditionally cooked meals are harmful to pets. Raw foods can, however, lead to some health conditions including dental fractures, nutritional imbalances, bacterial infections, or even internal damage from bones. The American Veterinary Medical Association encourages pet owners to feed their pets with cooked meals.
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