Improve your pet's diet during October's National Pet Wellness Month

October is National Pet Wellness month. It is never too late to institute better habits and doing so can lead to improvements in many chronic disease conditions.  The physiologic changes caused by such diseases may be irreversible, so begin your pet’s wellness plan early on in life.

Wellness can be broken down into multiple facets, each individually contributing to a complete picture of health for your pet.  The first in this four part pet wellness series will focus on diet.

Your pet’s food provides the building blocks of body tissue and is the key to maintenance of optimally functioning body systems.  Diets consumed by active, healthy people should serve as models for the foods given to your pet.  Fresh, moist protein, carbohydrate, and fat sources are more energetically useful to your pet than dehydrated, hermetically sealed, and highly processed foods.

My view that a pet’s food should consist less of commercial food and more of home prepared foods is somewhat controversial in the veterinary community.  Yet, two prime examples of the benefits of such food choices are prevalent in both human and animal health fields:

Healthy, fit people do not subsist solely on dehydrated, chemically stagnant foods capable of remaining in their kitchen cabinet for months (i.e. commercially available dry pet food).  When we eat a combination of moist, fresh, preservative-free foods, our energetic state and organ systems improve.  See “Super Size Me” to second handedly experience the adverse health effects of “McFoods”.

Pets diagnosed with cancer typically undergo dietary modification to include more human grade, whole food sources.  Pet owners should be proactive to potentially prevent adult and geriatric diseases by feeding their pets freshly prepared, nutrient rich food sources early in life.

Calorie restriction and portion control

Pet owners love to feed their pets.  Unfortunately, then number of calories American pets are fed often exceeds their daily requirements.  A  2002 study, done in part by scientists at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, reports that dogs fed a calorie restricted diet lived almost two years longer than dogs that consumed additional calories.  The dogs involved in the fourteen year long study also were less likely to develop osteoarthritis and experienced delayed onset of clinical signs associated with the disease.

Dry foods are a significant culprit in the burgeoning US pet obesity epidemic.  Dry pet foods are very nutrient dense and often are dispensed in excessive volume.  The metric portion appropriate for a pet typically “seems too small” according to average pet owner responsible for feeding.  More food is then added to the bowl to achieve a more visually appealing quantity, thereby satisfying the owner’s need for their pet to eat more.  

Follow the per day feeding guidelines on the bag or can of pet food. Ideally, feed your pet at the lower end of the range recommended for their body weight. Use a metric measuring cup to dispense your pet’s food.

Reduce dry food and add fresh vegetables

Dilute your pet’s calories by adding fresh, steamed vegetable sources to your pet’s commercial food.  Fresh or frozen carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, and mushrooms are excellent choices.  Beneficial fiber, moisture, antioxidants, and other healthful substances will provide additional nourishment for body systems stressed by activity or illness.

Reduce your pet’s commercial food by 25-33% and replace that volume by incorporating the same (or slightly larger) quantity of vegetables. Ideally, choose locally grown, organic food sources. Once lightly steamed, puree the vegetables in a blender or food processor to permit easy mixing into your pet’s existing foods.  Multiple portions of vegetable puree can be prepared and kept in the refrigerator or freezer for convenient access.  

Increase feeding frequency

Establish a regular feeding interval by feeding your pet at least every 12 hours.  More frequent feeding promotes improved digestion, slower eating, less aerophagia (swallowing of air), and more consistent insulin and blood glucose levels.

There is no one correct food, nor one singular feeding system, that you should employ over your pet’s lifetime.  As your pet ages or is afflicted by bouts of illness, their dietary needs will change.  Please use common sense and the guidance of veterinarian (one who believes in the value of more healthful dietary habits) when designing a feeding program for your pet.

Source: Pet Care ExaminerPatrick Mahaney