Choosing the Healthiest Pet Food for Your Furry Friend

Are you looking to provide the very best for your furry friend? Choosing the right pet food is crucial for their overall health and well-being. With so many options available in the market, navigating through the aisles and making an informed decision can be overwhelming. We’ve compiled this guide to help you choose the healthiest pet food for your beloved companion. We’ll explore the key factors to consider, including your pet’s specific dietary needs, ingredients to look for, and how to understand the labels. So, let’s dive in and ensure your pet is well-nourished and thriving!

Your Pet’s Nutritional Needs

Just as your pet is unique in their personality, they can be unique in their nutritional needs. It’s important to choose pet food that meets the specific requirements of your furry friend. Consider their age, breed, size, and any health conditions they may have. For example, puppies and kittens have different nutritional needs than adult dogs and cats, and certain breeds may have specific dietary requirements.

Consider Pet Foods for Your Pet’s Stage of Life

Like people, pets have different nutritional needs depending on their life stage. Pet foods are usually formulated for either of three stages of life:

Growth and Reproduction

Adult Maintenance

All Life Stages

Pet food for Growth and Reproduction is for growing young dogs or cats, usually less than a year old, and also for pregnant and nursing dogs. Adult maintenance means that pet food meets the nutritional needs of adult pets. Generally, “adult” means one year or older. A pet food labeled for all life stages meets the dietary requirements for adult, young and pregnant/nursing pets.

Read the Ingredients List

When choosing pet food, read the ingredients list carefully to know what’s in the food you’re giving your pet. Look for good stuff like real meat, fruits, and veggies. Avoid foods with a high content of fillers, artificial colors, and preservatives. Also, watch out for things that your pet might be allergic to.

Check for Quality and Safety Certifications

When choosing your pet’s food, reading, and understanding the labels is important to ensure you make the best choice. Look for a statement from the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) on the label. AAFCO establishes guidelines for ingredient product labels, feeding trials, and laboratory analyses of the nutrients that go into pet foods. The AAFCO statement is generally found near the ingredient list and guaranteed analysis but may be elsewhere on the bag. An example of a statement from AAFCO may look something like this:

“Brand A dog food is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for the maintenance of adult dogs.”

Get Familiar with Calorie Requirements

Pay attention to the calories in your pet’s food. Pet food packaging list calories as kCals, which stands for Kilocalories, a more scientifically accurate term. Knowing the kCals in your pet’s food can ensure you are giving them the right daily portions. If you need to know how many kCals your pet should eat daily, please let us know so we can get this information.

Pet Foods for Pets with Allergies and Sensitivities

Common pet allergens include wheat, corn, soy, and particular proteins like chicken or beef. If your pet has a known allergy or sensitivity to any of these ingredients, choosing a pet food that is free from them is essential. Some pet food brands offer specialized formulas for pets with allergies or sensitivities. These formulas often use alternative protein sources, such as duck or rabbit, and avoid common allergens. You can also look for pet foods labeled as “hypoallergenic” or “limited ingredient” to ensure they do not contain any potential triggers for your pet’s allergies.

The Right Pet Food Can Help with Some Medical Conditions

Just as the wrong diet can lead to a medical condition in a pet, such as obesity or diabetes, the reverse is true – proper nutrition can help relieve some medical conditions. A diet formulated for a specific condition can help manage the condition in many cases, such as:

• Obesity
• Diabetes
• Pancreatitis
• Bladder Stones
• Heart Disease
• Diarrhea

We Offer Nutritional Counseling at Fox Run

Obesity is a common problem among pets, as it can be easy to over-feed a pet that knows how to beg and pull on our heartstrings. But being overweight is a serious pet problem and can cause real health issues as pet ages. With proper diet and exercise, all pets should be able to meet their dietary needs and be within a healthy weight range. We offer nutritional counseling to help you select a diet for your pet’s health and lifestyle.

Also, for your convenience, you can register and access Purina Pro Plan Direct from our website, order your pet’s food, and have it shipped for free directly to your home.

Final Words

We believe in treating every pet as our own and giving them the same loving attention and care. We are highly trained, experienced animal lovers devoted to giving our patients the best care possible. And that includes helping you select the best diet for your furry loved one. If you have any questions about how we can care for your pet, please don’t hesitate to call us at (810) 678-8738.

Your Friendly Team
Fox Run Animal Hospital