Basic Diet Information for Dogs & Cats
Although there have been a couple of FDA warnings issued, not every pet guardian has received the memo that grain-free diets can be very harmful to dogs. Research is ongoing to elucidate the mechanism, but high levels of ingredients such as lentils, peas, chickpeas, and potatoes have been linked to a serious heart disease, dilated cardiomyopathy. It’s not the lack of grain that’s the problem, but the higher amounts of those legumes & pulses.
Luckily, grain allergies are exceedingly rare in dogs. When dogs have food hypersensitivities, it’s typically the animal protein that they react to (chicken is the most common offender, followed by beef). If feeding a commercial diet, AAFCO testing is often seen as the gold standard for quality. Most commercial pet foods are AAFCO formulated, but not all undergo the testing process. I do not have any affiliation with pet food companies, but currently the food that I am most comfortable recommending for dogs without chicken allergy is Fromm (grain-inclusive). The reason for this is that while many large corporate brands have performed AAFCO testing, I find the ingredients lists objectionable.
Puppies have about 2-3x higher caloric requirements compared to adult dogs of similar size, and often require more frequent meals. The life stage of the animal is important to consider (feed an age specific variety, or one that is formulated for all life stages).
For cats, canned pate is the preferred type of commercial food. Dry food can increase the risk of weight problems, urinary tract disease, and diabetes mellitus. There is a comprehensive article entitled “Transitioning Dry Food Addict Cats to Canned Food” by Lisa A. Pierson, DVM. This is freely available and I recommend checking it out if you have feline friends!
If you have the means and the dedication to prepare home cooked food for your pets, this can be a healthy option especially if it is well balanced with all the essential vitamins & minerals. Although dogs are omnivores, cats are obligate carnivores, and should never be fed a vegetarian/vegan diet. They also have unique taurine requirements, and if the diet is deficient, they can develop serious heart and eye problems. This is one reason why it’s not recommended to feed dog food to a cat. If using a home cooked diet, I recommend checking out the Balance IT website.
“When the diet is wrong, medicine is of no use; when the diet is right, medicine is of no need.” Ayurvedic proverb.
