Pet Nutrition Services at Chatham Animal Hospital
Your pet's health hinges on the food he consumes. Here at Chatham Animal Hospital, our three-veterinarian team can provide pet nutrition services to help your special friend live a long and happy life.
Principles of Pet Nutrition
Pets have easy access to foods that they might never encounter in the wild -- not necessarily a good thing since their digestive systems require a specific mix of nutrients in the proper quantities. Proper pet nutrition can vary from animal to animal; it certainly varies from species to species. For instance, your cat may be content to munch on dog food, or vice versa, but he won't get the nutrients he needs from these products. While dogs can get their nutrients from both plant and animal sources, cats must get all their nutrients, including amino acids such as taurine, from meat-based foods. Our veterinarian in Carey will urge you to seek out the proper form of "chow" for your particular animal.
Human foods are bad for pets in a number of ways. Not only are they likely to be deficient in certain key nutrients, but they also tend to be loaded with salt, sugar, fats, preservatives and other potentially harmful ingredients. Some human foods are even toxic to dogs and/or cats, such as:
- Citrus fruits
- Grapes and raisins
- Garlic and onions
- Chocolate (and other caffeinated products)
- Foods made with the non-sugar sweeter xylitol
Too much food can be as harmful as the wrong kinds of food, especially when your pet cannot burn off the extra calories. Pet obesity is a genuine epidemic in this country -- a preventable problem that can lead to diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis, heart disease, organ failure, and cancer. That's why you need to know when and how often to feed your pet his favorite foods.
Counselling, Advice, and Wellness Care From Your Veterinarian in Cary
Your veterinarian in Cary can help you keep your pet eating for health. For starters, we may advise different diets and feeding routines for your pet at different stages of his life. Puppies and kittens can require several meals a day, while the adult animal may need only a couple of daily feedings. Senior pets may need to switch to lower-calorie foods in response to reduced metabolic and activity levels. We will also advise you on how to resist handing out table scraps and how to protect your pet accidental exposure to toxic foods.
In some cases, we may prescribe specific foods or nutritional supplements for medical purposes, from specialized diets that address allergies or diseases to foods with anti-inflammatory properties. If your pet needs to lose weight, we can prescribe dietary adjustments and an exercise plan to help re-balance the metabolic scales.
Call Our Cary Animal Hospital Today
Your pet is depending on your for his nutritional care -- so depend on us. Call our Cary animal hospital at (919) 469-8114 for pet nutrition assistance! We look forward to meeting with you!