Nutritional Needs; Commercial Food Usually Best Idea

By Allan Paul.

A lot of research has been done to determine the nutrient needs of dogs and cats. In fact, probably more is known about pet nutrition than human nutrition.

Proper feeding of pets has been made much easier with the development of commercial pet foods. A good, brand name, complete and balanced commercial pet food contains all the nutrients the pet needs and in the proper proportions.

Most pets today are fed commercial foods and since most of these are well-formulated, nutritional deficiencies now are uncommon. When deficiencies are seen, they usually are in animals fed solely on a homemade diet. It is difficult to prepare a homemade diet that contains all the nutrients the animal requires so in most cases it is easier and safer to feed a commercial food.

If you are determined to feed a homemade diet, make every effort to balance the nutrients in the ration.

Feeding an unbalanced diet for a length of time can lead to some serious diseases. For instance, dogs fed an all meat diet may develop severe skeletal problems characterized by lameness, joint pain and swelling, and even bending and fractures of the long bones. This is due to the fact that meat is very low in calcium and phosphorus and the calcium: phosphorus ratio is about 1 to 15, whereas 1.2 to 1 is the optimal ratio.

Skeletal problems also are seen in cats fed diets composed primarily of liver. That is due to excessive intake of vitamin A.

These are just a couple of examples of problems that can develop in pets fed unbalanced diets. So if you decide to feed a homemade diet, discuss it first with a nutritionist or veterinarian. They can provide you with the information needed on how to balance the diet properly.

Many good books on pet nutrition can be found in the library. One of these, The Collins Guide to Dog Nutrition by D. R. Collins, Howell Book House, Inc., New York, 1973, contains an excellent section on how to formulate your own home diet.

Read Label Carefully

When selecting a commercial pet food it is important to read the label very carefully. Certain foods, especially some of the generic products, are not designed to be the sole source of the animal's diet, but only intended for supplemental or intermittent feeding.

The label on the food you select should contain the words "complete and balanced" or "100 percent nutritionally complete." If this claim is made on the label, the product must either meet or exceed all the National Research Council (NRC) requirements or pass strict testing protocols.

There are three basic types of commercial pet foods available today dry, semi-moist, and canned. If they are complete and balanced products, all three are equally nutritious and each has its own advantages and disadvantages.

One important factor in selecting the type of food is cost. Canned foods contain over 75 percent water, semi-moist around 25 percent and dry food about 10 percent. As a result, canned foods can cost up to 8 to 10 times as much as dry food when compared on a nutritional basis. An added advantage of dry food is its abrasive action which helps keep the pet's teeth clean.

The amount of food a pet needs depends on its size and age but also on its activity, environment, and disposition. For example, high-strung or very active animals expend more energy and need to eat more. Also, the food required by animals kept outdoors in the winter will increase 50 to 75 percent over that needed in the summer.

The most practical method for maintaining a dog or cat is to establish an ideal or desired body weight and then feed a sufficient quantity of food to maintain that weight.

Growing Pet Needs

Feeding levels also vary according to the various stages in the animal's life. Growing pups or kittens require a greater quantity of nutrients than adults. These are required to build bone, muscles, and organs.

That is an important stage in the life cycle and a good quality commercial puppy or kitten food should be used. These contain the added nutrients the young animal needs; hence supplementation is not required during the growing period.