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Provide a healthy diet – this is the BEST preventive medicine.
A healthy diet for your pet doesn’t have to be expensive – even dry kibble can be ok as long as they get proper nutrients from food, hydration from water, and maintain an “ideal weight”:
A healthy diet for your pet doesn’t have to be expensive – even dry kibble can be ok as long as they get proper nutrients from food, hydration from water, and maintain an “ideal weight”:
FOOD
The absolute cheapest pet foods in the stores are often a lot of junk filler.
BUT there are still many low-cost food brands provide decent nutrition – know that for just few pennies more per pound you can usually get something substantially better for your pet.
Read about specific foods:
More Tips:
Don’t feed dogs cat food or feed cats dog food. Cats need higher protein food than are meant for dogs’ systems. Pet food is made differently to meet each species needs
In general, feed pets <1 yr puppy/kitten food. Puppies & kittens need higher protein and fat than adult pets for healthy development. Puppy & kitten food is intended to address this critical need so is advised for pets <1 year. NOTE: “small breed” dog food is NOT puppy food.
Read more:
- Puppy Food Types, Feeding Schedule, and Nutrition
- Feeding a Kitten: Kitten Food Types and Schedule
After spay/neuter a pet’s metabolism may slow down due to a drop in hormones, so monitor your pet’s weight and if needed make sure they get enough exercise and reduce calorie intake. If the same amount/type of food is given and they don’t get enough exercise pets may put on weight (see below) after their spay neuter.
In general, “people food” is not a good idea for pets – though some fruits/veggies can be given in small amounts as a treat:
Foods to AVOID:
High grease, salt, sugar, hat fat meats (pork), and highly processed foods can cause diarrhea/vomiting or, worse, pancreatitis – an expensive and potentially life-threatening problem
Sharp bone pieces and un-digestible items (corn cobs) obstructions can require surgery and be fatal
Certain foods are toxic to pets (in grapes/raisins, dark chocolate, onions/garlic) and can be fatal
Peanut butter, gum or candy with Xylitol listed as an ingredient
Treats that are ok for dogs (in small amounts)
Cooked (no spice)/ raw/ frozen:
Sweet potatoes
Carrots
Peas
Blueberries
Bananas
WATER
Water is cheap, so keep your pet well-hydrated to ward off illness.
Ensuring daily access to fresh water can help save your pet from long term kidney/urinary problems that can be expensive to treat.
Keeping the bowl clean and removing slime can prevent illness caused by bacteria.
When cleansing bowls make sure you really rinse soap residue as it too can cause diarrhea
More Tips:
Refresh water daily and rinse bowls.
Read more: Should I Wash My Dog's Water Bowl Every Day? - Best Pet Facts
Consider mixing some water into food to make a gravy/stew to increase water intake.
Make healthy cheap ‘treats’ by mixing a few kibbles in water in ice cube trays and making tasty fun ‘pup cubes’ (especially great cool treats on a hot day!).
GOOD WEIGHT
Being underweight or overweight can be unhealthy, but the most common problem is overweight pets, as owners do not realize the severe health damage of ‘loving’ their pet with too much food and treats.
An overweight or obese pet has a higher risk of several health problems (e.g., early onset arthritis, diabetes, breathing difficulties, kidney and heart disease). Treatment is often expensive and only manages painful, life shortening conditions while pets suffer.
The ideal pet weight is a body condition score (BCS) of “5” out of 9. This means a pet has a slight ‘waist’ showing after last rib, with other ribs that can be felt (with no excess fat covering).
Read more:
More tips:
Just because your pet is hungry does not mean it needs additional calories.
Note that many veterinarians may not point out that a pet is overweight to avoid offending owners. They can often help with treating some of the conditions that develop because a pet is overweight – But it’s better for your pet’s well-being and is less expensive in the long run to reduce the risk of the problem to begin with by reducing food intake.
Expensive diet foods are often not needed, just a gradual reduction of food amounts over weeks and months. For dogs, a safe weight loss should be no more than 3-5% of body weight per month; for cats 0.5–2% body weight or about 0.5 lbs per month.
How to safely reduce your pet’s weight?
Consistent meals two (or more) times a day - at similar times.
Appropriate serving sizes.
Reduce treats or use lower-calorie treats or fruits and vegetables as rewards instead of higher-calorie items.
Avoid table scraps.
Exercise (more and or longer walks, fetch)
Read: Help Your Dog Reach a Healthy Body Condition
NOTE: Puppies between 2 - 6 months may be thin due to a rapid growth period, (BSC 2-3)
– the higher calorie puppy food given 3-4 times a day can help healthier body development.
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