Healthy diet for your pets

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You Are What You Eat . . .

and that old adage applies to Fluffy & Fido as well.

Forty years ago our pets ate table scraps – leftover food from the family dinner table – and the life span of our dogs and cats was almost twice what it is today. Why? Simple: our pets were eating a fresh and healthy balanced diet high in protein and vegetables and low in starches. Somewhere along the way, we were lectured about feeding table scraps, pointed in the direction of mass-produced dog and cat food through slick advertising, and derailed our own pet’s health. It’s time to start thinking smart and put our pets onto the path to good health. So what should you do?

Educate Yourself.
Read pet food labels. A balanced and healthy pet food will contain fruits, vegetables, eggs, meat and whole grains. Yes, really. If your bag of kibble lists ingredients like corn, animal digest, or meat by-products, it should also show a picture of a skull and crossbones. It’s a slow poison for your pet. What are those colors anyway? If the kibble isn’t brown, it’s dyed by-product—and not the vegetables the manufacturers want you to believe is in their food.

Be Aware of Risks Associated With
Mass Produced Pet Food.
Allergies have now become a common ailment of our pets. And corn is the most common culprit. You can find corn in almost every mass-produced pet food. Salmonella isn’t just fatal to humans–this bacterial cause of food poisoning has recently been implicated in recent pet food recalls including major manufacturers. Melamine is a plastic made in China that was used as filler in pet foods and infant formula. This chemical caused the illness and death of thousands of unsuspecting dogs and cats. If you fed Special Kitty, Pedigree, Ol’ Roy, Maker’s Mark – you are truly lucky to still have your pet.

So, what’s the solution? YOU.
Take Action. Yes, dry kibble is convenient and if this is the route you must use, look for brands that do not use corn or meat by-products. Check the INGREDIENTS! Feed your pets the same thing you eat—just a lot less of it. People food is calorie-packed. But feed chicken, beef, eggs, broccoli, cauliflower, small amounts of potato, just skip the sauce and salt and pepper. There are only 4 things to avoid: chocolate, onion, grapes and raisins.

What’s the absolute best? Go Raw.
This is the most natural diet for dogs and cats and the benefits are almost immediate. But Raw isn’t for every lifestyle. Ask us if you’re a good candidate and how to safely feed a Raw diet.