It is clear that having a pet or two at home could be your family’s bundle of joy, but ensuring that your pets are in good health may seem well like a chore sometimes. To do this, we have to maintain a balanced and nutritional diet for them; otherwise they run the risk of ailments such as diabetes, pancreatitis and kidney degeneration. In this article, we raise the concerns of the top three pet food myths:
Pet Food Labels are Reliable
Pet owners are programmed to look out for words on pet food labels such as ‘natural’, ‘organic’ or ‘holistic’, in an effort to nurture their pets’ health by providing a ‘healthier’ meal. However, most fail to realise that commercial pet food contains preservatives, additives and flavourings – so they are after all, not natural or organic at all.
A more reliable label that is meant to cater to the specific health needs of your pet should contain phrases like ‘single in animal protein source’ or ‘contains no carbohydrates’. Since pets’ diet are mainly derived from protein sources, it is vital to look out for meat listed in the ingredient list, such as beef, turkey or lamb. Avoid purchasing pet food that contain soy or corn, as they are highly allergenic and estrogenic to your pets and may cause damage to their endocrine system.
It’s Okay to Feed My Dog Table Scraps
Owners must bear in mind that sharing treats with your pet adds extra calories to its diet, which often leads to the common-occurring problem of obesity. Food such as bacon, beef trimmings and poultry skin should never be shared with your pooch as they contain high levels of fat, which can cause pancreatitis.
Our food is also usually laden with copious amounts of sodium. Though they do not pose a problem to healthy dogs, they should be taken into account for dogs with chronic kidney problems. Unregulated feeding will lead to the exacerbation of kidney failure.
Dry Cat Food helps to Clean My Cat’s Teeth
Unlike dog food, cat food does not help to clean your feline’s teeth at all. Cats do not chew dry food, and often swallow it whole. The pellets often shatter in the cat’s mouth, and only come in contact with the tips of its teeth. With such minimal contact with the teeth, there is practically no inhibition of tartar or plaque, which forms at the gum line.
The only way to keep your cat’s gums healthy is to commit to daily teeth brushing and regular visits to the vet. Veterinarians have testified that diet has no known cause to gum diseases, and instead attributed it to genetics and other concurrent diseases such as feline leukaemia.
