Sensible Guide to Nutrition

When choosing your pet’s food and treats, simply remember:  What is healthy for you is healthy for your pet, and what is not healthy for you is not healthy for your pet.

The best diets contain muscle meat (no by-products), fruits, vegetables, minimal whole grains for dogs (exclusive of corn), and no grains for cats.

But beware!  Don’t be fooled by clever marketing and pretty packaging.  Just because the label says “natural” or the commercial says “healthy” doesn't mean the ingredients are “all natural” or even beneficial to your pet.  Understand your ingredients.

The ingredients that are best will include:  

• Meat Source – Any named meat or meal such as Beef, Bison, Duck, Turkey, Chicken, Herring, Lamb, Salmon, or Venison.  "By-products" are not acceptable, and simply stating “fish” or “meat” is not acceptable.  There should be a higher ratio of meat to grain in any grain-containing food. 
• Grain Source – Whole grains such as Brown Rice, Barley, Oats, and Millet.  Never corn.  Corn is added to raise the protein analysis level of inferior foods.  Corn cannot be processed by your dog or cat. 
• Fruits/Vegetables – Whole or organic fruits and vegetables are best.  Just because a label contains “apple” or “tomato” doesn’t mean it is necessarily good.  There is a big difference between “apples” and “apple pomace”:   One is a whole fruit, the other is the waste product from juicing apples.
• Oils – Many good fats or oils are Chicken fat, Sunflower oil, and Salmon oil.  These contain the needed Essential Fatty Acids Omega 3 and 6 and also serve as natural preservatives.
• Vitamins/Minerals – Vitamins A, C, E, Taurine (required for cats) and chelated minerals.
• Probiotics – Such as Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Bifidobacterium Longum, etc.  These are beneficial, live microorganisms which aid intestinal functions and prevent or treat pathogen-induced issues.

Avoid these ingredients: 

• Unnamed Proteins and Fillers – These will be listed as by-products, meat and bone meal, dried egg product, and gluten or gluten meal. 
• Undesirable Grains – Refined flours, ground yellow corn, mill runs, brewers rice, powders, or cellulose.  These contribute more carbohydrates than are needed and/or simply pass through your pet unused.
• Undesirable Fruits/Vegetables – Beet pulp, unnamed pomaces.
• Undesirable Oils – May be listed as animal fat, poultry fat, or vegetable oil.
• Artificial Preservatives – Such as BHA, BHT, potassium sorbate, ethoxyquin, and sodium nitrate.
• Coloring – Carmel or FD&C coloring.

Health and Economic Benefits

"All-natural" foods are more nutritionally dense than commercial brands, so less food per meal is needed.  Most allergy and some medical issues can be controlled with an appropriate, all-natural diet versus relying on injections, medications, and prescription foods to relieve symptoms.  The prolonged use of inferior foods found in big retail chains and grocery stores can actually bring about many of the maladies which cause us to seek veterinary help.  All things considered, the benefits of feeding "all-natural" will reduce your expenses when it comes to taking care of your pets.

You want your pets to live long, healthy lives, and good nutrition is the easiest and most affordable place to start.  Pets 1^st has the knowledge to guide you to the best choices for your pets’ individual diet and supplement needs.