Twenty Tips for Better Pet Nutrition

Not all animals are thrilled with a change in diet. Dogs in general tend to be more amenable to new foods. But cats can be downright finicky. How can you gently prod your pets toward a healthier diet without depressing them or causing digestive distress?

1. Introduce new foods in stages, not all at once. Feed a dollop of the new along with the old, and after a week, add more of the new, until you're only feeding the new diet.

2. Blend a teaspoon to a tablespoon food-processed/minced/blended veggies and cooked grains such as brown rice or oatmeal, raw egg yolks, and raw or lightly cooked organ meats with the regular canned food, gradually reducing the amount of the canned food and increasing the new, healthier ingredients. Give your pet a turkey or chicken neck as "dessert" after he eats his regular meal.

3. It's less mind-boggling to think in terms of food groups and nutritional balance rather than in percentages. But cats do need a higher proportion of animal protein and fats to vegetables and grains than dogs. Protein levels for cats should be 30% to 50%, and for fats, 15% to 30%; for dogs, proteins should be around 20% to 40%, and fats 10% to 20%. But these are rough estimates, dependent on variables like age, state of health, activity level, and climate.

4. If you're used to providing kibble for your dog and cat and you're not scared off by all the pet food recalls, purchase a premium quality brand from your local feed or pet food store. Arguably it has more nutritional value than the cheaper brands, so your pets will require smaller amounts than the Purina-style stuff. But don't buy a large bag if you won't use it within a month or two, because the better brands contain natural preservatives like vitamin E, which spoil faster than the toxic chemicals used in cheap kibble.

5. Don't leave food out all day for your pets to nibble on. In the wild, animals regularly go through periods of feast and famine, and their metabolism is adapted to long periods without food. Cats and dogs are not grazers; they need eating breaks for optimal function of their digestive enzymes. Remove any uneaten food after half an hour, and don't leave kibble out constantly. Continual snacking on food causes obesity and disease in pets.

6. If your pet is at her proper weight, you should be able to feel her ribs, but not see them.

7. Some pet nutritionists and holistic veterinarians recommend fasting your animal one day a week if he is at least two years old, providing only distilled or filtered water for that day, and lots of attention in the form of play and grooming to keep his mind off food. You might consider fasting along with your pet. However, do not fast a pet who is ill without the advice of your veterinarian.

8. How often should you feed your pet? Some say twice a day, others say once is sufficient. Use your judgment. If your pet has a weight problem, perhaps two small meals a day would be better.

9. Serve food tepid (room temperature), the closest to what it would be in the wild.

10. Use a processor, juicer, or blender for veggies and fruits, or mince them into small pieces. Dogs and cats have short intestinal tracts that make it difficult to digest and absorb the nutrients if the pieces are too big.

11. Raw, organic apple cider vinegar kills some bacteria, and has digestive enzymes that your pets may lack because of a chronic diet of precooked, commercial pet food. Give 1-2 tsp to cats and small dogs and 1-2 tbsp to larger dogs. Another choice is Prozyme, a commercial enzyme available in health food stores.

12. Some nutritionists are convinced that yeast and cultivated grain products should not be given to dogs and cats because they may cause allergies and are not foods that animals would eat in the wild. However, brown rice is usually tolerated, and it's non-allergenic. Watch your pet for digestive problems if you do feed yeast and grains, and adjust the diet accordingly.

13. Snacks can be given in the form of raw unsalted nuts and seeds (but not peanuts because of the danger of aflatoxins), fruits, raw beef knuckle bones, and whole grain dog biscuits. Avoid plastic bones, pig ears, beef strips, and rawhide because they are usually chemically treated.

14. Feel free to experiment with other "human" foods, but don't offer sugar-laden snacks, and NEVER chocolate, which can actually be deadly to dogs and cats. It goes without saying that these snacks should be given in moderation. Grapes and raisins should not be given to dogs.

15. Although some nutritionists believe dairy products are contraindicated in adult dogs and cats, yogurt and raw, unpasteurized goat's milk may be tolerated and can add protein to the diet.

16. Some nutritionists claim it's not healthy to combine different categories of food. They advise feeding meat and heavy proteins in one meal, fruits and grains in another. However, vegetables may be combined with proteins, fruits, and grains. Mixing disparate foods may result in pancreatitis because different enzymes are required to digest them. Again, observe your animals for digestive problems (diarrhea, constipation, gas, burping) and use your judgment.

17. Always use lead-free ceramic, glass, or stainless steel dishes, never plastic.

18. Provide distilled or reverse osmosis water, or use a water filter on your faucet. Spring water sounds healthy, but it may just be bottled tap water, so don't waste your money.

19. To save money, buy in bulk. Make arrangements with your butcher to buy bones, organ meats, turkey and chicken necks and backs, etc., in quantity. Look for sales of organic meat or free-range chickens at the health food store. Check out the produce at farmer's markets.

20. If you decide to try homemade, make sure your pet is getting enough vitamins and minerals. Consider mixing together a nutritional mix of yeast, lecithin, kelp, wheat bran and bone meal and stirring it into wet food (or use a pet multivitamin/mineral tablet.) Recipes for nutritional mixes can be found in Anitra Frazier's and Richard Pitcairn's books. Check with your veterinarian to make sure your dog or cat is getting adequate nutrition on the new diet.