Are you feeding your pet the right food?
As the saying goes, you are what you eat and the same applies to your pet. Good nutrition is essential in keeping your pet healthy. The proper diet can help him maintain a healthy weight, keep his coat lustrous and help keep his teeth clean. It can also help address health issues like itchy skin, certain urinary tract disorders and hip and joint stiffness.
So how can you tell what if you’re currently feeding your pet is providing him the proper nutrition?
The proof is in the protein
Premium foods contain higher-quality proteins from chicken, fish, lamb and beef. Protein is an essential nutrient in your pet’s diet and a building block for healthy coat, skin and muscle growth. Lower-quality proteins derived from bone and connective tissue have lower nutrient value.
Higher-quality ingredients = better digestibility
The higher-quality ingredients in premium foods are more digestible and contain more usable nutrients. The better the digestibility, the more nutrients your pet will absorb in his system. Foods with lower-quality ingredients are less digestible and move more quickly through your pet’s system.
Not convinced you should switch your current pet food brand to a premium food? Learn the benefits of feeding a premium brand over a lower-quality food.
Premium food: The benefits
- Less waste for you to pick up: Because premium foods are more digestible and enable your pet to absorb more nutrients, your pet will require less food per feeding which means your pet will produce less stool. That means less clean up for you especially if you’re potty training. Lower-quality foods with lower digestibility and caloric density require more feedings and can cause more frequent bowel movements and increased flatulence.
- Better value: Because you feed less amounts with premium food, it only costs pennies more per day to provide your pet with superior nutrition.
- For the health of your pet: Because of their quality nutrients, premium foods help keep your pet’s skin and coat healthy and may help avoid issues including food allergies, sensitive stomach, obesity and hip and joint stiffness. Specially formulated premium foods can also help with conditions such as hairballs, urinary tract issues and oral disease.
The information used in this report is approved by PetSmart nutritionists and vet experts.
Information from "Small Animal Clinical Nutrition," 4th Edition, Hand, Thatcher, Remillard, Roudebush, Copyright 2000 by Mark Morris Institute was used in this report.
