Frequent Diet Questions
1) What to feed my dog or cat?
This is probably one of the top questions veterinarians get asked. The truth of the matter is there is no one size fits all answer for this. This would be the equivalent of you going to your doctor and asking, “what food should I solely eat every day?” Animals, like most people, can have a wide range of things they can eat. This includes different dog and cat foods. I find that if you stick to dog food or cat food you are doing fine. The companies I generally stick to are companies that have done food trials with AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials)
Companies that have gone through AAFCO testing have done food trials with animals to make sure their food is providing adequate nutrition. The four that have a long history of meeting AAFCO standards are: Hill’s Science Diet, Royal Canin, Purina ProPlan, and Iams/Eukanuba. There are other brands as well that are going through AAFCO food trials.
2) What if I feed something else than what is discussed above?
There are a large number of pet foods on the market that I call boutique brands. Most of time I do not see problems with these brands. Here’s the analogy I use with these brands: When we eat a steak in the United States it has been evaluated by the USDA for consumption and graded as prime, choice or select. If we go to another country and eat a steak it has probably not gone through the same testing as it does in America. It does not mean the steak is bad. On the contrary, I’m sure you could find a wonderful steak in somewhere like Argentina! But these boutique brands, like the steaks from another country, have not undergone this certification.
3) How much food and water should I give my cat or dog?
Food is not a cut and dry answer as animals will require different caloric needs for at different stages of their lives. A puppy or kitten will require much more calories than a 14-year-old cat or dog. Back of the bag labels can be used as a guideline. If you want to calculate by calories several formulas and charts can be found online. I would not be able to keep this paper brief if I went into caloric requirements.
Water is easier to calculate. A dog should drink 1 ounce of water for every pound they weigh over a 24-hour day. A cat should roughly drink a 12-ounce soda can of water over the course of a day. A 70-pound dog should drink roughly a 2-liter bottle of soda over the course of a day.
4) Can I make my own homemade diet?
Yes- for dogs only. I do not advise this for cats (see below). Just make sure it is nutritionally balanced. I recommend finding diets on the website Balance It.
5) What about feeding a raw diet?
I personally do not advise this for your pet. Here are my two problems with the raw diet: The first one is I do not believe dogs are getting all the nutrients they need with a raw diet. Nutritional deficiencies are a big reason canines in the wild typically only live 5-7 years. The second is much of the meat that is used in the raw diet was handled on a meat packing floor. As of such, it can be prone to deadly bacteria like Salmonella or E. coli.
6) What about a grain free diet?
Grain free diets have a purpose in dogs that have an allergy to grain but aren’t always needed if a dog does not have an allergen to wheat. Food allergies are not as common as flea or environmental allergies. Wheat is considered the fourth most common food allergen causing 17% of the food allergies. So, in conclusion, grain allergies exist but are not very common. The new concern with grain free diets is the possibility leading to heart issues when dogs reach the age of 10 due to a deficiency in an amino acid called Taurine. Grain free diets became popular after the fertilizer scare in pet food that happened around 2007. Ten years later, around 2017, we were finding dogs that were developing heart problems that have been on grain free diets their whole life. This is a relatively new finding and at this time we can not say for sure if there is a correlation or not. It is advised that if you want or need to keep you animal on a grain free diet that you supplement their diet with taurine once a day. Taurine is a supplement that is easily brought in a grocery store or on Amazon. The recommended dose is 250 mg once a day if your dog does not have heart issues and 500 mg once a day if your dog has been diagnosed with a heart condition.
7) My dog or cat is overweight. Now what?
Getting them to lose weight will help reduce health concerns like back problems, arthritis, and even diabetes as they age. Generally, you should be able to easily feel your pet’s ribs but not see them. They should also have an “hourglass” shape when you look at them from above. The unfortunate answer to losing weight is diet and exercise. There isn’t a magic pill that helps them lose weight. Dogs should be played with more, walked more, and given a reduced fat diet. I often recommend taking away 25% of their food and replacing it with green beans or peas. This will keep their stomach feeling full, but they will have less calories. Cats will be harder to get to lose weight. Often encouraging jumping and playing with them for 15-20 minutes a day will help. Laser pointers do work but do note they can frustrate cats as there is nothing they can catch with their paws. There are special prescription diets we can also try if weight loss proves to be challenging (which unfortunately it sometimes is).
8) OK I like dogs but I’m a cat owner. Anything about cats I should know?
Why yes indeed! Thanks for asking! Dogs are considered omnivores which means they can eat pretty much like us. They can eat both plants and meat. Cats, however, are obligate carnivores. This means they must eat meat. DO NOT TRY TO MAKE YOUR CAT VEGETARIAN OR VEGAN! They will not get their proper nutrition. Also, cats should stick to cat food and not eat dog food. If they eat only dog food, they will be deficient in the amino acid Taurine (yes there it is again!). In cats a taurine deficiency leads to both heart problems and blindness.
9) My female cat or dog is pregnant. Anything I should change?
All pregnant females, dog or cat, should be switched to puppy food or kitten food from the time pregnancy is discovered until they stop nursing the puppies or kittens (about 6 weeks of age). The mom will need plenty of extra calories to make milk.
10) What foods should I avoid at all costs?
This list does not include everything (see ASPCA Poison Control) but these are the common things to avoid:
Alcohol, apple seeds, apricot pits, avocados, cherry pits, chocolate ( —>call us to see if this is an emergency for your dog’s weight!), chives, coffee (even beans), garlic, grapes ( —> call us to see if this is an emergency for your dog’s weight!), gum (especially sugar free —> this is an emergency!), hops, macadamia nuts, moldy foods, ALL MUSHROOMS (get rid of them immediately if seen in your yard), mustard seeds, peach pits, onions, potato leaves/stems, raisins, rhubarb leaves, caffeinated tea, tomatoes, walnuts, Xylitol (artificial sweetener —> this is an emergency!), yeast dough. Also avoid easter lilies around Easter ( —> this is an emergency!), and poinsettias around Christmas time.
This is a list of some of the most common questions I get asked about food. If there is anything else, feel free to contact us at 253-858-9111.
Sincerely,
Dr. Scott Hoffman
Gig Harbor Veterinary Hospital
