September - Pets
September - Pets
September - Pets

Your Pet's Proper Diet and Nutrition

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  • Along with a healthy, species-appropriate diet, providing supplements to your pets can help address certain health issues and help support their health in the long run
  • It’s important that you feed them raw ingredients because they contain important enzymes and phytonutrients that are typically destroyed during food processing

 

Your pets rely on you to make the best decisions possible for their health and well-being. Researching the proper diet and supplements for your pet is absolutely crucial to keep them youthful and full of life.

5 Key Tips to Optimal Pet Health

The majority of pet owners today purchase food filled with carbohydrate fillers such as potato, wheat and corn. Similar to humans, this causes weight gain and the development of other complications such as diabetes and cancer in pets. In short, these additives are biologically inappropriate for pets and should be avoided as much as possible.

A Raw, Homemade Species-Appropriate Diet Is Key for Optimal Health

The proper solution is to make your own pet food at home using high-quality ingredients that your four-legged friend will enjoy. It’s important that you feed them raw ingredients because they contain important enzymes and phytonutrients that are typically destroyed during food processing.

The great thing about this approach is that you can be flexible and adjust the ingredients accordingly based on your pet’s preferences. You can also cook the food if your pet won’t eat a raw diet.

The Best Supplements You Can Get for Your Pet

Along with a healthy, species-appropriate diet, providing supplements to your pets can help address certain health issues and help support their health in the long run. Some of the most useful supplements can help improve their:

Gastrointestinal Tract: To support a healthy digestive system, two beneficial supplements are generally recommended: probiotics and digestive enzymes.

Probiotics are friendly bacteria that thrive in your pet’s digestive tract, which help prevent pathogenic microbes from creating diseases. However, be sure to avoid feeding your pet human probiotics because these products use different bacterial strains that may not be effective for animals. Only use high-quality probiotics that are specially formulated for pets.

Digestive enzymes, on the other hand, help aid the absorption of nutrients from the food your pets eat. This helps maximize the food your pets eat each and every meal.

Liver and Kidney Function: Liver and kidney supplements can help provide additional support for your pet’s digestive functions and reduce the risk of urinary tract infections. There’s a diverse list that can help augment this area: Milk thistle, SAMe, L-glycine, chlorella, resveratrol, taurine, curcumin, decaffeinated green tea leaf extract and N-acetyl L-cysteine are all viable options.

Cardiovascular Health: One valuable supplement that can help support healthy cardiovascular function is CoQ10, or ubiquinol, which is its reduced form. CoQ10 is a coenzyme produced in the liver to support energy and growth, and cardiovascular cells happen to demand high levels of it. All pets ages 7 and above can benefit from taking this supplement.

Joint Health: As pets grow older, they may need special care and attention on their joints due to years of running and jumping around, especially for larger breeds. A healthy diet and regular exercise are both helpful in maintaining proper joint function. But if these do not suffice, natural eggshell membrane may help support healthy joints.

Skin and Coat Health: To support a healthy skin and coat, essential fatty acids should be at the top of your list, such as omega-3. They can come in natural forms, such as wild-caught salmonsardines and anchovies. They can also come in supplement form, such as krill oil, which you can easily add to your pet’s food for convenient consumption.

Good Nutrition for Your Pets Starts at Home

If you’ve been feeding your dog or cat regular canned pet food, it’s time to make a change. Feeding them a natural, nutritious diet is more in line with their ancestors’ way of living, and is a sure way to lift their disposition. Not only will they thank you for it, but they will surely shower you with even more love in the years to come.

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