As a pet owner you want to ensure you are feeding your pet a healthy and balanced diet.
We recommend and stock premium pet food products, these include Delicate care (Australian made with Australian ingredients), Hill’s science diet and Royal Canin. Their research behind the formulas and their commitment to safety and quality is excellent.
Pet foods vary enormously in price and quality and many contain poor quality ingredients and excesses of nutrients. Commercial pet foods are often sold on palatability and have high levels of salt and fat. Often a single product is fed for all ages where nutrients are added at levels to meet the highest potential need – usually growth and reproduction. Precise nutrition is essential, as too few or too many nutrients can be harmful to a pet. By feeding the right food at the right age you can help prevent problems later in life and help your pet live longer.
Many owners believe that a homemade diet is best for their pet. It is possible to achieve the same nutrient balance with a homemade diet as with a commercially prepared food but this largely depends on the accuracy of the recipe and the compliance and discipline of the owner. Unfortunately, many homemade diets you find online are not complete or balanced to fulfil animal requirements and tend to be a one size fits all type of recipe. If you wish to feed a home-made diet to your pet, please contact the clinic and we can formulate a diet with a nutritionist that is balanced for your pets need.
Is your pet a bit on the heavier side?
You should be able to feel your pet’s ribs under a thin layer of tissue. They should have a waist to that when you run your hands down their side it should be thinner than the rib cage.
If your pet is overweight, the added weight puts pressure on the joints and predisposes your pet to arthritis. The fat you see on the outside is also coating the arteries and veins on the inside increasing the risk of severe liver and heart disease.
Ways to get weight off:
- Ask us about our weight loss program, our experienced Veterinary Nurses can give tips and advice to help your pet slim down
- Increase their exercise- for dogs it can be adding in more walks and for cat’s new toys or cat palaces to play with
- Decrease their ration- feed them a good quality food using the packets guide to daily feeding and FEED THEM TO THE WEIGHT YOU WANT THEM TO BE NOT THE WEIGHT THEY ARE.
Tasmanian Veterinary Hospital really wants to help get your pet in the best form they can be so feel free to ask us question or seek advice, we are always willing to help!
Your pet can live a longer, healthier life through proper nutrition. Every animal progresses through different life stages as they mature. Each stage is unique and requires different nutritional needs.