Many people ask, “What should I feed my pet?”  The key to picking a good dog or cat food is choosing one that is well-balanced and suits your pet’s needs based on caloric intake, metabolized energy, protein/fat ratio, and vitamin/mineral content.

Our clinic prefers to recommend the following companies for your pet’s nutrition needs:

• Hill’s Science Diet
• Iams/Eukanuba
• Purina
• Royal Canin

Each of these companies is backed with research and development and offer complete lines of pet foods for both dogs and cats.  All of these companies have “over the counter” foods as well as veterinarian prescription diets for specific needs.  

Choosing a food that is based on your pets life stage is also an important factor.  Generally speaking dogs and cats should be on a puppy/kitten food until around the age of 12 months.  Adult foods are suggested for pets up to 6 or 7 years of age.  And geriatric pets over the age of 7 should be provided a senior food.  There are other variables that you and your veterinarian may discuss like obesity, skin conditions, GI issues, and/or organ health that may influence the diet that you choose for your pet.