The pet food industry is in a period of change that has been happening over the last twenty years. The foods available for our pets are evolving based on what people want and what science is discovering.
We live in an age where information is right at the touch of a few keys on a laptop; consumers are highly educated and demand products that meet their criteria. That said, we are also evolving in how we think of our pets.
Many younger adults are choosing pets over having children, and they are taking pet care to new heights. When your pets are basically your children, you treat them a little differently than we used to treat working dogs.
Pet foods are expected to contain ‘real food’ nowadays by most consumers. We’re more aware of the needs of our pets and manufacturers are working to formulate foods that better meet the needs of canines, from the pups to the seniors, the Border Collies to the Basset Hounds.
VetriScience foods and products are a result of this new trend in giving your pet the best you can find. Their products are based on research and their company has been providing top-rated foods and supplements to animals for over forty years.
For example, they’ve developed a calming formula chew that is based on using colostrum that puppies would receive from their mother in the first weeks of nursing. Colostrum has been scientifically proven to have a calming effect. This product, called Composure, is recommended for things like separation anxiety. These work very well for many animals. If you find they aren’t useful for your situation, then you may wish to try some of the CBD oils made for pets that InnovetPet offers.
Dog Foods
Most dog foods, no matter how pricey they are, fall short of being perfect in a nutritional sense. Dogs wouldn’t eat dry kibble in nature. Then again, they’d have natural bones to chew on to keep their teeth clean. We’ve changed their diet to suit our own needs and it is sadly creating some issues for the health of dogs.
Dogs used to live until the age of approximately 25-years-old. Since dog foods have become more and more commercial, the ages of the average pet life spans have declined. This isn’t rocket science, it is easy to see that what we’ve created isn’t as good as what nature had once provided for them.
Some dog food brands are filled with sugar, high-fructose corn syrup being one type. Food dyes and colorings, corn fillers, excessive amounts of grain fillers and kinds of rice, things that they don’t really need much of, are the largest part of what goes into many types of dog foods.
Manufacturers of many brands of dog foods that you see on the television constantly are actually the makers of soaps, cleaning products, and other household goods that you purchase as well. Sometimes the waste products that result from their other commercial products are what are used to go into dog food. This reduces their waste but creates inferior products.
VetriScience has worked to create supplements to help improve the diets of dogs from all walks of life. By adding supplements to their food in powder form, or giving them treats each day that are filled with vital nutrients, we can attempt to make up for the lack of nutrition that commercial dog food has left our dogs with.
There are very expensive brands of dog food available and when these are tested, many aren’t a ton better than some of the cheaper brands. For this reason, it may be more budget-wise to buy decent dog food in your price range and then use a supplement from VetriScience to ensure that you are hitting all the points in your dog’s nutritional needs.
What Do Dogs Need?
For one thing, dogs need more moisture in their food. Some animals don’t drink nearly enough and they would normally rely on getting a big dose of water content from the food they consume. Sadly, when you give them canned food, you are also increasing their risk of having dental issues later on too. The food sticks to their teeth and creates tartar build-up that would normally be scraped away with the bones of the prey animals they’d eat.
This is why so many advocate for raw diets but this is not an option for many people for various reasons. After all, dogs began getting commercial foods when more Americans went to work. The more women went out into the workforce, the less likely anyone wanted to worry about feeding the dog. Bags of dog food soon were on grocery store shelves everywhere and by the late 1950s, that was the only acceptable way to feed the dog.
It was around this time that veterinarians can also track the rates of heart disease, diabetes, and other health problems that went on the rise for dogs as well.
Supplementing to Ease Dog Food Misses
Adding supplements can help to increase the number of vitamins and minerals that your dog is getting. You’ll also be able to see the results quickly because their fur looks healthier, taking on a shine that you aren’t used to seeing.
Mixing canned food with dry can help their teeth stay cleaner if you feel the need to offer more wet food. This is usually necessary for senior dogs, over the age of six or seven. A dog is considered a senior citizen at approximately seven years old. Not all dogs will slow down at that point. In fact, many dogs stay very active right up until they pass away.
Their internal organs are typically what causes them to age too quickly. A simple way for looking at this is to understand the sheer volume of food consumed as dry kibble that isn’t nutritionally needed by their body. If the food is full of filler, then they feel full but nutritionally, they’re starving.
How can you tell if your dog isn’t using most of his food nutritionally? Does he have a bowel movement more than twice per day? Does your dog seem like he poops every time he goes to the yard? There is your answer. If junk goes in, then junk comes out. His stomach was full until it hit his intestines. Very little was absorbed. The body said, “nothing good here, we’ll pass” and out it comes.
If your dog is eating food that is nutritionally sound, his poop will be relatively small, well-formed, and one to two times per day. Anything else is not normal. Supplementing their diet will give them so much more support. Their internal organs will wear out from constantly processing out the stuff they can’t even use.
They become like a machine that gets worn out from overuse. If you provide more nutritional support, however, they stay healthier for longer and consequently will live longer too. When nutrients are provided, then the body needs to simply use them. If your dog is in pain, from a chronic illness, a disease, or an accident that has left them injured, consider using CBD oil to give them relief. Read this guide from Tin Dog.
Just like humans, dogs need their vitamins and nutrients. Their needs are slightly different than ours and it is important to acknowledge this and do what we can to help them live to be with us as long as they deserve.
Nutritional Needs of Dogs
According to the ASPCA, the adult dog’s weight is primarily between 60-70% of their total body weight. This is truly amazing and goes back to why hydration has been talked about so much. It’s very important to all body systems.
Make sure that your dog gets adequate protein, carbs, nutrients, water, and vitamins in its diet. One of the most complete lists ever printed on nutrients needed by dogs was printed by AAFCO and it also mentions cats. Dogs and cats have completely different nutritional needs. Cats are carnivores and dogs are omnivores, like humans.
No matter who you are and what your budget is, you can supply your dog with better nutrition. Dogs should simply have fewer fillers, especially the cheap ones. While corn isn’t necessarily bad for them, it also doesn’t offer them much nutritionally either. Try to choose a food that is a rice blend, like lamb and rice or chicken and rice. That will give more nutrition and fiber, which is also very essential and helps to improve stool consistency.
If your dog seems to have itching that increases with a change in food, he or she may have food allergies to that meat source or an ingredient in the food. You can give them over-the-counter Benadryl or you can also give them CBD oil that may help reduce the itching. Washing them with a pet formulated shampoo should also reduce itching to help relieve them while you find a food that they don’t react to. Food allergies are common in some breeds.
