Controversial ingredients, raw food diet trends, pet food recalls, prescription diets, cats vs dogs nutritional needs, healthy snacks, deadly snacks, food allergies, giant breed puppies, and hairball formulas. Toss in a heap of marketing for every brand of kibble you can think of, and the topic can be overwhelming.
We’d also love to talk to you about how to determine if your pet is at a healthy weight. It’s not all to do with what you see, but also what you feel. Just like with humans, animals that aren’t at a healthy weight risk a host of complicated health problems developing over time ranging from back pain to diabetes and the taxing effects over time on major organs.
Nutrition isn’t just about what you feed your dog or cat. How much and how often both matter, as do your individual pet’s needs depending on stage of life and medical conditions. And we don’t just mean that a pet with a condition might need a prescription diet; a pet with orthopedic problems might benefit a great deal from losing some weight to relieve stress on a painful joint or a pet who is flirting with diabetes due to long term obesity needs a major change of routine. Even just what science can tell us about nutritional requirements that the packaging on food doesn’t say is worth discussing. Ask us. We love to discuss nutrition with our clients!
Dog biscuits? Depends.
Carrots? Yes.
Raisins? No.
Raw? Let’s talk about salmonella.
What about exercise for old pets? Let’s create a plan.
What about water intake? Ask us! This depends on the size of the pet, but changes in intake can be telling symptoms of conditions like diabetes or renal failure.
Have you heard of a body condition score (BCS) for dogs and cats? It’s a scale that is commonly used by veterinarians and other professionals to rate the overall condition of a pet as it pertains to weight and nutrition. Though this might......
Did you know that diabetes in dogs and cats is a common illness? Just like with people, certain factors make some pets more likely to develop diabetes. The good news is that a primary factor, obesity, is completely within your control. Obesity......
New Clients pay only $1 for Wellness Exams!
Contact us now for your affordable pet checkup.
At Falls Village Veterinary Hospital, a Raleigh, NC veterinarian, dogs, cats & their families deserve the best. In fact, we specialize in delivering warm, compassionate care that reminds our clients and patients how unique and important they truly are. We provide complete veterinary care including dentistry, laser therapy, surgery, and more. Call us today!
