What essential nutrients do your dogs and cats need? Discover the importance of all the essential nutrients in a comprehensive guide. Read more at our blog!
To live long and healthy lives, all animals on the planet need a wide range of nutrients. Your pets are no different. While it is important to recognize the difference between complete and complementary pet foods, educating yourself on the nutritional needs of each type of pet is critical. You can work with your veterinarian to develop a diet that's right for your pet's breed, age, weight and lifestyle.
Navigating pet food labels and deciding whether a food is appropriate for your pet can be difficult. Often times, the presence or absence of certain ingredients is highlighted, while the nutritional content of the food may take a back seat. Cheap kibble's standard food will not provide your pet with the vitamins and minerals it needs to live a healthy life. Worse, this type of diet can promote disease, autoimmune conditions and oral health issues.
In order to analyze dog foods and cat foods, it's important to understand the difference between ingredients and nutrients. In addition to ensuring adequate water quality and intake, read on to learn how to choose the best food for your dogs and cats.
Essential Nutrients for Your Dogs and Cats
Nutrition refers to the various components that make up your pet's food, including proteins, fats, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, and other nutrients. Each organ contributes to your pet's health in some way, and finding the right balance will allow your pet to live a happy and healthy life.
A balanced diet will ensure that your pet dog or cat will grow, develop and stay active throughout life. Nutrients are essential for their survival and growth, so the need for supplementation increases as dietary sources of essential elements decrease. If your pet is suffering from health problems such as digestive problems, consult your vet to determine which diet is best for them.
How Important Is Pet Nutrition?
With so many different pet foods on the market and so much conflicting information online, it can be difficult to choose the right food for your pet. One of the most important things to remember is that each animal is completely unique, which means that your pet's diet should meet their specific nutritional needs. This is determined by their age, size and current health.
This is significant because what is a healthy, balanced diet for one pet may be completely inappropriate for another. Growing and growing animals, for example, have very different nutritional requirements than an adult pet. To grow, they generally require small portion sizes and protein-rich foods. A pregnant or lactating animal will require different nutrition to support its offspring, while a diabetic pet may need a specific diet to control blood sugar levels.
7 essential nutrients for your pets
Dogs and cats need an optimal nutritional profile that takes into account breed, age, lifestyle, sensitivities and health conditions and general species-specific recommendations. Whether you buy their food or make your own, they need a balanced diet to stay healthy. It should include:
The proteins
Protein is one of the most important macronutrients found in pet food. Cats and dogs need lots of protein because it is a source of energy and an essential component of growth, healing and pregnancy.
Every function of the body depends on proteins, from developing and maintaining muscle mass, creating enzymes that support the body's metabolic processes, maintaining a healthy immune system, building blood cells and promoting healthy growth and development.
The carbohydrates
Providing carbohydrates to your cat or dog can significantly improve how the body functions. Your pet's body tissues run on carbohydrates. They benefit from these supplements based on their intestinal health.