Providing the correct nutrition appropriate to your pets life stage is essential to maintaining its health. Vets will nearly always recommend a complete dry pet food. However, there are a confusing  number of different brands available to the pet owner. These vary considerably in quality and price. We recommended Royal Canin and  James WellBeloved for pets with sensitivities.

Large number of times and amounts of faeces indicates overfeeding.Soft faeces and flatulence indicates that the food doesn't agree with the animal.

 

The benefit to these foods:

1. they are formulated from high quality ingredients insuring digestibility

2. the 90% digestibility also means very little waste (faeces! - 10%) compared to other more fibrous foods (average 70%).

3. the high digestible also means that significantly less food needs to be eaten per day, consequently reducing food costs when compared to some "cheaper" foods.

4. the quality of the ingredients ensure a glossy coat, together with the development of healthy bones and teeth.

5. the availability of specific formulations for all ages of dogs and cats means that your pet gets the optimum nutrition for each life stage. Supplements are not normally required.

6. feeding a dry food is also convenient for you as the food does not "go off" in the bowl and helps keep your pets teeth clean.

 

While these premium foods do cost a little more, their high digestibility means that considerably less is require per day so that in cents per day they are very competitive. Bearing in mind the cost of tin food and considerable discounts on larger bags of dry food, together that the fact that these foods are top of the range, the value of feeding these foods is evident.

 

Switching your pet to a new diet.

1. switch the food over gradually over the period of a week or so.

2. start with a mixture of 25% new and 75% old and feed for two or three days, then step it up to 50:50, and finally end up with a combo of 75% new and 25% old.

3. if you don't detect any changes in their digestion in the weeks time, you can start feeding the new food exclusively.

4. simple!

If their stomach does get upset, a meal of rice and plain cooked chicken is recommended. If they continue to have diarrhoea or vomiting, discontinue the new food and contact your vet.