The Changing Nutritional Needs Of Pets

Did you know the amazing statistic that a cat spends on average anywhere from 16 to 20 hours a day sleeping? And because of this low level of physical activity it makes them exceedingly vulnerable to long-term health problems such as weight gain and obesity. Obesity can of course also cause longterm problems with their hips and joints.

Dogs and cats have changing health and nutritional needs at almost every stage of their lives. It is therefore important to manufacture balanced and healthy organic pet food for them that is tailored-made for their age and for their individual requirements. This will help to address the emerging health problems that can occur over time.

If your cat or dog has certain health related issues then the vet could suggest a selected special diet. You can purchase food that meets your pet’s health rquirements at your vet’s office and also at many pet stores with a vet’s prescription.

Vitamin-D has always been an essential nutrient for all dog breeds, but then again large amounts of it can cause serious health problems such as renal dysfunction. Dogs who get to ingest excessive amounts of vitamin D may show the following symptoms: vomiting & nausea, increased thirst, a loss of appetite, excessive drooling, an increase in urination and loss of weight.

The pet food manufacturing industry is huge and it generates billions of dollars every year. While there are some regulations in place, they are mainly there to ensure that all foods are safe and that they conform to the minimum amounts of nutritional requirements. But remember that minimal nutrition is not really all that is required – you actually want your dog or cat to attain optimal nutrition. This actually means providing foods that will assist in preventing future health problems, but that will also help to improve health issues which could be affecting a pet’s condition right now. Foods that are organic and natural can easily provide such levels of optimal nutrition.

Nutritional requirements of course also vary and are dependent on the physical activity, medical history and stress levels of your pet. Most important are protein, fats as well as carbohydrates to give much needed energy to your pet. Your pet burns energy in so many different ways. For example, pets that spend a lot of time outdoors are always likely to be exposed to increased exercise levels, and thus they require a higher percentage of mainly protein and fat for increased energy production, as opposed to a pet that remains mostly indoors. Pets that are in various different life stages also require differing amounts of most nutrients as well.

Because of the different dietary requirements of dogs, their dental structure and their intestinal tracts have over time adapted to omnivorous diets. Under normal circumstances this implies that dogs are able to meet their nutritional requirements by ingesting and eating combinations of animal and plant foods. The source of these fats and proteins is not as important as the digestibility and quality of these crucial components in every dog’s diet. Dogs can, contrary to belief, thrive as long as they are fed high quality and properly balanced vegetarian diets. A meat only diet would therefore be unbalanced and would logically not meet all the nutritional requirements of your dog.