Common Pet Nutrition Mistakes

Pet Care Tips 3 min read

We all want the best for your furkids. That's why it's important to maintain a proper diet in order to keep them healthy and strong! Check out these common pet nutrition mistakes to avoid!

Making sure our beloved pets get all the vitamins and nutrients they need out of their diet is essential in making sure our furkids live healthy and happy lives. Even though we all try our best, there are still some common pet nutrition mistakes that we can make as furparents.

Common Pet Nutrition Mistakes

Always keeping the food bowl full

If we let them, our furkiddos can definitely eat way more than they actually need to. So, if their food is constantly available to them, they may gain more calories than necessary and can risk gaining too much weight. To avoid this problem, set up specific times during the day for meals, follow the suggestions on food labels, and ask your trusted veterinarian for advice.

Offering milk to cats and dogs

Believe it or not, the idea that cats and dogs love milk isn’t true. Most cats and dogs are actually lactose intolerant. Our furkids can experience diarrhea from drinking milk because the sugars found in it can be hard for them to digest. While it’s true that some cats can digest milk without any issue, milk isn’t a requirement in their diet. So, most veterinarians do not recommend giving milk to cats and dogs.

Letting them eat human food

Some human food can be dangerous for our sweethearts. A human diet can contain toxic ingredients, like garlic and onions, which can cause vomiting, severe tremors, seizures, and even death. If you like the idea of cooking for your little one, we offer a personalized nutritional plan made by our in-house veterinarian, Dr. Amanda.

Offering them bones

Most people don’t know this, but giving your dog’s bones can actually result in injuries to their teeth, tongue, or mouth. Bone fragments can become trapped in your pup’s windpipe, making breathing difficult. Bones can also become trapped in the gastrointestinal tract, which will need to be removed either with surgery or endoscopy. Bones can also cause obstructions or perforations, which can result in death. If your pupper likes to chew, ask your veterinarian about some more suitable alternatives.

Bone fragments can become trapped in your pup’s windpipe, making breathing difficult.

What You Can Do

Regularly checking your little one’s body weight is important in making sure your loved one isn’t overweight or underweight. You should also avoid diets that are not vet-approved.

Some tips on maintaining proper nutrition

We recommend speaking with your trusted veterinarian before anything, as they know your pet best and can offer advice that’s the most suitable for your furkiddo’s needs. You’ll need to make sure that the diet your loved one is on is ideal for your furkid’s age, gender, and species.

If you decide to offer them natural food, choose only foods that are suitable for your pet. For example, cats are obligate carnivores, so they definitely require meat in their diets.

Getting in touch with a veterinary nutritionist is also important as they can help make suggestions on proper diets, which can help to reduce the risk of your little one getting sick due to a lack of nutrients.

Many diseases can be tracked down to an inadequate diet. For example, Taurine, an essential and required nutrient in a kitty’s diet, can cause cardiac issues if not present.

Are there any supplements that can help?

Adding natural dietary supplements to your pet’s diet can be really beneficial! For instance, Petomega 3 and Multi Essentials are good sources of calcium, just like eggshell powder is! However, always talk with a veterinarian before offering calcium to your pet. If offered in big quantities or small quantities, it can affect the health of your little one.

Please feel free to reach out to our team should you have any questions or just want to chat. We’re always here for you!

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Dr. Amanda Nascimento DVM, MVSc, PhD

Dr. Amanda completed her undergraduate degree in veterinary medicine in 2010 and graduate studies in veterinary pathology (MVSc. 2012 and PhD 2016) at the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo. She completed her post-doctoral training at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine – University of Saskatchewan in 2018. Dr. Nascimento will be hosting her own blog series and sharing her knowledge with our extended NHV family.