Nutrition
At Brooklyn Veterinary Clinic, we want to discuss nutrition at every visit. As animals age, their nutritional needs change. Fortunately, there are diets to meet the requirements of every life stage—puppy, adult, and senior. There are also prescription diets specifically designed for pets with certain diseases and conditions e.g., (heart, liver, kidney, cognitive, etc.).
It is important to discuss your pets’ diets with our staff every time you visit our hospital. A happy and healthy pet is one that is well-exercised, fed with nutrition in mind, and at an appropriate weight.
Species-Specific Dietary Requirements
To thrive, an animal must eat a diet that its species is physiologically designed to eat. For example, cats are true carnivores and have a higher protein requirement than dogs, which are omnivores. Also, cats require that amino acids (taurine), certain vitamins and fatty acids be added to their food, because they cannot make them on their own. Dogs don’t have these requirements.
Grain-Free Diets & Heart Disease
Over 500 cases of dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs between 2014 and 2019 were investigated. Over 91% of these cases involved grain-free diets. 5 brands of dog food accounted for nearly 50% of the occurrences but others were involved as well. Until this investigation is complete, it is recommended that a dog be fed a food that has been developed by veterinary nutritionists, made by a company with a long history of producing quality diets, and meets the standards set by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) as determined by food trials.
Recommended Diets
Brooklyn only carries diets that have met the most rigorous standards of the veterinary industry. All diets are species-specific and designed to include each of the essential nutrients your pet needs (dog, cat or exotic). Furthermore, our diets accommodate different life stages and include both over the counter and prescription options because dietary needs change as your pets age. Call the office for recommendations specific to your pet.
Tips & Tricks of Reading Labels
The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) maintains nutritional profiles for the different life stages of dogs and cats, which include the minimum amounts of nutrients required for a complete and balanced diet. We want our pet food to display the AAFCO Label. However, to avoid making multiple versions of the same food, manufacturers develop recipes to meet the needs of the most nutritionally demanding life stage, the puppy or kitten, thereby covering all life stages. For this reason, the label will often say: “For All Life Stages.”
What’s the catch? Puppy/kitten food is meant to be different than adult dog food. It contains higher levels of calcium and phosphorous for growing bones and higher levels of fat and protein to accommodate the energy requirements of a young animal. So, if you feed “For All Life Stages,” your adult dog could be getting too much of a good thing. This is why Brooklyn recommends selecting a diet designed for your pet’s specific life stage.
Raw Diets
Past proponents of raw food diets believed these diets were the healthiest food choice for pets. It was also assumed that feeding such a diet was harmless. Subsequently, multiple studies have proven such premises to be false. Based on overwhelming scientific evidence, the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) neither advocates nor endorses feeding pets any raw or dehydrated, non-sterilized foods, including treats that are of animal origin. Raw protein diets are now demonstrated to be a health risk for several groups, including our pets and their family members.
“AAHA does not advocate or endorse feeding pets any raw or dehydrated non-sterilized foods, including treats that are of animal origin. Feeding a raw diet increases the risk of bacterial and protozoal pathogen transmission to the pets consuming the diet as well as to people and other animals. Several studies have documented the presence of pathogens in raw diets for pets and in the feces of dogs and cats eating the raw diets. Importantly, dogs and cats can shed Salmonella without exhibiting any clinical signs of disease. Some pet food companies use high-pressure processing (HPP) to reduce bacterial numbers in their products. The efficacy of HPP to reduce bacterial numbers depends on several factors, including bacterial species, number of HPP cycles performed, pH, pressure achieved, processing time, and temperature. A pet food label claim of HPP does not equate to “sterile” food.”
2021 AAHA Nutrition and Weight Management Guidelines for Dogs and Cats
If you are concerned about your pet’s diet, weight, or lifestyle, feel free to contact us today at (303) 688-9352. We would be happy to assist you in any way we can.
