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Diet and Purchasing Food
Your pet's diet can have a significant impact on their health, welfare, and longevity. We know there is a lot of overwhelming information out there for owners, and it can be hard to know what’s best for your furry friends.
Where should I buy food from?
To help you, we have provided a link to a reputable source of food – a range of both regular diets and prescription diets – available to purchase through us and delivered directly to you. You can register to use this service via the following link:
https://www.hills4me.co.uk/eshop/products
Our clinic code is 18032. We are happy to discuss other brands of foods with you.
What should I consider for my pet’s diet?
You can start by checking your pet’s food for the following:
- Is it species-specific?
Cats and dogs have very different nutritional requirements, so you should feed cats cat food and dogs dog food. In particular, cat food is supplemented with taurine, and they can get very unwell without this. - Is it a ‘complete’ food?
Your pet should receive a complete food for it to be nutritionally balanced, and it should clearly state this on the label. Many complementary or mixer biscuits, jellies, pâtés, etc., are not adequate as the main food. - Is it the right life stage?
Your pet will receive the optimum nutrition if it is balanced to the requirements of their age. Some diets are even more specific depending on whether they’ve been neutered or not. There are diets for pregnancy and even for specific breeds. The most important age-specific diets are:- Puppies/kittens – Dogs and cats under 6 months (and some larger breed dogs up to 18 months) need specific nutritional requirements for growth that can only be provided by a puppy or kitten diet.
- Senior animals – Older animals benefit from diets that target age-related issues. Generally, we classify dogs over 7 and cats over 10 as senior.
- Do they need diet for a specific health condition?
Some health conditions benefit from dietary intervention, such as pets with urinary, kidney, liver, and skin problems. These should only be fed on vet advice. Your vet can offer you advice to optimize your cat’s diet and subsequent health during your visit. - Is it the correct amount?
Your pet should be receiving the amount recommended by the pet food manufacturer on the back of the bag/tin (less if you account for treats). Weigh it out! This may need to be reduced if your pet is carrying excessive weight or doesn’t exercise as much as they should. - Is it safe and tested?
There is a recent trend toward feeding both home-cooked and raw food diets. While these may benefit some animals in very specific situations, it’s good to be aware of the following:- o Over 95% of homemade pet diet recipes have been found to be nutritionally deficient. We recommend getting input from a veterinary nutritionist if you wish to feed this type of diet. Click here for further information.
o Only commercially made diets conform to food safety testing that reduces food-borne contamination to your pet and family.
o If using a raw food diet, we recommend choosing a certified Raw Pet Food Manufacturer, being aware of increased food-borne disease risks, and following handling and hygiene recommendations to keep safe. Click here for further information.
- o Over 95% of homemade pet diet recipes have been found to be nutritionally deficient. We recommend getting input from a veterinary nutritionist if you wish to feed this type of diet. Click here for further information.
If in doubt about your pet’s food or weight, make an appointment with one of our team members to discuss your pet’s nutrition.
