Some pet owners enjoy feeding their dogs and cats "people foods" for the same reasons that they like to give them treats and snacks. Providing a special treat is a way of showing affection and love, and adding table scraps and other choice food items to a pet's diet is believe to enhance the pet's enjoyment of the meal. Although some human foods are unsuitable for companion animals and should not be fed at all, others only become detrimental if they make up too high a proportion of the pet's diet.

The amount of table scraps that are added to a pet's diet should be strictly limited. Although the owner may eat a very nutritious and well-balanced diet, the nutritional requirements of dogs and cats are not the same as for humans. In addition, most owners add only the choice scraps from their meals to their pet's dinner bowl, such as fat trimmings and leftover meat, and they leave the vegetables and grains behind. The table scraps that end up in the pet's bowl may be very tasty (and much appreciated), but they usually do not provide balanced nutrition. If table scraps are fed to pets, they should never make up for more that 5% to 10% of the pet's total daily caloric intake.

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Diet is a cause of acute moist dermatitis
- Feeding a diet that is energy dense or high in protein has been blamed as a cause of acute moist dermatitis (hot spots). However, there is no evidence that a relationship exists between a diet's nutrient content and these skin lesions.

- The most common underlying causes of acute moist dermatitis appear to be flea-bite hypersensitivity and other allergic skin diseases. Improper grooming and self-trauma may also contribute.

Certain diets cause coat color to turn red in dogs
- The term "red coat" refers to a perceived change in coat color from from almost any normal base color to a red or reddish brown. A scientific connection between commercial diets and development of red coat has never been demonstrated.

- The few cases of red coat that have been investigated have been found to have an identifiable underlying cause. These included exposure to sun, staining porphyrin, the presence of old hairs that had not been shed, or a coexisting dermatological disease.

Diet causes gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV)
- Current studies indicate that development of GDV is not related to any specific component in pet food.

- Nutritional factors that can influence a dog's risk for GDV include consuming only one meal per day, having a fast rate of eating, and experiencing aerophagia while eating.

- GDV appears to be a disease with multiple risk factors including body type, gender, temperament, and environment.

High-fat pet foods cause hyperlipidemia
- Both hyperlipidemia and artherosclerosis are rare conditions in dogs and cats. When these conditions do occur, they are either of genetic origin or they develop secondary to other disease states.

- Unlike humans, dogs and cats are capable of consuming a wide range of dietary fat and still maintaining normal blood lipid levels. This is presumably because dogs and cats first evolve as carnivorous predators with a diet that normally contained a high proportion of animal fat.

Coprophagy (Stool Eating) is caused by a nutrient deficiency
- Most dogs will consume the feces of herbivorous species such as horses, cattle, deer, or rabbits. In addition, many dogs that live with cats will eat cat feces if given access to the litter box. Some dogs also consume canine feces, including their own.

- Eating feces is a manifestation of normal canid scavenging behavior and is observed both in pet dogs and in captive and wild wolves.

A common cause of nutritional problems in dogs and cats is overfeeding or feeding inappropriate foods. Overfeeding can lead to rapid growth and developmental disease in growing animals. Feeding improper foods can cause digestive upsets, nutrient imbalances and even toxicity.

Table scraps: If fed at all, table scraps should be strictly limited because they seldom provide imbalanced nutrition.

Meet and fish: Although dogs and cats are carnivorous in natute, they will not thrive on an all-meat diet. Neither muscle tissue nor organ meats supply complete nutrition to companion animals.

Dairy products: Although dairy products are excellent sources of calcium and protein, excessive intake may cause diarrhea because of the high lactose content.

Chocolate: Contains theobromine, a compound that is toxic to dogs and cats when consumed in large quantities. Signs of theobromine toxicity usually occur within 5 hours of ingestion and include vomiting, diarrhea, urinary incontinence, and muscle tremors. The risk of toxicosis varies with the type of chocolate (baker's chocolate contains much more theobromine than milk chocolate candy does), as well as the amount ingested and the body weight of the animal.

Diary supplements: Supplementation of a complete and balanced diet with vitamins or minerals may interfere with the utilization of other nutrients in the diet or lead to excess intake and nutrient imbalances.

Nutrient deficiencies or excesses are highly unusual in dogs and cats fed complete and balanced diets. They usually result from improper feeding practices such as: feeding raw fish (which contain thiaminase) and can result in clinical thiamine deficiency in dogs and cats. Treatment in all cases involves feeding a complete and balanced diet and eliminating improper feeding practices.

Key points:

- Pet foods should provide complete and balanced nutrition.
- Factors to consider in selecting a pet food include the pet's age, mature body size, activity level, reproductive status, lifestyle, breed type, and health.
- Portion-controlled feeding is recommended for most dogs and cats.
- Use of improper feeding practices, including overfeeding and feeding inappropriate foods, is a common cause of nutritional problems in dogs and cats.

Dog food ratings

Factors in selecting dog food:

- Dog's age
- Mature body size
- Activity level
- Reproductive status
- Lifestyle
- Breed type
- Health conditions

These factors affect the dog's nutrient and energy needs.

The chosen food should:

- Provide complete and balanced nutrition for that life stage
- Provide sufficient energy to maintain ideal body weight or support tissue growth
- Be palatable/acceptable to the dog over an extended period
- Support normal gastrointestinal function and promote regular, firm stools
- Support long-term health and vitality

Information contained on the label of commercial pet foods can be helpful.

List of ingredients:

- Provides general information about the type of ingredients included
- Ingredients listed in descending order of preponderance by weight
- Does not provide information about ingredient quality and so is of limited value when rating dog foods

Guaranteed analysis

- Must include information regarding the food's minimum percentages of crude protein and crude fat and maximum percentages of moisture and crude fiber
- Not the best basis for comparing nutrient content of different diets; other factors to consider when comparing these values are the diet's moisture content and caloric density

Nutritional adequacy claims

- A food that is labeled complete and balanced for all life stages has been formulated to provide proper amounts of essential nutrients and energy throughout gestation, lactation, growth, and adult maintenance
- Limited claims state that food provides complete and balanced nutrition for a particular stage of life, such as adult maintenance or growth
- Products that are intended for therapeutic feeding under the supervision of a veterinarian.

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Dogs and cats malnutrition.

Malnutrition in dogs and cats is defined as any disorder of nutrition with inadequate or unbalanced nutrition. Many veterinarians and animal owners think only of nutritional deficiencies when they hear the term malnutrition. Muscle wasting and a distended abdomen in a starving third-world child or a heavily parasitized puppy is often our first mental image of malnutrition.

In first-world societies, however, dogs and cats malnutrition is usually due to overnutrition or excessive intake of nutrients. Obesity due to consumption of excessive levels of fat and calories is a common example of malnutrition in both people and their pets. Another example of malnutrition due to unbalanced nutrition is developmental orthopedic disease seen in rapidly growing - large and giant - breed of puppies as a result of excessive calcium and energy intake. Malnutrition due to either nutrient deficiencies or nutrient excesses can be harmful to dogs and cats.

We also recommend this natural balanced real-meat dog food and natural dietary supplement for recovery.

Good and bad cholesterol dogs

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is the smallest of the lipoprotein molecules and is synthesized primarily in the liver (and to a certain degree in enterocytes). HDL are involved in reverse cholesterol transport. HDL transfer free cholesterol from cell membranes to to the HDL molecule as cholesterol esters via an enzyme lecithin: cholesterol acyl transferase.

The cholesterol esters may be transferred to very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) by cholesterol ester transfer protein to eventually form low-density lipoprotein (LDL), which provides cholesterol to peripheral cells. Alternatively, the cholesterol esters may be delivered to the liver in HDL for excretion as bile salts. Because HDL are capable of transporting cholesterol from the periphery to the liver for disposal, they are said to contain ”good cholesterol” because they transport cholesterol to the periphery where excess may result in arterial plaque and cardiovascular disease.

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Domestication of cats and dogs was probably influenced by the enticement of food. Formation of a mutually beneficial association between Egyptians - who cultivated and stored grains - and wild cats that found abundant rodent species in Egyptian homes and food storage areas likely affected feline domestication. In any case, feeding domestic cats and dogs with table scraps and supplemental scavenging was the method of feeding until the mid 1800’s.

The first commercially available pet food was created in 1860 by James Spratt, an American living in the United Kingdom, who was unimpressed with shipboard biscuits given to his dog on the passage across the Atlantic ocean. Spratt developes a dry ”dog cake” or kibble that he sold to English huntsmen. Spratt’s United States company continued to manufacture pet food until it was purchased by General Mills in the late 1950’s.

The next influencial figure in the pet food industry was an Englishman named F.H. Bennett. In 1907, Bennett’s company was formed in NYC and introduced MilkBone dog biscuits, which were marketed as a complete dog food.

The modern era of dry pet food manufacturing began in 1957 and continued through the 60’s when the Ralston Purina Company, St-Louis, MO, introduced the first extruded dog and cats foods called Dog Chow and Cat Chow. Moist cat foods, predominantly canned fish varieties in single-serving 6-oz. cans, were the top sellers at this time. During this time frame, General Foods created Gaines Burger, a new food that incorporated the convenience of dry food with the palatability of canned foods. It was the first semi-moist dog product. Tender Vittles, the first semi-moist cat food, was created by Ralston Purina in the early 1970’s.

Information on nutrition for pets

In recent years, researchers have been able to explain why humans bond so strongly to their pets, and they have also discovered that the relationship between humans and animals is often beneficial to human health. It is not surprising that the strong emotional attachment that people feel for their pets is coupled with a concern for providing them with the best in health care and pet nutrition. Advances in veterinary medicine have resulted in vaccination programs that protect dogs and cats from many life-threatening diseases and in medical procedures that contribute to lenghtened lifespans. Likewise, progress in the field of pet nutrition has generated an improved understanding of canine and feline dietetics and led to the development of well-balanced pet foods that contribute to long-term health and aid in the prevention of chronic disease.

Today’s competitive market contains a vast array of foods, snacks, and nutritional supplements for dogs and cats. These products are sold in grocery stores, feed stores, pet shops, and veterinary hospitals. Products vary significantly in nutrient composition, availability, digestibility, palatibility, physical form, flavor, and texture. Some foods are formulated to provide adequate nutrition throughout a pet’s lifespan, while other foods have been marketed specifically for a particular stage of life or a specific disease state. This large selection of commercial products, combined with the periodic propagation of popular nutritional fads an fallacies, has resulted in much confusion among pet owners and companion animal professionals regarding the nutritional care of dogs and cats.

A basic understanding of the fundamental basics of pet nutrition is a necessary prerequisite for evaluating pet foods and making decisions about a pet’s nutritional status. The term nutrition refers to the study of food and the nutrients and other components that it contains. This includes an examination of the actions of specific nutrients, their interactions with each other, and their balance within a diet. In addition, the science of nutrition includes an examination of the way in which an animal ingests, digests, absorbs, and use nutrients. Energy, water, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals are examined in detail. An examination of the normal digestive and absorptive processes in dogs and cats is also provided.

Subsequent sections address the specific nutrient requirements of dogs and cats, the types and compositions of pet foods, feeding management throughout the life cycle, feeding problems, and the management of nutritionally-responsive diseases. Information contained in this section will enable pet owners, students and companion animal professionals to make informed decisions about the diets and nutritional health of dogs and cats throughout all stages of life.

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Energy in dogs and cats is needed by the body to perform metabolic work, which includes maintaining and synthesizing body tissues, engaging in physical work, and regulating normal body temperature. Because of its critical importance, energy is always the first requirement met by an animal’s diet. Although all companion animals have the ability to self-regulate their energy intake, some do not always do so, and obesity is the result. Free-choice feeding of highly palatable foods and lack of appropriate exercise are frequently to blame. Portion-controlled feeding and appropriate levels of exercise are the best methods for controlling a pet’s energy balance, growth rate and weight.

Energy density (the number of calories provided by a food in a given weight or volume) is the most important factor in determining the quantity of food that a pet should eat each day. Energy density directly affects the amount of all other essential nutrients that an animal ingests. Expressing nutrient content on an energy density basis is the most accurate method. It puts the nutrients in a meaningful format.

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When looking at the pet food label, most consumers first read the guaranteed analysis panel. Here manufacturers report the minimum percentages of crude protein and crude fad and the maximum percentages of moisture and crude fiber. Consumers should be aware that these percentages do not represent actual amounts protein and fat and that using these percentages to compare different products or brands can be misleading.

The ingredient list can tell consumers the principal components of the pet food and whether the components are from plant or animal sources. If an animal-source ingredient is listed first or second in a canned pet food or within the first three ingredients of a dry food, the food can usually be assumed to contain animal products as its principal protein source. However, the ingredient list does not provide information about the quality of the ingredients.

TIP: If different forms of the same ingredient are listed separately (e.g., kibbled wheat, ground wheat, wheat flour, flaked wheat, wheat middlings, wheat bran), consumers should be aware that the collective ”wheat” content may be very high and actually make up a large percentage of the food’s content.

Also, there are two primary types of canned pet foods - those that provide complete and balanced nutrition and those that do not. Complete and balanced canned foods contain vitamins and minerals in addition to muscle meats, poultry or fish by-products, cereal grains, and/or texturized vegetable protein (TVP). Foods that are not complete and balanced do not contain all the necessary vitamins and minerals and should be considered as a dietary supplement only. Consumers should make sure they read the labels to determine if a canned food is complete and balanced for a pet’s life stage and lifestyle. Imbalanced food can lead to malnutrition and/or obesity.

CAUTION: feeding cats one type of ”Gourmet” cat food exclusively may result in the cat’s refusal to eat any other type or flavor of food. Because these ”Gourmet” foods may or may not be nutritionally complete, nutrient imbalances may occur. When feeding a cat canned food, complete and balanced rations that contain more than one principal ingredient should be fed.

We also recommend this natural balanced real-meat dog food and natural dietary supplement.

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The wolf, the dog’s wild relative, obtains much of its food supply by hunting in a pack. Cooperative hunting behaviors allow the wolf to prey on large game that would otherwise be unavailable to a wolf hunting alone. As a result, most wolf sub-species tend to be intermittent eaters, gorging themselves immediately after a kill and then not eating again for an extended period of time. Competition between members of the pack at the site of a kill leads to the rapid consumption of food and the social facilitation of eating behaviors. Wolves and other wild canids also exhibit food hoarding behaviors; small prey or the remainder of a large kill are buried when food is plentiful and later dug up and eaten when food is not readily available.

Like their ancestors, domestic dogs tend to eat rapidly. This tendency can be a problem for dogs because it may predispose them to choke or swallow large amount of air. If social facilitation is the cause of the rapid eating, feeding the dog separately from other animals, thus removing the competitive aspect of meal-time, often normalizes the rate of eating. In other cases, changing the diet to a food that is less palatable or to one that is difficult to consume rapidly solves the problem. For example, some dogs readily gorge themselves on canned or semi-moist foods but return to eating at a normal rate when fed a dry diet. If a dog attempts to eat dry food too quickly, adding water to the diet immediately before feeding decreases the rate of eating and minimizes the chance of swallowing large amounts of air.

Social facilitation is observed in domestic dogs that are fed together as a group. The presence of another animal at mealtime can stimulate a poor eater to consume more food. For example, pet owners often comment that their dog was a poor eater until a second dog was introduced to the family. Studies have shown that puppies and dogs usually consume more food when fed as a group, as compared with when they are fed alone.

If food is available at all times, the effects of social facilitation eventually become minimal. On the other hand, if dogs are fed their meals as a group, dominance interactions may occur. As a result, dominant animals obtain most of the food, and the subordinate pets receive less than their required amount. Training adult dogs to eat only from their own bowls or feeding young puppies with several pans of food is a way to eliminate this problem. However, table scraps are not recommended.

We also recommend this natural balanced real-meat dog food and natural dietary supplement.

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