Pet’s Health Do You Know What’s in Your Pet’s Food?

by Dr. Barbara Royal, DVM | Oct 31, 2013

Being an advocate for your own health and well-being is difficult; add to that staying on top of what

Royal Rule #1

High Protein

Our dogs and cats are carnivores so they should eat like carnivores. That means a diet predominantly comprised of meat protein, no grain and minimal carbohydrates. Most pet foods today have that ratio backwards. Too much carbohydrate is being fed to our pets in the form of grains (especially corn and wheat) and other foods (potatoes, rice, oats, and many more). This is not healthy. 

There are specific side effects associated with this ratio imbalance, especially in cats, who are obligate carnivores (with bodies designed to eat and get its energy and nutritional values from animal meat). These deficiencies manifest in the form of dental disease, allergies, skin disorders, obesity, diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, cancers, kidney disease and more. 

Dogs, because they are carnivores and scavengers, have a little more leeway, but not much. As scavengers, they can make do with a diet of shoe-leather and blueberries, but their bodies need well-balanced meals for optimal health. 

Royal Rule #2 

Read, Read, Read 

Every label provides important information: 

Ingredients: They should make sense to you and not sound like a chemical factory. Remember, you are feeding a carnivore. This goes for treats too. 

Guaranteed Analysis: Determine the proportion of the three major food groups