Pet Nutrition Advice Experts

It's true that nowadays many pet owners see their pets as family members. Owners strive to provide their pets with the best possible care so that all of their furry family members can live long and healthy lives.

Photo: Cute Puppy

More and more, it’s broadly understood by pet lovers that nutrition is a critical component that contributes to a pet’s overall health and well-being. Because of the growing awareness of and attention to the importance of good pet nutrition, there are a growing number of excellent, reputable resources to help educate pet owners and contribute to a culture of health and good nutrition for all pets.

Pet Nutrition: Information From Experts

ASPCA

One of the foremost animal advocacy organizations in the U.S. is the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). To many minds, the ASPCA is synonymous with an expert source of knowledge regarding pets and their care. The ASPCA web portal offers something called the “Pet Nutrition Service,” whereby consumers ask pet nutrition questions to receive comprehensive answers from ASPCA experts. As stated on the website, these conversations can provide all companion animal caretakers a lot of food for thought, since the both the questions and answers are published and archived in an easy-to-search interface. Visit the ASPCA’s special pet nutrition page at www.aspca.org/pet-care/ask-the-expert/ask-the-expert-pet-nutrition/ to ask the experts for an answer to your own pet nutrition question today.

Petfinder.com

Petfinder.com is a well-known website that originally rose to prominence because of its efforts to prevent pets from being lost to their families. Lately, it has become a recognized expert on pet nutrition. Articles on Petfinder.com discuss both dog and cat nutrition issues. For instance, topics for dogs include the creation and establishment of a feeding schedule; changing the dog’s food; and a discussion of the benefits of various brands of commercial dog food. Other topics of interest include dog food allergies, hypoallergenic diets, and canine weight control guidelines. Specialized resources for cat owners include suggestions for the best diet for cats with inflammatory bowel disease. Many of the public discussions include suggestions for dietary options that are generalizable for many different types of animals. Visit Petfinder on the web at www.petfinder.com/pet-nutrition for answers to your most complex and vexing pet nutrition questions.

More Pet Nutrition Resources Online

WebMD.com

Astonishingly, more than one-third of U.S. dogs over one year old are overweight. There is now a portal at WedMD where the latest pet nutrition information for canines can be reviewed and easily compared. About 17% to 21% of adult human calories should come from protein that can be gained from meat and through beans, legumes, and dairy sources. Cats need double that amount of protein for good nutrition and it must come from meat or fish. Carbohydrates aren't a natural energy source for dogs; their bodies can make use of carbohydrates for energy, but they have naturally evolved to get most of their nutrition needs met by fats and protein. All canines need activity at least once and preferably twice a day to maintain healthy bones and muscles. Good pet nutrition is inextricably linked to access to clean water. Visit pets.webmd.com/features/pet-nutrition for all the latest information on pet nutrition and other comprehensive health indicators for pets and their people.

Popular Pet Nutrition Dog Foods

Hill’s Science Diet For Dogs

Hill’s Science Diet offers nutritious products for sale for age groups ranging from puppy (up to age 1 year), to adult (age 1-6 years), to mature adult (+7 years). Visit Hill’s Science Diet website for comprehensive details on their dog food and other canine nutritional tips at www.hillspet.com. Cat care specifics are divided into categories: kitten (under 1 year), adult (1-6 years), mature adult (+7 years), and senior adult (+11 years old). Just like people, dogs can experience occasional stomach upset. There are steps you can take to help keep your pet's insides running smoothly and quietly. Visit www.hillspet.com/index.html for many helpful tips. Try to make sure your dog doesn't eat garbage, spoiled food or anything questionable. Avoid giving your dog table scraps or human food, and slow down mealtimes. Big meals should be divided into smaller portions and fed throughout the day. Consistency is key: any change in nutrition can irritate a dog's system, so changes should be incorporated slowly. Dogs cannot readily digest food made with low quality ingredients, so owners should gradually mix greater and greater proportions of high quality new food with the old to avoid stomach upset. The more an owner knows about the optimum nutrition requirements for his or her dogs or cats, the healthier these pets will be. No matter whether a specific person as an owner is partial to cats or dogs, there are plenty of online resources to make ownership of dogs or cats more intuitive and less complicated.

Ainsworth Pet Nutrition Difference

For over 75 years, Ainsworth has taken pride in providing the highest quality pet food at reasonable prices. Ainsworth has the following outstanding brands in its wheelhouse: Back to Basics, Enhance, VF Complete and The Source. Ainsworth also offers high quality foods from some retailers such as Rachael Ray’s Nutrish, and Dad’s Pet Care Division, which includes Better Than® Treat Brand, and Kibble Select™ Complete brands under its umbrella. Ainsworth manufactures pet food and treats in their own facilities, which are located in the US and can allow for pinpoint controls on everything from the sourcing of high-quality ingredients to best cooking methods, as well as packaging and safety check processes. Visit Ainsworth’s home on the web, www.ainsworthpets.com for more details about nutrition for both dogs and cats. The Ainsworth Pet Nutrition Triple Check System highlights the three critical points to Ainsworth’s checks on quality control: (1) Ainsworth’s Commitment to Ingredient Safety; (2) Ensuring Product Accuracy; and (3) the 48-Hour Hold Before Release. This three-point system ensures that Ainsworth’s pet care products meet the most exacting quality control standards available. There are few websites that are as detailed and easy to understand as those listed here, and they welcome consumer feedback to continue to improve their products.

ADVERTISEMENT