A nutritious diet it an essential part of your pet’s daily care. Researching what your pet needs will help to keep them healthy from the inside out.
Keeping an eye on your pet’s weight will help to reduce the risk of obesity linked diseases, we know there are links between oesteoarthris, cancer and obesity. It is also an easy indicator that you are feeding your pet the correct amount of food. The amount of food your pet needs will vary depending on how active they are. Whilst there are guides for body weight in dog and cat breeds, body condition scoring is the most accurate way to tell if they are at the correct weight.
Contact our nursing team for more advice on body condition scoring and how you can monitor your pet at home.
It is important to tailor your dog’s food to meet their age requirements and exercise levels. Look for a good quality complete food and ensure fresh water is always available.
Puppies need a high protein high energy diet immediately after weaning, this will then reduce as they mature. The amount of food they need decreases at around 6 months of age once they have done most of their growing. We recommend feeding a good quality complete food for 90% of their diet. It’s ok to give treats for training and a bit of your Sunday roast.
Our nursing team are able to give advice on choosing a diet for your dog, no matter their age. Contact our team for more advice on pet nutrition. Laura one of our nurses holds the British Small Animal Veterinary Associations nurse merit award in nutrition.
Along with having fresh water always available, it’s best to feed cats both a mixture of wet and dry food to keep them hydrated. You want their daily diet to be meat based as they are carnivores and overall, it should consist of a high protein content with moderate amounts of fat and limited carbohydrates.
You will need to tailor their food intake to their age and activity levels – something our nursing team is happy to advise on. Contact us for more feline feeding advice.
Rabbits are continuous eaters and need to have a fibre-heavy diet. This will keep their growing teeth at a comfortable length and also help to keep the delicate bacteria in their gut healthy. If you notice your rabbit hasn’t eaten as much as usual or has gone a period of time without eating, contact us immediately as they could be suffering from a medical condition.
Rabbits have evolved to eat high fibre low energy diets, that is lots of grass. If possible your rabbit should have plenty of grass. Fresh hand picked grass is fine but do not use lawnmower clippings. They need nothing more than grass but if you do not have enough then use hay. A few herbs and green carrot tops are ok for treats. Fruit should only be given occasionally as it has a higher sugar content. There are many nuggets on the market made from grass/hay.
To keep your guinea pig happy and healthy they need variety in their diet as they can be fussy eaters. Make sure they have a diet of good quality hay, guinea pig pellets and plenty of vegetables and fruit. Avoid the muesli-style diets as guinea pigs can become selective eaters and not get all the nutrients they need. Leafy greens, such as broccoli or kale are a good source of vitamin C. Root vegetables and fruits are not naturally eaten by guinea pigs – they can be used as treats in small quantities.
It’s important you take the time to research your pet’s nutritional needs and also work out what they like to eat.
Contact us today to book a nurse consultation where our experienced team can weigh your pet, check their body condition score, and advise on the best diet and nutrition for them.
