Nutrition & Diet: Keep Your Pets Healthy From the Inside Out

An overweight cat in Meridian ID.

Food is a necessity of life, and we know you want to provide the best in nutrition for your special pets. There are many options on the market these days—but just because a product is available doesn’t mean that it’s a good choice for your pet. At Intermountain Pet Hospital, we have done the research for you, and make recommendations to help you decide which food is best for your pet.

We know you have many questions when it comes to your pet’s food. Please check our FAQs below for answers to some common questions. As always, if your concern isn’t addressed here, please feel free to ask us!

Does it really matter if I give my pet puppy or kitten food?
Puppies and kittens have different nutritional needs than adult dogs, and one pet food cannot meet the needs of all age groups. For instance, puppies and kittens require more fat, protein, and overall calories than adults do. Also, large breed puppies have different needs than smaller puppies during their rapid growth phase. Feeding your puppy adult food can also result in permanent damage. Studies show that large breed puppies that were fed adult food acquired a developmental bone disease, while puppies fed the correct food did not. If you have any questions regarding your puppy or kitten’s diet, please do not hesitate to ask your veterinarian.
Does my senior pet need to switch foods?
As with puppies and kittens, senior pets have specific dietary concerns. Senior pet foods have less phosphorus, sodium, calcium, and protein but are higher in fiber. These adjustments ensure that your pet’s dietary tract stays healthy and his or her nutritional needs are being met.
My dog or cat has food allergies. Can I feed over-the-counter (OTC) hypoallergenic diets?
The short answer is no. Most OTC companies mix a variety of foods on the same production line and do not separate the hypoallergenic foods from the standard ones. With this procedure, residual ingredients remain and are mixed in to the hypoallergenic food, making them contaminated.
We recommend using food from a veterinary prescription diet company because they eliminate cross contamination by using one assembly line per diet food. While it’s more expensive to do so, this extra precaution ensures you know exactly what is in your pet’s food. In the long run, this means better health and comfort for your pet and fewer veterinary expenses for you.
Are raw diets healthy for my pet?
Unfortunately E. coli and Salmonella are commonly found in raw diets and not only make your pet ill from the bacterial contamination, but also you and your family as well. In addition, raw diets don’t meet your pet’s nutritional requirements, as they are deficient in some nutrients and excessive in others, according to leading nutritionists. For example, raw diets are often high in protein, which is harmful to older pets or those with kidney issues. Even though wild animals such as coyotes and wolves stay healthy on a raw diet, it’s important to remember that they include berries, grasses, plants, mushrooms, and melons along with raw meat in their diet.
Are homemade diets OK to use?
While most people agree that nothing is as good as homemade food for humans, studies show that 90% of homemade pet foods are nutritionally unbalanced and don’t provide everything pets need. One misconception many pet owners have is that their pets require the same nutrition humans do and, therefore, homemade diets don’t provide the proper levels of nutrients that pets require. In addition, homemade diets can actually be dangerous to your pet when the calcium and phosphorus ratios are inverted. It’s also important to remember that feeding your pet people food is not a good idea, as doing so can decrease the effectiveness of the recommended pet food he or she is eating on a regular basis. If you want to feed a home cooked diet, we can hire a veterinary nutritionist to formulate a balanced home cooked food diet for your pet.
My pet is overweight, but I want to give him treats. What can I do?
Acceptable treats for weight loss are a quarter cup of carrots, green beans, or an apple. Ask your veterinarian for more information.
I want to change my pet’s food. Can’t I just switch?
Whenever you are changing your pet’s diet, we recommend slowly changing over the course of 7 days, which helps your pet’s body adjust to the new food and helps prevent digestive upset. To do so, add a small amount of the new food to your pet’s current food. As each day passes, gradually add more of the new and less of the old until all you are giving him or her is the new food.
If a pet food is available in the stores, it must be safe and healthy, right?
No, not all pet foods are created equal or with your pet’s best health in mind. While all pet foods should undergo trials to make sure they are safe for your pet, not all do. Some of the primary pet food companies who utilize food trials are Royal Canin, Hills, IAMS, and Purina, and, as a result, these are companies Intermountain Pet Hospital consistently recommends to our clients. Some companies make the label on their food mimic the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AFFCO) guidelines, but doing so doesn’t mean the food is safe for your pet. For example, adding shoe leather to pet food makes it match AFFCO requirements, but it is neither digestible nor nutritious for your pet. Simply put, we trust companies who invest the time and energy into long-term nutritional research, rather than fad diets that may do more harm than good to your pet’s well-being.
Aren’t by-products bad for my pet?
Actually, by-products are used in both human and pet foods and are not only healthy, but also necessary. Vitamin E is a good example and is used as a natural preservative. The use of by-products allows the manufacturer to utilize nutrient-rich organ meats while avoiding excess minerals from bones found in less expensive meals.
Isn’t it important for meat to be the first ingredient in my pet’s food since dogs are carnivores?
Your pet needs nutrients and a complete balance of amino acids from many different sources, not just meat. Since animals aren’t able to store protein, your pet’s kidneys have to work harder to convert excess protein into waste. Dogs are actually omnivores and need a balanced diet of proteins, carbohydrates, and vitamins from a variety of sources other than meat.
Why is corn listed as an ingredient in my pet’s food? Isn’t corn just a filler?
Corn is a highly digestible ingredient that not only provides quality protein for muscle and tissue growth, but also is an excellent source of many antioxidants such as fatty acids, beta-carotene, vitamin E, and lutein. In a review of over 200 cases of food related allergies for dogs, less than 3% were related to corn. In contrast, 70% were connected with beef, chicken, wheat, and dairy products.

Take Advantage of Our Home Delivery

With the busy lifestyle we all live today, we want to make feeding your pet as easy as possible. We offer home delivery through our online pet store. Our store has many OTC and veterinary prescription diets to choose from and only carries diets that meet AFFCO requirements. You can rest assured that any diet we recommend meets your pet’s age, lifestyle, or medical condition needs. We offer five of the most trusted and well-researched diets on the market from Eukanuba, IAMs, Royal Canin, Purina, and Hills companies.

Our home delivery option saves you time and money by bringing your pet’s food right to your door. You never have to make a special trip to our hospital or the pet store only to find they are out of the product. Also, our store stands behind our product shipment. If there are any shipping issues, such as damaged product or the wrong item being shipped, we will correct it to your complete satisfaction. In addition, should your pet have any issues with the diet, all the companies we work with have a money-back guarantee.

Please visit our online store for information about diets.

Good nutrition is critical to the health of your pet. At Intermountain Pet Hospital, we partner with you to select the best diet for your pet’s age, size, lifestyle and medical concerns.