Veterinary Wellness Blog

November Nutrition: What food should I feed my pet?

November 2, 2012

As November begins, many of us start thinking of our delicious turkey dinner with all the trimmings.  As thoughts of cranberries and stuffing fill our minds, I urge you to think of the meals we give our pets every day.  Here at Heritage Animal Hospital, we offer a variety of prescription diets and wellness diets for all of your pets’ needs.

Our veterinary therapeutic diets include Hill’s®, Purina®, and Royal Canin® products.  They are available for a variety of health issues including weight loss and management, diabetes, kidney disease, gastrointestinal issues such as vomiting or diarrhea, inflammatory bowel disease, food sensitivities or allergies, liver disease, urinary tract disease, joint disease, and dental disease amongst others.

For our healthy pets, we offer Purina Pro Plan® foods and Solid Gold® foods for all lifestages including puppy/kitten, adult, and senior.  There are a number of reasons we at Heritage Animal Hospital recommend Solid Gold® Foods.  Solid Gold® was one of the first pet food companies in the United States that uses all natural ingredients in their food.  Solid Gold® is a holistic food that uses premium ingredients and none of the foods contain artificial preservatives.

Solid Gold® does include ingredients such as quality protein sources for muscular health, whole grain for fiber, fruits and vegetables for cell health, essential omega fatty acids for skin and hair health, glucosamine and chondroitin for joint health, taurine for heart health, botanical extracts for antioxidants, and probiotics for intestinal tract health. Solid Gold has varieties with different protein levels for different pet needs, as well as gluten free and grain free varieties.

Purina Pro Plan® foods are well-balanced diets that come in formulas for all life stages.  They contain ingredients such as real meat, poultry, or fish for muscle and heart health.  They also contain high levels of antioxidants to help support the immune system, vitamins and minerals to support heart health and bone and teeth strength, prebiotics to support digestive system health and are a highly digestible formula to minimize waste.  In addition, they help maintain a healthy weight through an optimal protein to fat ratio.  Purina Pro Plan also comes in a wide array of varieties, ingredients, tastes, and textures to ensure your pet will like what they are eating.

We understand there is a wide variety of pet foods available on the market today, and many of them are quality foods.  These are just a few that we have found and liked.  If you feed something else, please make sure that somewhere on the bag there is a statement saying the food has been tested or formulated to meet AAFCO standards for your pet’s particular life stage.

Still confused by the choices facing you in the pet food aisle?  Ask us today about the best diet choice for your pet’s needs, life stage, and health status!