Veterinary Nutrition
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Veterinary Brands
1. Royal Canin Veterinary Diets 2. Hill's Prescription Veterinary Diets 3. Purina Veterinary Diets & Purina Essential Care Line 4. Iams Veterinary Diets 5. FreshRx - fresh gently cooked frozen diets www.freshrx.ca 6. Rayne Veterinary Diets 7. CET (Virbac) Dental Chews 
Home Cooking
1. Hilarys Complete and Balanced Cookbook and Vitamin and Mineral Supplement www.hilarysblend.ca www.completeandbalanced.com |
Supplements
1. Ascenta Omega 3 Oil liquid or capsules 2. Flexadin Plus with Devil's Claw Glucosamine Chews 3. UBAvet Powermeg glucosamine and Omega 3 4. Dasuquin glucosamine and chondroitin 5. Osteosupport Plus glucosamine + green lipped muscle Chews 6. Progut probiotic powder or paste 7. Fortiflora probiotic powder 8. Rx Vitamins supplements (a large variety available) - Immuno-support - Hepato-support 9. Thera-chews - Mellows (anti-anxiety chews) - Liver Bites (liver support) - Aventi-HB - Hairball chews |
Veterinary Nutrition
Welcome to our page on nutrition! While we cannot possibly cover everything about feeding your pet on this page, here is a basic introduction, and if you have specific questions about feeding your pet please feel free to give us a shout or send an email!
Each pet will respond differently to foods and as such each may require individual attention. Some pets are extraordinarily picky and may require a specific food or rotation to keep them interested! Others are completely content eating the same food for the duration of their lives!
Veteirnary diets are generally designed for specific health concerns and thus for the most part are considered to be prescription diets. Others are suitable to for the average pet to maintain health. Diets we would recommend include those for sensitive stomachs, liver disease, heart disease, urinary tract issues (crystals, cystitis), weight loss, joint diets, skin/allergies, senior formulas, kidney disease and dental disease etc. Veterinary diets often have specific ingredients/nutrients, pH levels, anti-oxidants, and supplements not available in over the counter foods and are often produced in facilities that are free from cross contaminants. In addition, many of these diets undergo rigorous testing for palatability, stool quality, urinary tract health, skin/coat health and quality control.
The diets we carry also offer support from veterinary nutritionists in the case of those pets who require a consultation or those that may have an adverse reaction to a food. The diets also carry a 1st time palatability guarantee which means if the diet isn't accepted by a pet it can be returned for a full refund!
There are many wonderful over the counter foods also available and while there are too many to name, the important thing to consider is, is it working for your pet!? If not then a change may be in order and if it is working just fine then fantastic!
AAFCO
American Association of Feed Control Officials; provide nutrition profiles for various life stages of pets including growth, maintenance, all life stages etc. A statement is provided on each bag of food that has adhered to the basic nutrient profiles set out by AAFCO
Example: "Pet Food Name is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for growth"
Life Stage Nutrition
Grain Free, Organic, Natural Diets
There are also many "fad diets" present with little scientific backing just as their are in on the human side. These fad diets include "grain free", "organic", "natural" etc all of which may appeal to the consumer but may in fact be no better or worse (or bio-available!) for your pet. Also of interest are some links below that go over how to read pet food labels and other valuable information to look for when choosing a pet food.
Grain Free Diets - petMD
How to read pet food labels - FDA
Pet Food Facts and Fiction - DVM360
Raw Diets
Raw diets are also a popular choice, based on the idea that dogs should be fed as per their ancestors and without any added grains, fillers or carbohydrates. While we won't devote an entire section to this, we, as many other veterinary professionals do not endorse its use for a variety of reasons including lack of nutrient balance, concern about contamination with e.coli, salmonella and listeria which may affect both animal and human alike, lack of quality control with each batch created, limited absorption/bio-availability of certain nutrients when in a raw state, risk of feeding bones to dentition (i.e. tooth fractures) and most importantly lack of clinical evidence to suggest this method of feeding is superior to feeding a commercially prepared kibble or a balanced home cooked diet. While we recognize that some pets do well on raw diets, we also would assume that those pets would do equally as well on a high quality commercial kibble or home cooked diet using balanced recipes and wholesome ingredients.
AAHA Raw diet position statement
CVMA Position Statement on Raw Diets
AVMA Position Statement on Raw Diets
Chapter on Feeding Raw to cats - Complete and Balanced Website
Hilary Watson Cooked Vs Raw Feeding
Guelph Animal Hospital - Dr Rob Butler - Raw Feeding - Blog
Raw Food Diets in Companion Animals: critical Review - Can Vet Journal
FDA - Raw Pet foods
It is important to remember that ingredients are NOT nutrients. No matter your choice of feeding, it is important to feed a complete and balanced diet that is meant for an animals health status, age, weight and is both safe for humans and animals alike. If you require assistance with choosing a diet for your pet please contact and visit your veterinarian!
Each pet will respond differently to foods and as such each may require individual attention. Some pets are extraordinarily picky and may require a specific food or rotation to keep them interested! Others are completely content eating the same food for the duration of their lives!
Veteirnary diets are generally designed for specific health concerns and thus for the most part are considered to be prescription diets. Others are suitable to for the average pet to maintain health. Diets we would recommend include those for sensitive stomachs, liver disease, heart disease, urinary tract issues (crystals, cystitis), weight loss, joint diets, skin/allergies, senior formulas, kidney disease and dental disease etc. Veterinary diets often have specific ingredients/nutrients, pH levels, anti-oxidants, and supplements not available in over the counter foods and are often produced in facilities that are free from cross contaminants. In addition, many of these diets undergo rigorous testing for palatability, stool quality, urinary tract health, skin/coat health and quality control.
The diets we carry also offer support from veterinary nutritionists in the case of those pets who require a consultation or those that may have an adverse reaction to a food. The diets also carry a 1st time palatability guarantee which means if the diet isn't accepted by a pet it can be returned for a full refund!
There are many wonderful over the counter foods also available and while there are too many to name, the important thing to consider is, is it working for your pet!? If not then a change may be in order and if it is working just fine then fantastic!
AAFCO
American Association of Feed Control Officials; provide nutrition profiles for various life stages of pets including growth, maintenance, all life stages etc. A statement is provided on each bag of food that has adhered to the basic nutrient profiles set out by AAFCO
Example: "Pet Food Name is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for growth"
Life Stage Nutrition
- Growth - puppies and kittens should be fed a complete and balanced diet that meets AAFCO standards for growth - skeletal maturity is typically reached by 1 year in small breeds and 15-18 months in larger breeds; puppies and kittens should be fed according to body condition scores, breed and size. Treats should be limited to less than 10% of the pets diet. Calcium:Phosphorus ratios must be ideal for growth.
- Post Spay/Neuter - caloric intake should be reduced by about 30% due to lower energy needs
- Adult Maintenance - fed once skeletal maturity reached - amount to be fed should be based on body condition score, wellness screenings and activity level and should be assed annually at minimum. Cats should never be fed foods meant for dogs. Diets formulated for "all life stages" are growth diets and should be fed with caution to adults or giant breed dogs. If you pet requires weight loss, it is important to use a proper weight loss diets as otherwise vital nutrients may be missing if an adult maintenance diet is fed in a restricted quantity.
- Senior - there is no AAFCO nutrient profiles for Senior diets - the age at which a pet is senior differs by species and breed - senior pets should be fed appropriately based on any medical conditions present and body condition score - some senior pets can be fed an adult diet their entire lives, while others require specific nutritional needs.
Grain Free, Organic, Natural Diets
There are also many "fad diets" present with little scientific backing just as their are in on the human side. These fad diets include "grain free", "organic", "natural" etc all of which may appeal to the consumer but may in fact be no better or worse (or bio-available!) for your pet. Also of interest are some links below that go over how to read pet food labels and other valuable information to look for when choosing a pet food.
Grain Free Diets - petMD
How to read pet food labels - FDA
Pet Food Facts and Fiction - DVM360
Raw Diets
Raw diets are also a popular choice, based on the idea that dogs should be fed as per their ancestors and without any added grains, fillers or carbohydrates. While we won't devote an entire section to this, we, as many other veterinary professionals do not endorse its use for a variety of reasons including lack of nutrient balance, concern about contamination with e.coli, salmonella and listeria which may affect both animal and human alike, lack of quality control with each batch created, limited absorption/bio-availability of certain nutrients when in a raw state, risk of feeding bones to dentition (i.e. tooth fractures) and most importantly lack of clinical evidence to suggest this method of feeding is superior to feeding a commercially prepared kibble or a balanced home cooked diet. While we recognize that some pets do well on raw diets, we also would assume that those pets would do equally as well on a high quality commercial kibble or home cooked diet using balanced recipes and wholesome ingredients.
AAHA Raw diet position statement
CVMA Position Statement on Raw Diets
AVMA Position Statement on Raw Diets
Chapter on Feeding Raw to cats - Complete and Balanced Website
Hilary Watson Cooked Vs Raw Feeding
Guelph Animal Hospital - Dr Rob Butler - Raw Feeding - Blog
Raw Food Diets in Companion Animals: critical Review - Can Vet Journal
FDA - Raw Pet foods
It is important to remember that ingredients are NOT nutrients. No matter your choice of feeding, it is important to feed a complete and balanced diet that is meant for an animals health status, age, weight and is both safe for humans and animals alike. If you require assistance with choosing a diet for your pet please contact and visit your veterinarian!