Cats and dogs are your long-lasting companions. And, they should eat well to remain happy and agile. As a new parent to a pet, you might find it confusing to decide the ideal diet plan for the newly brought animal at home. Thus, it is necessary to understand the pet’s body first before you decide keeping them with you for life. Also, you need to know why pets eat what they eat so that you can plan the best suited meals for them. In want of ideal meal plan, your pets may fall ill leading to more pain to you than pleasure for which you rear them. The poor diet plan can lead to serious health conditions in pet causing lot of guilt to you for being a bad owner.
In some countries, the pet welfare cells are very active. They may even come to your house and check the way you are keeping your pet. If you fail the mandatory requirements, you may not be allowed to continue keeping the pet with you. So, here is a quick guide to help you avoid all hassles and have a healthy diet plan for your loving animal partner.
Diet plan for cats
Cats the members of feline family were originally living in wild conditions. Their dental make-up and gut design tell a lot about the type of food they need in their diet plan. Originally, a cat’s diet comprises mostly of animal food. They depend primarily upon meat-filled and moist foods to meet their bodily requirements.
The diet plan for the cat will require taking into account the weight and age of the cat. The larger cat will need higher amounts of calories. So, the food for such cat is supposed to be full of meat-based dry as well as moist foods.
The owners can seek advice of the veterinarians to find about the ideal calorie intake. They normally suggest giving two meals a day. Instead of overstuffing their bowls with food, stick to the amounts mentioned in the food label and as recommended by the doctor. Some don’ts related to the feeding of cats include:
- Do not go for semi-moist foods. These are notoriously known for their high magnesium content that causes urinary infection.
- Do not feed the cats with grains like wheat or rice. Their bodies are not designed for these simple carbohydrates.
- Do not use simple ‘meat’. Instead, go for chicken liver, chicken heart kind of ingredients. These specific meat sources are ideal for ensuring optimal taurine intake by the cats.
The safe option is to go for canned food that is sufficiently wet and meat-filled and is made in different flavors. Thus, you can do your hits and trials to find what the suitable meal plan for your cat is.
Diet plan for dogs
Dogs need about 700 to 900 calories a day; oversized dogs may need more. The ideal diet for the dog will comprise of meat largely, but they also need fillers like grains, fruits and vegetables to get their dose of vitamins, minerals and carbohydrates. It is a common notion that dogs love bones, but most of the advantages of chewing of bones are related to improving the jaw health. Bones, therefore, does not have much role in providing ample nutrition to the dogs.
It is worth noticing that diet requirements for puppies and dogs are different. A visit to veterinarian or to authentic online sources providing reliable info about dog’s diet can help you know better about the dog food requirement as against its age and weight.
Packed formula foods meant good for all ages are the safe and the easy choice for ensuring that your pet is amply nourishes. The good quality packed dog food will contain the best versions of essential meats like lamb, beef, chicken, etc. and also that of grains and vegetables. You can use these formula foods for giving a good meal twice a day to dogs.
So, there is no set pattern as such to follow while preparing diet chart for your pet dogs and cats. Most of the advice is available over the packed food labels and you can verify the same from a trusted veterinarian.