Mastering pet nutrition? Yes, it is possible! This pet nutrition guide will help you keep your pets’ tails wagging and their whiskers twitching at every meal.
Hello again! Long time, no see; it’s me, your friend in need, Morgan. If you’ve read my articles, then you know I am a proud momma of 3 dogs, 1 cat, and a sweetheart of an Ara parrot. With so many pure souls around me, I don’t have the time to get bored.
But all this affection and nice moments together with my pets also come with a great responsibility. You want your pet to live as long and healthy a life as possible because you love them, but life can become rather boring for any living creature if they only eat the same food every day.
After conducting some research and going through a lot of trial and error, I finally discovered “the secrets” of what constitutes good and bad food when it comes to pets. By the end of this article, you will be mastering pet nutrition and know exactly how to make your pet’s life happy and healthy. So, come on, let’s start!
Mastering pet nutrition for dogs
Before venturing into particular foods, dog parents should be aware of a few general rules. Avoid additives, particularly xylitol, and stick to whole foods, especially homemade cooked, and of course to the regular kibble and wet food.
Take note of your dog’s and cat’s size, any preexisting medical conditions, whether they are taking medication, and whether they typically have difficulty swallowing, in which case food should be cut up into smaller pieces.
Of course, another important tip if you wish to master pet nutrition is to stay in touch with your vet and be up to date with any issues that your pet might have. So let’s start with the best foods for dogs and how to ensure they have a healthy diet rich in protein, fiber, vitamins, and so on.
Peanut butter
I’m excited to kick off my list of pet nutrition guides with a food that’s sparked a lot of debate! Many people have been curious about whether it’s safe to feed this to dogs, so let’s dive in and explore together! The answer is yes. Peanut butter is one of the safest foods to feed your pooch that’s both delish and nutritional. Make sure the peanut butter you feed your pooch is as clean as possible and free of toxic ingredients like sugar, salt, and palm oil.
Cooked meat
A lot of my friends asked me if I feed my dogs something else, especially meat. The answer is yes, I feed my dogs lean meat, but not raw. I cook it in a frying pan with only water, no seasoning, and no oil.
I also make sure to remove any bones or traces of them from the meat. Why? A dog’s teeth may crack or get stuck in the roof of their mouth due to hard bones. And trust me when I say it’s horrible to go to the vet for your canine’s teeth issues. Plus, it’s costly too!
A completely safe option is lean meat, like chicken or turkey, that has been carefully deboned and skinned.
Green beans
I couldn’t move forward without including green beans on the list of safe dog food. Green beans can be steamed to facilitate digestion, but they are less digestible when raw. Naturally, before giving them to your dog, make sure they are adequately cooled. As an alternative, frozen green beans are also a fantastic and affordable choice.
Larger-breed dogs may require a quarter cup, while smaller breeds may only require around a tablespoon (you can cut them up for easier measuring).
Apples
Apples are a very tasty and safe food option to feed your pooch. They’re full of vitamin A, C, and potassium, which are great for dogs too. Cut the apple into pieces just like you would for yourself or your kid, and don’t give your dog any seeds because they can be poisonous and clog the gastrointestinal tract.
Eggs
For humans, breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so next time you’re cooking your eggs, set aside one egg for your pooch too. Your dog can enjoy delicious treats or dietary supplements made from eggs, whether they are cooked or boiled. Don’t add any spices to your omelet if you want to give your dog a small portion. Not even salt!
Eggs are known as safe and nourishing for the majority of dogs and are frequently included in homemade pet diets.
Kibble
When it comes to dog food, not all kibble is made equal, and choosing a 100% safe and healthy option can be challenging with so many options available. Real meat, such as chicken or beef, should be listed as the primary ingredient in a high-quality dog food; fillers like corn, soy, and artificial preservatives should be avoided.
Although many pet parents prefer dry kibble, wet food, freeze-dried meals, and even freshly cooked, gently cooked options (like Ollie or The Farmer’s Dog) can also be healthy, especially for dogs with special dietary requirements or those troublemakers who are picky eaters. I have one at home, and it’s a pain in the neck sometimes. The list of a couple of toxic dog food brands was done by my colleague Rachel here in this article, if you want to check it out.
Dry dog food is easier to feed and store than wet food, lasts longer once opened, and is more affordable. This is what all dog owners want to hear, right? Furthermore, dry food scrapes off plaque as it is chewed, which can also help keep a dog’s teeth clean.
In addition to being widely available, it doesn’t require special storage after opening, unlike canned food.
Wet food
I don’t know about your dogs, but my oldest dog, Stella, doesn’t eat kibble. At all! After so many years, I might have concluded that she simply doesn’t like it. And trust me, I tried so many options. Nothing works. In case your pooch isn’t that picky as my Stella, then you should give it both kibble and wet food. Both are great for the diet.
A dog’s preference for wet dog food over dry food is frequently based on its texture and aroma. It is available in a wide variety of meat chunk sizes and flavors. This kind of food is generally advised for elderly dogs or dogs with dental problems that limit their ability to chew, but it’s also a wise choice for younger dogs.
TIP: If you have a picky eater like Stella, you can try and mix the kibble with the wet food and see if you can convince them to munch on it!
Foods that are toxic to dogs:
Chocolate
If you’ve reached this far, then you can see that mastering pet nutrition isn’t that hard. The task appears much simpler with a list of tasty and healthful items, right? Don’t forget to bookmark the article so you can return to it whenever you forget something. Of course, you can also ask me questions in the comments section below the article! I am glad to help!
So, when it comes to all the unsafe and toxic foods that you should never feed your pooch, the number one on the list is chocolate. It may be delicious for us humans with a sweet tooth, but for our four-legged friends, both dogs and cats, chocolate is highly toxic.
Caffeine and theobromine, which are found in chocolate, have an impact on a dog’s heart and central nervous system and function as diuretics, which can lead to dehydration. The dose may be more deadly the darker the chocolate (the higher the cacao content).
Onions and garlic
“But they’re healthy for humans!” Yes, they are, but alliums contain N-propyl disulfides and thiosulfates that can cause damage to red blood cells. That’s why I mentioned above: to avoid giving your pooch meat with sauces or any other spices because garlic powder is present in a ton of mixes, for example.
Grapes and raisins
If your dog eats even one grape, it could cause kidney failure that can’t be fixed. So if you think your dog ate a grape or something with raisins in it, call your vet right away. They will give your dog a medicine to help it vomit before the toxins enter its body. If you cannot reach a veterinarian, hydrogen peroxide may be effective as a last resort, but it is important to consult one first.
Mastering pet nutrition for cats
It’s not enough to just fill your cat’s bowl; you also have to give them the right food to keep their little hunter instincts going. Cats are carnivores, which means they need to eat a lot of meat to stay healthy. You should look for cat foods that have named animal proteins, like chicken, turkey, or salmon, at the top of the list of ingredients. Wet food is a wonderful way to keep your cat hydrated, especially because they don’t like to drink water like dogs.
When searching for food for your cat, carefully consider the ingredients before adding anything appealing to your shopping cart. For example, avoid at all costs cornmeal and carbohydrate fillers, meat byproducts, BHA, BHT, and ethoxyquin. If you’re having issues picking the best quality food for your cat, talk to your vet. They will know what to recommend to you.
Now, if you’re anything like me and you have a cat, then you probably sneak it a lot of food from your plate. This isn’t a big deal unless you’re giving them something they’re not allowed to eat, or worse, it’s toxic to them. To help you understand which human foods are safe for cats and which should be avoided, I’ve put together this pet nutrition guide for cats.
Fruits
But not all the fruits are healthy and good for your cat. The first fruit on the list is apples, but you must remove the seeds and core before giving them to your fluffy friend. If the cat is old, or older, it might be a good idea to peel the apple completely and slice it into small chunks.
Both strawberries and watermelon are great for your cat’s health. Rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, strawberries can be a tasty treat, but avoid giving your cat too many strawberries since they’re high in sugar. Watermelon, on the other hand, is a great way to hydrate, especially during the warm season. Just don’t forget to remove the seeds!
Cats can also safely consume cantaloupe. Jam-packed with vitamins C and A and a ton of fiber that helps digestion, cantaloupe is a great choice for a summer treat. Just make sure to cut it into super small pieces to avoid choking hazards.
Meats
You can let your cat eat cooked, lean meats like lamb, liver, turkey, chicken, and beef without adding any seasonings or sauces. It’s crucial to take extra care when serving, though, to be sure that the meat is cooked through—never feed raw meat to cats—and to take off all of the skin and bones before giving your cat food.
Naturally, you can also feed fish to your cat, and the majority of them are safe to consume. Avoid giving your cats smoked salmon! My husband made this mistake once, and because our cat is not in her twenties anymore, she couldn’t chew it properly, and in half an hour it was, well… on the floor, all of it.
Now that you know a few things about how to feed your fluffy friend correctly, you might also want to upgrade the feeder. I suggest getting an automatic feeder if you’re a busy person who works long hours every day. In my case, it helped me a lot. I am away for more than 5 hours per day, and so is my husband, so the pets are spending a lot of time alone. The Voluas automatic feeder with a capacity of 4 liters is enough for small cats and dogs.
What’s the best thing about it? It features a voice-recorded meal call feature that lets your pet hear your voice during mealtime, strengthening the bond and establishing healthy eating habits. I only recorded ten seconds of audio for my cats and dogs, and it helped a lot since they don’t eat if someone else is feeding them.
Canned food or kibble that contains taurine
I know it may sound strange, but cats need taurine. Of course not from energy drinks like humans do, but from foods. Taurine deficiency can result in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), a heart condition. Manufacturers have been incorporating taurine into cat food for many decades now. You just have to look carefully at the label to see if the food of your choice has it or not.
Vegetables
You probably saw a ton of videos on YouTube with cats munching on carrots, cucumbers, and so on. So it’s not that weird to say that vegetables are among cats’ favorites. Cucumber, steamed broccoli, carrots, asparagus, and peas are a few vegetables that cats can safely consume, especially because they do provide a lot of water, fiber, and vitamins.
Foods that are toxic to cats:
Avocado
Humans view avocados as a healthy fruit, but cats do not. Persin, which is present in the fruit, leaves, seeds, and tree bark, can make cats throw up and have diarrhea. Rich and high in fat, avocados can cause pancreatitis or gastroenteritis.
Onion and garlic
Same as dogs, cats seem to be vampires too. But not only do they not like the smell of these veggies, but ingesting them is also toxic. Onions may destroy red blood cells, while garlic both destroys red blood cells and causes severe anemia. While you may not be willingly giving garlic or onion to your cats, it’s also advisable to keep them away from potato chips, too.
Tomatoes
Glycoalkaloid solanine, a bitter, toxic alkaloid found in tomatoes, can produce severe lower gastrointestinal symptoms. The stems and leaves are especially poisonous. If you see tomatoes in prepared pet food, don’t be scared. Because they are made with ripe tomatoes and only occur in small quantities, they shouldn’t be a cause for concern.
Dairy products
Cats will slurp a bowl of milk in an instant, but this might not be a good idea because your cat might be lactose intolerant without even knowing. Digestion problems like diarrhea and upset stomach can be brought on by milk, cheese, and other dairy products.
Owner of both cats and dogs? Never mix up their food!
Dogs and cats have different dietary requirements. They need animal protein to survive because they are obligate carnivores. The appropriate levels of taurine, protein, and other vitamins and minerals required to maintain cat health are absent from dog food. Furthermore, the amount of water, fat, and calories in dog food might not be suitable for cats.
Hydration for dogs and cats
Now that we’ve established some “rules” to follow if you want your furry friend to be healthy, let’s move on to the last step, which is hydration.
To maintain optimal health, cats need access to fresh drinking water every day. For the kidneys to remove toxins from the blood, water is necessary. Water makes up roughly 67% of the tissues in cats’ bodies. That, incidentally, is roughly the proportion of water in the prey they capture and consume in the wild.
If you don’t know what to do to convince your cat to drink at least the minimum per day, this article 5 Clever Tricks to Get Your Cat to Drink More Water, might guide you through the process.
Dogs drink more water than cats, so it is important to provide multiple bowls in different areas of your house at all times. Change it every 5 hours. Pay close attention to how much water your dog is drinking, particularly during the summer or when they are more active. Consult your veterinarian if they drink too much or exhibit symptoms of dehydration, such as sunken eyes, dry gums, or lethargy.
For example, a dog weighing 20 pounds would require about 20 ounces of water every day. It’s important to keep in mind, though, that dogs who are active or who live in hot climates may require extra water.
For a dog to stay cool, some breeds—like larger dogs or dogs with thick coats—may also require more water. Dogs that are puppies, nursing, or pregnant also need more water because of their growing bodies, nursing, or other physiological changes.
But as I previously mentioned, for any further questions you may have, don’t hesitate to contact your vet. They know more about your pets than you.
…psst! My colleague Lena wrote an article about The Canine Kidney Disease Guide. I think you might be interested in reading it!
