What is the best food for my dog or cat?

I get asked this question a lot. It's a complex topic, but the short answer is: buy the very best quality pet food that you can afford.

In my long career as an animal communicator, I've worked with cats, dogs, horses, rabbits, lizards, turtles, chickens, parrots, and ferrets. However, most of my practice is made up of dogs and cats, so for the purposes of this article, I'm going to focus on how to make the best food choices for them.

The market is saturated with choices that can make decision-making difficult. Unfortunately, there is no one "perfect" brand of pet food, and no perfect diet for your pet's particular needs. The best we can do for our pets is to get very close to what is perfect for them as an individual — because like us, they vary in what their body tolerates, and what they find appealing.

Here are some things to consider when deciding on what to feed your pet:

1. Quality matters. The majority of commercial brands (especially at grocery or mainstream pet stores) are filled with junk — "by-products," fillers, and thickeners. As with human food, the ingredient list goes in descending order, so if the first ingredient isn't actual meat, look elsewhere.

2. Processing. The more highly processed a food is, the harder it is for the body to digest. Cats in particular have delicate digestive systems and can easily develop problems because of their diet. Kibble takes a lot more effort to break down than wet food. Look for wet foods that are labeled as "minimally processed", as they haven't had all of the goodness cooked out of them.

3. Allergies/sensitivities. As with humans, not everything is going to agree with your pet. You might be surprised to hear that veterinarians and veterinary nutritionists find that many pets don't do well with chicken. Based on what I've seen in my practice, I agree.

4. Kibble vs. wet vs. raw. There isn't a consensus among veterinarians re: the raw diet. Traditional vets don't favor it, but naturopathic/integrative vets (who have had a lot more training in nutrition) definitely feel it's superior. This is because it's much closer to what animals evolved to eat in the wild. In general, kibble is akin to cereal, and contrary to popular belief, is not better for your pet's teeth. (Think about what our teeth would be like if we ate nothing but cereal and cookies all day — sticky and gooey.) Wet food provides more moisture — especially important for cats, who are not natural drinkers, and for older animals, who tend to get easily dehydrated.

5. Use your common sense. When you're looking at a food label, if it seems like few of the ingredients are actually food, you should pass it by. Just because "the breeder recommended it" or "it's what the pet "was used to to at the shelter," doesn't make it the right food for your pet. Scrutinize the ingredient list to determine if it's actually a good choice.

A side note about "prescription" diets Many of my clients have had their animals placed on prescription diets by their vets, in an attempt to help control kidney disease, sensitive stomach, or another medical issue. There are three problems with this approach: the diets contain lots of fillers or by-products (and usually, a startling lack of actual nutrition through meat protein), most pets HATE the food and don't want to eat it, and it rarely appears to correct the problem it's supposed to be treating anyway.

Other considerations regarding your pet's food

1. Just because something is organic doesn't mean it's right for your pet. For instance, organic meat will still be bad for your pet if it doesn't react well to the proteins in that particular meat.

2. Don't give them something you would view as trashy. I have talked to people who eat very well — everything organic, shop at Whole Foods, etc — yet they give their animals the cheapest grocery store brands filled with rubbish ingredients. I've never understood this disconnect.

3. Frequent feedings can be helpful. The old method of feeding your pet at breakfast and dinner has evolved. Veterinary specialists have found that feeding smaller meals more frequently — perhaps 3 or 4 times a day — is more healthy, especially for those with sensitive stomachs. (Plus if they are getting a tiny meal before bedtime, they might be less likely to bug you at 4 or 5 am.)

4. Mimic their evolution. Eating more frequently is how animals function in the wild. Cats in particular eat small frequent meals, and they are "obligate carnivores." This means that they evolved to exclusively eat a diet of mice and birds (plus fish if they have access to it.) They shouldn't be eating peas, carrots, rice, potato starch, oatmeal, etc. because their tummies just aren't good at breaking down carbohydrates since they didn't evolve eating those foods in the wild. Lately, I see a lot of "pea protein" in ingredient labels, even in so-called "healthy" brands. This is done by the manufacturers because it's much cheaper than meat, but most cats react quite badly to it. Dogs can of course eat actual peas, but dried pea protein is very highly processed (you can find videos of the factory process online) and it can upset their stomachs or cause chronic skin issues like excessive itching — and worse.

5. No gluten for your pet. This includes barley, which I have seen in some dog foods — (wheat is not the only grain that contains gluten.) Corn/corn oil and soy/soy oil can also be aggravating. So even if your dog food is labeled "grain free", check on the oils it contains as well. Also, carefully check the ingredient list on any treats you are giving your pet. Most treats are often very low quality and I've seen a number of them that contain "wheat protein", i.e. gluten.

6. Thickeners and by-products aren't of nutritional benefit, and are best avoided if possible. I've worked with many pets who develop inflammatory intestinal problems related to the use of thickeners: guar gum, xanthan gum, and carageenan.

7. Raw can be great, but it's not suited for everyone. In general, dogs seem to adore it, though quite a few cats don't — they either don't like the "slimy" texture, or they can't tolerate it and they throw it up.

8. Do NOT do vegan for your dog. This diet can have devastating consequences. Yes, dogs are omnivores who eat veggies, but they definitely need their meat. I worked with one client who was very rigid about a vegan diet (her previous dog ate mostly beans and rice), and she told me that he had died at a young age due to a severe lack of an amino acid (taurine) because of the absence of meat. This deficiency causes heart failure. If you are vegan and just can't bear to feed your dog globs of raw or canned food because it grosses you out, try using freeze-dried raw that you reconstitute with water — it might seem less "icky" for you.

   
   

If you are going to make a switch, do it gradually. Spread it out over a period of two to three weeks. You can find online articles with tips on how to successfully make this transition.

Keep in mind that good quality food will pay off in the long run with better overall health and less vet bills over the course of your pet's life.

Still wondering what to do? If your pet is a picky eater, has skin/coat issues, vomits frequently, has loose poops, has been officially diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome, or shows other signs of something just not "agreeing" with them, book my free Discovery Session to find out more about what we might be able to do to help them.