What does healthy pet nutrition mean and how do supplements help? 

Puppies slowly learn to use solid food after the 40th day of birth, and after two months they are already used to it. Kittens completely stop taking breast milk after the eighth week and are fed with moist and solid food. 

To be healthy and active as long as possible, an appropriate balance of six main groups of nutrients is needed: proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and water. 

When choosing the right food, the most important factors are: the pet’s age, level of physical activity, and size. 

Regardless of whether you feed your pet commercial or homemade food, it is important to understand the principles of their diet. 

Dogs are carnivores and their basic need for protein and fat from which they get energy is of animal origin. 

On the other hand, while evolution has partially moved the dog from a strict carnivore to an omnivore, so today they take ingredients from plants such as minerals and fibers that are not in sufficient quantities in meat, cats are “exclusive carnivores”, which means that they must eat meat, and they need protein, as the main source of energy.

There are three types of food – ready-made dry food, ready-made canned food, and home-cooked meals.

Any change in diet should take place gradually over a period of one week so that appetite, digestion, and metabolism can be properly adapted. 

Ready-made dry food is the easiest way for optimal feeding because it is easy to dose and can be stored for a long time in a cool and dry place. It usually contains high-quality ingredients and is produced by softening carbohydrates, which makes digestion easier for pets. 

High-quality canned food can be recognized by its high meat content, firm consistency, and low jelly content, while low-quality canned food has a lot of water content, high jelly content, and often contains soy as a meat substitute. 

When it comes to home-prepared food, it is important to know that it must contain over 20 necessary ingredients in order to maintain the guaranteed quality of the raw materials and avoid malnutrition of the pet. In addition to being financially less favorable, this option also involves a lot of time and work required for shopping, preparation, and storage. The advice is that only those who have a lot of knowledge in this field should opt for this possibility.  

It is important to note that leftovers from the table, are too salty, with insufficient minerals and main nutrients to be properly balanced. Bones are particularly dangerous, as they can injure teeth and get stuck in the throat or intestines, causing major problems. On the other hand, although it seems that it is a natural food that should be given to dogs, raw meat can contain bacteria that are dangerous for pets. 

Chocolate, onions, garlic, and grapes or raisins are considered dangerous foods. Even the smallest amounts can be fatal. Spinach and beets are also poisonous to dogs.