Nutrition
At Windy Hollow Veterinary Clinic we carry Wysong, Eagle Pack, Solid Gold, IVD, Purina DM and Steve's frozen raw meat diets. You can also prepare food at home, keeping nutritional requirements in mind. Below are some general recommendations and we offer nutritional consultations at WHVC to help choose the best diet for your pet's health.
The Best Cat Foods (based on ratings from the Whole Dog Journal)
The Best Dog Foods (based on ratings from the Whole Dog Journal)
Homemade Diet for Cats
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| Protein | 80% - Use raw ground chuck, raw organic chicken, raw organic egg yolk; cooked egg white; tofu (only in small amounts); cooked chicken, turkey, lamb, or beef (no cooked poultry bones) |
| Vegetable | 20% - Use finely grated or chopped steamed zucchini or carrot; alfalfa sprouts; steamed broccoli, corn; baked winter squash; Chinese broccoli in garlic sauce; a little yam or sweet potato. |
| Daily supplement | (add to homemade diet) 1 tsp. Menhaden, salmon oil, or Sea Vet 1/8 tsp. Lite salt (Morton), 500 mg taurine, 300 mg bone meal or calcium carbonate, (unless meat has bone ground with it) % tablet Pioneer Nutritional 1+ Vitamin Mineral (brand name). |
| Rations | Small cat - 1/2 to 3/4 cup daily. Medium cat - 1 to 1 1/3 cups daily. Large cat - 1 1/2 to 2 1/4 cups daily. |
Note: *To enhance palatability, add a dollop of butter, sardines, or tuna. *It is best to use all organic meats and produce. *Cats that have kidney disease or are immuno-suppressed should not eat raw meat. |
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| Bribe foods | Since raw foods do not have as strong a taste as cooked foods, you may need to enhance the flavor with "bribe foods". These foods are strong smelling, strong-tasting treats that can be mixed in easily and flavor the entire meal. |
| 1/2 jar baby food creamed corn 1 lightly cooked chicken liver 1 inch piece of sardine in tomato sauce 3 to 4 drops tamari soy sauce 1/4 teaspoon brewer's yeast sprinkled on top 1 teaspoon baby food lamb smeared on top |
Homemade Diets for Dogs __________ Print this document
| Protein | 40% - Use ground beef, chicken, turkey, lamb, and organic eggyolk; cooked egg white; tofu (no cooked bones) |
| vegetable | 20% - Use finely grated or chopped steamed zucchini or carrot; alfalfa sprouts; steamed broccoli, corn; baked winter squash; yam or sweet potato. |
| Carbs | 40% - Bulgur, millet, brown rice, rolled oats, cornmeal, or barley |
| Daily supplement | (add to homemade diet) Sea Vet Gold (Fish Oil) (see Dr. Plavin for dose) Lite salt (Morton), (Potassium Chloride) Olive Oil Solid Gold bone meal or calcium carbonate (Tums), (dose is 20 mg/lb) . Pioneer Nutritional 1 + Vitamin Mineral (brand name). |
| Sample Diets | 20 lb Dog | 40 lb Dog | 80 lb Dog |
| Protein | 4 - 6 oz | 8 - 12 oz | 16 - 24 oz |
| Vegetable | 1 - 2 oz | 2 - 4 oz | 4 - 6 oz |
| Carbs | 4 - 6 oz | 8 - 12 oz | 16 - 24 oz |
| Lite Salt | 1/4 tsp | 1/2 tsp | 1 tsp |
| Olive Oil | 2 tsp | 4 tsp | 8 tsp |
| Calcium Carbonate | 400 mg | 800mg | 1600mg |
| Pioneer Vitamin | 1/2 tablet | 1 tablet | 2 tablets |
Use discretion for the above amounts, i.e.: overweight dog you would use less, and a highly athletic dog you would use more. Organic foods would of course be the ideal, but again use your discretion when purchasing foods. |
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Diet for Gastrointestinal Problems
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(Temporary bland diet
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Many gastrointestinal problems resulting in vomiting and/or diarrhea can be controlled with proper dietary management. The following diet is well tolerated by most dogs, even those with severe gastrointestinal problems. You may find that the amount of fecal material produced with this diet is considerably smaller than usual. This is to be expected, since it is a low residue diet.
Please be sure to make all diet changes gradually, as small changes can affect your dogs digestive system.
| Ingredients | White rice (not Minute) or Plain Pasta Lowfat Cottage cheese or Boiled Chicken |
| Proportions | 8 ounces low fat cottage cheese or boiled chicken 1 cup uncooked white rice or 1 cup cooked pasta |
| Preparation | 1 cup white rice and 2 cups water. Bring to boil. Simmer 15 minutes. Let cool. Mix in the 8 ounces of cottage cheese or the 8 ounces of boiled chicken. |
| Daily Ration | Small to medium size dogs 1/2 - 3/4 cup Medium to large dogs 1 - 1 1/4 cups Large dogs 1 1/2 - 2 1/4 cups |
| Frequency of Feeding | Divide total daily amount into 3-4 feedings per day, unless otherwise instructed. |
Food Allergies
Poor quality foods such as the typical "grocery store" brands, often cause food allergies. Food allergies may cause digestive upset, or skin and ear irritation. Symptoms of food allergies include diarrhea, gas, bloody stools, and/or itchy and inflamed skin and ears. If any of these symptoms characterize your pet, you should consult with your veterinarian first and consider switching to a better quality or limited ingredient pet food.
The problem with "grocery store" brands and many other commercial pet foods are the ingredients within them. Often times these foods contain additives, preservatives, artificial colors and flavors, as well as other ingredients that are harsh on an animals system. Additionally, some of the food ingredients in these pet foods are items that animals would not eat naturally in the wild and many times meat is third, fourth, even fifth on the list of ingredients!
To avoid a poor quality food and help prevent and/or treat food allergies, here are a few helpful suggestions:
Choose a food with whole meat or fish (chicken, turkey, beef, lamb, etc.) listed as the very first ingredient.
Avoid foods that contain animal by-products.
Avoid foods containing artificial colors, flavors, or added preservatives.
Avoid foods containing fat or protein not identified by species, chicken fat for example is acceptable.
Stay away from foods containing sugars or sweeteners.
Look for foods containing whole grains and vegetables rather than reconstituted parts ie: rice rather than rice flour, rice bran, brewers rice, etc.
A good quality food will offer the date of manufacture, and organic ingredients.
Another helpful suggestion is to change brands periodically to help prevent food allergies from developing as manufacturers tend to use the same vitamin/mineral pre-mix and same food ingredients which can result in a constant nutrient content. Staying with the same brand for years and years can affect your dog's health if any nutritional imbalances, excesses, or deficiencies are present in the food.