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NUTRITION NOTES
1. Puppies:
We recommend feeding puppies 3-4 times/day. Leave the food down for 15
minutes and then remove it to make housetraining easier and dogs less
finicky about their eating habits. No other food is to be given until
the next feeding. Canned food can be fed to the smaller breeds until 3
months of age when it is advisable to change over to dry food completely.
Dry food can be made more enticing by wetting it with warm water and/or
warming it up in a microwave.
2. Adult Dogs:
May be fed either once or twice daily. Large deep chested dogs should
always be fed twice daily
to lessen the stretching of the stomach thus helping prevent "gastric
distention and bloat" which can be fatal. Recommend premium foods
or high quality commercial brands. Feed according to condition. Avoid
obesity. There is no difference in dry food and canned food other than
the moisture content. It is much more economical to feed dry food, and
better for dogs teeth.
3. Feline Nutrition Notes:
A. Cats are cyclic eaters-they have "peaks" and "valleys"
every 10-12 weeks. Cats are not usually "finicky eaters-but rather
the owner just does not understand this cycle.
B. Most cats eat to satisfy their need for energy. Most will not
overeat once they become accustomed to free-choice feeding.
C. Why dog food is not good for the cat:
1. Cats require higher protein levels.
2. Require Taurine which is absent in plant sources of protein.
A deficiency can lead to retinal degeneration, blindness, and congestive
cardiomyopathy.
3. Require Arginine. This is needed for the urea cycle in the
cat. The dog can produce Arginine itself.
4. Require higher Vitamin A. The cat cannot preform from the carotene
in plants. The cat must have preformed Vitamin A.
5. Require Arachidonic acid from animal tissue.
6. Required increased Niacin. The cat cannot convert Tryptophan to
Niacin like the dog can do.
D. Unbalanced diet problems that can occur as a result:
1. Meat diet: low calcium; high phosphorus = nutritional hyperparathyroidism.
2. Raw fish: may contain Thiaminase which destroys Vitamin B-1 and
can result in cheek paralysis.
3. Fish oils: contain excessive unsaturated fatty acids and low antioxidents
that can lead to pansteatitis.
4. Milk: Some cats do not have enzymes present to digest milk lactose
(sugar). Milk can be an excellent food source if does not cause diarrhea.
Dilute milk with water if diarrhea results.
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