ASK THE VET - What ’ s the best food that I can feed my dog ?
This is probably one of the most common questions that we are asked as veterinarians . With so many people today concerned about what they are putting into their own bodies , more and more pet owners are also focusing on what they feed their dogs too . While there are certain health conditions that will require some pets to be on specific prescription diets , we do have general guidelines for answering this very common question .
First off , your pet has to like the diet and their digestive systems must agree with the food . No matter now organic or fresh the diet , if your dog won ’ t eat it , it ’ s not the right diet for him / her . Also if your pet loves a particular diet but vomits or has diarrhea whenever ( s ) he eats it , it ’ s also a no-go . Once you ’ ve found a diet that your dog likes and that treats their gastrointestinal system well , you ’ re ready for the next step .
Second , read the ingredients . Remember that ingredients are listed by quantity - the first listed ingredient is the most abundant in that diet . We prefer that the top 2- 3 ingredients in the list be whole , real , recognizable foods . Turkey , deboned chicken , sweet potato ... is a better list than corn meal , chicken by-product , meat ... Some of these
terms can be ambiguous , so let ’ s clarify .
pet likes , one that agrees with your pet ’ s gut and one that is made with real , fresh , whole ingredients .
Enter home-cooked diets ! Especially when the source and quality of the ingredients are a concern , homecooked diets are very appropriate . Veterinarians used to worry that even with whole , fresh ingredients going into a home-cooked diet , the end product was still not 100 % nutritionally balanced in regards to vitamins and minerals .
DTLAvets works with an innovative company called Just Food For Dogs , whose philosophy regarding pet food is right in line with our own . But they have solved the problem of mineral and vitamin deficiencies with their easy to follow home-cooked diets and their DIY nutritional blend packets . Developed with a veterinarian , each of their 5 published recipes ( www . justfoodfordogs . com ) is coupled with a unique nutritional powder blend that rounds out that particular diet and makes it 100 % nutritionally sound for dogs . So delicious are their diets that we went to their flagship store in West Hollywood last month for a cooking class and “ tasting ” ( read : we brought our own wine for the food pairings !)
The truth ? This stuff looks and tastes better than any microwave meal I ’ ve ever seen . Bon appétit !
- Dr Leia Castañeda
• Meat : unidentified mammal tissue
• Byproduct : this term does not define what specific tissue is used in the final product . Byproduct could include good things like organ meat ( heart , liver , etc .) or other more questionable tissues ( like fat , bone , blood ) not typically used as human foods in the United States . Byproduct does not include things like horn , hooves or hair .
• Meal : this term simply refers to any ingredient that has been ground or otherwise reduced in particle size .
Concerned owners should avoid feeding diets listed with generic descriptions of meats or animal byproducts in favor of diets with specific meats listed .
Lastly freshness is ideal . The longer your pet ’ s food a has been sitting around , the more likely you are to find preservatives and other stabilizers in the diet .
But please don ’ t misunderstand us . We are by no means saying that kibble and canned foods are unhealthy . However if the question is “ what is the best food I can feed my dog ?”, we would tell you that it is one that your
!
DTLAvets 333 S Spring Street
Los Angeles , CA 90013 213 613 1537 www . dtlavets . com