A healthy pet is a lean and active pet. Much like their human owners, pets feel better and are more active when they don't have excess padding on their frame. The Sarasota veterinarians at Bee Ridge Veterinary Clinic have information on all the latest knowledge in animal nutrition. We want your pet to have a healthy and active long life, and feeding them correctly is one of the first steps in wellcare.

Your Pet's Wellcare Begins with Nutrition

Pets need energy to thrive, and pet foods provide this through a balanced combination of fats, protein and carbohydrates. In addition, healthy animals need water, vitamins and minerals and essential amino acids as part of their dietary needs. Each animal has its own dietary specifications, and ignoring them could put your pet in danger of obesity and disease. Your pet's wellcare depends on giving him or her the right foods.

Dogs, like human beings, are omnivores. This means they need to derive nutrition from plants as well as animal foods. However, if you are careful to monitor the ingredients you can successfully feed your dog a vegetarian diet if you choose to live in a completely vegetarian household. Read dog food packages carefully to make sure your pet gets all the needed nutrients in your chosen vegetarian food.

Cats, on the other hand, are carnivores. They need to have animal-based protein in their diet. Never feed a cat a vegetarian-based diet, and don't give dog food to cats for long-term nutritional needs. It won't hurt your cat sneaking a bite of your dog's food, but your cat should have its own meals as well.

It is almost impossible for the average person to create a homemade pet food that supplies all the needed nutrients in an animal’s life. All-meat diets can cause thinning of the bones, all-fish diets for cats can cause the body fat to be inflamed and the wrong combination of supplements can cause general ill health in any pet.

Here at the animal clinic we frequently see sick animals with disorders based on the food they eat. The safest way to feed your pet is to use a commercial pet food from a company with a good reputation. Does your pet require special dietary needs? Our Sarasota veterinarians will be happy to recommend a variety of brands of pet food to keep your pet healthy and active.