Dry Food Versus Canned - Your Cat's Health Is In The Balance

If you feed your kitty dry food, you may be setting him up for feline diabetes and urinary tract problems.  Your furry friend is an "obligate carnivore," which means that he needs to be getting his protein requirements from a meat-based diet, not a grain-based one.  His body is not built to digest plant proteins like corn, wheat, and rice efficiently.Guess what most commercial dry foods are made of?  You've got it--corn, wheat, and rice.  And this includes dry foods formulated especially for diabetic cats.  Feeding a kitty with this disease a diet high in carbohydrates has been compared to pouring gasoline on a fire and wondering why you can't put it out.A kitty in the wild eats birds, mice, rabbits, and squirrels, not grains.  This meat-based diet contains only three to five percent carbohydrates.  Commercial dry foods, on the other hand, contain between 35 to 50% carbohydrates.  These excess carbs are stored in your kitty's body as fat.  And it's a known fact that fat cells secrete a substance that causes insulin resistance, a factor in type 2 diabetes.Water is another important nutrient.  Most kitties don't drink a lot of water.  Why is this?  Wild cats, large and small, get most of their water from the animals they eat, so felines don't have a strong thirst drive.  This can lead to problems when we feed dry food, which only contains about 10 percent water.  If your furball eats mostly dry food, he's probably in a constant state of low-level dehydration.High-quality canned foods not only contain about 78 percent water, but their carbohydrate level is around three to five percent.  This is much closer to what a cat would eat in the wild, and provides the water he needs.A kitty who eats dry food exclusively may drink more water than one who eats canned food.  But when you consider how much water he's getting from both his food and what he drinks, the kitty on dry food is taking in only half the amount of water the kitty on canned food is getting.  This is probably one reason why urinary tract infections are so common in kitties.Kidney disease is one of the leading causes of feline death.  A kitty who is chronically dehydrated is more than likely headed for kidney problems.  Any feline with kidney trouble needs to be fed a high-quality canned food, not dry food.It's important to read pet food labels.  This isn't as easy as you would think, since these labels don't really have a lot of information on them.  You can get an idea of what's in the food, but not how much of each ingredient.  For example, if "rice" is mentioned, you can't tell if the food contains a lot of rice or a small amount.  You may need to contact the pet food company and ask for a breakdown of the number of calories that come from protein, from fat, and from carbohydrates.  If more than ten percent of the calories come from carbohydrates, avoid that food.Look for a muscle meat as the first ingredient, not an organ meat like liver.  Words like "chicken" or "turkey" are preferable to "by-products" or "broth" or "meal."  "Meal" is a meat that has been cooked for a long time at high temperatures, which lowers its quality.  "By-products" includes yummy stuff like feet, intestines, feathers, and egg shells.There shouldn't be any grain listed, but since grains are inexpensive, most pet food companies include them as fillers.  Corn, wheat, and soy should not be among the first three ingredients, as they cause blood sugar to go up quickly.  These ingredients are also common allergens, along with yeast.Most of the "prescription" diets contain corn, wheat, soy, and meat by-products, and they're also very high in carbohydrates.  Be aware that words like "natural," "premium," or "veterinarian recommended" don't mean a lot.It's unfortunate, but many vets don't know a lot about nutrition.  Do your own research to prevent health problems for your kitty.Note:  If your kitty has diabetes and is being treated with insulin, be sure to check with your vet BEFORE making any changes to his diet.  Dietary changes can change the amount of insulin your furry friend needs, and too much or too little insulin will cause serious problems or death.

Details of Some Essential Cat Food Ingredients

Most people are not aware of the effect of various ingredients on the health of their cat. If people have knowledge about the food they give their cats, they can avoid health problems that are caused due to low quality food. There are many infections and illnesses that can be avoided if you give them food that has nutrients they need.If you are planning to feed your animal friend with packaged food, it is important that you known the ingredients used and the impact of these ingredients on the health of your cat. You can find out the details of the ingredients used by the manufacturer by reading the label. However, your efforts will not yield results if you don't known the pros and cons of the ingredients used.The dietary requirements of cats are similar to that of humans. When the right ingredients are used, the immune power of your animal friend increases and they are less likely to fall. Here are some important ingredients that must be a part of your pet's diet.AntioxidantsVitamins are the most important cat food ingredient as they are an important source of antioxidants. Most vets recommend that you give your pet vitamins like Vitamin E, Vitamin B complex, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin K as they are a good source of antioxidants. Antioxidants are essential to improve the immunity system of your pet and to keep them safe from various diseases and their symptoms.ProteinsCats need both vegetable and meat protein for their healthy growth and development. Some of the best sources of meat protein include ducks, pork, egg, pork and chicken. You can give your pet rice, rye, wheat, oatmeal, beet pulp and corn as they are a good source of vegetable protein.Fibers and FatsThe importance of food that contains fiber and moderate amounts of healthy fats cannot be denied. Foods that have high fiber content help in maintaining the health of the cat. Hulls of grains are considered to be the best source of fiber. Giving your cat moderate amounts of healthy animal fats will help in maintaining their skin and add flavor to their food. You can give your pet fish oil as it is an important source of animal fat.So the next time you buy food for your cat, make sure you check the ingredients used. Avoid buying cheap food for your pet as it may be made using low quality ingredients. It is a good idea to buy premium food for your animal friend even if it is a bit expensive.

Choosing an Important Cat Food - An Important Aspect of Cat Health Care

The most basic duty for a cat owner is insuring that your cat receives proper health care. This includes vaccination shots, bringing your feline to veterinarian check-ups, providing food, shelter, and flea removal medicine. Unfortunately, sometimes the most important elements of proper health care is overlooked. Many cat owners spend countless hours and funds yet neglect one of the most basic needs; cat food.Just like humans, cats need a proper diet. Choosing the correct cat food for your feline is extremely important. To insure you have a healthy and satisfied cat it is essential. Before you go searching for a new cat food, you need to understand why it is so important. You also need to learn what to look for. There is a general guideline for choosing a cat food, but every cat has slightly different nutritional needs.Avoid food laden with preservatives and chemical additives. Most of the research available on the web does not contrast particular brand names. You will need to compile a list of ingredients that are great for your cat, and ones that are to be avoided. You will need to pay attention to the fat, carbohydrate, and protein contents of the food as well.A high protein diet is vital. House cats inherit their protein needs from their carnivorous wild cat ancestors. Carbohydrate content is also an important portion of a cats diet. Even though it is something you must consider, most of their nutritional needs are met by protein. You must remember that, even though carbohydrate content is important, foods high in carbohydrates are not best for them.Premium brands of cat food generally offer exactly what most cats need. They may be more expensive in the short term, but they will save you loads of money in the long term. Your cat will lead a fuller and healthier life. You will also be helping prevent serious complications that can result in the use of a low quality food.Another thing to consider is that the high end cat food generally has a smaller serving size. This is because the high end food includes all of the ingredients needed to keep your feline healthy, unlike cheaper foods. For example, when comparing a leading premium brand of cat food to a lower cost brand the difference for the recommended serving size ends up only being five cents a day!Not all chicken is the same! Try to find food containing "chicken meal". Chicken meal is one of the best protein types you can feed your car. It can not be made from byproducts, it must be made from the flesh, skin, and bones only. Byproducts are lower quality and contain nearly any animal part you can imagine.Examine any food that says "flavor" such as "chicken flavor". These food may not even contain that food in the ingredients. Food labeled this way often does not even contain any animal meat, it only tastes like whatever it is flavored as. Chicken, in general, is better than beef.