To have a pet in your home is like adding another family member to the well established set up. One needs to know how to properly feed them following the right techniques. Usually, the owners either go for neoteric foods or the ones available in the market and ready to eat. The best approach is to provide an ideal diet which should be a combination of all. This holds true not only for dogs but for any pet including cats and rabbits.
Rabbits
When you think of a rabbit diet, the first thing that comes to your mind is a carrot. It is a universal truth that rabbits love vegetables and need a constant diet including lettuce and carrots which are considered rabbit foods. They need high fiber content. An indefectible diet is the one which contains moderate quantities of hay, pellets, and vegetables making your rabbit healthy.
Dogs
They are usually considered as flesh eating animals and believed to be carnivores. People still debate on whether they should be served human food or not. So, when you design your dog's diet, the topmost priority is to include meat even though some human foods are good for them in moderate amounts. The meat should be fresh and not sorted out through different course of actions. Ideally, human food is not meant for the dogs as it could be too oily and fatty for them leading to blockage of blood vessels. They are easily susceptible to changes in the digestive tracts leading to water loss and stomach ailments. Maintaining the right diet for them is difficult as they like variety and easily get bored with a routine food pattern. It is a trick, so consult your vet and design the diet accordingly. You should not change the food types overnight; give it some time which could be up to two weeks. This would avoid any sudden changes and prevent health related disorders. Try incorporating the new items in their regular foods, check how they respond and then gradually change it to different items altogether.
Cats
As they are believed to be from the lion family, these fragile looking creatures are great huntsman and need adventure. Keeping them confined indoors is difficult as they love to walk around and discover everything on their own. You would find them seeking their own food like hunting for mice, birds and other small animals. Even then, it is important that they are fed with a reliable and steady diet to meet all cardinal nutrient requirements out of which protein is the most important. Like dogs, even their digestive system is perceptive to any food items which might not be appropriate. The litter box in which they are carried might have a foul smell and stink a lot. This is a sign to clean and change them with fresh food. It also indicates that that the food quality is not apposite and needs attention. You would need to change the food pattern gradually, ideally within a duration of two weeks. Along with proteins, vitamin is another essential component to be included and is primarily obtained from milk. You can get cat milk in pet stores which is not excessively processed as compared to the one we use. If you feed them with cheese sometimes, it would not be harmful, though you should have other dietary options to fulfill the nutritional requirements. When we have an upset stomach or digestive problems, doctors suggest high fiber content as it provides roughage and helps in bowl movements. Similarly, in such a condition, a cat will opt for eating grass.
It is all about making the best choice for your pet which should meet both the qualitative and quantitative needs. It is not only restricted to reduce the amount of human food on their plate but also to ensure that they are getting the best deal. Their overall well being is as important as yours. Just like kids need different approaches to be brought up, your pets might need individual attention. By providing the right food, you help your pet to get a sound physical condition, a balanced life style leading to strength, vigor and longevity.
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Article written by : Alitsa Neuyo. She is the professional freelance writer. To read more articles about Pets, please visit PetsZa.com
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