What is a Balanced Diet - and are our pets getting
one?
Dogs,
cats, rabbits and most small animals that we keep as pets need a
combination of fats, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals,
and water in a diet to provide the energy requirements and nutrients
to meet their daily needs for maintenance of good health, growth,
activity, and repair. This is in essence what a balanced diet will
try and attain.
A food labelled as 'Complete' and which has been developed
in accordance with latest knowledge and good practice should provide
a balanced diet, always assuming that the ingredients used are in
a form that is easily digestible and in a form available for absorption
into the pet’s system (For example, since cellulose and hemicellulose
of plant cells cannot be digested in raw form by dogs, food based
solely on grains for a source of protein and carbohydrates must
be processed in a manner that allows the dog’s digestive system
to extract these nutrients.)
For those who like to home
cook or feed a BARF type raw diet to
their dog or cat, then it gets a little more complicated because
of the various combinations of ingredients and quantities. Achieving
a balanced diet using these methods can be more difficult.
So what's the problem?
The problem is that we have far too many overweight pets, or pets
that are suffering similar lifestyle diseases and ailments to their
owners (diabetes, arthritis, food intolerances and the like)
When it comes to feeding a balaned diet the problem
is not so much with the food... as with the owner!
Our problem is that we've stopped looking at our pets
as animals and started to consider them as four-legged little humans
- and we're pampering them.
The pet food companies don't help because they're
making big bucks out of persuading you to fork out for treats and
supplements for your pet. There's no profit for them if you feed
the ocassional human biscuit, a little bit of toast or a raw carrot!
Consider the average dog owner (and I'm guessing that
most readers of this article will recognise themselves to a certain
extent in this description) but the arguement holds, with slight
ammendments, for owners of all small animals. Give yourself a tick
if you can answer 'Yes' to any of these points:
-
I feed a good quality branded pet food that is labelled as
'A Complete Food' - I don't actually weigh out the food, but
I'm sure I'm not over-feeding.
-
I give the ocassional treat, maybe a hide chew or a little
bit of cheese to encourage good behaviour or when training.
-
When we're tidying up after eating, a few scraps might find
their way into his dish.
-
At bedtime there's a couple of small biscuits
OK, hands up who pleads guilty to two or more of
the above??
Let's go through those points one by one
-
You feed a complete food, which is good, but you have no idea
how much you are feeding, so the chances are that you are probably
over-feeding (more likely than under) in which case your pet
is getting more fat, protein and carbohydrates than they actually
need for healthy active life. If you eat too much you know that
your health is less than 100% - the same is true for your pet.
-
Treats - a great profit earner for the pet food companies and
pandering to the humanising of our pets (which they encourage).
Some treats may be lower in protein and oil than a regular food,
but they are still food and feeding them as well as giving a
complete food means that you are effectively adjusting upwards
the amount of protein, oil and carbs that your pet is eating
through the day (unless you feed less main diet to account for
this.)
-
Table scraps - often high in fat and salt... need I say more?
-
Bedtime snacks - see Treats above!
What can we do?
To
redress the balance (excuse the pun!) we can do several things:
Firstly, if you are feeding a complete food, choose
one that is on the low side for protein and fat - a 'Light' diet
will probably do this and there are plenty on the market. Ask yPet
Supermarket or the brand owner for a measuring cup that is specific
to the food you are feeding (as food density varies between brands)
Secondly, if you are feeding treats why not switch
to a more natural alternative. Dogs generally will quite happily
eat raw carrot or brocolli stalks. Try to cut out the table scraps
unless they are free of salt and not high in fat.
Above all, if you are feeding extras then cut back
on the main diet - consider all that you are feeding through the
day as your pet's food intake, and adjust accordingly. If you do,
then there's les likelyhood that your pet will be overweight or
develop easily preventable health problems.
'All things... in moderation'
Basic Nutritional Needs
Protein |
Proteins are made up of amino acids which are the basic
building blocks of life, being essential components of living
cells. Proteins are a major part of an animal's diet because
the body cannot synthesise some of the amino acids in sufficient
quantities (Dietary protein contains 10 specific amino acids
that dogs cannot make on their own.)
An increased intake of protein is required during periods
of growth, pregnancy and lactation. However, too much protein
in the diet can lead to its conversion by the body into fat,
which is undesirable, so consideration needs to be given to
the protein content of food at specific life stages of a pet's
growth.
Cats require a higher protein level than dogs. This may be
due to the cat's inability to regulate the rate at which liver
enzymes break down protein. If dietary protein is in low quantities
or not available, the cat's body will soon start breaking
down the protein in its own muscle.Cats require a high amount
of the amino acid taurine for their body functions and therefore
this nneds to be a consideration if not feeding a commercial
brand with added taurine. |
Fats |
Dietary fats, mainly derived from animal fats and the seed
oils of various plants, provide the most concentrated source
of energy in the diet, as well as giving an acceptable texture
and 'mouthfeel' to the food. They supply essential fatty acids
that cannot be synthesized in the body and serve as carriers
for important fat-soluble vitamins. Fatty acids are involved
in many aspects of health, from the cellular level upwards.
Arachidonic acid is one of the essential fatty acids. Dogs
can manufacture this from linoleic acid or gamma-linolenic
acid. Cats can not. Arachidonic acid is found in animal fats
which must therefore be included as part of the diet. Like
dogs, cats also require linoleic acid, another fatty acid. |
Carbohydrates |
Omnivorous animals get some of their energy from carbohydrates.
This food group includes both simple sugars (such as glucose)
as well as complex sugars (e.g. starch) which consist of chains
of simple sugars.The major sources of carbohydrates in commercial
dog foods are cereals, legumes, and other plant foodstuffs.
Carbohydrates may be converted by the body into fat. |
Water |
An animal cannot survive for longer than a few days, or
even hours without water. There is a continual loss of water
through skin, urine, faeces and breathing, and this must be
replaced either as fluid or through the breakdown of food
ingested, which is why it is most important that an adequat
esupply of fresh water is always abvailable to your pet. |
Vitamins
and minerals |
Vitamins and minerals help to regulate the body processes.
Most cannot be synthesised and therefore must be provided
in the diet. Interestingly, unlike humans there is no dietary
requirement for vitamin C in most pets, as they can synthesise
it from glucose.
Cats lack the enzyme which can convert beta-carotene to retinol,
the active form of Vitamin A. Therefore, they require a preformed
Vitamin A, which is present only in foods of animal origin.
Many animals can synthesize niacin, a B vitamin, from the
amino acid tryptophan. Cats can not manufacture it in sufficient
quantities, thus require higher amounts in their diet.
A number of minerals have been discovered to play a part
in the regulation of body processes, the requirements for
some being greater than others. Calcium and phosphorus are
crucial to strong bones and teeth. Dogs need magnesium, potassium,
and sodium for nerve impulse transmission, muscle contraction,
and cell signaling. Many minerals that are present only in
minute amounts in the body, including selenium, copper, and
molybdenum, act in a wide variety of enzymatic reactions.
Only very small amounts are needed however, and excess can
sometimes result in ill health, as these can be toxic in high
doses. |
Energy |
The body needs fuel to power it day by day. Energy is used
up every time the body performs muscular work, such as moving
or even breathing. The most efficient source of energy in
the diet is fat, which is quickly converted by the body into
usable energy. Carbohydrates and proteins are also sources
of energy, but to a smaller extent.
The body can usefully store energy as fatty tissue, and in
times of shortage these will be used up - hence the weight
loss when on a diet.
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