If you own a dog or cat, maintaining their health with proper care tactics is extremely important. Your pet's nutritional intake makes an impact on their overall health condition. Most people will contact our veterinarian at New Hope Animal Hospital in Durham, NC if they have questions or concerns about their pet's nutrition. Here is some information to read over before making an appointment to help you understand the importance of nutrition monitoring.
Meeting Nutritional Needs For Each Life Stage
Whether you have a dog or cat, feeding them food that meets their current life stage is of the utmost of importance. Kittens and puppies require additional caloric intakes full of proteins and fats to help with growth. A kitten or puppy diet should be continued until a pet is one year of age. Adult pets under seven years of age will need moderation of nutrients they consume. Foods made especially for adult pets is best. Older pets will require foods with more protein to help keep muscles working properly.
Common Pet Nutritional Need Challenges
When a pet becomes pregnant or if it is lactating, close monitoring of the female's diet needs to be monitored. Pets will require additional calories to sustain a pregnancy or provide the capability to make milk for offspring. Pets with weight difficulties require special diets to ensure they meet caloric needs without over-indulging. Dogs and cats with allergies may require specific foods to keep symptoms at bay. It is best to see our veterinarian for help in determining which foods will best suit your pet's needs.
How our Durham Veterinarian Can Help With Pet Nutrition
It is best to bring your dog or cat to our veterinarian for routine assessments of their weight and overall health condition. If there is a need to restrict or change the diet due to weight issues or a medical problem, recommendations will be made and guidelines will be conveyed to you so you can keep tabs of the food you give to your pet daily. Diets can be altered depending on specifics. For example, if a pet suffers from a food allergy, the process of elimination is used to pinpoint exactly which food is causing difficulties. The diet is then tweaked depending on the pet's tolerance to foods and symptoms they have when eating different foods.
Contact Our New Hope Animal Hospital in Durham, NC
If you would like more information about pet nutrition, call New Hope Animal Hospital in Durham to speak to our veterinarian. Schedule an appointment for your cat or dog to be evaluated by calling (919) 490-2000.
