You Are What You Eat!

Posted on September 3, 2008 by Karen Johnson, DVM

This phrase came to mind as I was thinking about what I had eaten so far today. I won’t say anything more than YIKES! And that led to hoping that the food I ordered for my dog will arrive on time since he’s almost out. Although I’m sure he would be delighted only to dine on treats for a couple of days I know that wouldn’t be good for him. I have been really lucky with my Pets. All four currently in my family were someone else’s rejects before they became mine and all are healthy. When it comes to feeding my Pets, my philosophy (if you want to call it that) is simple, partly because I don’t have to make a lot of decisions. If you are like me, some days are better than others in that department.

My thoughts on feeding:
1) I believe the most important thing you can do proactively to keep you Pet(s) healthy is to consistently feed a high quality, balanced diet.
2) I believe in life-stage feeding-/puppy/kitten, adult, senior etc.
3) I don’t believe in catering to pickiness-if you live in my house you eat the same brand of food (at the appropriate life-stage) your whole life
4) Pets will eat when they are hungry-I’ve never heard of a Pet starving to death in front of a full dish of food.
5) Food shapes and colors are made for the person purchasing the food, not for the Pet eating it-pets don’t see colors like we do and frankly don’t care whether the kibble is shaped like a bone or a fish
6) I do give the dog 1 or 2 treats a day-Webster must have his Scooby Snacks!
7) I feed people food only rarely and if I do, I don’t give him anything I wouldn’t eat myself. The cats stick to cat food.
8) I am as affected as anyone by the pathetic “please, oh pretty please can I have just a tiny little bite of that” look-I will be strong (most of the time anyway) because I know it’s for the best.

My own experience:
1) I don’t waste time walking up and down isles in the store trying to second guess what my Pets might like-I don’t have the time, patience or desire for such decision making and I don’t like to waste food (or money) should I make a bad choice.
2) My Pets have no GI issues-loose stools, gas, vomiting or diarrhea
3) My Pets are all at healthy weights and have beautiful soft coats (Webster gets bathed twice a month and all get flea control monthly)
4) My senior cat, recently diagnosed with early kidney disease (very common in old cats), transitioned quickly and easily to the prescription diet form of the food she has eaten her entire life.
5) My other cats 7 and 8 yrs old have never been sick (not to say they haven’t yakked up a hairball on occasion). Webster who goes everywhere and does everything has never been sick.
My experiences over the last 30 years have been pretty consistent so there is something going on besides luck. And I want to do everything I can to help my Pets live as long and be as healthy as they possibly can.



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