Quality nutrition is essential for a healthy life. Obvious, right? What is less obvious is what “quality nutrition” means and what foods will provide it. Our doctors at Lakewood Animal Hospital have taken a special interest in nutrition. Over the years, we have witnessed remarkable improvements in our patients’ health as a result.
We have generally been taught to avoid changing foods, as doing so can cause digestive upset. However, our pets have thrived for hundreds of years eating a wide range of foods. They have been hunters, scavengers, and the recipients of food off the farm table. It was only when processed foods were introduced that this concept of never changing the diet began. It is true that if we feed only one food for a time and then change to another food, our pets will often have a change in stool quality, or in some cases further GI upset. But if we feed our pets a variety of foods on a regular basis, their gut learns to digest well with no problems.
Why feed a variety
Your pet will love it! No more monotonous meals, the same thing day after day. But just as important – this is the best way to ensure a balanced source of nutrients and a healthy gut and immune system!
What do we mean by variety? We recommend the following…
- Fresh, homemade foods – Including raw meaty bones, Hilary’s Just Add Meat, Homemade Meals for Dogs by Jennifer Berg
- Raw, frozen foods, freeze-dried and dehydrated foods
- Canned foods of good quality
* For those clients looking for a natural approach to nutrition, Dr. Sthamann recommends feeding a majority of fresh and raw diets.
Supplements Available at Lakewood Animal Hospital:
- RX Vitamins: This veterinarian formulated line uses only pure, high quality raw materials in the manufacturing of all their formulas. Rigorous inspection and assay testing ensures the quality, integrity and potency of each raw material.