{"id":544,"date":"2016-02-01T21:56:14","date_gmt":"2016-02-01T21:56:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.animalmedical.net\/blog\/?p=544"},"modified":"2016-02-01T21:56:14","modified_gmt":"2016-02-01T21:56:14","slug":"544-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.animalmedical.net\/blog\/544-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Eat Well, Live Well: Understanding Pet Nutrition"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You\u2019ve probably seen the aisles of pet food at your local store, but choosing a product is far from easy. You want to get the right food, but with so many special formulas, flavors, and fads (not to mention the pricing), how do you know what\u2019s best? Tackling pet <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.animalmedical.net\/veterinary-services\/nutrition.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">nutrition<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> may seem daunting at first, but with a little help from us, it doesn\u2019t have to be that way!<\/span><!--more--><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bridging the Gap<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Maintaining \u00a0a well-balanced diet is vital to your pet\u2019s health. Nutritional needs often vary based on size and breed. Lifestyle and life stages also have a great deal to do with food choice and portion size.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A major part of your pet\u2019s regular <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.animalmedical.net\/veterinary-services\/wellness-preventive-care.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">preventive care exam<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a discussion about pet nutrition. We\u2019re always happy to discuss your pet\u2019s dietary needs and answer any questions. <\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Benefits<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meeting all of your pet\u2019s nutritional needs increases his or her overall wellness and vitality. Specifically, providing the right food for him or her provides many healthy benefits, including:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Smoother digestion <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stronger immunity<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Increased muscle tone<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Coat luster <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Choosing Wisely<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before making a purchase, we recommend taking the following factors into account:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Age<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Size<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Breed<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dietary\/medical requirements<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s important that your choice be approved by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dogfoodadvisor.com\/frequently-asked-questions\/aafco-nutrient-profiles\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">AAFCO<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">). This ensures the food has met specific nutritional standards to be marketed as \u201ccomplete and balanced\u201d for your pet\u2019s life stage (a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.animalmedical.net\/veterinary-services\/puppies-kittens.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">puppy or kitten<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> has different needs than a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.animalmedical.net\/veterinary-services\/senior-wellness.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">senior pet<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">). This also means your pet will receive the correct ratio of protein, fats, carbs, vitamins, minerals, and water for ultimate health. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What\u2019s With Prescription Diets?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prescription<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> diets go through extensive testing and research to ensure quality. Because these diets are designed to mitigate symptoms associated with a specific disease or condition, the products must meet exact standards. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If your pet has been diagnosed with a certain medical condition, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.animalmedical.net\/about-us\/staff.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">our team<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> will work with you to find a diet designed to extend his or her life.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Notion of Portions<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Food labels indicate how much you should feed your pet based on his or her weight. Counting calories in this way is a good place to start, but we\u2019d also like to make sure you get the most precise portion for your pet\u2019s health and target weight.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Remember, any extra calories can contribute to unhealthy weight gain, so please refrain from sharing table food or frequently indulging your pet in special treats. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Don\u2019t forget that clean, fresh water is another necessary component in your pet\u2019s diet and should always be available at \u2013 and between \u2013 meals.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Homemade Goodness<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From time to time, you may decide to provide your pet with healthy snacks, such as raw vegetables or DIY treats; however, this can be a large undertaking. Like the prepared food at the store, meals made at home must meet your pet\u2019s needs completely. If you\u2019re committed to making homemade pet food, please let us know if and how we can help you. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pet Nutrition and You<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019re always happy to answer your questions and address your pet nutrition concerns! Please <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.animalmedical.net\/#contact\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">contact us<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for more information.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You\u2019ve probably seen the aisles of pet food at your local store, but choosing a product is far from easy. You want to get the right food, but with so many special formulas, flavors, and fads (not to mention the pricing), how do you know what\u2019s best? Tackling pet nutrition may seem daunting at first, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,31],"tags":[288,428,502,533],"class_list":["post-544","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-exercise-nutrition-obesity","category-pet-health-wellness","tag-food-for-pets","tag-nutrition-for-pets","tag-pet-food","tag-pet-nutrition"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Eat Well, Live Well: Understanding Pet Nutrition - Animal Medical Hospital &amp; Urgent Care<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Tackling pet nutrition may seem daunting at first, but with a little help from us, it doesn\u2019t have to be that way!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.animalmedical.net\/blog\/544-2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Eat Well, Live Well: Understanding Pet Nutrition - Animal Medical Hospital &amp; 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