We're all aware of the phrase "you are what you eat" - yet many of us still cat poorly or cat on the run - maybe for us, that's forgivable.
However forgiveness won't come as easily when we do it to our pets.
Many of the common pathological processes commonly seen by veterinarians are caused in part by poor nutrition. By poor nutrition, I'm not talking about the forlorn wretched bag of bones wandering the streets in search of a meal - this is only one form of malnutrition - and thankfully it's not very common. Malnutrition is just as much a problem in the overfed dog or cat or the one who is not eating properly formulated rations.
Pet food companies spend millions of dollars annually on research so that we can feed our pets properly - yet we, as owners, continually undo the good in various ways be feeding inappropriately.
Malnutrition
As veterinarians, we often hear - "My dog or cat just won't eat pet foods, he eats what we eat." In most cases, nothing could be worse. The likelihood of that pet getting a suitable ration is remote to say the least. The most common problem with table scrap feeders is that their pets invariably get an imbalanecd diet which usually contains far too much protein and also far too much protein and also far too many calories. I like to ask these pet owners - "If you weren't feeding that to your dog, wouldn't you put it in the garbage can?"
Garbage is not a good diet - we know that.
In addition, when the diet is one of meat exclusively, the pet can suffer from severe abnormalities in bone formation. The reason we mistreat our pets in this way is that we very often have difficulty in seeing them as animals - we see them as one of the family - and this is just fine and is perhaps the major reason for having a pet in the first place. But, hear this and hear it well - when it come to mealtimes and nutrition, the pet must not cat what you cat. Good health demands a diet designed for the pet and believe me the commercial nutritionalists know what's best for your pet. Use their products.
Metabolism
Let's examine a few of the nutrients and see what happens to them as they are absorbed and assimilated into the body.
When protein is fed in excess it is broken down and used for an energy -ource, or if additional energy is not called for at that time, it is stored as glycogen or fat. The problem with breaking down all this protein for energy or fat storage is that the process requires that the nitrogen be removed from it and this nitrogen must be excreted the body - mostly in the for of urea - and excreted in the urine. This, as you can imagine, puts an enormous extra load on the kidneys. We believe that this extra and unnecessary workload contributes to early kidrey disease and eventual kidney failure.
In fact one of the main ways to treat certain types of kidney disease is by dietary therapy - by the use of a low protein diet. Your pet only needs his optimal amount of protein - more is certainly NOT better.
Mineral requirements are well researched and their importance long recognized. Two of the most critical are Calcium and Phosphorous - which not only must be present in the correct amounts, but must also be present in the correct ratio to one another. It is informative to note that in the wild, dogs and cats, after kill their prey, first cat the viscera and other organs inside the animal. In this way, the animal is assured of getting not only protein, but roughage, carbohydrates, fat and minerals as well. Zoologists tell us that it is only when food is in short supply that wild cats and dogs will actually eat the muscle masses of the animal they have killed. Isn't that interesting - and the reason is that meat contains adequate amounts of phosphorous, but extremely low levels of calcium. Animals on a meat only ration would run into a severe calcium deficiency causing rickets, thin bones, soft bones and even fractures. You see, Mother Nature really does know best!
Over-feeding
Overfeeding is no doubt the most frequent nutritional disorder seen in pets - and the cause is simply providing excess calories - too much tucker.
In case you hadn't noticed - thin is in.... and roly poly pets are out.
And with good reason. Most of us know all too well what those few extra pounds do to our own well being, so it should be easy to apply the same rationale to out pets. The long term effects of obesity are insidious and devastating.
Heart and lung functions are seriously compromiscd. Excess fat accumulation can effect organ functions such as the liver. Reproductive problems are common too. Obesity predisposes the animal to diabetes and pancreatilis. Constipation and/or other intestinal problems are all too common. Lameness due to joint degeneration is common. The debilitation of arthritis and ostcoarthritis is worsened. Cancers of many forms are common in the obese pet. Obese pets tend to be lazy and enjoy life less. And the list goes on ....... so why, oh why, do we do it to our pets? The commonest reason is as I've described above together with the general belief held by some pet owners that the more they feed their pet, the stronger the bond will be between them and the more their pet will love them. Don't fall for it, and don't do it.
Ask your veterinarians advice about nutrition for your pet.