One of the most important foundation to help having a healthy pet is give it an adequate nutrition. The balanced intake of nutrients and energy in the diet of a dog or cat not only satisfies their appetite, but is also vital for the proper development and maintenance of their body and to collaborate with the prevention of some diseases. That is why when choosing the most suitable type of food for a dog or cat there are several issues that must be previously considered.

Complete and balanced

A food is considered complete when its formula contains all the essential nutrients, in quantity and quality, that a pet needs to stay healthy. These nutrients are five: proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and water. The minimum amount of each of them that must be present in the diet of a dog or cat, adult or growing, is established by world-renowned regulatory organisms.

Beware of leftovers

Some people are used to feeding their pets with the leftovers of their own food, mixed with some other ingredient to increase their volume. This has serious risks for the animal’s health since these homemade preparations can hardly cover all its nutritional requirements in a balanced way and, in addition, it is very difficult to calculate how much it should consume per day to be nourished in a balanced way. It must be considered that the energy and nutrient needs of an animal are not always the same, but are modified according to a series of factors such as age, level of physical activity, reproductive status, ambient temperature, among others. Both the deficit and the excess of a component of the diet can predispose to some diseases. 

Another disadvantage of feeding a pet with homemade preparations is cleaning the home, since animals fed this way usually eliminate a greater amount of stool, which is less solid and has a stronger odor. 

The correct preservation of homemade food is also another inconvenience since what may be left of food at the end of the day, particularly in hot months, should be discarded to avoid problems due to food decomposition or the invasion of insects.

The time and costs required for the purchase of materials and their preparation are factors that do not play in favor of homemade food either.

Complete and balanced diet

Fortunately, for the daily feeding of a pet is not a problem, there are different balanced commercial products that are formulated by specialists to cover in a complete and balanced way each of the animal’s requirements according to age, body size, level of physical activity and even, in some cases, to help prevent certain specific health disorders. 

As a result of scientific research, this food is developed to take advantage of their nutrients and to adjust to the specific needs of each animal in a given situation. As all its components are balanced, it is much easier to determine the daily ration that an animal should consume, which on the other hand, is already suggested in the information tag on the bag.

But not all of these products are the same regarding nutritional quality. The owner of a pet should carefully consult the technical information provided by companies about the composition of their balanced food. 

In this respect, veterinary advice is of great help in deciding which products are the most appropriate to keep a well-nourished and healthy pet.