That Awkward Pet Food Discussion

As a veterinarian with a special interest in nutrition, I will admit that I take your pet food choices WAY too personally.  It’s just that nutrition is probably the single most important factor under our control in optimizing a pet’s health.  Don’t get me wrong, parasite control and vaccines are very important.  But obesity is a far more prevalent disease than anything we vaccinate against, and affects quality of life in a multitude of ways.  And yet, when a  veterinarian recommends a vaccine, that advice is typically taken without skepticism, but when a veterinarian recommends a food, it is often considered to be unimportant, or worse, a biased sales pitch.

The best way to ensure your pet gets quality nutrition within your means is to partner with your veterinarian.  Let us know your goals and your budget and we will do our best to find a diet we are confident will fulfill your pet’s needs.

In the following info-graphic, the term “natural” is used to denote pet foods labeled with the following marketing claims: natural, grain free, no by-product meal, holistic, organic, human-grade, etc.  I am not saying these food brands are bad, but rather that there are better ways to determine the quality of a food than what is on the front of its bag.