Why try a natural, wholefood diet for your dog or cat?

It is being increasingly recognised that there are many benefits of natural fresh diets in dogs and cats compared to processed options like canned and kibble food options.

Whole foods are more bioavailable, allowing nutrients to be more efficiently absorbed, along with fostering a more diverse gut microbiome, leading to improved general health. Fresh diets can be more appealing to fussy eaters.

Common benefits of a natural, fresh diet include:

• Better gut health and a more diverse microbiome
• Optimal growth and weight
• Improved dental health and fresher breath
• Better general health and energy
• Lower general inflammation and allergies
• Less synthetic preservatives and additives

What are the disadvantages of processed pet foods?

Whilst canned and kibble pet food is a convenient option, with most brands meeting nutritional requirements, newer research is recognising some negative aspects. High heat processing destroys natural vitamins and reduces the nutritional value of food, it creates some unhealthy byproducts (like AGEs) and has been associated with higher incidence of diseases like diabetes, obesity, kidney disease, a reduced gut microbiome, allergies, inflammation and some cancers.

Extra additives need to be added to replace vitamins, improve palatability and preservatives increase the shelf-life.

Differing labelling requirements mean that some ingredients, like fillers or meat by-products, are added to save costs with no nutritional benefit.

If you choose to feed a canned or kibble diet to your pet, then learn to read the label, or ask your veterinarian for a recommendation as some are much better options than others.

An important point to remember is that if your pet is on a prescription diet (like Hill’s or Royal Canin) for a health condition, then always check with your veterinarian before modifying or changing this diet as changes could cause the problem to recur or worsen disease.

If your vet is not knowledgeable about natural diets or willing to discuss options then seek out one who is.

Gentle cooking versus Raw feeding

Gentle cooking has advantages over raw feeding. It preserves natural nutrients, which are destroyed by high heats, whilst heating the food enough to remove risks of parasitic, bacterial or viral food contamination (for example: Salmonella, E.coli, Toxoplasma or our newer risk of H5 bird flu). Cooking also releases some nutrients which cannot be accessed by the body in a raw food state, along with improving digestibility of other nutrients.

Homemade diets for dogs and cats

An arbitrary mix of meat, vegetables, rice or pasta and scraps thrown into your pet’s bowl is not balanced and can cause malnutrition and associated problems.

There are some fantastic balanced diet recipes available for dogs and cats, along with supplements that can be added to balance a diet. Or, you can chat to a veterinarian with an interest in nutrition who can formulate a custom diet for your pet which can be cooked at home. The key point here is that the diet needs to be formulated and balanced for required nutrients, which becomes even more important if your pet has an underlying health condition.

Want to feed your dog or cat a natural, fresh, homemade diet but with the convenience of a ready-made food?

Current premium options for fresh pet food available in Australia include:

• Lyka (for dogs)
• Tyga (for cats, by the team behind Lyka)
• 5 Hounds (for dogs)

Vet in a Van has an exclusive offer for you from Lyka!

Dr Tania has been watching and researching Lyka since they first hit the pet food market. We choose to recommend and partner with Lyka because:

• It has a wholefood nutritional science basis
  • It is co-founded by one of Australia’s respected experts in veterinary nutrition, veterinarian Dr Matthew Muir, in consultation with other specialist veterinary nutritionists
  • It is nutritionally balanced to exceed AAFCO standards for all life stages
  • It is gently cooked with human-grade ingredients in a human-grade (HACCP certified) facility
  • A new peer-reviewed study shows that two weeks on a fresh diet results in improved stool quality, greater gut microbiome diversity and lower post-meal glucose response (ie. more stable blood glucose levels)
• It’s convenient
  • Pre-portioned pouches are delivered frozen, ready to thaw and serve
  • Portions are already custom calculated for your dog’s energy and nutrient requirements
• It’s practical
  • Calculated portions allow for your dog to still have some treats during the day
  • Meals suit puppies, adults and senior dogs
• It’s suited to most health conditions
  • Meals are single protein, with novel and hypoallergenic protein options available for allergies
  • Different meal options are suited to different health requirements, such as weight loss, heart disease, dental disease, skin allergies, gut problems or pancreatitis, diabetes, osteoarthritis and more.

Simply follow this link to www.lyka.com.au/join/VETINAVAN or use code VETINAVAN to receive our exclusive offer of 50% off your first box, 30% off your second box plus 3 free packs of treats

Dr Tania holds a postgraduate Certification in Veterinary Natural Nutrition (CIVT) and has an interest in integrative and natural veterinary medicine. This article is a general guide and veterinary advice should be sought for your pet’s individual circumstances.