Dogs and cats each have special dietary needs and should be fed the appropriate pet food. Cats should not eat dog food because it does not provide all the essential nutrients a healthy cat needs. In short, dog food is designed to meet the nutritional needs of a dog and cat food is designed to meet the needs of a cat. The ingredients in pet food are listed in descending order by weight from largest to smallest.

Please check FDA's Web site at www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/petfood.html to see if your pet food has been recalled: If your pet food is not listed, the pet food is not affected by the recall and you can continue to feed it to your pets. If your pet shows a sudden onset of symptoms, including loss of appetite, vomiting, or lack of energy, stop feeding the pet food and contact your veterinarian. If the pet food is one of those being recalled, do NOT feed it to your animals.

Cats need taurine for good vision, which is one good reason you should not feed your cat dog food. A cat fed exclusively with dog food can go blind.

Neither is a vegan by nature -- dogs are omnivores, and cats are carnivores. While both dogs and cats belong to the class carnivora, this doesn't mean a lot, so does the panda bear and they are near vegan. By nature cats and dogs wouldn't eat anything like what is commonly found in a can of pet food either. Special diets must be provided for cats, as they require an amino acid called taurine -- found in the muscles of animals.

Label instructions are general guidelines. Your individual cat may require more or less based on the above factors. Your veterinarian will be able to advise you on what your cat's ideal weight should be and how to make any necessary and safe adjustments to the current nutritional program.

It is not recommended that you give your dog or cat any people food. Most of the foods humans eat are too rich for your pets to digest. It can cause them to have diarrhea, vomiting, gas, intestinal problems, kidney and liver problems, pancreatitis, along with choking (if a bone or piece of food isn't chewed well or cut right). The pet food companies have made sure that the food they put out is complete with all of the nutrients your pet needs.

Every individual dog should be observed for weight changes and feeding amounts adjusted accordingly. These are guidelines only. Puppies: (weaning - 12 months) and pregnant/lactating mothers should receive 5-7% of their body weight. We invite you to share your comments & provide information in order for us to better serve you by participating in our online survey.

It's difficult to say for sure, but usually within a couple of days. The important thing is to monitor your pet closely for signs of lack of energy, loss of appetite, and vomiting. If your pet shows any of these signs, please consult your veterinarian. On March 23, 2007, New York State laboratories reported finding a form of rat poison, aminopterin, in some pet foods. FDA and Cornell University have not been able to confirm the presence of aminopterin in samples they have tested.

Animal Rescue Center does not accept stray animals unless they are injured. All stray animals should be taken to your local Animal Care & Control so that their owners have an opportunity to find them.

Even premium dog and cat foods may need to be supplemented! The majority of pet foods have inadequate, if any, amounts of unprocessed Omega-3 fatty acids, and therefore often need to be supplemented to help keep your dog or cat healthy. Most of the better premium dog and cat foods have about 2% - 4% omega-6 fatty acids of vegetable origin, even though it may be hard to tell from the label. The same dog and cat foods at best have omega-3 fatty acids (around 0.

Since MIXABLES has been formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by AAFCO (the Association of American Feed Control Officials), Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for All Life Stages, you may feed it to dogs as a stand-alone food regardless of their age.

What can be healthy for people may not be good for your dog. Foods like chocolate and other snacks may actually be fatal! Use caution when feeding your dog from the table. Some dog owners give their dog table scraps like pasta, meat, eggs, fish, fruits, and vegetables. Some of these foods are fine in small quantities but others can be harmful even just one time. Many people also give their dogs leftover bones after a meal. This is fine, but should be monitored.

Your dog or cats wild counterparts live exclusively on raw foods. Their whole metabolism is geared to the consumption of raw foods. Domestic pets are no different. They too require raw foods for maximal health. Numerous BARF fed dogs and cats are showing that when fed raw foods they are generally healthier than those fed cooked and especially, processed foods.

We have recently become involved with a breeding program from Royal Canin. It is available across Canada and the USA. This is a very high quality food. Our puppies start off eating the puppy starter. After eating the smaller kibble for about 1-2 weeks, we switch the puppies to a larger puppy kibble.

You can always visit your vet to have tests done, but for self evaluation, you can ask yourself does my pet scratch too much, have hot spots, severe reaction to insect bites, hyperactivity, lethargy, diarrhea, and does it vomit? These are just some of the possible signs of allergies. If your pet has allergies, then you should consider feeding good, natural foods and consult your vet for professional help. You may want to read the part on assisting allergies again.

Even if the pet is not showing any symptoms of impaired renal function, take them to the vet for a routine examination, blood work and urine tests. Early diagnosis and treatment of melamine toxicity has increased the survival rate of afflicted pets. Many pets that seem perfectly healthy have shown to be affected by the melamine as their blood chemistry and urine were not within normal parameters.

There are fine dry foods on the market, but not at the "super" market. Supermarket brands have chemical preservatives that are not healthy for our animals. They also contain things we would not feed our animals if we knew they were in this food, such as road kill and euthanized animals to name two.

Cats require more meat and fewer vegetables to meet their nutritional requirements. Our cat food varieties are more expensive to make, so cost a little more than the dog food varieties.

Often you will see brands with a number of "formulas" designed according to the age of your pet. We commonly find these in feline or canine type foods. They may be labeled "Puppy", "Growth", "Adult", "Maintenance" "Senior" or "Performance". These foods do hold an advantage of many of the common types, but be advised the difference may be minimal.

Both species do best on a quality, dry food. This is best for their teeth, and most economical for you. I would avoid store brands and stick with higher quality food brands like: Purina One, Proplan, Iams, Eukanuba, Hillâ??s Science Diet or IVD foods. We sell IVD and Proplan. All puppies should be on a puppy food for one full year, and the same goes for kittens. Pets reaching ages of 8-10 years should be put on a mature or geriatric diet, which has less protein, calories, and higher fiber.

You should discuss your cat's diet with your vet. Nutritional requirements and restrictions will vary depending on a cat's medical history, stage of cardiac disease, and the existence of other medical conditions. For a general discussion on nutrition and heart disease, see Nutritional Therapy of Heart Disease.

Even premium dog and cat foods may need to be supplemented! The majority of pet foods have inadequate, if any, amounts of unprocessed Omega-3 fatty acids, and therefore often need to be supplemented to help keep your dog or cat healthy. Most of the better premium dog and cat foods have about 2% - 4% omega-6 fatty acids of vegetable origin, even though it may be hard to tell from the label. The same dog and cat foods at best have omega-3 fatty acids (around 0.

Only natural ingredients are used. No by-product, no filler, no additive, no preservative. The food is formulated for specific breed and breed types. The goal is to prevent or manage certain illnesses seen commonly in the breed the food was designed for.

There are many different types of dog food to choose from in generalstores, supermarkets, pet shops, animal food suppliers and also fromVeterinary Surgeons. It is really all a matter of personal preference.You can make up your own dog food at home by buying meat, fish filletsand brown bread rusk or wheat meal (dog biscuit). You will have to addsome vitamins and minerals (from food suppliers) to ensure that he haseverything that he needs to grow properly.