Banfield offers Pet feeding tips

In light of difficult economic times, many Pet owners are looking for ways to trim their budgets. While it may be tempting to switch to lower-cost Pet foods, Banfield would like to remind Pet owners about the long-term cost-efficiency of feeding their Pets higher-quality diets. Many Pet owners don’t realize that feeding their Pets a quality diet is essential to ensuring that he/she receives the proper nutrition.

“Nutrition is the foundation of good health, and a quality diet can actually decrease your Pet’s chance of developing costly health problems in the future,” says Karen J. Johnson, DVM, Banfield.

Feeding Pets a high quality diet can save Pet owners money in the short term, as well as in the long term, because high quality food tends to be highly digestible. As a result, more of the nutrients are directly absorbed and utilized by the Pet’s body. Additionally, feeding Pets a high quality diet decreases the amount he or she needs to be fed.

As a practice strongly focused on preventive care, Banfield, The Pet Hospital urges Pet owners to consider the following tips about how proper Pet nutrition can ensure that Pets will live longer, healthier lives with their human family members.

“A balanced diet helps to guarantee that your Pet will feel and function at his or her best,” says Dr. Johnson. “Our goal at Banfield is to help our clients attain the peace of mind that goes along with helping keep Pets as healthy as possible – and good health includes high quality nutrition.”

General tips for choosing Pet food:

• Feed your Pet foods that are made by companies known for ongoing nutritional research. Make sure your Pet’s food is fresh by minimizing the time period food is stored. Feed your Pet the right amount according to your Pet’s weight, and avoid feeding Pets as much as he or she wants, or feeding large amounts at one time.

• Maintain a consistent daily feeding schedule to help your Pet keep normal elimination habits, as well as avoid indoor accidents.

• Avoid feeding your Pets “people” food. Your Pet’s digestive system is simpler than yours and can be easily upset by feeding table scraps.

• To keep your Pet healthy, follow the simple diet guidelines above and see your Banfield veterinarian at least twice per year.

Banfield veterinarians are specially trained in Pet nutrition and can answer questions about your Pet’s diet. If you have specific questions, please visit your Banfield veterinarian.