Feeding tips and foods to avoid for your Pet

It’s important to take into consideration your individual Pet’s lifestyle, exercise habits, breed, food sensitivities and your feeding routine when determining the proper diet for your furry friend. What is best for your Pet may not be ideal for another Pet, even if their breeds and lifestyles are very similar. When your Pet becomes a part of your family, let your Banfield veterinarian help determine which brand recommendations, portions and feeding schedules will keep your Pet looking and feeling its best.

Sticking to a regular feeding schedule will help your Pet maintain regular elimination habits and will help minimize digestive problems. While not generally recommended for most Pets, if you do plan to give your Pet human food, make sure to avoid feeding the following foods, which can cause problems from digestive upset to life-threatening disease:

• Coffee grounds
• Avocadoes
• Fatty foods, such as fat from meat
• Pan drippings
• Macadamia nuts
• Grapes or raisins
• Chocolate
• Alcohol
• Garlic
• Onions

Also, remember that it is much easier to maintain a healthy weight for your Pet through regular meal feeding than having a full food dish always available. If you do feed your Pet human food as a treat, try small pieces of carrots, apple or lean unprocessed meat. Some Pets also enjoy ice cubes.