In our last edition we talked about the importance of exercise.

Now, on to the next two facets of keeping your healthy pet health! Nutrition and Veterinary care.

Nutrition:

You are what you eat….and so is your pet. Nutrition is the FOUNDATION for health. Without a healthy diet, we can never truly have a healthy pet (or person). This is why we are so passionate about nutrition at ADORE. We have seen, first-hand, the role of nutrition in the health of our pets, and of pets in veterinary practices across Canada.

There are lots of great diets on shelves across Canada, and there are an OVERWHELMING number of options. Here is a synopsis of some of ways to evaluate different products. :

1. Expert formulation: every diet starts as a formula on paper before it becomes a real product. The people who formulate the diet, before it is ever “made” are critical to your pet’s health. The best diets have both nutrition and medical experts – veterinarians, veterinary specialists, and PhD nutritionists.

2. Expert manufacturing: not every pet food manufacturer is created equally. Although some variation in size/shape/colour of kibble and colour/texture of wet food may be a normal reflection of the ingredients within your pet’s diet – there should still be consistency from batch to batch to ensure that your pet is getting consistent nutrition. Speak to your nutrition companies about where they manufacture, why they chose that manufacturer, and what quality and safety steps are in place.

3. Independent testing: it is critical that you know what your pet is getting from a diet, not just what is going in. The only way to know for sure is to have every product undergo a full nutrient analysis of the finished product (meaning testing the kibble or wet food, not evaluating based on the formula or recipe). Talk to your nutrition company about what testing they are doing, and how frequently they are doing it (every batch? Quarterly? Annually?).

4. Quality guarantee: your pet food company should stand behind their product, no matter what. What if your pet doesn’t like the product? Or doesn’t do well on it? Will they be there to support you?

5. Connection with the company: how response are they to your questions? Can you speak to someone within a reasonable time frame? Do they follow through with what they’ve promised?

6. Seek expert advice!: your veterinary team is a great source for a nutritional recommendation. They know your pet (including their medical history, current weight, BCS and MCS), they know you and what is important to you when feeding your family, they know things your pet could be at risk for based on their age, breed, or lifestyle, and they REALLY want to help! They want your pet to be happy and healthy.

Veterinary Care:

Your veterinary team is your best resource for pet health, whether that is keeping your pet happy and healthy, or helping you and your pet with a medical concern. Different pets have different needs and risks. Your veterinary team can individualize a care plan that will take into account your pet’s age, weight/BCS/MCS, activity level, risk factors such as breed, activities, travel, and help you make great decisions on what you can do to help keep your pet healthy.

Remember to ensure your pet is seen at least annually, even if you are following a different vaccine protocol, it is VERY important to your pet’s health to have a comprehensive physical exam at LEAST once a year! Your veterinary team will evaluate your pet’s weight (including BCS and MCS), skin and coat health, eyes, ears, teeth, organs – all of this gives them the ability to help keep your pet healthy for longer and catch any issues early on.

Part 1: Exercise

In Part 1 we will be talking about the first of the 3 facets of keeping  your pet healthy: exercise, veterinary care, and nutrition.

Exercise:

A key part of keeping pets (and people!) healthy is exercise! Exercise helps keep your pet at a healthy weight. Being active builds muscle, and muscle is critical to keeping your pet happy and healthy. Different pets require different amounts of exercise and needs also change as your pet ages.

What is a muscle condition score?

Muscle Condition Score, or MCS, is a grade for your pet’s muscle, either normal, mild muscle loss, moderate loss, or severe loss. This can be a good tool for evaluating your own pet, and is increasingly used in veterinary medicine as one more indicator of your pet’s health, and something that can be tracked year over year. You can read more about muscle condition scoring, and see a chart for how to evaluate a pet’s muscle condition score, here:

https://www.wsava.org/WSAVA/media/Documents/Committee%20Resources/Global%20Nutrition%20Committee/Muscle-condition-score-chart-2013-1.pdf

There is a bit of a learning curve to scoring muscle condition in pets. Your veterinary team can validate the score you have given your own pet, and give you some tips and hints. They have their hands on MANY dogs and cats, so have lots more opportunities to practice!

Dogs:

Every dog will benefit from daily exercise. Your veterinary team is your best source of advice, particularly if your dog has any medical conditions or limitations.

Still growing?

Exercise is important for growing puppies, but it is also very important not to overdo it! Growing joints are at a higher risk of injury or strain, and overuse can set your puppy up for long term joint issues. If your puppy came from a breeder, they may have some guidelines for you based on their experience in the breed. Your veterinary team will again be a great resource and can advise on appropriate and inappropriate exercises for your growing puppy. In general, it is important not to do any “forced” activity – definitely no running on leash/beside a bike, etc. until your pup is fully grown! Walks are great, but need to be appropriate distance to your pup’s development – ask for guidance for your individual puppy. Soft surfaces are best, the less walking on pavement/roads the better. Safe areas where your pup can run an explore at their own pace, while you supervise, is ideal to build healthy muscle and joints without putting stress on your growing puppy. Playtime with other similar sized and aged pups can be a great exercise – this might be a good opportunity to find a local puppy socialization class or group.

Adult?

Different breeds have different requirements, and there will be individual variation within a breed. Some breeds, such as Dalmatians, were bred to run long distances. They have natural endurance and often thrive on significant exercise. Other breeds, like a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, were bred to be companions, so they may find a more sedate walk around the neighbourhood sufficient.

When starting out with a new exercise regime, work up slowly, just like you would with any exercise program. Going from the couch to a marathon is a quick path to injury for you AND your pooch! There are lots of different activities you can do beyond daily walks, some dogs enjoy “joring” sports where they are pulling a bike/scooter/sled etc. in harness. Others may thrive on swimming, particularly on hot days. Some dogs may prefer play time with other dogs. You know your dog best. Your veterinary team is a great source of information and advice.

Cats:

Many cats live the life of luxury as a pampered housecat, but these feisty felines still require exercise, in fact it is even more important than their outdoor counterparts as they may not be very active when left to their own devices.

Sometimes we need to be a bit more creative with cats to ensure they are staying active. You can try hiding their food in multiple places, so they can “hunt” for it. This is great to keep their mind AND their body active! Start out small, if they are used to eating from one place, add a second bowl in an area they are likely to find, or just take them to the second bowl 😊. Once they are going to two places to eat it will be easy to add a few more – then you can start mixing it up! Sometimes there will be food in 3 of their 5 spots, sometimes in 2, sometimes in all of them…this keeps your kitty on their toes and having fun “hunting” their food.

Cats often have a preference for one of two styles of toys. Either they are natural “birders” and like toys that fly through the air (like toys on strings) or they are “mousers” and like toys that run along the ground. If your kitty seems uninterested in toys, they may just have a different preference! There are also toys that will dispense food. If your kitty is food obsessed, they may enjoy a ball or other toy that will spill kibble as they play with it.

Stay tuned for our next edition, where we tackle the next two facets of health pets: nutrition and veterinary care!