Nutritional Advice

Ensuring your pets receive proper nutrition is extremely important to their overall health and well being.  To lead a healthy life your pet's diet needs to contain water, carbohydrates, fats, proteins and specific vitamins and minerals.

Our staff can provide you with expert advice on the best diet to feed your pet given their age, health condition and weight. 

How do you make sure your pet's diet is healthy?

• Feed premium pet foods. Premium foods offer high-quality ingredients, are made by companies specialising in nutritional research, and show a solid track record of quality and palatability.  Feeding poor quality pet foods may lead to obesity, irregular bowel movements, or excess intestinal gas.
• Make sure the food is fresh. When you purchase pet food, check expiry date and purchase only the amount necessary for your pet. Store pet food in a cool, dry place and in a tightly closed container.  Discard uneaten food and always place fresh food in a clean bowl. In general, hard food (or 'kibble') is preferred for maintaining dental health and minimising tartar build-up.  Soft, canned food tends to be more palatable and can be stored for longer.
• Feed the right amount. Ask us or check the label for how much to feed according to your pet's ideal weight (not necessarily the same as their current weight).  Avoid feeding pets as much as they want or feeding a large amount at one time. Doing so can lead to obesity, gastrointestinal upset, or even bloat, a life threatening condition.
• Maintain a daily routine. A regular schedule will help your pet keep normal bowel movements and avoid indoor accidents.  Younger pets need to be fed more frequently, as they are usually more energetic and burn more calories.
• Avoid feeding 'people' food. Feeding table scraps will result in an unbalanced diet, can cause stomach upsets or even life-threatening inflammation of the pancreas.  Thereare a number of human foods like raisins and chocolate that are toxic to dogs.

Life Cycle Feeding

Your pet's nutritional requirements will change as they age.  Puppies need puppy food because it is higher in energy, calcium and protein, but feeding it to an adult dog can lead to obesity.  Likewise, older pets need diets restricted in fat and supplemented with fibre for their optimum health.  Many premium senior diets also contain additives to assist in the management of arthritis and can make your pet more comfortable.

Please give us a call to discuss your pet’s nutritional needs. We can tailor a diet specifically for your pet that will give them the optimum quality and length of life.