Nutritional Advice

Along with regular exercise and veterinary care, careful nutrition is the best way you can contribute to your pet's prolonged good health.

These are the basic nutrients every pet needs:

Water is the most essential nutrient in any diet. Ensure your pet can access fresh, clean water at all times.
Carbohydrates supply energy and help energise the brain and muscles, making your pet bright and active.
Fats also supply energy and in the right amounts help build strong cells and promote nutrient absorption. Too much fat however, can lead to such obesity-related health problems such as diabetes, heart disease and osteoarthritis.
Proteins are required for a healthy coat, skin, and nails. Your pet's body uses the amino acids in proteins to make enzymes and hormones in the blood stream and to maintain a healthy immune system.
Vitamins and minerals help regulate many body systems. For example, your pet needs the minerals calcium and phosphorous for strong bones.

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

We strongly recommend that you:

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.
Make sure the food is fresh. When you purchase pet food, check for freshness and purchase only the amount necessary for your pet. Store pet food in a cool, dry place and in a food container it tightly closed.
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).
Maintain a daily routine. A regular schedule will help your pet keep normal bowel movements and avoid indoor accidents.
Avoid "people" food. Feeding table scraps will result in an unbalanced diet, can cause stomach upsets or even life-threatening inflammation of the pancreas. Some human foods like raisin’s and chocolate are also toxic to dogs.

Tips when choosing dog food

Look for quality – check out the ingredients list to find out what’s really in the food

Animal protein like chicken or meat as the first ingredient
Balanced with wholegrain and fibre in the form of beet pulp

Avoid artificial colours, flavours and preservatives

Fact – tinned food can contain up to 80% water and has to be used quickly once opened. High quality dry kibble contains less than 10% water, are highly digestible, convenient and stay fresh for weeks after opening.

By feeding your puppy or kitten controlled amounts of a balanced food you can achieve a regulated growth rate leading to an adult dog of the appropriate breed size, with a lean body condition. This will reduce stress on the skeleton and positively support long term health prospects

Tips when choosing cat food

Kittens are different from adult cats, so their nutritional needs vary. We recommend feeding a good quality dry kitten food for the first 12 months of their life such as the Hills pet nutrition Hills feline kitten healthy development food. They should then be gradually swapped to an adult dry food. Complete dry foods are specially formulated to ensure kittens get all the nutrition they need to grow healthy and strong. When you first bring your kitten home it's best to carry on feeding her the food she's been used to. However, not all kitten foods are the same – some have much better quality ingredients than others, which is why you might want to change your kitten's food to a "complete" kitten food.

Fact- Believe it or not, kittens don't need milk. And for some cats, cows' milk can actually cause diarrhoea. Fresh water is all your kitten needs.

Just like people, cats all have unique nutritional needs based on age, health and activity level. It's important to choose your food according to your pet's age and lifestyle because of the biological changes your cat will go through.

To figure out how much to feed your kitten, use the feeding guide on the label of your kitten food as a starting point and adjust the amount to maintain optimum body weight. Amounts may vary depending on age, size, activity level, temperament, environment and health. At every veterinary visit, discuss your kitten's weight and the amount of food you're feeding to ensure your kitten's needs are met.