What Are “Veterinary Diets” For Pets?

1. What Are “Veterinary Diets” For Pets? Veterinary diets are commercial foods designed by veterinary nutritionists to help owners manage a specific disease in their pet. Today, there are veterinary diets to help cats and dogs with kidney disease, liver disease, arthritis, food allergies, bladder stones, hyperthyroidism in cats, stress, and other conditions. If your veterinarian diagnoses one of these conditions in your pet, they may recommend starting your pet on a specific veterinary diet, either as the sole treatment option, or

2. in combination with other medication. Use of a veterinary diet may mean that your pet will require less of another medication. The most commonly used veterinary diets are the Prescription Diet range from Hills, and the Royal Canin range of veterinary diets. Each year, more veterinary diets are developed and released onto the market, to give owners more options for treating their sick pets. Below is just a sample of the more commonly-used veterinary diets on the market. Before starting a veterinary diet, your veterinarian must examine your pet and actually diagnose the specific condition. Feeding some of the prescription diets without a correct diagnosis from your vet can actually be harmful to your pet! Once your pet is using the new diet, you must keep your vet informed of the response to the diet, so any necessary adjustments to your pet’s care can be made. Veterinary Diets For Allergies Many pets suffer from dietary and environmental allergies. Typical signs of allergies include itching, especially around the face, intermittent or chronic diarrhoea or vomiting. But it is important that your vet examines your pet, to rule out other causes for these clinical signs, such as parasites or stress. There are at least two veterinary diets formulated for pets suffering from allergies. Veterinary Diets For Hyperthyroidism In Cats Hyperthyroidism is a common condition in cats over six years of age. Traditionally, this condition was treated with tablets and /or radio-therapy. Recently, Hills released a veterinary diet for cats with hyperthyroidism. Your vet may recommend this diet alone or in combination with another therapy.

3. Veterinary Diets For Arthritis Pets are just like humans in that years of running and jumping, and any injuries, cause a gradual wearing down of the cartilage in the joints. This disease of the joints is termed arthritis. Ligaments and tendons also deteriorate with age. Pets with arthritis can show increasing pain and discomfort with age – dogs more so than cats, as cats are great at hiding signs of arthritis. You may start to notice that your dog or cat seems stiff in the morning, or is obviously limping after their regular walk. If you suspect arthritis in your pet, be sure to take them to the vet for a thorough examination and possible further x-rays, as many conditions in ageing pets can affect their exercise stamina, including heart conditions! There are many therapies available for arthritis, including tablets, powder supplements, injections, and in severe cases, surgery such as hip replacement. Veterinary diets such as Hills j/d, Royal Canin Veterinary Clinical Canine Mobility Support, and Eukanuba Special Care Canine Joint Mobility contain specific ingredients believed to or proven to assist in joint function and cartilage repair. Common arthritis-support ingredients include glucosamine, chondroitin sulphate, Omega 3 fatty acids, and antioxidants. Overweight pets will struggle more with arthritis than will slim pets, so keep the weight off your pet if they are showing signs of arthritis. Veterinary Diets For Kidney Or Bladder Disease As dogs and cats age, their kidney function gradually reduces. Pets with kidney disease can benefit from a diet based on reduced levels of high-quality protein and low phosphorus. The veterinary diets available for kidney disease have those features, to help reduce the workload on the kidney and normalise blood pressure. Some cats and dogs are prone to developing kidney and bladder stones due to

4. imbalances of minerals in the diet, and a number of veterinary diets are available to reduce the risk of these stones developing. Veterinary Diets For Maintaining Good Oral Health Most pets do not have their teeth cleaned daily, but there are several veterinary diets designed to help “brush” plaque off the pets’ teeth and boost overall oral hygiene. Most pets enjoy the taste of these diets as much as any diet, so this is an easy way to reduce the risk of dental disease in your dog or cat. Veterinary Diets For Diabetes And Liver Disease Dietary changes are an important part of managing diabetes, pancreatitis and liver disease in both animals and humans. The premium pet food companies have developed diets to assist in the management of these metabolic disorders. Royal Canin Hepatic Diet, for example, is a nutritionally balanced diet to help support dogs with chronic liver conditions. Hills Prescription Diet w/d Canine Low Fat Diabetic Gastrointestinal is designed to help maintain a safe and healthy weight and blood glucose level, increase metabolism and reduce fat stores in diabetic patients; the high fibre content of Hills w/d helps your pet feel satisfied after his meals. Veterinary Diets For Weight Management Just as in humans, weight loss is best achieved by a combination of exercise and a low-fat diet. Luckily, nutritionally-balanced low-fat veterinary diets are available to help pets lose weight. For example, Hills metabolic diet is clinically proven to reduce body fat by 28% in only 2 months; the diet contains additional ‘’hunger buster’’ ingredients, to help pets feel full between meals. Royal Canin claim their weight-loss prescription diet for dogs helps to “promote healthy digestion through vitamin,

5. nutrient and mineral enrichment during low-calorie intake”; it also contains chondroitin sulphate and glucosamine for joint health in obese pets as they reduce their weight. Does My Pet Actually Need A Veterinary Diet? If you have noticed any signs of ill health in your pet, even if they are only intermittent or do not seem too severe, you should visit your vet so they can perform a thorough examination and additional tests if required. Sometimes, minor signs of ill-health could be pointing to an underlying issue that needs management immediately, before the condition worsens. If a specific diagnosis is reached, your vet may advise a number of different treatment options. As mentioned above, In many cases, the vet may recommend a specific veterinary diet to be used alone or in combination with other medication or surgery. Your vet will advise a recheck after a certain period of time, to check your pet’s response to treatment. Remember, you should always seek veterinary advice before starting your pet on any veterinary diet product.