Your Pet’s Good Health May Hinge On The Diet You Provide

According to the American Pet Products Association (APPA) the United States pet industry, which includes all money spent by pet owners on their beloved companion animals, was 55.72 billion dollars in the year 2013. This includes a breakdown of about 21.57 billion in pet foods, 13.14 billion in over-the-counter medicines and pet supplies, and 14.37 billion dollars in vet care. The sad fact is that the food that many people are feeding to their pets is what is causing those over-the-counter and vet bills to skyrocket. Pet food therapy may be the only way to determine if your pet’s food is what is at the cause of his or her health problems.

Commercial Pet Foods

In most cases, the pet foods that you buy at the grocery store or at a pet food store do have the basic nutritional requirements for your pet’s overall metabolic functioning. However, it is not always about the basic requirements, the health issues may be coming from the additional foods, chemicals, and additives that are in the food product. This is where pet food therapy offers an excellent solution to the problem.

The vast majority of commercial dog and cat foods all contain grains of some kind. Grain is one of the leading causes of food allergies in dogs but so are corn, yeast, soy, and even dairy products. Some dogs may also have problems with the meat once it is processed in making the dog food. Chemicals that preserve the food and prevent it from spoiling may also be the root cause. Cats are particularly sensitive to grains and often are being fed less than optimum levels of meat in the diet to stay healthy.

Pet Food Therapy

Pet food therapy removes commercial pet foods from your pet’s diet and replaces them with natural, healthy food options. This is sometimes known as the Raw Food Diet or the BARF (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food) Diet, which is actually a trademarked name by the vet that marketed the diet.

Raw foods remove all the chemicals, additives, and possible contaminants from the food and allow your pet to enjoy his or her food in a way that the system is able to digest and utilize. Many pet owners find that switching to pet food therapy feeding removes all the symptoms of food allergies, digestive problems, behavioral problems, and coat and skin issues.