The Best and Worst Pet Foods: 1. Pet Foods Ranked. By Dr. Becker. In this video Dr. Karen Becker discusses her best- to- worst recommendations for diets for dogs and cats and explains how to improve the quality of the food you feed your own pet. A subject readers here at Healthy. Pets and clients at my animal clinic are very interested in is the kind of food they should be feeding their dog or cat for good health. So by popular demand, today's video is a discussion of my recommendations for the best- to- worst diets you can feed your pet. There are 1. 3 categories on my list, and what you're feeding will fall into one of them. Now, if the diet you're serving your dog or cat happens to fall into one of the lower quality categories, I don't want you to beat yourself up about it. Nutrient Overview Water Protein Fat Carbohydrates Fiber Vitamins Minerals Essential Fatty Acids Probiotics. Ingredients to avoid Ingredients are listed by category. As a general rule, people who are feeding their pets a lesser quality diet are doing so either because they can't afford a better food – or they simply don't know what constitutes good nutrition for their pet. If you discover your furry buddy is eating from the lower half of the list, set a goal to feed a better quality food now that you know the difference, or when you can afford a more nutritious brand. Again, everyone's pet food of choice can be found in one of these categories. I encourage you to figure out where the diet you're serving right now falls in the list, and then strive for improvement by feeding more nourishing, species- appropriate food. Food Can Either Heal or Harm. As a proactive veterinarian interested in sustaining the natural good health of my pet patients, I always encourage pet owners to evaluate their animal's diet, because food is the foundation upon which good or ill health is built. It's important to understand that food has the ability to heal or harm your pet, depending on the type and quality of nutrition you provide. The first factor you should evaluate is the species- appropriateness of what your dog or cat is eating. A species- appropriate diet contains lots of good quality protein as well as moisture. The protein is necessary because both dogs and cats are carnivores. High moisture content is required in order to prevent organ dysfunction, including kidney failure. Dogs and cats are designed to eat food that is about 7. If you feed your pet dry food only, he's getting only about 1. This is especially unhealthy for cats, because they don't supplement their moisture intake by drinking large amounts of water like dogs do. Pets on dry food diets (kibble or pelleted) live in a state of chronic, mild dehydration that over time can cause significant stress to their organs. Species- appropriate nutrition does not contain much starch, also known as grains or carbohydrates. Corn, wheat, rice and soy are found in most commercial processed pet foods, but your dog or cat has no biological need for them. I recommend you follow the laws of nature when it comes to your pet's diet, which is to feed everything his body needs and eliminate ingredients that provide no nourishment. In addition to the species- appropriateness of your pet's diet, it also needs to be balanced. By balanced I mean food that contains all the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients your dog or cat needs. This isn't something you can guess at – it should be guaranteed through testing. Nutritional balance is vitally important because deficiencies will develop much faster in your dog or cat than they will in you. A poorly nourished puppy or kitten can end up with obvious signs of skeletal problems and organ degeneration before she's six months old. An older animal can develop life- threatening organ degeneration, among many other not- so- obvious symptoms, over a one to three year period of eating an unbalanced, nutrient- deficient diet. The List of Best- to- Worst Foods. A balanced, raw, homemade diet is the best food you can feed your dog or cat. It will be nutritionally balanced because you're following recipes like those found in the cookbook I co- authored, Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats. Raw means the food is unadulterated and still contains all the enzymes and nutrients that are typically destroyed during cooking or other types of processing. The next best thing you can feed your pet is a commercially available raw diet. This is a raw food diet that someone else has done the heavy lifting to prepare. These foods often say . You can also find a selection online. Cooked, balanced homemade diet. It's the same diet found in number 1, above, except that it's cooked. This means some of the nutrient composition has been diminished through processing. Human- grade canned food. If the label doesn't say the ingredients are human grade, they're not. Pet food made with human- grade ingredients is also a great deal more expensive, so that's another way to tell what you're getting. This type of diet is the most expensive you can feed your pet. What I tell my clients is, . But if you have more time than money, I recommend you make a balanced, homemade diet right in your own kitchen for a fraction of the cost. The Martha's Vineyard Diet Detox promises to peel off a pound a day and rid your body of toxins. But is it a good idea, given that your body detoxes.As I discussed earlier, dry food is not as species- appropriate as a moisture- dense diet. Human grade is very important because the food is approved, in theory, for human consumption, which means it doesn't contain low quality rendered by- products. Super premium canned food which can be found at big box pet supply stores like Petco and Pet. Smart. Super premium dry food. Veterinary- recommended canned food. Vet recommended canned foods are purchased at your vet's office or clinic. Typical brands are Science Diet, the Purina veterinary lines, Royal Canin and Waltham. Veterinary- recommended dry food. Grocery store brand canned food. Grocery store brand dry food. Semi- moist pouched food. The reason this type of pet food is so far down the list is because in order for the food to remain . This is a scary preservative that is a second cousin to ethylene glycol, which is antifreeze. And while propylene glycol is approved for use in pet foods, it is unhealthy for dogs and cats. I do not recommend feeding any food that contains this additive. Dead last on the list and the worst thing you can feed your pet is an unbalanced, homemade diet – raw or cooked. I'm seeing an increasing number of misguided pet owners in my practice who think they're doing the right thing by serving their pet, say, a chicken breast and some veggies and calling it a day. Pets being fed this way are showing up at my clinic with endocrine abnormalities, skeletal issues and organ degeneration as a result of deficiencies in calcium, trace minerals and omega fatty acids. From Worst to Best in a Heartbeat. For those of you who now know you're feeding your pet an unbalanced, homemade diet, there's an extremely quick and easy way to soar to the top of the list. All you need to do is add ingredients to balance out the nutrition in the diet you're already serving your dog or cat. This is a fast, simple fix you can apply to turn an unbalanced homemade diet into a balanced one. So there you have it – the entire list of my recommendations for best- to- worst pet diets. If you've discovered your pet's food is on the lower half of the list, set a goal to work your way up the list. If you're already at the top end of the list, congratulations! You're doing the best thing possible by providing species- appropriate nutrition for the animals in your care. Save with coupons at Target. Print coupons online for Target in-store purchases to save on everything from groceries and essentials to furniture and electronics. Super Joint Enhancer is one of our most popular joint support products for both cats and dogs. This liquid supplement contains a proven joint support formula. Lymphoma, also known as lymphosarcoma, is one of the most common cancers in cats. It accounts for 90% of all blood cancers in cats, and for about a third of all. Diet is a useful way of controlling CKD and helping your cat cope better with the disease. This page discusses which foods to feed. If you would like to learn more about making homemade meals for your pets, my recipe book is available here. Home Remedies For Kidney Infection. What is Kidney Infection? As the name suggests, Kidney Infection is an infection of the kidneys, mostly caused by bacteria. Kidney is an important organ present in the urinary system of the body. More often than not, an infection in the upper urinary tract usually spreads further and causes infection in the kidneys as well. This disease is more common in women as compared to men. In cases of acute Kidney Infections, the symptoms tend to appear suddenly with greater severity. Chronic Kidney Infections, on the other hand develop slowly over a period of time, become progressively worse and often lead to Kidney Failure. Kidney Infection is also known as Pyelonephritis in medical terms. When left untreated, Kidney Infections can give rise to other serious problems such as Blood Poisoning, Kidney Failure and related fatal conditions. The treatment mostly consists of the intake of antibiotics. However, this conventional treatment can also be supplemented with home treatment consisting of several natural home remedies for Kidney Infection. Causes and Symptoms of Kidney Infection. Kidney Infection or Pyelonephritis is a specific type of upper Urinary Tract Infection that is mostly caused by bacterial infection. Urinary Tract Infections generally begin in the urethra and gradually travels up to the ureters and kidneys. Under normal circumstances, the flow of urine prevents the infection from moving up the urinary tract. Although, at times certain conditions like kidney stones, enlarged prostrate glands or other structural abnormalities tend to obstruct the physical flow of the urine thereby increasing the risk of developing Kidney Infection. Similarly, diabetes, pregnancy, cancer, use of urinary catheters and other such factors may also increase the chances of developing this disease. The most important symptom of Kidney Infection is a persistent urge to urinate. Urination is mostly accompanied by a burning sensation. Other symptoms include problems like abdominal pain (on the side), lower back pain, frequent urination, fever, chills, nausea, vomiting and a general feeling of lethargy and discomfort. Severe cases may also be characterized by the presence of pus or blood in the urine. Advertisement. Natural Home Remedies for Kidney Infection. Although, do not follow this remdy for a long time as excessive consumption of cranberry is not considered healthy. Heating pads can also be used to ease the pains. Aromatherapy is also beneficial in dealing with Kidney Infection related symptoms. Diet for Kidney Infection. Along with the natural remedies, taking a diet rich in vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin E rich foods is highly beneficial in healing Kidney Infections to a great extent. Vitamin C, in particular helps to strengthen the immune system thereby helping in preventing as well as curing the infection. Therefore, include cucumber, asparagus, celery, legumes and a variety of other fruits, vegetables and whole grains in the diet. Plus, positively include natural antibiotic foods like garlic, ginger and yogurt in the diet. Moreover, drink adequate amount of fluids, especially water throughout the day at regular intervals in order to flush out the toxins and cleanse the body. Besides, stay away from strong alcoholic, caffeinated and carbonated beverages. Also, restrict the consumption of processed and spicy foods. Apart from these measures, maintain proper personal hygiene and avoid holding back urine.
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