What is the best diet for cats and dogs? Let's find out tips and directions on what to feed our pets to keep them healthy.
The nutrition of our four-legged friends often and willingly tends to have deficiencies. While on the one hand there are those who suggest to administer only the croquettes, on the other hand, in recent years there have also been an increase in pathologies such as allergies or intolerances that have been caused by poor nutrition of the animal. This is why what is called the BARF diet for dogs and cats is increasingly affirming : let's find out what it is and compare it with traditional nutrition, based on industrial feed.
Diet for cats and dogs: which one to choose
The way in which you feed your pets is fundamental. In fact, the health and well-being of the four legs depend on the foods we decide to give them.
For this, it is essential not only that they are fresh and top quality products , but also that these foods contain all the essential nutrients that are essential for the animal.
Which diet to choose for cats and dogs? Let's examine the two main types of nutrition among which it is possible to opt, analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of both:
- Industrial feed;
- BARF diet.
Feed based on industrial feed
The commercial diet for dogs and cats provides for the administration of wet food and kibble to your pet.
In fact, we start from the assumption that already packaged foods have been processed in a balanced way in order to provide our four-legged friend with all the nutrients he needs.
In this case, it is essential to read all the ingredients with which the ready meal was made on the back of the package , to check the percentage of proteins, carbohydrates and other substances essential for the well-being of our furry dog.
In general, in the choice of industrial feed we should put into practice the following precautions:
- Check for preservatives;
- Identify the percentage of crude protein. The higher the rate, the higher the quality of the product;
- Identify the percentage of crude ash, placing it in a ratio with proteins between 3 (poor quality) and 5 (excellent quality);
- choose specific products based on the age of the four-legged and its health conditions.
BARF diet for dogs and cats
The term BARF, or “Biologically Appropriate Row Food”, literally means “biologically appropriate raw food”.
Therefore, it is a type of diet for dogs and cats that is based on raw and natural foods as it would be the original diet of our pets.
Not surprisingly, the veterinarian Alessandro Prota , who collaborates with the Facebook group "The courage to choose", recalled how " the industrial diet of our animals contains abnormal quantities of cereals and yeasts which over time cause much damage serious to the immune system and consequently the onset of degenerative diseases such as thyroiditis, leukemia, lymphomas, skin allergies, gastrointestinal tumors, endocrinopathies, etc. ".
According to the veterinarian, it is important "a radical change in diet is therefore essential to prevent tumors that are almost always the consequence of a wrong diet over time ".
Many people who have applied this diet have seen improvements in the health of their pets, such as the disappearance of skin disorders in dogs and cats.
Obviously, before undertaking this change in the dog's diet, it is suggested to ask for advice from your trusted veterinarian who will be able to follow the progress of your dog or cat, in the progressive change of diet and in the doses to be administered.
What are the essential nutrients and foods to give to your pet? Here are the principles on which the BARF diet for dogs and cats is based:
- The food must be raw, the chicken bones and fish bones must be chopped ;
- Fruits and vegetables will also need to be blended before being fed to your pet, in order to destroy the cellulose membranes. In addition, with the fruit you can blend the whole eggs, even the shell, to provide the dog or your cat with calcium. The Barf diet requires fruits and vegetables such as apples, broccoli, spinach or carrots to supplement the vitamins and minerals needed by the animal. Also, for older specimens you can also add supplements ;
- The change of diet must be progressive as it is possible that some animals do not appreciate some foods. diet will be tested gradually on the animal, it is possible that some dogs / cats do not like some food, in this case it will be possible
- Finally, it is suggested to prepare the diet once a week and divide it into portions that will then be frozen. Before feeding the frozen food to the animal, the portions must then be moved 48 hours before in the freezer, so that the food defrosts naturally and to break down the bacterial load it may contain.