You’d think it would be easy to choose food for your cat or dog.  Just go to the grocery store and grab a bag of the cheapest no name brand of food and be on your way. There are actually a lot of considerations to make when choosing a pet food.

Some things to consider are :your pet’s age (kitten or geriatric), weight (too thin or obese) health (ie: kidney disease), breed (ie large breed) and of course species.  Some people choose raw food, but that’s a whole article on its own. Each species has its’ own special needs and requirements.  A very important factor in determining a type of food is that cats are considered true carnivores (their diet should be 100 % protein) and dogs are considered omnivores ( their diet is a combination of protein and vegetation).

Some examples of species specific diet requirements include: Vitamin C: humans need to take Vitamin C while cats and dogs metabolize their own.Cats need to acquire vitamin A by eating other animals (meat), but dogs can convert vitamin A from plant material.Taurine is an extremely necessary amino acid that is only acquired from meat. Cats must acquire Taurine from their diet. Dogs make their own.  Puppies and kittens should be fed puppy and kitten food for the first 6-12 months of life. They have special requirements of proteins, fats, carbohydrates vitamin and minerals (especially calcium and phosphorus).Protein is absolutely essential; it gives your pet strength and keeps muscles healthy. Fats are needed for energy and proper growth and development; they keep the skin and coat healthy and help digestion.  Carbohydrates provide energy. Calcium and phosphorus are minerals which promote the growth of bones and teeth. Puppies need various nutrients in different amounts than adult and senior dogs. As your puppy becomes an adult and is spayed or neutered, his energy and mineral demands will decrease because he will be growing less. If you have difficulty controlling your pet’s weight by increasing exercise or decreasing calorie intake, there are foods designed to help. 

You must feed your pet the recommended amount of food in order for it to work. Some diets use fiber as a filler, so the animal feels full by consuming fewer calories. There are a number of health concerns (as with humans) associated with obesity.

Special dietary needs: (ie: Kidney disease)
By feeding your pet a diet which is lower in protein and phosphorus than normal, you can reduce the build-up of unwanted waste products and help to slow down the progression of kidney disease. Protein restriction helps to reduce the levels of toxic waste products in the blood stream.  So, you can see that it’s not straight forward when it comes to pet food, see your veterinarian for the right diet for your pet.