Westway Vets Advice for Diet and Nutrition

Diet and Nutrition for Cats

Key Points

Poor nutrition may lead to health problems.
Different life stages have different nutritional requirements.
Always make fresh water available.

How important is proper nutrition?

The right diet is vital to keep your cat fit and healthy. Poor nutrition accounts for a remarkably high percentage of the health problems we see. These include vomiting, diarrhoea, flatulence, obesity, dental problems, growth deformities, heart, kidney and skin problems.

What type of diet should I feed?

Home-made diets – Very rarely are these nutritionally balanced or complete. They are relatively difficult to prepare and expensive.
Commercial Diets – These are convenient and unlikely to have deficiencies.

Is tinned or dry food better?

Dry food is more cost effective and helps to keep the teeth and gums healthy. Tinned food has a much higher water content which means that more is required to satisfy your pet’s appetite. However, some pets find tinned food much more palatable and easier to digest.

Which brand should I choose?

There are several good diets for kittens and is designed to provide the extra nutrients needed by growing kittens yet avoiding the excesses that often lead to obesity.

Growth stage

This is a diet for kittens and is designed to provide the extra nutrients needed by growing kittens yet avoiding the excesses that often lead to obesity.

Adult stage

Diets provide all the nutritional requirements of an adult pet while reducing the risk of obesity dental and kidney disease later on in life. They also come in an ‘Adult light’ formulation for obesity-prone individuals. Variations are also available for pets with sensitive skin or stomachs and for those prone to hairballs. For pets prone to dental problems there is an ‘Oral Care’ diet which uses unique fibre technology to ‘clean’ the teeth while eating equivalent to once weekly brushing.

Senior Stage

Diets are designed for pets over 8. They cater for the more relaxed lifestyle of the older pet helping them to remain in good shape while keeping the skin, coat and internal organs in good health.

Diet and Nutrition for Dogs

Key Points

Poor nutrition may lead to health problems.
Different life stages have different nutritional requirements.
Always make fresh water available.

How important is proper nutrition?

Poor nutrition accounts for a remarkably high percentage of the health problems we see. These include vomiting, diarrhoea, flatulence, obesity, dental problems, growth deformities, heart, kidney and skin problems.

What type of diet should I feed?

Home-made Diets – Very rarely are these nutritionally balanced or complete. They are relatively difficult to prepare and expensive.
Commercial Diets – These are convenient and unlikely to have deficiencies.

Is tinned or dry food better?

Dry food is more cost effective and helps to keep the teeth and gums healthy. Tinned food has a much higher water content which means that more is required to satisfy your pet’s appetite. However some pets find tinned food more palatable and easier to digest.

Which brand should I choose?

There are several good diets for kittens and is designed to provide the extra nutrients needed by growing kittens yet avoiding the excesses that often lead to obesity.

Growth stage

This is a diet for small-medium breed puppies and another for large breed puppies (adult over 25kg). These are designed to provide the extra nutrients needed by growing puppies yet avoiding the excesses that often lead to obesity as well as bone and cartilage deformities that larger breed dogs are particular prone to.

Adult stage

These diets provide all the nutritional requirements of an adult pet while reducing the risk of obesity dental and kidney disease later on in life. They also come in an ‘Adult light’ formulation for obesity prone individuals. Variations are also available for pets with sensitive skin or stomachs. For pets prone to dental problems there is an ‘Oral Care’ diet which uses unique fibre technology to ‘clean’ the teeth while eating equivalent to once weekly brushing.

Senior Stage

These diets are designed for pets over 8. They cater for the more relaxed lifestyle of the older pet helping them to remain in good shape while keeping the skin, coat and internal organs in good health.