Feeding your pet is simple.  The goal is to provide the proper level of nutrition to enable your special friend to live a long and healthy life.  We have to provide healthy foods that that support all stages of life. It is important that our pets are well conditioned and do not become overweight. 

            Commercial pet food is clearly the best diet. Home cooked meals rarely provide the proper balance of nutrients.  Diets produced by major pet food companies contain all of the nutrients that will allow your pet stay healthy.  Beware of fad diets for your pet. Just as with nutrition for people, fad diets come and go.  Some of the diets recommended for dogs and cats, such as raw food, can be dangerous to both our pets and the people who handle the diets.

            Dry or canned food is acceptable to feed your pet.  There are advantages and disadvantages to both. Dry food is more convenient to feed and store and is less expensive than canned food.  Dry food also helps keep your pet’s teeth clean.  Canned food is tastier and might be best for some medical conditions that your pet might develop.

            Dogs and cats should be fed three times daily until they reach six months of age, twice daily until a year of age, and then once or twice after one year.  The foods typically have the recommended amounts to feed on the label, but there are a few guidelines that might make it easier for you to feed.  For puppies and kittens give one cup of food per 10 pounds each time you feed.  Another method is to keep the food available for 20 minutes and then pick it up.  Most pets will not overeat if you use this method.

            Most importantly, you have to look at your pet regularly and adjust the amount of food that you offer to provide the optimal body weight.