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Friends For Life Animal Shelter

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Healthy Pet Nutrition

There are so many options out there for pet food it can be overwhelming! Here are some brief guidelines to ensure your pet gets the nutrition they deserve.

April 12, 2022 by Friends For Life

There are so many options out there for pet food it can be overwhelming! Here are some brief guidelines to ensure your pet gets the nutrition they deserve.

Basic Tips

  • Feed them the same time every day, and the same type/brand of food, to keep them on a good bathroom schedule.
  • If you want to change foods, gradually mix the new food into their existing food to avoid upset stomachs and (the dreaded) diarrhea.
  • Keep fresh drinking water available and change it at least once daily.
  • Check with your veterinarian on foods they recommend. They have insights into your pets health that can help you make the best decision.
  • Keep your dog away from common household items/foods that can be harmful (or deadly!)

Ingredients

Ensure that meat (chicken, beef, duck, fish etc.) is the first ingredient on the ingredient list. Not corn, wheat, meat-by-product, bone meal or anything besides a real specified type of meat.

Better Food = Better Nutrition = More Absorption = Healthy Pet (added bonus of less poop!)

Brands

Pet food companies (like car companies) make various levels of their products (kind of like Toyota vs. Lexus or Nissan vs. Infiniti). A brand such as Purina Dog/Cat Chow is fine but the better “one-up” version of their product—Pro Plan—is much better. These companies put a lot of research into their products and can guarantee what’s on the label is in the food.

Some good mid-range brands include:

  • Purina Pro Plan – This is what we feed most of our dogs at the shelter and what we start puppies on when they start eating gruel/hard food.
  • Eukanuba
  • Iams
  • Hill’s Science Diet
  • Royal Canin
  • Wellness

Note: We don’t get anything from you clicking the links above. We’ve included them so you can do your own research on them.

Feeding Quantities

Puppies (dogs under 1 year)

  • Use the feeding quantities as listed on the package for your pet’s weight and activity level
  • Divide the recommended quantity into 4 to 5 feedings per day
  • Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) can occur if meals are skipped and your pet will become weak and possibly ill
  • Friends For Life feeds puppies Purina Pro Plan Puppy (wet and dry)

Adults (dogs over 1 year)

  • Twice daily is recommended using the feeding quantities for your pet’s weight and activity level as listed on the package
  • Friends For Life feeds our dogs Purina Proplan
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Category iconPet Ownership,  Wellness Tag iconcat,  dog,  kitten,  pet ownership,  puppy,  wellness

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Friends For Life Shelter

107 E 22nd Street
Houston, TX 77008

713-863-9835

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Wednesday - Monday: 11AM - 4PM
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