Food for thought

Since the festive season is mostly about food, let’s chat about the naughty and nice of feeding your pets.

Nutrition is the key to good health, we all know that, and when it comes to animals, they also need a well-balanced, consistent diet to live their best life.

Everyone loves a treat or indulgence sometimes, however, when we overindulge or replace balanced meals with foods that are good to eat rather than good for us, the tummy may be full, but full does not mean well-fed.

You may have heard the saying “food is fuel”, which basically means the goal of eating is to provide the body with the nutrients needed to function, therefore eating is actually about keeping the “engine” running and pleasure is secondary. Enjoying a meal is important and we like seeing our pets tuck into a bowl of food with gusto, however when marketing says, “food your pet will love”, remember eating is not all about taste.

So how do we choose a well-balanced diet? Firstly, be species-specific. People, dogs, and cats have different nutritional needs and process ingredients differently. It’s essential to feed according to species and especially at Christmas time, keep pets away from human food scraps, fatty meats, bones, grapes, nuts, chocolate, and pavlova!

Secondly, go for nutrient-dense foods and quality ingredients. When ingredients are more processed, the food contains less nutrients which means your pet needs to eat more to obtain the amount of fuel the body is craving.

This is why we recommend a trusted pet food like Hill’s, with a long history of establishing exactly what constitutes optimal health and providing a complete, well-balanced diet for pets. Hill’s is dedicated to ongoing research, with over 200 veterinarians, food scientists, technicians and Ph.D. nutritionists working with a team of over 900 much loved and cared for dogs and cats, to make sure pets approve the smell, taste, texture, size and shape of the food.

The research that goes into making pet food both nutritious and palatable is comprehensive and scientists even consider the pressure needed to crush kibble at different life stages and analyse the gas output, which many owners would appreciate!

As Hill’s say, “we want our foods to be as pleasant going out as they are going in”.

So, this Christmas, give your pet the gift of good health. Remember, if food is packed with high quality nutrients, a smaller meal is needed to satisfy the body’s needs which means a bag of food lasts longer. Therefore, changing to a top-quality pet food is not only the healthiest but also the most cost-effective decision you can make this New Year.

As Hill’s nutritional philosophy sums it up – “The Right Nutrition Can Change Everything”.