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How to Be a Responsible Pet Owner: 5 Must-Dos

Adopting a pet is mostly about cuddles, wet noses, fuzzies, and love, but there is actually more to responsible pet ownership than friendship. When you adopt your pet, you’re making a commitment to provide all the care they need for the entirety of their lives.

How to Be a Responsible Pet Owner: 5 Must-Dos

Adopting a pet is mostly about cuddles, wet noses, fuzzies, and love, but there is actually more to responsible pet ownership than friendship. When you adopt your pet, you’re making a commitment to provide all the care they need for the entirety of their lives. While it’s essential to show your pet affection, you also need to provide your pet a few essentials to ensure they live a long, healthy life so that you can truly call yourself a responsible pet owner.

5 Essentials for Successful Pet Ownership

1. Create a Safe Environment

Whether your pet lives primarily indoors or outdoors, it’s your responsibility to make sure the environment is safe and suitable for your pet. Be sure any potentially harmful substances (such as medications, cleaning products and other household chemicals, electrical wires, or unstable, heavy furniture) are out of your pet’s reach. Make sure your pet’s outdoor environment has shelter from the elements (sun and storm), plenty of water, a secure fence or other enclosure, and is clear from brush that will attract fleas, ticks, and mosquitos.

2. Provide Enrichment

Pets need to keep their minds busy. You can enrich their lives by providing opportunities for play, exercise, and safe exploration. There are also a multitude of toys that can be purchased to stimulate your pet for the times when they may have to play by themselves. Cats also enjoy scratching posts and climbing trees to engage their need for tactile sensory needs.

3. Feed a Balanced Diet

The first step to keeping your pet healthy is providing them with the complete nutrition they need. We welcome you to ask our veterinarians to recommend a safe, healthy, age-appropriate diet that will meet all of your pet’s specific nutritional needs. We can also help you navigate the complex world of nutritional supplements for pets who have chronic medical conditions or are at risk of developing them.

4. Be Prepared for Medical Needs

Caring for your pet in between veterinary appointments is essential, but it’s also important that you’re prepared to meet your pet’s medical care needs. This will include regular wellness visits, vaccinations, dental care, and aging or end-of-life care. This might entail saving for expected and unexpected medical costs and/or purchasing a pet insurance policy.

5. Set Your Pet Up for Success with Training

Just like children, pets need our guidance when it comes to learning the proper way to behave. Use positive reinforcement to provide your pet with obedience training to ensure they stay out of trouble. If you need a little extra help with this, our team can recommend some trainers in the area.

Establish Care with Sleepy Hollow Animal Hospital

Planning to adopt a new furry friend? We welcome you to establish care with Sleepy Hollow Animal Hospital. Our experienced, friendly staff and veterinarians provide our pet patients with comprehensive, individualized care. To learn more about our services or for more information about how to successfully add a pet to your family, contact our office today.

Making Sense of 7 Common Pet Food Terms

Grain-Free, Organic, Human-grade, Byproducts, Filler, Natural, Holistic… With so many terms out there thrown around, it’s hard to know the true meaning and what you’re actually buying for your pet. Read this blog post to get some clarity!

Making Sense of 7 Common Pet Food Terms

1. Grain-Free

 

It’s a common misconception that grain-free foods are better for pets than those including grains.  Both foods are equally digestible, and grain-free pet foods still contain carbohydrates from other sources, like sweet potatoes and lentils.  In addition, grains are actually highly unlikely to cause food allergies. The rare food allergic animal will be allergic to the animal protein in the diet, not the carbohydrate!  Plus, recent FDA findings have shown a link between certain grain-free diets and heart disease in dogs.

2. Organic

 

Organic pet foods and animal feeds are required to adhere to the rules and regulations outlined by the USDA’s National Organic Program. As a result, you can expect the same standards in pet food that contains an organic label as you would expect from food deemed fit for human consumption with the same label.

 

3. Human-grade

 

This term is strictly a marketing term and has no definition in any animal feed regulations.   In fact, it is not a term used in human food either; the USDA defines products fit for human consumption to be officially “edible”.  These “human edible” foodstuffs have been processed, inspected and passed process control regulations that are designed to assure safety for consumption by humans. As such, extremely few pet food products could be considered officially “human edible” or “human-grade”. 

4. Byproducts

 

Byproducts get an undeserved bad rap, with rumors of them containing non-nutritional ingredients.  In fact, byproducts are any part of the animal leftover after the muscle meat has been removed but still delivers high nutritional value.  Examples include organ meats for protein and bones for Calcium. Furthermore, according to the regulatory definition of byproducts, it specifically EXCLUDES hair, hooves, horns, hide trimmings, manure and intestinal contents, as well as anything that is not specifically part of the carcass (e.g., floor sweepings, trash).

5. Filler

 

On a pet food label, the term “filler” has no official definition. In veterinary nutrition, it’s used to describe a dietary component that might have no nutritional value, but provides fiber.  Fiber can be beneficial for pets on a weight control program or who need the extra fiber for digestive or colon health. 

6. Natural

 

The meaning of the term “natural” is unclear when it comes to pet food. Although AAFCO provides a definition of “natural” with regard to pet food, not all states are required to comply with AAFCO regulations, and the FDA has not defined the term specific to pet food.  As it stands:

  • There’s no evidence that natural foods are healthier than those produced by synthetic processes.
  • The term natural includes more ingredients than it excludes.
  • Pet food can be subject to several processes and include chemical additives and still be considered natural.

 

7. Holistic

 

With regard to pet food, the term “holistic” has no regulated or established meaning. When you see “holistic” on pet food packaging, remember that it’s simply a term used for marketing purposes.

Complete Nutrition for Your Pet at Sleepy Hollow Animal Hospital

 

To stay healthy, pets need a complete balance of nutrients and amino acids which are derived from both plant and animal sources. When selecting your pet’s food, consider these questions and guidelines provided by the World Small Animal Veterinary Association.

 When in doubt, our veterinarians can also help you select high-quality foods and treats based on your pet’s individual health, activity level, and dietary needs. For more information, we welcome you to contact our office. 

 

Can Grain-Free Diets Cause Heart Disease in Dogs?

Grain-free, boutique diets and diets comprised of exotic proteins (wild boar, bison, or kangaroo) or legumes, like chickpeas and lentils, are all the rage among health-conscious pet owners who hope to provide the best diets for their beloved furry canine friends. The FDA, veterinarians, and veterinary nutritionists, however, have marked a significant link between these popular dietary choices and increased cases of canine heart disease, specifically a condition called dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).

Can Grain-Free Diets Cause Heart Disease in Dogs?

Grain-free, boutique diets and diets comprised of exotic proteins (wild boar, bison, or kangaroo) or legumes, like chickpeas and lentils, are all the rage among health-conscious pet owners who hope to provide the best diets for their beloved furry canine friends. The FDA, veterinarians, and veterinary nutritionists, however, have marked a significant link between these popular dietary choices and increased cases of canine heart disease, specifically a condition called dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).

What Is Canine DCM?

Briefly, canine DCM is a potentially fatal disease that affects a dog’s heart muscle. The disease weakens contractions and hinders the heart’s ability to pump blood. This can cause an enlarged heart and congestive heart failure.

How Are These Foods Causing Heart Disease?

Although more research is still needed to determine the exact reason or reasons why these foods are causing dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs, the development of heart disease seems to be related to a dog’s ability to produce and process taurine in its body. The problem is a complex challenge, in which ingredients are interacting in a way that results in blocking the use of taurine in dogs.

The FDA previously released information which identified a strong link between dogs with DCM and grain-free diets. Although 90% of affected dogs seem to have been on grain-free diets, further investigation has revealed that some of these dogs did in fact have grain included in their diets.

If Not Grain-Free, Then What’s the Culprit?

It now appears that the primary common factor in these dogs’ diets were high concentrations of peas, chickpeas, lentils, and a variety of potatoes. Many of the dogs in the FDA’s study consumed diets with large amounts of plant-based protein, often referred to as “boosters.” Diets contained ingredients like dried peas, pea protein, potato protein, or other foods that listed legumes in the top ten ingredients.

This information is not final, as the FDA’s investigation into the relationship between diet and canine DCM continues.

Signs and Symptoms of Canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM)

If your dog has been eating a diet that includes a significant amount of these ingredients, keep a close eye for behavioral changes or signs of heart disease. Dogs suffering from canine DCM sometimes display the following symptoms:

  • Fatigue
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Coughing
  • Fainting

If you notice any signs of potential heart problems or other behavior changes in your dog, we recommend scheduling a wellness check right away. If it is determined that your dog has DCM, we will provide immediate treatment and also help you submit a report to the FDA through the Department of Health and Human Services.

Safeguarding Your Dog's Health: Steps to Take Now

Until the FDA reaches a definitive conclusion and has released its final report, consider the following actions to protect your dog’s health.

– Avoid brands that list plant-based proteins as top ingredients.
– Switch your dog to quality grain-inclusive food.

At Sleepy Hollow Animal Hospital, we understand that selecting a pet food for your dog can feel overwhelming in the face of slick marketing campaigns and the sheer number of choices. Veterinary nutritionists do not recommend switching to a home cooked or raw diet, as these can lead to their own problems and also fail to eliminate the risk of heart disease. Using guidelines established by the World Small Animal Veterinary Association, we will recommend a variety of pet food brands and ingredients that are safe and healthy for your dog.

We’ll continue to update you with more information, as the FDA releases the results of its ongoing investigation. For more information or if you have concerns about your dog’s current diet, please contact Sleepy Hollow Animal Hospital today.