The Role of Nutrition in Preventing Common Pet Health Issues

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Written By Charlotte Miller

Whether you have a cat or a dog at home, you may want to do everything in your power to give them the best possible quality of life. Fortunately, achieving this essential goal is not hard for dedicated pet parents. By focusing on simple aspects like your pet’s nutrition, you can save your fur babies from many harmful health issues.

The reason is simple: Similar to humans, the type of nutrition that your pets get plays a major role in their overall wellbeing. While some ingredients can help with reducing the risk of certain diseases, others can boost your pet’s natural defense against a variety of conditions.

To help you understand the link between nutrition and pet health, here’s a quick look at this important topic.

It prevents obesity

If you pay little to no attention to your pet’s nutrition or do not maintain a regular feeding schedule, it increases their chances of gaining unnecessary weight. While so-called “chonky” pets might look cuddly, unhealthy weight can lead them to a slew of health concerns that range from joint pain to cardiovascular disease. By focusing on nutrition-focused meals, you can help your pet maintain an ideal weight. If you want your cat or dog to lose weight, you can also explore the benefits of low-calorie foods for their diet.

It keeps away an unhealthy coat

If you use solutions like a Simparica Trio prescription to keep fleas and ticks away from your pet’s coat, you might be delighted to know that taking care of their nutrition can also reduce the risk of a variety of coat-related health conditions. This includes concerns like dry or dull fur, matted coats, and itching skin. You can promote the growth and maintenance of healthy coats by making simple dietary changes, like adding a healthy amount of protein or fat to your pet’s food.

It lowers their chances of kidney disease

When you cook your furry friend’s meals by yourself, you need to know which foods to avoid to maintain their health. For example, items like grapes, onions, and coconut can increase the risk of kidney disease in dogs, while high-sodium foods can do the same thing for cats. On the other hand, steering clear of these items and providing plenty of hydration can help your pets stay away from kidney disease. That is why you should keep this in mind the next time you use a grocery delivery app.

It reduces their risk of heart disease

If you follow natural ways to relax yourself, you may already be familiar with the role nutrition can play in maintaining your cardiovascular health. This also holds true for your cat or dog, whose meals may directly contribute to their heart’s wellness. With actions like including grains in your pets’ food and avoiding meals with excessive fat, you can help reduce their risk of developing heart disease. Besides paying attention to the ingredients in your pets’ food, you can also make healthy changes to their meal times by using an automatic pet feeder.

It boosts dental health

There’s no doubt that dental health practices can help you maintain good health. This applies to your cats and dogs as well, whose dental health directly relates to their physical and mental wellbeing. When it comes to improving dental wellness through nutrition, feeding your pets crunchy vegetables, different types of boiled protein, and little to no starch content can help them maintain healthy teeth and gums. Besides reducing the risk of tooth infections, this also contributes to your pets’ mental wellness and keeps them happy for their livestream on your security camera.

It wards off infections

Your pets’ immune system works in the same way as your own: when external agents attack your cat or dog’s health, their immune system can help fight off infections and various diseases. You can boost your pets’ immune systems by feeding them a diet that’s rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. This reduces the chances of your pets falling ill or going through serious conditions for longer periods of time. Even if your work keeps you away from your pet most of the day, you can rest assured that you are doing your best to keep them protected from common health risks.

By learning about how nutrition can help you improve the health of your cat or dog, you can feel more motivated to make the required changes in your pet’s diet. This can help your pets live visibly happier and healthier lives with your family.