“My baby is so picky! He only loves eating human food!”

　　Often pet owners say their pets are very picky and do not like to eat dry pet food, but prefer pet snacks, human food, and some celebrity dogs even refuse to eat any cake except from a certain brand. When saying this, pet owners often speak in a doting tone and let it go. As a veterinarian, hearing this makes me a bit worried, this bad feeding habit will bring you many troubles.

　　Perhaps the best pet food choice is not ready-made dry food, which lacks moisture, tastes not as good as human food, and contains more or less food additives and preservatives. However, it must be pointed out that none of these are reasons to give up ready-made dry food as the main diet!

　　No1, Rationality of Food Composition

　　Dogs are omnivores, while cats are carnivores! So don’t say dogs naturally only eat meat. The following two photos comparing dog and cat teeth vividly demonstrate this issue!

Pet Teeth
Pet Teeth            

　　You see cats’ teeth are sharp and fewer, and a healthy adult cat only has 30 teeth, while a healthy adult dog has 42 teeth. Because carnivores have a single food source, a few strong sharp teeth are enough to tear food. Omnivores need to eat different types of food, so they have more teeth suited for cutting various sizes of food.

　　If omnivores intake a single type of nutrient, it will definitely cause delayed growth and development. Usually, they will lack vitamins, calcium, and many other nutrients. Clinically, it is especially obvious that medium and large dogs without a complete nutrition diet show slow growth and development!

　　Due to their teeth, small dogs may swallow meat with sharp bones that can block the esophagus or cause gastrointestinal bleeding, which is a common illness. Severe cases where small bone pieces cause blockages and require surgery are not few.

　　Additionally, more and more pet owners are realizing that delicious food on your dining table may poison your dog. Onions, fava beans, chocolate, grapes, etc. You may have already fed your dog these and didn’t notice any discomfort. But please be reminded that these toxins accumulate in the body; even if your dog appears fine after one or two times, once it becomes habitual and large amounts are ingested, poisoning can occur. The suffering for your dog will be more than just vomiting or diarrhea.

　　You can find that dogs eating human food usually have dry fur, greasy skin, and are prone to itching. This is a skin problem caused by inappropriate ingredients, and even after treatment and recovery, it is likely to recur.

　　No2, Rationality of Cooking Methods

　　Selecting the right ingredients does not mean the food has no risks.

　　Dogs and cats have been domesticated from the wild, but after many years, they have become more tame and obedient. Their gut flora and digestion have changed, and they are no longer suitable for raw food, so cooking method is the second hurdle. Ready-made dog and cat food is quality tested and can guarantee good hygiene, but please buy through proper channels. Bulk dry food does not have such guarantees.

　　The second reason table food is unsuitable for dogs and cats is additives! Additives used in human food to enhance flavor are generally too high for pets, such as salts. These substances are metabolized through the kidneys, and long-term use increases renal metabolic burden and causes organ damage.

　　Moreover, food rich in flavor stimulates appetite. High oil and fatty human food intake causes weight gain in dogs who already have low activity, and obesity will appear much earlier.

　　In summary, the leftovers on your dining table obviously do not meet your pet’s needs, and qualified high-quality ready-made dog and cat food wins completely in this regard.

　No3 Is Ready-made Food Perfect?

　　Of course, ready-made dog and cat food also has disadvantages, the most obvious being lack of moisture. Some rumors claim that eating dog food and cat food causes urinary stones, but a big cross here!

　　Generally, most cats develop urinary stones due to insufficient water intake and monotonous diet. Whether or not eating cat food, if drinking habits don’t change, recurrence will still happen. Small dogs get these diseases not only because of diet habits but also breed tendencies. Clinically, Schnauzers fed homemade food and those mainly fed dry food have similar incidence rates.

　　Homemade exclusive food is the most suitable for dogs and cats, avoiding the three problems mentioned above, but it requires high owner dedication. Homemade meals have many advantages: adjusting energy intake based on each dog’s individuality, no additives, freshness, appropriate trace elements, and better taste. These consume a lot of time and effort. If you have enough time, curiosity, and patience, certainly preparing every meal for your pet is the best!

　　The two ★ charts below can help you choose the suitable plan.

Advantages Table

Freshness

Storage

Nutrition

Palatability

Digestibility

Dry Food

★★☆

★★★

★★☆

★

★★

Homemade Exclusive Meal

★★★

★

★★★

★★★

★★

Human Table Food

★☆

★

★

★★★

★

Disadvantages Table

Additives

Professionalism

Cost

Risk

Low Moisture

Dry Food

★

☆

★☆

☆

★★★

Homemade Exclusive Meal

☆

★★★

★★★

☆

★

Human Table Food

★★★

☆

★☆

★★

★

　　Dry food generally controls energy intake well, making it hard to get obese. If you often need to reward your dog with treats, dry food is more suitable than the other two.

　　If you have abundant time, enough curiosity, and patience to learn about pet nutrition, homemade exclusive meals will definitely be your best choice.

　　So from now on, if your baby still looks at your food pitifully, please consider their health and stick to principles!

Samoyed
Samoyed