Having a proper diet and lifestyle is important for us to maintain. It’s crucial that we also need to be looking at the right foods that we are feeding our animals.
Some people even enjoy going down by the river to feed the birds, but is what we feed them really healthy for their diet?
Bird sitting in birdhouse in the woods / Pixabay
Brian Salt is the Founder of Salthaven Wildlife and Education Centre. He found Salthaven 25 years ago due to his passion for wildlife creatures. He says “People will feed them the wrong diet. A lot of bread gets fed to ducks and geese. We’ve done autopsies on animals that have died from being fed bread, what happens is that you feed them dough. They die of emaciation on a full stomach or a full crop.”
Most birds require foods with protein so they can survive the outdoor conditions throughout the year. Salt says “We need to make sure if we are disposed towards feeding them, there are better things than bread, like unsalted sunflower seeds or cut up grapes. They’ll love you for that just as much as they would the bread and it’s a lot better for them and better for the environment as well.”
Wildlife animals need to eat certain foods for their nourishment. They can become malnourished if they aren’t fed the proper foods. Salt says “We really try to help people understand that wild animals are more smart than our domestic animals. If people are going to feed them, they need to be smart about it.”
Little dog maltese and black and white cat eating food from a bowl at home Pixabay
Anna-Kate Shoveller is the associate professor of Animal Biosciences at the University of Guelph. Her studies focus on how diet interacts with home pets and hopes to lead animals to living a longer and healthier life.
She says, ”The foods that we feed our dogs and cats are meant to sustain body weight and to support their ability to thrive in their environment. You want to make sure they can perform all the activities that they normally perform and to make sure that nutrition in and of itself doesn’t cause any type of stress.”
What we choose to feed our furry friends should depend on their personal needs. Shoveller says “You need to consider the attributes of your dog or cat. We see a lot of breeds as an example, what breed of dog? How old? Is that dog experiencing any problems? Do they have any additional demands? You also want to make sure that you pick a food that matches your individual animal as well.”
Selection of protein sources in kitchen background / Pixabay
The quantity of the food you choose for your pet can make a massive difference in their health. She says “I do recommend foods that carry AFCO labels. They’ll have a little statement that says, formulated to meet or exceed the nutrient recommendations of AFCO. Whoever was formulating that food knew that they were bringing these ingredients together to obtain a certain nutrient content.”
All dogs and cats need high energy foods because they require physical activity during the day, so what we feed them is important for their well-being. Shoveller also shares to read the front of the bag to see why they designed this food and to match it with the individuality of your dog or cat.
When we feed our animals the proper nutrients, their health will improve and they’ll have less stress on their organs. Us pet owners should be reading the labels and be staying away from chemicals. If you’re looking to improve your pet’s diet requirements, it’s important to seek a pet nutritionist to prevent further problems in the future.
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