Dietary and therapeutic dog foods is not an owner whim and not an attempt by manufacturers to expand the range.
These are really necessary and useful rations types for dogs, which provide an animal with special needs full food, able to satisfy hunger, and help in the fight against any ailment.
The main rule concerning this foods type is: in no case do not give such food to an animal without first consulting a veterinarian!
Only a doctor can prescribe nutrition in this diet type, because all of them, the manufacturer regardless, are called to support the body during various diseases or special conditions.
For a healthy animal, this food type can be useless, and - harmful.
What are the veterinary diets for dogs?
Conventionally, all these foods types can be divided into:
- Therapeutic foods;
- Dietary foods;
Let's take a closer look at these each species, and find out the key differences from other ready-made diets.
Dietary dog foods
Dietary foods are a special diets group designed specifically for animals with special nutritional needs. Here you can distinguish food for allergic dogs, food for old dogs, and food for obese dogs.
Hypoallergenic food is intended for those dogs breeds that often have difficulty with nutrition, due to the certain components' presence in the food (usually small ornamental breeds).
Food for dogs with excess weight has a reduced energy value so that the dog eats enough while receiving significantly fewer calories.
This will allow your pet to lose weight without limiting their diet.
For old dogs, there is a diet that will allow them to get all the necessary nutrients, taking into account their venerable age. In addition to these main groups, there are diets designed for animals with a particular disease.
The diet of a sick dog should be radically different from normal food because it is necessary to maintain the diseased organ in working order.
For example, there are foods with reduced sodium content and taurine an increased percentage, which are prescribed for animals with hypertension and heart problems.
There are also foods, which are necessary for kidney failure, cystitis, gastrointestinal diseases and other ailments. A dietary food special group for dogs - food for pregnant and nursing she-dogs.
Therapeutic dog foods
Therapeutic dog foods are a food special type intended for animals that have survived a disease acute phase. When such foods' composition forming, all the disease features are taken into account.
The trace elements and vitamins content is precisely calculated in them in order not to harm the weakened body.
For example, in the urinary stone disease case, the dog is shown food that promotes the stones' dissolution and their natural removal. For gastrointestinal diseases or postoperative conditions, the veterinarian usually prescribes food containing antibiotics.
It contributes to the body functions normalization, as well as prevents complications and inflammation development. The therapeutic dog foods composition provided for treatment, which means that it should only be prescribed by a doctor. Substances that will help one dog can have a detrimental effect on another dog condition, so it is not necessary to engage in amateur activities!
Which food to choose?
If you have the task to choose quality therapeutic dog food, the best option is to turn to specialists in the industry. If you rely on yourself, it is worth turning your eyes to eminent manufacturers, who have proven themselves in the dry dog food market.
The French Royal Canine, the American Purina and Hills, as well as the Dutch-American company Eukanuba produce their own dietary and therapeutic lines.
All these companies have foods intended for the various diseases treatment and prevention, as well as foods lines for dogs in special conditions.
Perhaps other, less well-known companies also have special treatment or dietary food, and it may even win in cost.
But if you want to get the best treatment dog foods, then you need to focus on well-known brands that have already established themselves.
And one more nuance: do not be surprised that dietary and treatment foods for dogs are much more expensive than regular food (sometimes several times).
This is due to both the complex composition and the research cost, which must be carried out by manufacturers who are serious about their business.
But you must agree that pet health cannot be measured by money, and therefore we do not recommend that you save on your dog's diseases treatment and prevention.
We wish your pet good health!
