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THE PET NUTRITION CORNER By Wendy C. Brooks, DVM, DipABVP Educational Director, VeterinaryPartner.com

All it takes is a visit to the pet supply store to be bombarded with pet food recommendations. Some foods are touted to have special properties rendering them superior while other foods are frowned upon. Frequently visiting a different store leads to a total reversal of recommendations. Nutritional hype is everywhere. In an effort to help organize this morass of information, we have decided to provide a short feature specifically about pet nutrition.

This information DOES NOT replace professional veterinary care. It is solely for educational purposes. Your pet's medical condition should be evaluated by a veterinarian before any medical decisions are implemented. If there is a potentially life-threatening emergency involving your pet, take your pet to a veterinarian or veterinary facility IMMEDIATELY.

Canning

Food canning is a 200-year old process of nutrient preservation and was performed centuries before anyone had any knowledge of food poisoning bacteria.

Diet and the Skin

Did you know that skin diseases account for as much as 25% of the cases seen by small animal veterinarians?

Food Allergy Myths

There are many misconceptions when it comes to considering food allergy for pets. In this brief summary, we hope to bust a few myths and present an overview of the problem.

Food Safety

Food is supposed to provide nutrients so that those who partake in it can maintain health and grow stronger. Over thousands of years, the human race has concerned itself with the preservation of foods to prevent spoilage and the preparation of foods to reduce contamination.

Pet Food Manufacture

Prior to the commercialization of pet foods, people fed their pets table scraps, leftovers, or meat scraps purchased especially for pets.

The List of Ingredients

Everyone is familiar with a list of ingredients. We see these lists on the foods that we consume. Pet foods also have a list of ingredients with the most predominant components listed first according to their weight.

The Pet Food Label

Pet food labels are practically in secret code to those who do not know what they're reading. Instead of relying on the clerk at the pet food store or from advertisements to decide what food is best suited for your pet, learn the facts about nutrition to help you separate the facts from the hype.

The Pet Food Label - Part 2

How do you know if the food you are buying is really any good? And can it be fed appropriately to your pet?

About the author(s)

Wendy C. Brooks, DVM, DABVP

VeterinaryPartner.com Education Director Wendy C. Brooks, DVM, DABVP, is a board certified specialist in Canine and Feline Practice, and a member of the American Academy of Veterinary Dermatology. In addition, as AltheaVet@aol.com, she was a staff veterinarian and consultant for the Veterinary Information Network's Pet Care Forum (formerly America On-Line's Pet Care Forum) from 1994-2002. She is the author of the Pet Health Library, the Pet Nutrition Corner, and the Pet Pharmacy. Dr. Brooks is the Educational Director for VeterinaryPartner.com, and in this role continues to provide top quality, cutting edge veterinary information to pet owners.

Dr. Brooks is a native of the Los Angeles area, and graduated from the University of California at Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in 1988. She currently owns the Mar Vista Animal Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA.

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