Pet Nutrition: What a healthy diet looks like

A long, happy and healthy life is what we all wish for as pet owners. With our furry friends bringing us countless moments of joy, it’s up to us to make sure they’re well fed - one of the most important decisions we’ll make. Whilst cats and dogs enjoy indulgent treats as much as humans, a daily diet of healthy pet food based on good nutrition is essential for their growth. That’s why the Pets Country Club team are happy to share these handy tips and product recommendations, based on our years of experience serving four-legged guests. 😊

Healthy nutrition for Dogs

Full of energy and enthusiasm, Dogs are omnivores just like humans, meaning they thrive on a diet consisting of both plant and animal products. Like us, they also need a balance of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals to be their best. Here’s a few top dog nutrition tips that’ll keep their tails wagging: 🐶

Essential Nutrients

• Protein: Essential for canine muscle growth and repair, this includes lean meats, fish, poultry and eggs.

• Carbohydrates: Carbs provide energy and fibre. Good sources include pet food containing rice, pasta, oatmeal and quinoa.

• Fats: No, not the type your furry friend resembles after indulging in too many treats! Good fats for dogs include those found in fish oil – important for boosting energy and keeping their coat looking luscious.

• Fibre: Essential for healthy digestion, good sources of fibre for dogs include carrots, pumpkins, dark leafy greens, brown rice and flaxseed.

• Water: And of course there’s water – the source of life, essential for your dog’s overall hydration, health and happiness.

Other Nutrition Tips

• Avoid dairy: Dogs are lactose intolerant and can experience an upset tummy from dairy products such as milk. Chocolate is particularly poisonous to dogs (due to its theobromine content which they’re unable to metabolise) and should be avoided.

• Buy high quality dog food: A good reminder to only buy pet food from reputable brands (such as Royal Canin and Purina), retailers such as Petbarn, Petstock and the selection on offer at your local Coles, Woolies, IGA and ALDI supermarkets.

• Offer variety: Variety is the spice of life and key to making healthy pet food attractive to your furry friend. An easy way to add variety is by offering them a mixture of different nutrients (protein, carbs and fibre) across the day. You’ll soon learn what foods they gravitate towards.

• Watch their weight: Just as important as feeding them well is making sure they don’t overeat. Following the feeding guidelines on pet food labels or your vet’s own recommendations should do the trick.

• Fresh water: Finally, keep a bowl of clean, fresh drinking water accessible to your pet (both inside and outside the house) at all times.

Product Recommendation

• Royal Canin: At Pets Country Club we only serve our VIPs (Very Important Pets) the very best. For our canine friends, one of the products we offer on our menu is Royal Canin Energy 4800. While this is a professional product and not available to the retail market – we feel any Royal Canin products are a great home diet for your dogs. A complete feed for adult dogs – Energy 4800 is ideal for sustaining long periods of activity, which is exactly what our fun-filled days look like here at Pets Country Club!

Healthy nutrition for Cats 

Unlike human or dogs, Cats are ‘Obligate Carnivores’ meaning they evolved by only eating animal-based protein such as meat and fish. Hence their love for tuna! This makes cat nutrition much simpler. Here’s a few diet tips to keep them purring with approval. 🐈

Essential Nutrients

• Protein: Essential for maintaining healthy bodily function, cats need a high-quality source of protein – such as chicken, beef, pork, lamb or fish.

• Fats: Healthy fats not only fuel your kitty’s energy needs but help them absorb essential nutrients. Great sources which cats absolutely adore include the fatty acids found in fish such as tuna, salmon as well as chicken liver and beef.

• Taurine: An essential amino acid especially important for casts, Taurine is crucial for their heart and eye health. Thankfully it’s found naturally in animal products including poultry, fish and eggs – and therefore most pet food. 

• Water: Access to fresh drinking water is vital for your kitty’s overall health and hydration. Always keep a bowl handy (both inside and outside your house). 

Other Nutrition Tips

• Avoid Carbohydrates: As Carnivores, Cats evolved by only eating animal products. Therefore, Carbs should be avoided as their bodies are not designed to digest plant-based protein efficiently.

• Avoid the following human vices: We all love a tasty treat, especially with Easter just around the corner! Unfortunately, just like dogs, our feline friends can’t eat Chocolate due to theobromine, which is toxic to them. Other foods they should avoid include caffeine, dairy, onions, potato, garlic, leeks and chives.

• Supplement their Vitamins & Minerals: Cats cannot synthesise Vitamins A and B on their own. For this reason, seek cat food that contains these health-boosting properties, alongside Vitamins D, E and K.

Product Recommendation

• Royal Canin Regular Sensible: Once again, we recommend our friends at Royal Canin who sell a wonderful product called ‘Regular Sensible’. Designed for felines with sensitive digestive systems (which often leads to soft stools), it contains SENSIBLE 33 to support good digestive health and balanced intestinal flora.

A final word from the Pets team: Cats and Dogs can be fussy eaters just like us. Finding the right diet for your furry friend can be a matter of experimenting with different brands and products until you find a good match. For sound advice on pet nutrition and all things related to your pet’s health and wellbeing, we recommend contacting a registered vet. The RSPCA and VetBoard Victoria are great places to start. 😊

Keen to find out more about the Pets Country Club at Elcho Park Lara, including the delicious, premium treats we serve our VIPs? Contact our friendly team on (03) 5282 1286.