Dog and Cat Nutrition

Don’t be fooled about all the marketing hype in today’s pet foods. Here at Furry Friends Inc., we believe we can simplify the process and make sure you are providing the right food for your canine and feline. We have immediate access to a Clinical Pet Nutritionist, Debbie Brookham, who reads every label of every food and treat that comes into our store! She has 17 years of experience and 500 additional accredited hours of pet nutrition. Our staff is well-educated to help you choose the right products for your fur babies.

When choosing a food, it’s important to know what are fillers and what your pet doesn’t need, as much as what are the correct nutrients your pet does need. Most foods on the market today, especially in the big box stores, are made with minimum requirements.  This means your dog or cat is not getting the top nutrients in the best quantities for optimum health!

We have even designed our own exclusive food, Furry Friends Inc., to make the dog food selection process simple......we even offer home delivery. It just doesn’t get any easier.

We at Furry Friends Inc. believe that the foundation of pet health starts with what you put in the bowl. We can help you make better nutrition choices for your dog and cat! Come in and talk to us or give us a call. We welcome your questions.

Things to look for in a good quality pet food:

Named meat, fish protein or a meat protein, not a by-product. Protein should be the first ingredient on the bag. Look at the top five ingredients and make sure they have good quality proteins.

No GMO’s! Look for ancient grains and no wheat, corn, or soy.

Choose quality fats like chicken fat, herring oil, sunflower oil, or salmon oil and make sure there are no chemical preservatives like BHA or BHT.

- Ingredients that are not specific like meat and bone meal. It begs the question what meat? Why doesn’t it have a specific meat listed like chicken, turkey, lamb or fish.

- Avoid fillers and lots of them. Watch for ingredient splitting when they list out ingredients that are just a different form of the same ingredient.

- Avoid corn gluten, wheat gluten and egg product meal.

-Don’t buy into fats that are non-specific like poultry fat or animal fat. Again, why doesn’t it show what it is sourced from.

- No artificial preservatives and sugars. Avoid BHA and BHT as a preservative. Watch for dyes in the food. Is that for you, or the dog or cat? Certainly, they don't care if there food is a different color.

Remember, when you feed a good quality food, you will feed less, as it has more calories per cup than inexpensive filler foods.

- We also believe real foods are great toppers and raw foods can be a great addition for all our furry friends. We have some reputable raw food manufacturers in our freezer that will be awesome for your pet.

- Rotating your protein and foods will strengthen the digestive system and make your pet less likely to develop food allergies.

- We can help your pet with food allergies, urinary health, diabetes, kidney health and more. We know when Hippocrates said “let food be thy Medicine and medicine be they food” was certainly a true statement then and now.

Cat are carnivores! We have foods that will calm the wild beast and help with urinary health, kidney health and diabetes. Foods with high protein is the answer for your kitty. This type of food is best to keep your kitty at optimum weight. A fat cat is certainly in jeopardy to have a multitude of diseases like diabetes, heart disease, breathing problems and a lifespan that is shortened.

Our staff can help you choose the right diet for your cat and any special needs.

Dogs that will grow to over 70 pounds are considered Large breed.  Those extra large dogs.... well they’re Giant Breeds. They have special needs as they grow as a puppy, for example, special amounts of calcium. We don’t want these breeds to grow too quickly, as this could set them up for compromised bone health. We want to recommend to you the proper diet with the correct nutrients for the right development and energy for your Giant and/or large breed dogs.

This is a special time in a dogs life and having the correct nutrition is of ultimate importance. Super nutrition is key to healthy puppies and a healthy mama. During lactation you will also want to have additional nutrition available. Mom dog will definitely be eating more to maintain the calories needed in her diet. We often choose an active or puppy food during this time for mom to make sure she is getting good quality proteins and fats.

Working dogs require additional calories to maintain the added exercise in their lives. Most working dogs are larger breeds that do tasks like sledding or herding of animals. Their requirements can be 2-3 times the amount of calories needed to maintain their fitness levels. Don’t forget the climate, as the cold weather requires even more food!

During the growth period your fur babies requires the proper nutrition. You will want to use high quality proteins and high quality fats for the added calories your baby needs during this time. Large breed dogs have a different requirement of calcium needed than a small dog. You will definitely want to get that right for proper growth. Feeding the right foods during the early stages of development will set your fur baby up for a healthy life.

Some seniors require different nutrition vs. active adults. Seniors can have different digestive issues and may require some added supplements to help their digestion. If your fur baby becomes a couch potato, you’ll want to make sure to continue to exercise them and think about feeding them a lower-calorie food. Ask us and we’ll head you in the right direction.

Nutrition is the foundation of good health and a long and happy life. Let us help you choose the right one!