With so many fad diets and food trends, humans are always trying new ways to keep themselves healthy and living longer. But what is probably most surprising, is that many people will feed their pets just about anything! Whether it’s picking up what’s on sale at the supermarket, or being easily persuaded by television commercials, many people don’t do enough diligent research about what the best possible diet is for their beloved fur baby. Unfortunately, this can lead to allergies, reactions, and malnutrition. Helping your clients find the right diet for their dog or cat should be a top priority. The following are a few tips to help them do that. 

Body Condition & Muscle Tone

All the cells in a pet’s body are made of protein. That means that an integral part of building healthy muscles, organs, hair, skin, and other tissues is through eating a diet rich in protein. This key nutrient helps to repair damaged cells and make new ones. Especially important for puppies, kittens and pregnant pets, protein helps with growth and development. Feeding pets, specifically cats and dogs, a protein-packed diet, ensures that they maintain and build strong muscles. The best pet food has very few ingredients, and the first ingredients should be a protein source such as beef, chicken, or seafood.

Coat & Skin Health

A good sign that a pet is being properly nourished is a beautiful, shiny coat. This is because both cats and dogs getting a healthy balance of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids will have hair and skin that produces a nice sheen. Alternatively, skin that is dry, dull, flakey or breaks is a sure sign that your pet is lacking proper nutrition. Fatty acids help to reduce itching and other irritations caused by the environment such as low humidity in the winter as well as allergies. The anti-inflammatory effect these fats are known for are critical in a pets’ diet.

Digestion and Elimination

The carbohydrates in pet food help to provide proper fiber that aids in digestion and elimination. Healthy pet foods are formulated in such a way that these nutrients are readily available to provide pets with easily absorbed ingredients that help the digestive system. Digestibility of pet food is important because it ensures that all the nutrients in the food are used allowing the pet to easily rid their body of waste. For a proper diet, pet food should provide all the nutrition your pet needs while producing the minimum amount of stool. The healthier the food, the healthier the stools.

Immunity and Prevention of Disease

A diet rich in vitamins and minerals provides pets with a healthy immune system and proper metabolic function. Vitamins in a diet work to reduce the daily damage done to body cells while minerals promote and maintain health from those cells. Vitamins and minerals come from both animal and plant sources and without a balance of each, pets can become ill. Keeping adequate levels means a healthy, happy pet.

Assessment during your client visits is a critical opportunity to help your clients maintain their pets’ health as well as to prevent injury and illness. Even better, offering food and supplements at your clinic can ensure that your clients are feeding their pets the proper food and a great way for you to increase profits. The best thing you can do for your clients is to educate them on proper nutrition for their pets and to keep them coming back into your clinic for advice on nourishing and healthy pet food, by using our reminder cards and postcards. At Positive Impressions, our goal is to help you meet the needs of your clients better. Our products and personalized items allow you to give your clients, and their pets, the best service possible.