TheCompleteCat.com Blog

Whether or not pets need vitamins just as much as you do, and whether or not vitamins for pets are as important to them as they are to you, depends very much on the type of pet to which are referring. Obviously, a stick insect has different needs to a snake, which has different needs to a pet monkey. A pet rock, popular in the 1980s, has few needs.

Let’s assume we are discussing mammals, and specifically cats and dogs. What are their dietary and vitamin needs? They need vitamins as we do, and also carbohydrates, protein and fats (animal or vegetable) as the basic chemicals for their development. If they have a deficiency in any of these, particularly of vitamins, then they will need a supplement in the same way that we would were we deficient in any vitamin nutrient essential to normal life.

That could be the end of this article, but there is more to it than just that. How do pets get these essential nutrients, and how do you assess what supplements are essential for your particular animal? Consider the variety of breeds for example. Were dogs human the difference in weight between the adult weights of a St. Bernard and a Chihuahua of 80 lb and 4 lb would relate to human weights of between, say, 8 stones and 160 stones. That is about 50 Kg and 1000 Kg.

How can you possibly discuss these in the (more…)

The Pet Food Recall of 2007 has brought an enormous amount of attention to pet food. With tens of thousands of pets affected by the recall and with the death of several thousand pets from tainted food (refer to the PetConnection Database), it is not at all surprising that we have questions. The surprising thing is that it’s taken us all so long to ask these questions.

What have we been feeding our pets all these years? We’ve all, including Veterinarians like myself, trusted the pet food companies completely. We believed they have always held our pets – and our – best interests to heart. But in the case of the large multinational pet food companies, apparently not.

What we’ve been feeding has obviously not been what’s best for our pets. What we’re seen is shorter life spans, more disease, and more cancer – not healthier pets. While genetics do play a role, our pets are just like us. Garbage in… you know the result.

Pet food company ethics aside, the ultimate question that needs to be answered is this: what is the best (more…)

Pet owners are very loyal to their pets and there is nothing a pet owner will do to make sure their pet lives long and is healthy. Instead of buying a more than one puppy it is better to purchase a single puppy this way the puppy will have a better chance bonding with the owner and it will be easier to will bond to its owner better and will be easier to train than having many puppies. Avoid the temptation of buying two or more puppies. Depending on the breed, the best time to purchase a puppy is between 7-9 weeks of age. The puppy should get used to being around people and other dogs. Your puppy should not be allowed to roam the house freely until he is properly housetrained. (more…)

What do you use as a feeding bowl for your cat? A normal feeding bowl from the pet shop? Or some cheap container you were going to discard? How important did you think were food bowls and water bowls to your cat? Apparently, many people feel that cats can eat and drink out of anything, and though it may be true, a domesticated cat may have a different view compared to a stray.

Bowls you use for your cat’s water and food should at least be acceptable to your cat, or otherwise, it would not want to eat or drink there. The bowls you use should not scratch easily (more…)

How To Choose The Best Clumping Cat Litter – What you should know

Owning a cat is very enjoyable. They are brilliant companions and they cheer you up whenever you are feeling a bit blue, your cat can be a good listener when no one else is around. Cats are good pets because you can leave them for a day or two with food and water, and unlike a dog, you don’t have to give it constant attention. However, there are some things that don’t cross your mind when (more…)

Food and diet play an important role in health. Every day, research in fields such as epidemiology and nutritional biochemistry teach us more about this relationship. Through scientific investigation and effective consumer communication, functional foods are becoming an important tool in promoting health.

According to Health Canada, a functional food is “consumed as part of a usual diet that is similar in appearance to, or may be, a conventional food, and is demonstrated to have physiological benefits and/or reduce the risk of chronic disease beyond basic nutritional functions.”

Functional foods may come from plants or animals. Active ingredients effective in promoting human health include amino acids, fats, dietary fibres, antioxidants, (more…)

It is rare to see cats having diarrhea unless they are suffering from any internal digestive problem. A short episode of diarrhea is relatively harmless, it might be because he has put something in his stomach that he should not and has given him the run. Once your cat clear the unwanted food in his stomach, he should be fine.

The main reason for diarrhea happening in domestic cats is the feeding of milk by cat owners. It is not beneficial to feed your cat milk and water is in fact better for your cat’s health. If you love milk so much and have to feed your cat milk no matter what, you should “cat milk’ instead (more…)