Paws & Effect: New year, new food

We all make New Year's resolutions to eat more healthily, but isn't it time we did the same thing for our pets? In this hustle and bustle world, we are sacrificing not only our own nutritional needs, but that of the family pet. Convenience very often wins out over nutrition for our dogs and cats, and it's time we got back to basics.

Stacy Busch-Heisserer and Howie the cat. (Laura Simon)

You don't need a kitchen full of fancy ingredients or a degree in nutrition to feed your pet the right stuff. You just need to know what's biologically appropriate for your dog or cat, and then you can make smart choices that will make them healthier and happier, and in turn they will live longer. Wouldn't it be nice if the only time you had to visit your vet was for your pet's annual vaccinations? Wouldn't you like to see an end to the overuse of antibiotics and steroids that we know do long-term and lasting damage?

Hopefully this article can serve as a guide for you to make healthy choices in feeding your dog or cat.

Water is a no-brainer, but did you know the average dog or cat does not drink enough water? The adult dog's body is 60 percent water, and puppies have an even higher percentage. Even a slight loss of body water can cause issues such as dehydration and urinary tract infections, so make sure your pet has access to plenty of fresh water. If you feed kibble alone, add a little warm water to the bowl to help with digestion.

Is all protein the same in pet food? Not hardly! Meat proteins and plant proteins are vastly different, but some manufacturers want you to believe they aren't. Dogs are truly classified as omnivores in today's world, meaning they consume other animals and plants, but don't assume they can survive on junk plant protein like corn, wheat or soy. Dogs and especially cats (who are truly carnivores) need good quality meat protein, not a thinly veiled substitute.

Carbohydrates aren't bad for dogs. In reasonable amounts, they can actually provide a practical source of energy, but in the amounts that are in mass-marketed pet food, they are not doing our pets any good. Some of those name-brand foods contain up to four times the carbohydrate content as needed. That's a lot of filler!

Fat is also key to good nutrition because it is a better source of energy than a carbohydrate. Fats are readily available from plants and animals, but animal fat is more easily synthesized by the body. We call these "good" fats, and despite what you may have heard, your pet needs them!

Look for the following things:

* Clearly named meat or fish source -- chicken, lamb, beef, salmon

* Concentrated named meat proteins -- chicken meal, turkey meal

* Whole grains and starches -- brown rice, barley, sweet potatoes

* Fresh fruits and vegetables -- whole potatoes, carrots, apples

* Named fats from quality sources -- chicken fat, herring oil, sunflower oil, coconut oil

* Natural preservatives -- mixed tocopherols, vitamin C or E

Run screaming out of the store when you see these:

* Nonspecific ingredients -- poultry by-products, meat and bone meal

* Protein fillers -- corn gluten, wheat gluten, egg product meal, whole grain sorghum

* Carbohydrate overload -- refined flours, wheat, mill runs

* Processed fruits and vegetables -- tomato pomace, dehydrated potatoes

* Fats from nonspecific sources -- poultry fat, animal fat, vegetable oil

* Artificial preservatives -- BHA and BHT

A lot of folks assume feeding a better quality food will cost more money, but that's not necessarily the truth. Some of today's holistic foods are cheaper than those big-name foods. And if you feed a food that has more quality nutrients, you can often feed much less than that food with all the fillers and additives, making that bag of you bought last a whole lot longer. Another bonus? Not as much waste to pick up!

Don't let the front of the dog food bag fool you. Those pretty bags are designed for us, not for your pet! Read the labels and find the best food for your dog or cat. We want our fur babies to be around for a long time, and a healthy diet, coupled with exercise, will go a long way toward meeting that goal.

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About Stacy

Stacy Busch-Heisserer is the owner of Busch Pet Products and Zoomin' Groomer Mobile Pet Salon in Cape Girardeau. She is a lifelong animal lover who has five cats and four dogs.