By Jean Hofve, DVM The spice of life is variety, or so they say. If that's true for people, what about our dogs and cats? I love the commercial where the lady puts down a bowl of new dog food, and the dog shoves it under the rug. The voice-over intones, "(Our food), every day." It's very clever advertising, intended to put all of your pet food dollars into just one manufacturer's pocket. But the concept is all wrong. For many of us, our animal companions are our children. So ...
Updated August 2023 Cats are obligate carnivores. They require a meat-based diet for optimal health. Their natural diet is prey, such as rodents, rabbits, lizards, insects, and birds. These prey consist primarily of water, protein and fat. Less than 10% of a prey animal is carbohydrate (most as stored glycogen in liver and muscles). Cats use protein and fat for energy. They lack the metabolic pathway that humans and dogs use for processing carbohydrates. While cats can digest and use carbs, cats, any excess gets turned into fat. Nearly 60% ...
