Our pets’ food forms the cornerstone of their health. Ideally, your pet should be eating the right amount of protein, carbohydrates and fat for their size, age and activity levels. This will ensure they get the optimal nutrients, vitamins and minerals to stay healthy and to have enough energy and vitality to get them through the day. The healthier they are on a day-to-day basis, the healthier they will be in the long run.
Sometimes, however, our beloved four-legged friends can have their health compromised by genetics, injury, infection, toxicity or allergy. A diagnosed clinical condition may change the types and amount of nutrients a pet may need or is able to consume, and it may affect the way those nutrients are absorbed. This means the pet’s diet may need to change to accommodate their treatment protocol.
Some health conditions are chronic and can only be managed with supportive treatment as well as lifestyle and dietary changes. This is where veterinary diets play a significant role – the nutrients in the food either promote healing for the condition, or prevent the condition from getting worse.
Does your pet need a veterinary diet?
Even though premium dog and cat foods are the gold standard in feeding your pets the best nutrition for their health and wellbeing, pets with health conditions still need a unique feeding solution that meets their specific needs. Pets who have been diagnosed with a health condition will have a specialised treatment plan to facilitate their recovery, which may involve medication, physical therapy and rest. What they eat during this treatment can optimise their recovery or the management of their condition.
Pets that are healthy and at an optimal weight should not be placed on a veterinary diet – there is no need. The veterinary diet may not contain sufficient nutrients to maintain their physical condition and vitality. For example: when a pet is diagnosed with kidney disease, their veterinary diet will have lowered amounts of protein, vitamins and minerals, to take the pressure off the kidneys when they are compromised and not functioning well. A healthy pet would experience a nutrient deficiency on this kind of diet.
Let’s look at some of the veterinary diets prescribed for health conditions, to better understand the role of veterinary diets.
Veterinary diet for skin conditions
There are many, many skin conditions that dogs and cats can suffer from. Dermatitis (skin inflammation) can have a wide range of causes – from food allergies, to environmental allergies (atopy) with a genetic cause, parasites, and infection. The vet will need to discover the cause of an animal’s dermatitis before prescribing a diet that can help to reduce it. For example, if a cat’s skin condition (flea allergy dermatitis) is caused by fleas, they would not need a change in diet. As soon as the fleas are killed or removed, the dermatitis will subside.
Dermatitis that is caused by an environmental allergen is more difficult to control, so – along with other treatments – the vet may recommend a veterinary diet that offers omega-3 and -6 fatty acids to keep the inflammation under control and support a healthy skin and coat, as well as antioxidants, vitamins and minerals to support the immune system.
Dermatitis that is a symptom of food allergies and gastrointestinal problems can be managed with a change in diet that is designed to not trigger the immune system. When chronic skin issues and gastrointestinal upset occur simultaneously, their cause may be linked, so the vet will recommend a veterinary diet to address both sets of symptoms.
Veterinary diet for gastrointestinal issues
When pets show symptoms of food allergies, they may have an upset tummy as well as skin inflammation, chronic scratching, and hair loss. These are signs that the immune system is over-reacting to a trigger. It won’t help to only address the symptoms with, for example, a topical cream and anti-inflammatories. You (the pet owner) and the vet must work together to find and address the cause or trigger of the allergy. This may mean identifying which foods cause reactions in your pet so that they can be eliminated from your pet’s diet. The common food allergens include amino acids in foods like chicken, beef, eggs, corn, wheat, soy, and dairy, so the solution would be to eliminate these from the pet’s diet.
Pet foods that target gastrointestinal issues (usually called hypoallergenic diets or allergy diets) contain novel primary proteins, such as fish, duck, venison and lamb, as well as a limited number of other ingredients to prevent the GI tract from overreacting to the food. A veterinary diet that targets food allergies will be designed to be gentle on the GI tract. It may also include prebiotics and probiotics to help balance the gut bacteria and ensure a healthy microbiome, which is crucial for a healthy immune system.
If pets are very sensitive to allergies, they may need a diet with hydrolysed protein as a primary ingredient. Hydrolysed protein consists of amino acids that have been broken down to such small particles that they don’t trigger the immune system, but they can still be absorbed and digested without causing allergy symptoms.
Veterinary diet for joint health
As pets age, they become more and more susceptible to degenerative joint disease (or osteoarthritis). For some younger pets, however, they can develop osteoarthritis as a result of genetics, obesity, injury or wear-and-tear.
Osteoarthritis is not reversible. However, the condition can be managed with pain medication, physical therapy, diet and supplements. It is very important that the pet not gain weight, as this places more pressure on already compromised joints. In order to protect the animal’s mobility, they will need nutrition that helps to protect their joint cartilage while maintaining their muscle mass. The veterinary diet for joint health will contain anti-inflammatory ingredients like omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants. It also contains sufficient amounts of glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM – ingredients that support the structure of the joint and can slow the degeneration of the cartilage, reduce pain and calm inflammation.
An important factor in veterinary diets for joint health is calorie control. There’s a fine balance between providing the pet with enough protein for muscle maintenance, while not over-supplying carbohydrates and fats for energy. Weight management is half the battle with pets with compromised joints.
Veterinary diet for weight management
There is a direct correlation between humans’ sedentary lifestyle and the rise in pet obesity. Many pet owners use treats and snacks off the dinner table as emotional leverage (to show love), rather than constructively rewarding positive behaviour. Also, the sooner we choose our pets’ food as fuel for the day’s activity and for its health benefits, the sooner we can get our pets’ weight under control. Pet owners are 100% responsible for their pets’ health and weight; pet obesity is seldom a hormonal issue and very often the result of over-feeding and under-exercising.
Veterinarians understand that having a pet diagnosed as obese can feel personal (84% of veterinarians surveyed for the pet food industry experienced pet owners who were offended or embarrassed by this diagnosis). However, like any other diagnosis, it is a medical issue that needs to be addressed. The pet owner’s priority should be to focus on helping their pet to lose weight so that their health can improve. An obese pet is not simply overweight, but they also experience fatigue, joint stress and general body pain. Obesity puts them at risk of developing other chronic conditions and they have shortened life spans.
To treat pet obesity, the vet will recommend a veterinary diet for weight management: a calorie-controlled pet food comprising less fat and more fibre to help pets feel satiated for longer. Weight management pet food also contains ingredients like L-carnitine to facilitate better fat metabolism. To support a pet’s weight loss, pet owners must adapt their furry friend’s feeding habits, eliminate unnecessary treats, and not reward their pet’s begging at the table. A daily walk and dedicated playtime will help to boost pets’ energy and mood, and also burn up some additional calories.
Some pets will fare better in the long run if they stay on their weight management diet, while others’ diets may be changed to a maintenance pet food coupled with regular weigh-ins with the vet.
Veterinary diet for dental health
Dental disease is one of the most common ailments that veterinarians see in pets. The average age of the onset of dental issues is around two years old, mainly caused by pets’ teeth not being brushed daily, and pet parents not prioritising their pets’ dental health. Even with daily oral care, some dogs and cats are more susceptible to dental issues because of overcrowding – caused by the animal’s jaw size and structure being too small or misshapen for the number of teeth it needs to accommodate.
The treatment of dental disease is multi-faceted, especially if an animal is susceptible to chronic dental problems. The veterinary diet for dental health is one arrow in the quiver of treatment for periodontal disease and gingivitis, but it can be effective in helping to manage pets’ dental health. Usually, veterinary diets for dental health consist of kibble that (A) is sized and shaped for optimal chewing to keep teeth clean, and (B) increases the amount of saliva production keep dental plaque at bay. To ensure the effectiveness of the whole arsenal against dental disease, these pets must have their teeth brushed every day, and pet owners can make additional use of dental gels, sprays and rinses, as well as dental treats.
Most importantly, all pets must see the vet at least once a year for a dental check-up. The vet may decide your pet needs a teeth cleaning or scaling under anaesthetic, or perhaps your pet’s at-home dental care routine is satisfactory and they will see you again next year.
Veterinary diet for urinary tract health
Feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) and feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC) are debilitating urinary diseases found in cats, many with an unknown cause. Sometimes these conditions can be recurring, so they need to be managed with a preventative approach.
Inflammation, obstruction in the urethra, infection in the urinary system and even cancer can trigger the cluster of symptoms that make up FLUTD and FIC, and make it difficult for the cat to effectively produce and eliminate urine. Stress in the cat’s environment can ramp up the symptoms, so treating the disease will involve a multi-pronged approach, including a change in diet and lifestyle.
The veterinary diet for urinary tract health includes ingredients that will dissolve bladder stones and create a urinary environment that does not allow the formation of calcium oxalate crystals. It also promotes calmness in the cat and supports their kidneys and cognitive health, promoting vitality in ageing cats.
Veterinary diet for kidney health
Kidney disease can be the result of genetic predisposition, toxicity, trauma, dehydration or infection, and progress to renal failure. When the kidneys are compromised, even the protein and mineral content in standard pet food can be too taxing to process. This is where a veterinary diet for kidney health (or ‘renal diet’) would be more appropriate. It contains less protein, phosphorus and sodium than maintenance pet food, but also a specific formulation of antioxidants, omega-3s, vitamins and minerals intended to support kidney health.
Renal failure can cause a reduced appetite, so the renal diet is designed to be more palatable than regular pet food in order to encourage the animal to eat.
Do veterinary diets really work?
When the vet recommends pet food to boost or support your pet’s health in the face of disease or illness, you can rest assured that their recommendation is based on their expertise in animal health. Their dietary recommendation will go hand-in-hand with the medical management of your pet’s condition – so the veterinary diet must be adhered to in order for the whole treatment regimen to be effective in treating your pet and restoring their health.
When your pet is receiving treatment, do not feed them anything other than what the vet has recommended: no treats or table snacks, and if you have any doubt, always ask the vet whether a particular food is healthy for your pet to consume.
These guidelines are particularly important in a multi-pet household. Not only will you need to keep your ailing pet away from the other pets’ regular food, but you will also need to keep your healthy pets away from the veterinary diet. Maintain the rule that all pets must have their own separate food bowls and eating area, and they must only eat the food that is intended for them. Set a specific time for eating, then remove any remaining food from reach until their next meal.
Conclusion
When your pet is eating a veterinary diet to support their recovery from a diagnosed medical condition, they will need regular vet check-ups to monitor the effectiveness of their treatment as well as their diet. Some pets may come off their veterinary diet when they are healthy again after treatment, while other pets with chronic conditions may need to be on a veterinary diet for the rest of their lives. Ask the veterinarian about your pet’s individual prognosis, as each pet’s health profile will be unique to them.