Special dietary advice for your dog or cat

Several factors determine what your pet eats and how much. This includes the animal’s age and breed as well as allergies or intolerances. This article will tell you all about special dietary recommendations for your dog or cat.

Regular dietary advice for dogs

Each dog has its own unique nutritional needs. This is why there isn’t a single recommendation that applies to every dog. The size of the dog plays a role, as well as its age. And a pup has different needs than a senior. Growing puppies tend to be a lot more active than senior dogs. But a healthy and balanced diet is important for any dog regardless of their age. We developed a decision tool to make things easier for you. The questionnaire helps you formulate answers to get a personalised recommendation about the best food for your pet. And if you want to know how much of this food your dog or cat needs on a daily basis, just use our food calculator. To find out more about your pet’s specific needs, consult your vet. They can make a detailed dietary recommendation for your dog.

Regular dietary advice for cats

All of the above applies to cats as well. Once again, their dietary needs depend on several factors. A senior indoor cat with a relatively passive lifestyle will need less food than a young cat that spends its days out and about. The decision tool and food calculator for cats will help estimate the right type and quantity of food for your cat. Consult your vet for more detailed advice. They can draft a fitting recommendation together with you, based on your cat and its lifestyle.

dietary advice for cats

Dietary advice for castrated animals

You can have your dog or cat sterilised or castrated. This will usually affect their dietary needs; once castrated, the metabolism of a dog changes. Their energy needs tends to drop. Yarrah offers a special type of food for sterilised cats, containing all necessary nutrients for a balanced diet.

Food allergies in dogs and cats

Just like humans, dogs and cats can be intolerant or allergic to certain nutrients, which can be quite the nuisance. It means your pet may develop all kinds of symptoms by eating ‘regular’ food. Some examples of well-known intolerances in dogs and cats are:

Allergies to one or multiple types of (animal) proteins
Allergies to cereals/gluten

There are several symptoms that may indicate food intolerance or allergy, including:

Itching
Skin problems
Vomiting and/or diarrhoea
Changes in their stool

An elimination diet is a great way to find out whether your pet is allergic to certain foods, and to what nutrients specifically. Yarrah offers various types of food for a special diet, such as grain-free food for dogs, grain-free food for cats, as well as ‘single protein’ products. These are products that contain only one source of protein, which makes it suitable for animals that aren’t allergic to all protein sources.

Want to learn more about allergies in dogs and cats? Check out the blogs below:

vegetarian dog food

Vegetarian pet food

Your pet may be intolerant to one or several sources of protein. But proteins are extremely important for the development of your pet. If the problem is caused by a single source, you may want to consider eliminating this type of protein and switching to other types. But if your pet is intolerant to several or even all types of animal-based proteins, this may be a valid reason to try a vegetarian diet.

Intolerance isn’t the only potential reason to give your pet a vegetarian, vegan or flex diet. Keep in mind that these diets aren’t suitable for all animals. Cats are true carnivores. They simply need meat. We are happy to tell you all about it in the article: “Why cats need meat”. For dogs however, a vegan or flex diet might be a good option. Either way, always make sure your pet gets all necessary nutrients. Yarrah offers vegan food for dogs, which makes for a balanced diet with all the necessary nutrients.

Organic pet food

The entire Yarrah assortment is organic, and for good reason. Organic food is good for your pet as well as the planet. If you want to be conscious about the environment while giving your pet a more sustainable lifestyle, organic food is a valuable option. But there are other benefits to an organic diet for your pet as well. We’ve been discussing allergies. Data shows that allergies among dogs and cats are on the rise. The cause is unclear, but it may be related to the food these pets have been getting. Organic food does not contain any traces of herbicide, pesticide, antibiotics or hormones. None of these substances and products are used in the process of making organic food. Plus, organic food contains no chemical aromas, colouring or flavours. It is very pure food that benefits the health of your pet!

Pet food quality labels

Organic food is also better for animal well-being in a broader sense. Yarrah considers this a very important issue, which is why we only use meat that is sourced from animals with a better life. This is indicated by several quality labels, such as the Better Life quality label for meat and the MSC logo for sustainably caught fish. Both feature prominently on Yarrah’s pet food packaging.

Responsible snacks

In addition to the right amount of food, your pet will enjoy the occasional treat. It is important to go for healthy and responsible snacks. Some snacks contain a lot of sugar, which increases the risk of obesity. Yarrah offers all kinds of healthy treats, including those for pets with a special diet such as our vegan dog biscuits. dietary advice In addition to the right amount of food, your pet will enjoy the occasional treat. It is important to go for healthy and responsible snacks. Some snacks contain a lot of sugar, which increases the risk of obesity. Yarrah offers all kinds of healthy treats, including those for pets with a special diet such as our vegan dog biscuits.