Battle Ground Veterinary Clinic, P.C.

Wellness Care

Nutrition: Feeding Your Dog and Cat

What food should my pet eat? Battle Ground Veterinary Clinic recommends feeding your pet a high quality food such as IVD/Royal Canin, Purina, Science Diet or Wellness brand foods appropriate for their age and size. These brands will have formulas specific for puppies/kittens, adults, and senior pets and in some cases for large, small, or specific breeds of dogs.

If switching foods, how should it be done? If a switch of foods is needed, it should be done gradually in a 10 day period. Initially 1 part new food should be mixed with 3 parts of the old food. Day 4, mix 2 parts new food with 2 parts old food. Day 7 mix 3 parts old food with 1 part new food. Finally on day 10 a full meal of the new food can be given.

3 Parts Old: 1Part New			2 Parts Old: 2 Parts New			1 Part Old: 3 Parts New			All New
Day 1	Day 2	Day 3	Day 4	Day 5	Day 6	Day 7	Day 8	Day 9	Day 10

How much should my pet eat? The amount of food to feed is based on target weight and differs among brands. Feeding guidelines should be printed on your bag of food and can be altered based on your pet’s specific metabolism and activity levels. If canned food is incorporated into a meal, be sure to consider this when calculating an amount per day. Measuring your pet’s meals with a leveled off measuring cup is important when fighting excessive weight gain and obesity.

How often should I feed? Adult dogs and cats can be fed one to three times daily based on their appetite and your schedule. If feeding more than once daily, the recommended amount should be divided accordingly. “Free feeding” is not recommended due to heightened risk of obesity and inability to monitor eating behavior. Young pets, under a year of age, require a different feeding schedule based on age and rate of growth. (see our Puppy Care or Kitten Care link for more details)

Can my pet eat human food? It is strongly recommended not to give table scraps to your pet. Not only does this create unwanted habits such as begging, human food can cause excess weight gain, intestinal blockage, or toxicity in some cases. (see our Harmful Substances link for more details) If you would like to incorporate healthy food into your pet’s diet, please consult with our veterinarian to comprise an appropriate feeding plan.

Should my pet go on a diet? To visually recognize if your pet is at an optimal weight, look at their figure from above for an hour glass shape created by a waist between their rip cage and hips. Rib and hipbones should be able to be felt but not necessarily seen. If there are fatty deposits around the ribs and no waistline your pet is probably overweight. Excessive weight can lead to many problems including disease of the heart, liver, and kidneys and has been proven to shorten life span. We carry several prescription diets which combat over and under weight pets and can be started upon a veterinarian’s recommendation. If you feel this issue is a problem for your pet, call for an appointment and we will advise you on how it can be corrected.

What foods do you carry? Battle Ground Veterinary Clinic carries the prescription diet lines made by IVD/Royal Canin and Purina for nutritional treatment of kidney and liver dysfunction, urinary tract infections, obesity, and allergies among many others. These and other brand prescription diets can be special ordered upon request. If a special diet is required for your pet, please contact the clinic two weeks in advance to ensure prompt delivery time. High quality non-prescription maintenance food can be found at local pet food stores including Buckles Feed Depot and Pet Supply and PetSmart.