Cats have evolved to tackle a mainly meat diet, but they also can digest small amounts of vegetables and roughage which would normally be found in the guts of their prey, small rodents, birds etc. This is quite a limited diet, so you must remember that a cats digestive system is simply not designed to tackle a wide range of foods as in a human diet, and there are many households foods that are actually very bad for them, and in some cases can cause serious harm to their health. Therefore it is important that you think carefully about your cats diet and avoid feeding them foods, which could upset their systems.

Milk and Cream
Cats love rich cows milk and cream, and will lap it up if you put it out for them, however cows milk contains complex sugars and fats that some humans actually find hard to break down (lactose intolerance), and cats completely lack the enzyme needed to break down these components and so cows milk can actually cause them stomach ache, diarrhea and vomiting. You can buy special lactose free milk however from the pet shops which they should be able to enjoy without any side effects.

Tinned Tuna
Tinned tuna can often be an emergency food that fills the gap if you run out of cat food, but too much tuna can actually cause a painful inflammatory condition called Steatitis, because it is high in unsaturated fatty acids. If your cat likes tuna then it is much better for you to buy them a commercial produced tuna flavoured cat food, that will not have all of the excess unsaturated fats included.

Chocolate
Cats don’t normally like chocolate, but you should make sure it is kept away from them just in case as it contains several ingredients that can be quite harmful to them including theobromine, which in small doses can cause vomiting, diarrhea and seizures, and in large dose can actually be fatal.

Onions
Onions and related vegetables such as garlic contain thiosulphate, which is actually toxic to cats and dogs and can cause severe breathing difficulties, vomiting and diarrhea, so make sure you avoid feeding cats any leftovers which contain these ingredients.

Related tags

cat foods to avoid feeding cream to cats foods to avoid feeding your cat caring for your cat cats lactose intolerance feeding cats tuna avoid feeding cats tuna can cats have cream can cats have onions

Arthritis commonly occurs in older dogs, but this degenerative condition can also affect younger dogs as well, especially those that have suffered from a serious injury, so it is important that you understand the symptoms so you know what signs to look out for.

Symptoms of Canine Arthritis
Canine arthritis causes painful swelling around the joints, which can result in limping, difficulty managing stairs or jumping up into vehicles, difficulty rising from resting position, whimpering, lack of appetite and irritability. If your dog is displaying any of these symptoms then it is important that you make an appointment for them to see the vet for a proper diagnosis, and also to find out more about suitable treatments.

Treating Canine Arthritis
There are several key treatments for canine arthritis that can help to alleviate the painful effects and also slow down the progression of the condition:
* Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) – these drugs include brand names such as Rimadyl, Deramaxx and Metacam, and give relief from pain and also have an anti-inflammatory effect to reduce the swelling in arthritic joints.
* Analgesics – pain-relieving analgesics such as Tramadol and Gabapentin can help to alleviate symptoms of arthritis, but do not have the same anti-inflammatory effects as NSAIDS.
* Neutroceuticals – these are nutritional supplements such as Glucosamine, Omega 3 Fatty Acids and Chondroitin Sulfate, which have been shown to have a beneficial effect on reducing the symptoms of joint pain and improving the overall health of joints and supportive tissues.
* Physical therapy – physical therapy has been found to be very beneficial in many cases of canine arthritis and involves gentle exercises such as swimming which can help to boost overall health and keep joints from seizing up.

Related tags

gabapentin canine canine analgesics dog anti inflammatory canine anti inflammatory canine anti inflammatory drugs canine arthritis symptoms canine gabapentin gabapentin canine arthritis canine gabapentin pain

A healthy balanced diet is essential for the health and happiness of your dog, but sometimes problems with the digestive system can mean that no matter how good the food is that you are giving your dog, they are still unable to get the nutrition they need from their diet. Many experts believe that the addition of probiotics in the diet can help improve digestion, and can increase the benefits of a healthy, balanced diet.

What are Probiotics?
The intestinal tract utilises a number of bacteria to help with the process of breaking down food, but sometimes these bacteria can get out of balance, and this can cause problems such as flatulence, stomachache, indigestion and diarrhea. Probiotics are types of ‘good’ bacteria such as Lactobacillus acidophilus, which can be introduced to the system through tablet or liquid form to help readdress the balance of bacteria in the gut and promote good intestinal health and digestion.

What are Prebiotics?
Prebiotics are basically non-digestible food sources such as natural fibres, which help to push food through the digestive tract to prevent it from getting stagnant and encouraging bad bacteria to multiply, and prebiotics commonly added to dog foods include beet and chicory root pulp. Prebiotics also support the growth of many of the good types of bacteria, and cannot be easily utilised by the bad bacteria, so they can help to balance the gut and prevent bad bacteria from taking over.

Prebiotics and probiotics are sometimes added directly into dog food in order to promote overall health through feeding, but you can also get them in tablet and liquid form from your vet or pet shops, and these can be added to food that does not already contain the ingredients.

Related tags

prebiotics for dogs probiotics for dogs dog prebiotics canine prebiotics dog probiotics prebiotics and probiotics for dogs canine probiotics dog food with prebiotics and probiotics dog foods with prebiotics

Not all foods are good for a dogs digestive system, and many ‘human’ foods can have an adverse effect on a dogs overall health, so it is important that you take some time to research the best diet for your dog, and here are some foods that you should avoid.

Chocolate and Cocoa

Dogs seem to love chocolate, but there is an ingredient in cocoa called theobromine, which is actually poisonous to dogs (and other pets), and can cause a number of unpleasant symptoms including diarrhea, vomiting and seizures. Experts have also warned that a dose of just 125g of cooking chocolate can cause cardiac arrest and death in dogs and cats, so chocolate is definitely not a food you should be giving your dog, and if you suspect that they have ingested a large amount of chocolate or cocoa you should contact your vet as soon as possible and ask for further advice.

Coffee

Coffee also has ingredients that are bad for dogs and other small pets, especially methylated xanthine which can cause similar side effects to the theobromine in chocolate as well as hyperactively and heart palpitations, so you should take care to keep coffee and coffee granules away from dogs.

Onions and Garlic

Many members of the allium family including onions and garlic (both raw and cooked) contain an ingredient called thiosulphate which is poisonous to dogs and other small pets, and can cause symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea and breathlessness. You should be very careful when giving dogs leftovers that they do not contain any traces of onions or garlic.

Pork

Some dogs can find it very difficult to ingest pork, especially when it is in its most fatty and salty forms of ham, bacon and sausages. Although your dog may love the crunchy trimmings from bacon it can give them stomach aches and diarrhea, and can also cause more serious conditions such as pancreatitis.

Related tags

dogs foods to avoid foods to avoid giving dogs dog pork pancreatitis foods to avoid giving to dogs foods to avoid with pacreatitis in dogs pancreatitis in dogs foods to avoid prebiotics for dogs 125g chocolate dog 2 6