It is a significant responsibility to be a pet owner, and your animal friend will depend on you to fulfill their exercise, socialization, and health needs. Many pet owners do what’s required of them. And according to statistics, 43.6% of owners are critically attentive to what their pets eat. This is good news since what your pet eats can affect their quality of life. If you identify with this, here are some suggestions to do better.

1. Add supplements to your pet’s diet

Supplements provide additional dietary support to improve health. Just like humans, pets can take them too. The pet supplement industry has grown in leaps and bounds over the last few years. Financial forecast reports indicate it could hit $1 billion in the next five years. Supplements that benefit your dogs include vitamins, probiotics, fish oils, Glucosamine, etc. The options are endless, but the vet may have to approve what you give your dog.

The last thing you want is to give supplements your furry friend does not need. More importantly, it helps to pay attention to your pet’s behavior when you introduce a new supplement to their diet. Some may react, and others will not and you should report to your doctor if your pet experienced the former.

2. Opt for fresh or frozen pet foods

This may be the best way to go if you are a pet owner with great concerns about food preservatives. Undoubtedly, this topic continues to generate heated debates in the community. The underlying reason for this discourse stems from years of controversies surrounding the wholesomeness of synthetic food preservatives. Cats and dogs often have sensitive digestive tracts. This, therefore, makes it tricky to know which preservative they might react adversely to.

Ethoxyquin, Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), and Melamine are examples of pet food preservatives that the general public disproves of. Years of research have proven that these agents can trigger irritable bowel syndrome in dogs. Additionally, some have been proven to trigger cell mutation leading to certain cancers in dogs. These are real concerns you cannot turn a blind eye to as a pet owner. Perhaps, this is why the frozen, fresh and organic pet food options are on the increase. Although these are usually more expensive, it may be the right way to go. You should still do your research before choosing any food for your pet. For example, reading Freshpet dog food reviews will provide information on what’s good enough for your pet to consume.

3. Always feed them nutritious diets

This would require a bit of reading and learning about your pet’s eating habits and their activity levels. Cats and dogs require different nutrients, so feeding them the same foods is not advisable. For example, cats need a great amount of taurine and Vitamin A in every meal and your cat is likely to get unhealthy without them. Unfortunately, you may be hurting your cat because dog food lacks sufficient amounts of these two nutrients. In other words, it would be best to feed the right diet depending on the type of pet you own.