Welcome to Hillsdale Animal Hospital

Click on each category to see answers to commonly asked questions:

• Nutrition	• Puppy and Kitten Care
• Pest and Parasite Control	• Spaying, Neutering, Breeding
• Holistic vs. Traditional Care	• Senior Pet Care
• Vaccinations	• Seasonal Considerations
• Dental Care	• Allergies

Q. Aren’t commercial pet foods 100% nutritionally complete and balanced?
A. No. The idea of a "100% nutritionally complete and balanced" food that comes out of a bag or a can is ludicrous. The first problem is that we do not have 100% knowledge of nutrition. In human nutrition we hear conflicting information on a daily basis. What was nutritional gospel in the 1980s with respect to high carbohydrate diets is now considered so wrong 20 years later. Think of how many different diets have come and gone that were supposed to be the "be all and end all" diet. Nutrition science is extremely complex and it will be well beyond our lifetimes before it is all figured out (if it ever is). Problems with pet foods include less than nutritious ingredients to begin with; over processing of ingredients that furthers degrades the nutritional value of the food; chemical preservatives that are used to prevent the ingredients from spoiling; artificial colors that are used the make the food appear more attractive to us (strictly for marketing); and, synthetic vitamins and minerals whose value is often questionable. As an example, in the 1970’s cat foods were thought to be nutritionally complete. They were made without what was later found to be an essential amino acid, taurine. As a result of this deficiency cats developed retinal disease that resulted in permanent blindness and irreversible heart muscle disease (cardiomyopathy). ^back to top^

Q. Isn’t dry food better for my pet’s teeth?
A. No. Dry foods, biscuits and "tartar control" treats don’t do anything to help keep your pet's teeth clean, although you have probably heard that they do. With the exception of a few foods that have been specifically formulated to help reduce dental tartar, it does not matter whether you feed your pet dry or canned food. The general idea that dry food will help scrape tartar off the teeth is like thinking that Oreo® cookies will keep our teeth clean). As carnivores, dogs' and cats' teeth were designed to shear and tear food, not chew it. Therefore, any food that your pet has to chew has the potential to result in dental tartar, plaque and gingivitis. How much dental disease your pet will develop depends primarily on genetics. For dogs, chewing/gnawing on certain items will also promote healthy teeth and gums. I recommend natural beef marrow bones (soup bones, or ox tail bones – the thick circular bones with holes in the middle); you should not give any other bones (steak, chicken, rib, etc.) as these may splinter in the digestive tract and result in serious injury. Marrow bones should be cooked (boil in water for a few minutes) or frozen for two days (to kill any parasites). The bone may be given to your dog as is, or you may want to discard the marrow if your dog has a sensitive stomach, as the marrow is very fatty. ^back to top^

Q. Won't table food spoil my pet, so (s)he doesn't want to eat pet food anymore?
A. No. Eating whole fresh foods does not constitute spoiling your pet. Dogs' and cats' bodies were designed to operate using "real foods" for fuel. When you give them a variety of healthy foods they will be healthier for it and, all else being equal, they will simply feel better. If they do not seem to be interested in pet food anymore, that is simply because they instinctively know what foods are best for them. If part of the reason that they prefer the whole foods in their diet to commercial foods is the taste, then that is a bonus for them. Commercial foods serve two purposes: cost (which, as we will talk about later, is more of a perceived benefit than a real one) and convenience. As far as convenience is concerned, preparing a diet for your pet does not have to be terribly complicated (we will talk about this later as well). If your concern over "spoiling" your pet is that (s)he will come to the table to eat because (s)he knows where the "good stuff" is, you can train your pet not to disturb you at the table. ^back to top^

Q. If I feed my pet a home prepared diet, won't it be imbalanced with respect to vitamins and minerals?
A. When you feed your pet a variety of whole fresh foods, you will be more likely to provide a range of nutrients that will more completely cover your pet's needs. It is not uncommon for us to see a 16 year old pet that has eaten (for example) nothing but chicken and rice that is healthier than a pet half its age that has always eaten "well balanced" commercial food. That having been said, we often use supplements to help balance a pet's nutrition. This is not a one size fits all approach, and we try to tailor a nutritional program for each pet based on his or her individual needs. ^back to top^

Q. Won’t feeding my pet a home prepared diet cost much more than feeding commercial food?
A. Although the immediately tangible cost of feeding a healthy diet will be more than that of a commercial food, your pet (and your pocket book) will be better off in the long run. All else being equal your pet will be healthier, and as a result your veterinary bills will likely be much lower. This is because pets that are on whole food diets have less chronic, degenerative conditions that require frequent trips to the office for treatment (we love to see you but would really rather see you once or twice a year for a "well checkup" than for ongoing health issues). ^back to top^

Q. I don’t have time to cook for myself or my family. How am I going to be able to cook for my pet?

A. The beauty of this type of regimen is that it really does not have to be difficult or particularly time consuming. If you do some basic cooking every couple of weeks or so, you can prepare enough food that will provide your pet's meals. An example might be cooking a chicken and some vegetables: you can prepare portions to be stored in your refrigerator and/or freezer, to be reheated later. People will often hear of more involved recipes for pets that do require a fair amount of effort. It doesn't have to be that complicated, however. Have fun with it; don’t let the fear that you will not be able to prepare a proper diet scare you into not doing it. ^back to top^

Q. I've heard about so called premium diets. If I do give my pet commercial food, is there really a difference between brands other than cost?
A. Unfortunately, with many "premium" brands, there is not much more to them than the advertising and marketing that makes them so well known. The truly better quality brands are often relatively unknown, because they are made by smaller companies without massive advertising budgets. These diets must make themselves known by word of mouth (the old fashioned way). You will see some of these truly better foods listed in our Resource Library. ^back to top^

Q. Shouldn't I find one particular diet for my pet that seems to work for him/her and stick with that food?
A. No. Unfortunately, this is the advice that many veterinarians still give pet owners today. Imagine how you might feel if you literally ate the same thing at every single meal. It doesn't sound too pleasant, does it? Neither is it appealing to your pet to eat this way. That is why pet owners often complain that their pets are bored of the food they are being fed. A typical reply is, "Yes, but if that's the only thing you give him, he'll eat it." Well, sure, but it doesn’t mean it's the right way to approach the situation. You should maintain a "restaurant mentality" about your pet's diet. Remember, variety is the spice of life! More importantly, it is more likely that your pet will develop food sensitivities (that would often be referred to as food allergies) if (s)he remains on the same diet for a long period of time. For animals that remain on commercial diets, it is probably a good idea to change their foods (different brands and/or varieties) every 2 to 3 months. ^back to top^

Q. I've heard about raw food diets. Are these better for my pet than a diet of cooked foods?
A. Ah, this is an interesting question. Its answer revolves around what I refer to as one of our "point-counterpoint discussions." On one hand, dogs and cats have evolved physiologically to eat raw meat. On the other hand, that meat was supposed to come from prey that was just killed, so the meat was fresh. Concern about feeding raw meat that comes from our meat processing plants is a valid one. The animals that are "processed" in meat processing plants today are run through so quickly that it is difficult to prevent contamination that may result in food borne illness. Then some will say that animals have a greater resistance to such illness (think about some of the nasty things that dogs will eat that have been sitting in the middle of the road for who knows how long; big cats will leave the carcass from their prey sitting up in a tree baking in the sun or buried in the ground until they come back to pick through it later). Through more recent evolution, however, many feel that today's dog and cat do not have the same digestive strength that they used to. You can see this discussion can continue to go back and forth. Raw food diets may very well for some animals. Again, it is not one size fits all. For the practical reason that we have found that most clients are turned off to the idea of feeding raw meat to their animals, we generally recommend that the meat be at least lightly browned. A couple of other points about this: 1. Fish should never be fed raw because of a greater concern about parasites; 2. we have had some dogs acquire tapeworm infections from eating raw meat; 3. wild game or pork should also not be fed raw because of a greater likelihood of parasitism. ^back to top^

Q. Wouldn't it be unhealthy for my cat if (s)he doesn't have food available at all times?
A. No. This is probably the biggest husbandry mistake people make in feeding their cats. Cats are hunters by nature. They hunt, they kill, they eat. They don't leave food lying around to nibble on later (we're talking about our domestic pet cats, not the big cats mentioned above). Whereas most domestic cats have lost their predatory instincts, there are some that are still in tune with nature's ways that will kill smaller animals (whether they eat them or not is another story, and if they do, that's OK – now someone will make the argument that there are risks associated with eating raw prey, but these risks are outweighed by the benefit of the superior nutrition they get from "nature's menu"). Anyway, when you leave food out all day then your cat will be more likely to be a "grazer" than a "gobbler" and that is not as healthy. Digestion is a very labor intensive process, and when energy has to be spent over a greater amount of time to do so, the body is less efficient at taking care of its other internal housekeeping chores. So feeding two meals a day for a cat as with a dog is the healthiest thing for him/her. ^back to top^

Q. How much food should I feed my pet?
A. You may exchange the fresh foods for the commercial food one-for-one. So the total amount of food that you give your pet will be the same as it is now. There will more water content in the fresh food, which would result in a lower amount of nutrients in the fresh foods, but these foods will be more nutrient dense than the commercial foods, so I believe it evens out. After your pet is on the new program you should monitor him/her to see what adjustments need to be made to the overall amount of food being given. ^back to top^

Q. Can I give my pet some fresh food and some commercial food?
A. Yes. Whereas we feel that a diet based on whole fresh foods is the healthiest way to feed your pet, any fresh foods will improve a commercial food based diet. We realize that there may be times when life gets in the way, and you may need to just put out the commercial food. So it is OK to mix and match. Also remember that an occasional fast to better address the housekeeping chores mentioned above is healthy, so skipping a meal once a week is actually beneficial. ^back to top^

Q&A comming soon! ^back to top^

Q&A coming soon! ^back to top^