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The Great Pet Feeding Debate...

from Jiggy Gaton, Animal Nepal Volunteer    

Unfortunately, there is not currently a clear consensus in the general community on what to feed your dog or cat:  for example, meat or no meat? Is dry or fresh food better? Is canned commercial food ok? What supplements are needed, if any?

Here is what I have come up with in the form of some a few FAQ's, with answers based on a little science, and a lot of experience.

Q. Can your pet survive without meat?

Many of you are vegetarian. Is your dog or cat?

A. Yes and No

This is a debate that's gone on for a very long time: are cats and dogs carnivores (designed to eat just meat) or omnivores (designed to eat meat and plant matter both, much like humans do)? The short answer is that dogs are omnivores these days (where as their wolf cousins are carnivores) and that cats are carnivores, meaning a vegetarian diet for your dog would work, but a vegetarian diet for your cat would be difficult, and require a lot of extra care to maintain the cat's health. Even with dogs, if they are on a meatless diet vitamin supplements should be given (ask your vet which ones) to prevent deficiencies. But in reality, dogs are scavengers and will eat just about anything and be happy - as any Nepali knows by just watching the dogs out on the street. My own dog (pictured) is a healthy 60kg Alsatian that fits this description: he will eat anything, albeit if meatless, he will eat vegetarian food only if there is nothing else available. Due to some genetic health problems of the breed, he occasionally is on a meatless diet and does just fine, but he will always want a chicken wing or sausage if he smells it. 

Conclusion? If you own a dog and you are a vegetarian household, try feeding your pet what you eat and get regular checkups at the vet to see if your dog needs any other further supplements to remain healthy and fit.  If you own a cat, well this animal lover says bite the bone and give your cat enough meat to stay healthy and happy without a lot of extra worry on your part. After all, if you let your cat outside, he or she will just go hunt down a bird or mouse to get it's meat fix for the day.

Q. Is canned or dry food good for your pet?

A. Maybe

Are you getting the feeling that I am a bit ambiguous in this Q&A? Well, you're right, I am. On canned and dry food I waiver...dry food, or kibbles as it's known in the trade, is convenient for the pet owner and can be fun for the cat or dog. Canned food I find repulsive, and so does my dog. But scientifically speaking, a diet of quality dry or canned foods should theoretically be ok for your pet...I just don't trust my pet's health to theory - do you? Think of it this way: kibbles and cans are akin to any processed convenience food that you would find in America or Europe.  In Nepal, we are fortunate that processed foods do not dominate our diet, and as we can see we are relatively healthy when access to fresh food is abundant.  But the inverse is not true in humans: folks without fresh foods but who eat mostly processed & packaged foods are less healthy and suffer tremendously (see the documentary "Super Size Me" for more on that). It's not a far stretch to assume the same to be true for pets - and economically speaking, the cost of processed pet food in Nepal is obscene, while the quality-level of products from India and China is dubious at best.

Conclusion? If you own a dog, buying a bag of kibbles now and then for Fido and then feeding as treats in small amounts will do no harm. Serving your cat tins of cat food for life, on the other hand, might not be so harmless.  With the abundance of low-cost and fresh foods in Nepal - and the labor to prepare it - feeding your pet a diet of canned or dry food everyday makes no sense at all.

Q. Are nutritional supplements (pet vitamins) needed?

A. Yes (most likely)

I am not a vet, so I am not really qualified to say for sure, but I do know that in most cases your pet will need supplements during some stage of its growing up and then growing older times.  Pet care companies sell bone-building vitamins and minerals for use during the puppy months, and geriatric supplements for those twilight years. These pet products are common and safe, and can be purchased at your local department store.  If you have any questions about what vitamins to give, see a qualified vet.  One disturbing thing noted by this Nepali-Pet owner: some vets will prescribe over-the-counter human vitamins for your pet.  Be very careful to administer the right doses as ordered by the vet, and to follow up with your vet to see if the supplements are working well or not.  Same rules apply with human medications...some can be lethal for your pet and many vets in the valley will prescribe non-pet medications because the supply of animal meds to Nepal is not very good.

One last note on common sense and communicating with your Pet...

Well, as you now know I am not an expert in the field of animal nutrition and diet.  But I have cared for many animals over the years and I google lots.  My dog (in the glasses) is very happy with my current skils...and when it comes down to it, the proper care of a pet is a lot about using your common sense (how would you treat your child?) and "communicating" with your pet in regards to what he or she needs.  So let me stop here with this last bit of advice:  a responsible pet owner will  use their gut instincts as well as regular advice from a qualified vet, and oh yes, Googling up on all aspects of pet care is always wise.