Today, in almost every modern family, some kind of pet lives, and every fifth of them is a cat. Unfortunately, our favorites sometimes get sick, delivering a lot of emotions. In this difficult period, the animal needs not only special care, but also special nutrition. After reading this article, you will learn how to choose the right therapeutic food for a cat.
Varieties of medicinal feed
First of all, they are divided into dry and wet. In addition, all medicinal feeds are classified according to the characteristics of the disease. So, there are feeds designed for animals with obesity and diabetes mellitus, others are for cats with allergic reactions, and others are for individuals with digestive problems.
Each variety is developed taking into account the main characteristics of the body of a sick animal. If you give a healthy pet a specialized medical food for a cat, then over time it will have problems with metabolism. All this is fraught with urolithiasis, and sometimes diabetes. Therefore, before you begin to feed the animal such food, you should consult an experienced veterinarian. Only he can choose the right therapeutic food for cats.
With liver disease, the animal becomes lethargic and refuses to eat. Therefore, animal fats, soybean oil, carbohydrates and vegetable fiber must be present in his diet. The main feature of this diet is the availability of a sufficient amount of easily digestible high-quality proteins. Therefore, it is not suitable for animals suffering from allergic reactions or renal failure.
The main differences between therapeutic and conventional feed
The basis of any therapeutic feed is natural meat, flavored with a certain balanced set of nutrients, including vitamins and chelated minerals.
The high quality of the starting components provides the natural taste of medicinal feed. For their production, exclusively fresh meat is used that has not undergone preliminary freezing. Leading manufacturers have excluded flavor enhancers, colorants and preservatives from the composition of their products. All products undergo gentle heat treatment, which allows you to save the maximum amount of nutrients necessary for the body of a sick animal.
Dietary foods intended for cats with kidney failure are enriched in calcium and phosphorus. It is these substances that prevent the further development of the disease and support a weakened body.
As part of the food for cats with problem hair, there is a sufficient amount of zinc and amino acids necessary for a healthy shine and growth of the coat. Animals diagnosed with joint diseases are shown a diet enriched with glucosamine and chondrotin. These elements contribute to the speedy restoration of connective tissue.
Top manufacturers
Today, Hills food is very popular. This company, founded in 1939, has a high-tech scientific and production base that allows us to create high-quality products. She has long and fruitfully collaborated with leading veterinarians. This allows company representatives to monitor the degree of effectiveness of the treatment and prevention of diseases for which Hills food is recommended. This company has not become a monopolist in the cat food market .
No less popular are the products of another well-known manufacturer, whose history began in 1985. The medical food “Purina” for cats was developed specifically for the complex therapy and prevention of various diseases. This balanced diet contains the optimal set of nutrients needed for an animal that has certain health problems.
Recommendations for use
Experts categorically forbid mixing normal and medicinal cat food. Otherwise, you risk reducing the effectiveness of the treatment of the animal. In addition, such food should not be mixed with natural food. You can not add it to meat, canned food and porridge. Special care should be taken in the diet of cats that have been diagnosed with urolithiasis. Do not overfeed your pet, because an overabundance of vitamins is just as harmful as a deficiency.
Medical food for a cat is not a panacea for all diseases
Some ignorant pet owners mistakenly believe that a therapeutic diet will save their pet from any ailment. However, food is not a cure. It only helps to alleviate the condition of a sick animal. Therefore, any diet recommended by the veterinarian should be combined with medication. Only in this way can a cat recover completely.