Daily Mail - 05.03.2020

Daily Mail, Thursday, March 5, 2020^ Page 45

four of the best pet feeders

are just single experiences and

are not backed up by science.

As a nutrition adviser, I have

heard concerning tales, such as

the litter of standard poodles fed

nothing but raw mince. Puppies

have very specific needs for

vitamins and certain minerals.

These can be severely lacking

in raw meat diets. So it’s no

surprise that it caused bladder

stones and growth problems for

these large, growing dogs.

The trend for raw food for dogs

and cats was essentially triggered

by a distrust of big food compa-

nies. It’s increasingly popular but,

like many vets, I am opposed to

it. The health risks to animals and

humans alike are undeniable.

The belief behind it is that dogs

should eat as they did in the wild.

But the fact is dogs are not

wolves. Fundamentally, dogs can

d i g e s t c a r b o h y d r a t e s ; t h e y

evolved alongside us eating

scraps and scavenging. They

would hunt and catch things like

rabbits, mice and rats.

Raw feeding is also known to

cause the spread of some very

warned that they could spread

to humans.

Grain-free is another pet food

fad. A result of the perceived rise

in allergies in humans being

projected on to animals. In fact,

the major causes of allergies in

cats and dogs are meats like beef

and chicken; gluten allergy is

incredibly rare.

People view grains as ‘fillers’ in

food and believe it’s merely there

as a cheap alternative. Yes, it is

cheaper but grains are a great

source of fibre for gut health and

certain vitamins.

Again we need to exercise

caution. There have been cases of

heart disease in dogs on grain-

free food and research is ongoing

into the possible reasons for this.

Vegan and veggie diets, if

balanced and complete, can be

fine for dogs. If you do want to

feed your dog a plant-based diet,

please make sure it is balanced

for dogs’ needs.

It can be very difficult to

get right at home — buying

W

hen I was a little

girl, our adopted

m o n g r e l Pe n n y

w a s f e d t i n n e d

dog food, biscuits

and some table scraps. It was

easy. We never even thought

about her diet.

Fast-forward 40 years and the way we

view food and nutrition has totally

changed. not only do we worry about

over-processed products, poor quality

ingredients, allergies and what’s ‘natural’

— but we also have ethical and environ-

mental concerns about the impact meat

production has on the climate.

As with many things, this has spilled

over into how we feed our furry friends,

too. As a result, there’s an explosion of

choice in any supermarket or pet shop

— and a whole new world of options

online as well.

All these concerns are important and

understandable, but so much choice

can be overwhelming for owners.

Should you feed wet food or dry? Or is

a combination preferable? (Actually a

combination is always good if you can

afford it — especially for cats.) And

what’s best; a natural, homemade diet

or good old easy kibble?

T

he internet is certainly a

double-edged sword when it

comes to information. Sto-

ries abound of domesticated

animals thriving on raw foods, grain-

free or gluten free and so on, but these

barkshire Automatic

pet feeder

£19.99, petplanet.co.uk

Able to dispense up to four meals, this

cat feeder can hold both wet and dry

food and is easy to clean.

Cat Mate C3000 dry food

Cat feeder

£65, petsathome.com

This feeder can be programmed to

give your cat three meals a day. An

anti-tamper self-closing nozzle and snap on lid

ensure your pet can’t snack in between!

Wopet Automatic pet feeder

food dispenser

£44.37, wopet.com

This feeder (pictured) has a removable

hygienic feeding tray that is dishwasher

safe, and can be set to dispense four

automated feedings per day.

petsafe smart feed Automatic

dog and Cat feeder

£161.09, amazon.co.uk

CAn dispense up to 12 meals for your cat at set

times and you can feed them at other times

using your smartphone via the smart feed app.

TURn TO neXT PAGe

Unmissable pullout to transform your best friend’s life

healthier

haPPier Pet

how to

have a

by Emma

Milne

CelebriTy veT and auThor

Picture: Ge

TT y

Din-dins

is served!

But are you

giving

them the

right food?

serious bacteria and parasites

that are a major risk to human

and animal health.

These are normally killed in

the cooking process and, to

compensate, the advice is to

freeze raw foods for a certain

time period before serving. The

trouble is, although some para-

sites can be killed by freezing,

some bacteria cannot.

Many studies have shown the

spread of salmonella, e.coli and

campylobacter, some of the main

culprits in severe food poisoning,

from raw-fed animals.

Last year, scientists at the

Un i v e r s i t y o f Z u r i c h f o u n d

evidence of antibiotic-resistant

bacteria in 61 per cent of the raw

dog food samples tested and