Royal Canin Veterinary Diet

Pets bring immense joy and love into our lives. Thus it is the pet parent’s responsibility to provide his dog or cat with adequate care when it is diagnosed with a critical illness. Considerable research done by pet food companies such as Royal Canin has shown that proper nutrition plays a great role in controlling, healing and at times even preventing certain illnesses. This research has led to the introduction of the Royal Canin veterinary diet that specifically caters to pets with medical conditions.

The key is to understand your pet’s nutritional needs once it is afflicted with an ailment. Is your pet suffering from a medical condition such as diabetes, dental, urinary, gastrointestinal, or heart related disease? If so, diets that include or exclude certain ingredients can be used to control the condition and enhance the quality of your pets’ life. For instance, a pet with a kidney problem would need a diet with lower phosphorous and protein levels while a pet which is susceptible to allergies would need a diet that does not contain the allergens.

Once the vet diagnoses your pet’s illness, he is likely to recommend a therapeutic diet that is specifically formulated for the condition your pet is suffering from. The Royal Canin veterinary diet comprises of specialized diets for allergenic, overweight and diabetic pets. It also has diets that facilitate in recouping from heart, kidney and liver related ailments. Since these diets are formulated specifically for sick pets, a veterinarian’s prescription is required to buy the Royal Canin veterinary diet.

 After extensive research, the company has found out that certain breeds of dogs and cats are genetically predisposed to specific ailments such as urinary problems, arthritis or diabetes. It is possible to reduce the chances of your pet from developing these diseases by providing the appropriate nutrition when it is young.

If your pet is diagnosed with a chronic ailment, do not despair. You can enhance its quality of life by ensuring that it receives the proper nutrition with the help of a prescribed therapeutic diet.

Every dog is affected by digestive problems at some point in its life. The most common symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, flatulence, lack of appetite, constipation, fatigue, and stomach pain. The usual causes for digestive problems include intake of unsuitable food, food allergies, a sudden change in diet, overeating and adverse reactions to some medicines. It is essential to consult a vet and treat your pet if the problem is severe or if it persists for more than a day.

However as the adage goes “Prevention is better than cure”. Some of the preventive measures that you can take would include:

Proper balance in food intake:

Dogs need a protein rich diet. Try to avoid a grain based dog food as it does not meet all the nutritional requirements that your dog needs. If he suffers from constipation, it means that his food does not contain sufficient fiber so try switching to a high fiber dog food. Ensure that you do not overfeed him as this would also lead to digestive problems.

Customized diet:

Each dog has his unique dietary needs. For example, if you have an older dog  or a puppy they might not be able to digest the food that a lively adult dog eats. Similarly if a pooch is fed food that he has an allergy to, he is likely to develop digestive problems. Most reputable dog food brands have variants catering to different needs, for instance the royal canin veterinary diet hypoallergenic HP 19 is made specifically for dogs with food allergies.

Gradual introduction of new food:

If you suddenly start feeding your dog a completely new food, his digestive system might have problems at first to the sudden change. Gradually introduce the food in a phased manner over a week or two.

Digestive supplements:

In consultation with your vet, you could give your pet a digestive supplement like the Dr Goodpet digestive enzymes canine formula, to make their digestive tract stronger.