NUTRITION

Nurturing the body, mind and spirit of out four-legged friends keeps them healthy, vital and happy. The body is nurtured with wholesome food, fresh air and exercise. The mind is nurtured through play, learning new tricks, and exploring fun places, activities that keep our companions engaged and stimulated. We nurture their spirit with love and attention.

Providing a high quality, nourishing diet is probably the single most important contribution you can make to your friend’s long-term health and vitality. The key components of an optimal diet are species specific, biologically appropriate nutrition, fresh food and as much variety as possible.

Biologically appropriate nutrition suggests that we try to approximate to the best of our ability the diets that our canine and feline companions have evolved to eat. It is frequently stated that as carnivores, their natural diets are high in protein and fat consisting primarily of the body tissue of other animals with relatively few, if any calories derived from grains or other carbohydrates.

While this is generally true, a few exceptions should be noted. Cats, who survive primarily as hunters, will likely ingest small amounts of grains and other plant material present in the gut contents of their prey. Wild dogs, living as scavengers, can adapt to eating a wide variety of less than fresh food items and refuse. Healthy dogs and cats will eat grass and other plants, given the opportunity to do so. (Although dogs and cats will seek out certain types of grass when they feel the need to vomit, it is a common misconception that eating grass is always a sign of illness).

Both cats and dogs can subsist on commercially available grain based diets; however there is a tremendous difference between a subsistence diet and one that helps an animal thrive.