Nutrition Support

Nutrition is a cornerstone of long-term health and plays a critical role in growth, maintenance, disease management, and overall well-being. Feeding the right diet and the right amount for an individual pet can support healthy body condition, preserve muscle mass, stabilize chronic diseases and improve quality of life over time.

We also recognize that nutrition is one of the topics pet parents tend to care—and often obsess—about the most. Many caregivers spend significant time researching diets, comparing options, and trying to make the “best” choice. This can quickly become overwhelming. Our goal is to help make nutrition clearer, more approachable, and less stressful.

There Is No One “Right” Diet

The “right” diet is not one-size-fits-all. Different pets thrive on different feeding strategies, and what works well for one pet may not be appropriate for another.

We support and work with a wide range of feeding approaches, including:

• Commercial kibble diets
• Fresh prepared or frozen diets shipped to the home
• Home-cooked diets

All of these can be good strategies when thoughtfully chosen and appropriately balanced. Our role is not to judge feeding choices, but to help guide them in a way that supports your pet’s individual health needs, lifestyle, and medical conditions.

Individualized, Calorie-Based Nutrition Plans

Our nutrition recommendations are individualized and calorie-based, rather than focused on brand names or marketing claims. Each plan may take into account:

• Age, life stage, and activity level
• Current weight, body condition, and muscle mass
• Underlying medical conditions and medications
• Appetite changes or feeding challenges

Caloric needs are reassessed over time, and adjustments are made as your pet’s health, weight, or lifestyle changes.

Evidence-Based Diet Standards (AAFCO)

All diet recommendations made by our team are grounded in standards established by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO).

AAFCO develops nutritional profiles that define the minimum (and in some cases maximum) nutrient requirements for pets at different life stages. Diets that meet AAFCO standards are formulated to provide complete and balanced nutrition when fed as directed. While AAFCO does not “approve” brands, its standards are an important foundation for evaluating diet adequacy.

Our Approach to Dog Nutrition

For dogs, we do not recommend specific brands. Instead, we recommend diets based on nutritional principles rooted in current research that have been found to be important for canine health, including:

• Meeting AAFCO nutritional standards
• Appropriate calorie density
• Balanced protein, carbohydrate, and fat content (macronutrients)
• Balanced inclusion of necessary vitamins and minerals (micronutrients)
• Inclusion of grains

Dogs are best described as omnivorous carnivores (also called facultative carnivores). This means that while dogs are biologically adapted to thrive on animal-based proteins, they are also capable of digesting and utilizing nutrients from plant sources.

Because of this:

• Dogs can safely and effectively digest carbohydrates
• Grains can be a healthy and appropriate energy source
• Dogs do not require a strictly animal-based diet like cats do
• Balanced dog diets include proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals

We recommend grain-inclusive diets for dogs. This recommendation is based on ongoing research linking certain grain-free diets to diet-associated heart disease, including dilated cardiomyopathy. While the exact mechanisms and full scope of these associations are still being studied, there is currently no proven health benefit to grain-free diets for most dogs.

Because we do not yet fully understand the long-term risks associated with grain-free diets, we take a “better safe than sorry” approach and recommend grain-inclusive options unless there is a specific medical reason not to.

Our Approach to Cat Nutrition

Cats are nutritionally very different from dogs. They are obligate carnivores, meaning they require nutrients that are found naturally in animal-based proteins and fats and cannot adequately synthesize them from plant sources.

Because of this:

• Cats require higher levels of dietary protein
• Certain amino acids, such as taurine, must be supplied in the diet
• Carbohydrate metabolism differs significantly from dogs
• Diet formulation for cats must be especially precise

For cats, diet selection is particularly important, and recommendations are tailored carefully to life stage, medical conditions, and feeding preferences to ensure nutritional adequacy.

The Role of Wet Food in Cat Health

From a nutritional and physiologic standpoint, wet (canned) diets offer several important advantages for cats, and their benefits are well supported by veterinary research.

Wet food diets:

• Are much lower in carbohydrates than dry diets
• Provide significantly higher moisture content, supporting hydration
• More closely resemble a cat’s natural prey-based diet
• Can support urinary tract health and kidney function
• Are often beneficial for weight management and diabetes control

Most dry cat foods contain approximately 45–55% carbohydrates, which is far higher than what cats are biologically adapted to consume. While cats can survive on dry food, they are not metabolically designed to thrive on high-carbohydrate diets long term.

Hydration Matters for Cats

Cats have a naturally low thirst drive and are designed to obtain much of their water intake from food. Diets with higher moisture content can help:

• Reduce the risk of chronic dehydration
• Support urinary tract health
• Decrease the workload on the kidneys over time

For many cats, especially those with kidney disease, urinary issues, obesity, or diabetes, wet food diets are strongly preferred when feasible.

A Balanced, Practical Approach

That said, feeding cats is not always simple. Preference, budget, lifestyle, and medical conditions all play a role. While wet food offers many advantages, the “best” diet is one a cat will reliably eat and that meets nutritional standards.

We often recommend:

• Fully wet diets when possible
• Combination feeding (wet + dry) when appropriate
• Thoughtful transitions to avoid food aversion

As with all nutrition recommendations, decisions should be individualized and guided by your cat’s health, preferences, and medical needs.

Raw Diets

Raw diets are a topic many pet parents ask about, and we understand the desire to feed minimally processed foods. However, based on current veterinary research and consensus, raw diets are not recommended for most pets.

Research has consistently shown that raw diets carry documented risks, including:

• Significantly increased risk of bacterial contamination (specifically Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria), which can affect pets and people handling the food
• Increased infection risk to immunocompromised individuals in the household, including children, elderly family members, pregnant individuals, and those with chronic illness
• Nutritional imbalances, particularly in home-prepared or improperly formulated raw diets

Importantly, there is no strong evidence showing clear health benefits of raw diets over properly formulated cooked or commercial diets that meet established nutritional standards. While some pets may appear to do well short-term, the long-term safety and nutritional adequacy of raw diets remain uncertain.

Our approach is more about risk awareness and lack of evidence-based medicine. If you are currently feeding a raw diet or considering one, we are happy to discuss this with you.

Certified Nutrition Support

Our technician Brie is a certified pet nutrition coach and works closely with our veterinarians to support individualized feeding plans. Her role includes:

• Calculating daily caloric needs
• Adjusting feeding plans over time
• Supporting healthy weight management
• Assisting with diet transitions and appetite challenges

This collaborative approach allows us to provide nutrition guidance that is both medically sound and practical for real life.

Trusted Nutrition Resource

We recommend the Pet Nutrition Alliance website as a reliable, evidence-based resource for pet owners. Their tools help caregivers better understand:

• How many calories a pet actually needs
• How to evaluate diets beyond marketing claims
• Why portion size matters more than volume

We are always happy to review this information with you and help apply it to your pet’s individual needs.