Dogs and Cats are put on Prescription Diets as a therapeutic way to manage or cure an illness.
Good nutrition is a big part of keeping your pet healthy. This means finding a well balanced diet that your pet both likes and is good for him; one that has a good combination of ingredients and is not limited to any one type. Feeding your pet a limited diet like this may actually be harmful. Grain for example is not harmful, it is actually beneficial to their nutritional balance. However, at sometime in your pet’s life he may need to be put on a special diet due to an allergy, illness, or age related symptom. When this happens your veterinarian may prescribe a special diet.
These special diets are pet foods available only from your veterinarian and can be a valuable tool in the management of many canine and feline diseases.
Prescription Diets can be used alone or in conjunction with medications to manage or cure many disorders. Each specific prescription diet is designed for a specific disease.
Sometimes these Rx diets are used short term to handle acute diseases and sometimes they are used lifelong to manage symptoms and prevent progression or recurrence of disease.
For example, Hill’s Prescription Diet I/D (Intestinal Diet) is used short term because your dog or cat has to be on a bland diet. Others diets such as Hill’s C/D (Crystal Diet), and Royal Canine SO (Struvite Oxalate) are used for urinary tract disorders, and Hill’s Y/D used for thyroid problems in cats, are lifelong prescriptions.
Like any prescription, these foods cannot be substituted by over the counter “medications”. Be wary of off-the-shelf pet foods claiming to give the same results. As with any diet the more cheating you do, the worse it can be for your pet. Always talk to your veterinarian before giving any other food or treat if they are on a prescription diet.
Be careful of marketing ploys that push the latest fad. Boutique pet food companies may tout grain free, gluten free or raw. Raw diets however, may be harmful (as they can carry salmonella, potentially harmful to humans). Before changing your pet’s diet speak with your veterinarian first. For additional information about pet nutrition visit: https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/animal-health-and-welfare/nutrition-matters.
Tags: bland diet, Hills Prescription Diet, pet nutrition, Prescripiton Diets for Pets, Royal Canine diet, Rx diets for pets, Special diets for pets, thyroid diet, Urinary diet
