Pawsitively Healthy Nourishing Your Pup with Hills Prescription

5 Things to Know When Feeding Your Dog Hills Prescription Diet

The following article was written in partnership with Hills.

Precisely balanced nutrition is vital to the overall health and development of dogs, no matter their age, size, breed, or health status. At Hills, we know pets with certain health conditions can benefit from the specialized nutritional support that the Prescription Diet portfolio offers.

How Hills Prescription Diet Dog Food Works

The Hills Prescription Diet brand includes foods aimed to help veterinarians manage a range of health conditions for dogs (and cats). Hills Prescription Diet foods have undergone extensive testing to ensure they meet the nutritional requirements for the specific health condition(s) they are recommended for.

Nutrition can play a role in how veterinarians manage certain conditions. Some examples could include:

Your veterinarian plays an important role in recognizing more or less subtle conditions that can benefit from therapeutic nutrition.

Your Vet Can Determine If Your Dog Needs a Hills Prescription Diet

To determine if your pet should eat a Hills Prescription Diet food, your vet will start with a thorough physical exam and ask you questions about your dogs lifestyle and behaviors.

After the exam, they may recommend additional diagnostics (such as blood work, cytology, urinalysis, or diagnostic imaging) to help properly diagnose your pet and rule out other conditions. This will help your vet formulate a comprehensive care plan, including a nutritional recommendation.

In my experience as a practicing veterinarian, the cases where nutrition is most frequently recommended are when the dog has an underlying condition related to any of the following conditions: urinary care, kidney care, skin/allergy care, weight management, and digestive care.

Hills Prescription Diet and Obesity in Dogs

When it comes to weight loss, its important to look at everything the pet is eating during the day. The easiest place to start is cutting out any extra calories like treats and table scraps.

However, most pets that are carrying excess weight do not benefit from caloric restriction from treats alone. In fact, just feeding a pet a smaller amount (or fewer calories) of their normal food is not recommended and may lead to nutritional deficiencies.

Several Hills Prescription Diet foods are specifically formulated to help your pet lose weight. Wherever you see Metabolic or + Metabolic, this means that the food contains our synergistic blend of fibers from fruits and vegetables that activates the bodys natural ability to burn excess fat rather than store it.

This means that your pups metabolism will act more like the metabolism of a lean pet while ensuring that their nutritional and caloric needs are being met.

Results with Hills Prescription Diet

Every pet and health condition is unique and may respond differently when fed Prescription Diet foods. However, Hills performs extensive research and clinical studies to create specific and relevant product claims for Prescription Diet products.

To learn more about research conducted and results seen in our clinical studies for specific foods, visit hillspet.com or talk to your veterinarian.

Always talk to your veterinarian about their expectations and any important milestones to look for when giving your pet a Prescription Diet food.

Work with Your Veterinarian When Introducing a Hills Prescription Diet

Its important to work closely with your veterinarian when switching your pup to a new food. Your veterinarian will help you determine how much your pet should eat based on the specific food and your pet's ideal weight and lifestyle. Youll work together to create a feeding transition plan prior to switching to the new food.

Its important that the feeding transition is slow and gradual to ensure that your pet will eat the new food and reduce the chances of any GI upset. We recommend seven to 10 days to fully transition to the new foodbut for pickier patients, it may take longer.

Therapeutic nutrition can play an important role in managing your pets health. These foods have undergone extensive testing to ensure that they are precisely balanced and are an appropriate part of your veterinarian's treatment plan to manage your pets health condition.

Since these foods are only fed under the recommendation of your veterinarian, be sure to ask at your next appointment if a Hills Prescription Diet product is right for your pet.

Hills Prescription Diet FAQs

Do I need a prescription for Hills Prescription Diet?

Prescription Diet foods do not require a traditional prescription, but they do require a recommendation and approval from a licensed veterinarian. Schedule an appointment to ask your veterinarian to assess your pets health and nutritional needs.

How long can a dog be on Hills Prescription Diet?

Your veterinarian will advise what feeding plan is best for your pets nutritional needs. The majority of Prescription Diet products are suitable for long-term feeding.

How long does it take for Hills Prescription Diet to work in a dog?

Every pet and health condition is unique and may respond differently when fed Prescription Diet foods. However, Hills performs extensive research and clinical studies to help demonstrate the efficacy of many Prescription Diet products.

Always talk to your veterinarian about their expectations and any important milestones to look for when feeding a Prescription Diet food.

My pet is picky. Can I mix in other foods with the Prescription Diet food?

Never feed or supplement other foods without checking with your veterinarian first. When your pet is eating a Prescription Diet, it is important to feed only that food for optimal compliance to your veterinarians treatment plan.

If youre worried that your pet will crave more variety, talk to your veterinarian about what other flavor or form options (such as dry, stew, or pt) are available.

Featured Image: iStock.com/VYCHEGZHANINA

WRITTEN BY

Kristin Wuellner, DVM

Veterinarian

Dr. Kristin Wuellner is a fun-loving veterinarian with interests that extend beyond the exam roomshes passionate about how client...

Hill's PRESCRIPTION DIET Gastrointestinal Biome Hondenvoer met Kip

Hill's PRESCRIPTION DIET GI hondenvoer is samengesteld met ActivBiome+ technologie, een unieke mix van prebiotica, waarvan klinisch is aangetoond dat het binnen 24 uur een regelmatige, gezonde ontlasting bevordert en het risico op herhaling helpt verminderen. Dit voer voor honden met een gevoelige maag is samengesteld om een gezonde ontlasting te bevorderen en de algehele spijsvertering te ondersteunen. Dit droogvoer voor honden is gemaakt met kip en heeft een heerlijke smaak waar je hond dol op zal zijn.

De spijsvertering van je hond kan door veel dingen negatief worden benvloed en wanneer je hond spijsverteringsproblemen heeft, is dit een zeer onaangename ervaring voor alle betrokkenen. Het goede nieuws is dat jij je hond kunt helpen zich beter te voelen met een voeding die vezelgevoelige spijsverteringsproblemen op een revolutionaire manier aanpakt, door de gezondheid van het microbioom het unieke darmecosysteem van je huisdier centraal te stellen.

Het is belangrijk om PRESCRIPTION DIET Gastrointestinal Biome Digestive Care Hondenvoer te blijven voeren om de spijsvertering van je hond gezond te houden, ook wanneer de symptomen of klachten verdwijnen. Raadpleeg je dierenarts voor meer informatie over hoe PRESCRIPTION DIET voeding je hond kan helpen om te blijven genieten van een gelukkig en actief leven.

Smakelijke voeding die het leven van je huisdier helpt te veranderen. Omdat ze van jou afhankelijk zijn streven wij ernaar om het best mogelijke voer te leveren. Met een wetenschappelijk onderbouwde samenstelling om je hond in zijn of haar unieke gezondheidsbehoeften te voorzien, is PRESCRIPTION DIET Hondenvoer de geschikte voeding die ze nodig hebben voor een lang en gelukkig leven.

We produceren ons hondenvoer met ingredinten van de hoogste kwaliteit. Deze ingredinten moeten aan onze strenge voorwaarden voor zuiverheid en voedingswaarde voldoen.

Jij kan het verschil maken in het leven van asieldieren. Met elke aankoop van Hill's PRESCRIPTION DIET help je ons meer dan 100.000 asieldieren te voeren, 365 dagen per jaar. Lees hier meer over op hillspet.nl/shelter-program / hillspet.be/nl-be/shelter-program.

Hill's PRESCRIPTION DIET Hondenvoer is verkrijgbaar in verschillende varianten droogvoer voor de unieke behoeften van je hond, en als natvoer in vele heerlijke smaken waar je hond dol op zal zijn.

Nourishing Your Pup: Tips for a Healthy Dog Food Diet

As dog owners, we all want the best for our canine companions. We do our best to keep them happy and healthy, from giving them lots of love and indulging them in activities to making sure they have a cozy place to sleep. However, have you ever given their food bowl some thought?

Although a dogs general health depends on a good diet, getting started might be difficult. Thats why weve put together this guide on Nourishing your Pup, with some useful tips for a healthy dog food diet. So lets dive right in and learn how to give your dogs the best start in life through proper nutrition.

Understanding Your Dogs Nutritional Requirements

Dogs have unique nutritional needs that are necessary to stay healthy and strong. Heres a breakdown of the different nutrients your pup needs and the recommended proportions for each.

• Protein is essential for building and maintaining muscle, growth, development, and repair. The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) recommends that adult dogs receive at least 18% of their diet from protein sources. In comparison, puppies should receive at least 22%.
• Fat provides energy and helps keep skin and the coat healthy.

According to the National Research Council, the recommended minimum and maximum total fat intake for a normal and healthy adult dog is 13.8g and 82.5g per 1000 kcal, respectively.

• Fiber is important for digestion and can help keep your pup regular. The AAFCO recommends that adult dogs receive at least 5% of their diet from fiber sources, while puppies should receive at least 8%.
• Carbohydrates are an important energy source, but they should make up a much smaller portion of your pups diet. An adult dogs diet can contain up to 50% carbohydrates(1).

Its important to remember that puppies have much higher energy needs than adult dogs, so they should receive puppy-specific food high in calories and nutrients. Experts atPetzyo.com.ausuggest giving wet food to puppies as this is a great way to transition them from nursing to eating adult dog food.

Wet food is also gentler on the milk teeth of small pups. Senior dogs may require a lower fat and calorie diet to prevent weight gain. On the other hand, active dogs may need more protein and fat to maintain energy levels.

By understanding your pups nutritional needs, you can ensure they are getting the right balance of nutrients in their diet. This will help keep them happy and healthy for years to come.

Reading Suggestion:Happy Dog Food Review and Recommendations

Choosing the Right Dog Food

It would help if you considered your dogs age and specific nutritional needs when selecting the right food. For example, puppies have different nutritional needs than adult dogs, and seniors may require specialized diets. Talk to your vet about their specific needs and which food best meets them.

Different breeds have different dietary requirements, so look for food tailored to your dogs breed. Avoid artificial ingredients, fillers, and by-products at all costs. You should instead look for a natural food made up of vegetables, meat, fruit, and seeds, such asNatures Blend by Dr. Marty.

Feeding Tips for a Healthy Diet

Once you have chosen the right food for your dog, its now time to focus on how to feed your dog to ensure theyre getting all the nutrition they need. Here are some important tips to keep in mind:

How Much to Feed Your Dog

Determining how much to feed your dog can be tricky, as it depends on several factors, including age, weight, activity level, and overall health. A good starting point is to follow the guidelines provided on the dog food packaging. Still, keeping an eye on your dogs weight and adjusting its food intake as needed is important.

If your dog is overweight, you may need to reduce its food intake and increase exercise to help them have a healthy weight. On the other hand, if your dog is underweight, you may need to increase its food intake to help them gain weight.

How Often to Feed Your Dog

How often you feed your dog again depends on its age, weight, and activity level. While pups and senior dogs may need three meals or fewer, most adult dogs do well with two meals daily.

To regulate your dogs digestion, stick to a feeding plan. It will help you to keep an eye on their dietary habits and modify them as necessary.

Recommended Read: Best Dog Food For Allergies

The Importance of Portion Control

Maintaining portion control is important for ensuring that your dog gets all the nutrition they need without overfeeding. Overfeeding can lead to obesity and other health problems like joint problems, heart disease, and diabetes.

Final Words

To sum it up, its important to consider the age, breed, activity level, ingredients, and Pet Food Brands when selecting the best food for your dog. With the right food, you can be sure your pup gets the nutrition they need to live a long and healthy life.