If you have pets around the house it is not only your own diet you should be paying attention to
UNTIL the 19th century caring owners fed their pet’s table scraps, with hunting dogs lying under dining tables in draughty castles patiently waiting for the odd leg of mutton, or half gnawed chicken to be thrown at them. It wasn’t until 1860 that Englishman James Spratt produced the first commercial dog biscuit, others then followed suit and canned dog food first went on sale in the 1930s, followed by food mixtures called ‘meal’.
Throughout the 40s and right up to the early 50s little was really known about the nutrient needs of companion animals, with many unscrupulous manufacturers having been found to be churning out dubious foodstuffs gleaned from the abattoir floor.
Then a company arrived on the scene that was to change our perceptions about what was correct, nourishing, and acceptable for pets. An American, Paul Iams dreamed of creating the world’s best dog food. His nutritional philosophy was based on extensive research that proved both cats and dogs are best fed as carnivores.
It was through talking to breeders, vets and other experts that Iams came to understand the importance of protein to a dog’s health. He added more fat and protein than was considered healthy at the time. This revolutionary product became the world’s first meat-based, dry, complete food and was called Iams 999 to imply that it was almost perfect.
Fifty-five years later the company’s mission for nutritional excellence has succeeded with the Iams and Eukanuba range of animal foodstuffs available in over 70 countries worldwide. The most decisive quality highs of the Eukanuba and Iams products are the ingredients. Only the best are used, with mighty stiff production controls in place to ensure that their high standard is maintained.
Because dogs and cats are carnivores, these products contain high levels of animal components, in the form of meat, greases, fish, and egg compared to other products where animal components are replaced with vegetarian options to save costs, and which have little or no lasting benefit to the animals. If your pet displays a dull skin with pulpy, large and frequent stools then these are the very first signs that your pup needs a dietary overhaul.
OK, the Eukanuba range is not exactly cheap, but if one looks not only at the guaranteed dietary benefits, but also the fact that with a cheaper dog food you would have to feed your animal three to four times as much a day more, than with Eukanuba that means that even the cheapest food becomes expensive. What a happy owner and a contented pet is looking for as far as health is concerned is a balanced Omega 6.3 fatty acid relationship of 5-10 for healthy skin and hair. Eukanuba uses beet pulp as it’s an easy fermentative fibre, giving that all essential support to the intestinal health of an animal. Then there’s the nutrients found in fish meal, canola, and linseed – all these are combined in a foodstuff to help with blood problems. Included will also be digestible carbohydrates for the supplying of quick spurts of energy, then there’s special needs foodstuffs, in particular a range aimed at the older pets and their special dietary needs as they get a bit long in the canines.
Puppies are also well taken care off with the development of a rich, nutrient dense diet that can help build bones and muscles and service the huge energy levels of puppies, which is around four times that of an adult dog.
Now, for those who have been happily serving up canned dog food to their mutts, there will be that awful feeling of ‘Oh no I can’t now make such a huge change in my dog’s eating habits, he or she will never go for it’.
The answer is simple enough. If you love your animal and want the best for it and wish it to live a decent amount of years then you have to reconsider its diet as critical to this cause.
l All good veterinary clinics now stock Eukanuba and Iams products.
For your chance to win six months worth of Eukanuba dog food send us a picture of your pet, its name and age. We will print the best pictures in a future issue of the magazine.
Entries must reach us by Monday April 4. Send them to [email protected] or by post to PO Box 21144, 1502 Nicosia. Make sure you include your full name and contact details
And what about oral hygeine…
DESCRIBED as the original Smart Treat, Greenies is the canine equivalent of a visit to the dentist for a quick brush up and polish. So if your Fido has fearsome bad breath – get him a Greenies to chew on, and he will then smell sweeter and hopefully, if used regularly, his teeth wont fall out.
Greenies are 100 per cent edible and highly digestible. Key to this treat is the claim that it reduces tartar and plaque, it also contains no artificial preservatives, colour or flavours, and importantly dogs absolutely adore the taste. Only one thing, if your dog, like mine, is super addicted to these treats and devours them twice a week, there does result in a green tinge to their ‘poo’, no worries however as that’s just a result of consuming harmless chlorophyll which is a key ingredient and natural breath freshener.
l Depending upon the size of your dog you can pick Greenies to suit Petite at 45 cents, Regular at 75 cents, Large £1.25 and Jumbo at £2.50. Again most reputable veterinary clinics will stock them. www.greenies.com
Don’t forget the cats
New to Cyprus is Gourmet food for cats, with two types of luxury foodstuffs now available with the Grand Krug in the form of Gourmet Gold, and Gourmet Alu for more mature cats. You can’t miss these feline goodies as they display a super pampered Persian pussy on all the tins and packets.
Billed as being the cat food for the discerning puss, with six different flavours that almost (I said almost) look tempting enough to try out oneself if a case of the midnight munchies struck.
One good thing is the ‘no waste’ boast, with each can packing sufficient for one decent sized cat, and as we all know its usually after only about fifteen minutes lying in the food bowl your cat will then accuse you of leaving out stale food, but not so with this perfect portion control system from Gourmet. So if your cat is a carnivore or a piscatorial puss there is a flavour to pander to all of your pets temperamental taste buds.
