If you’ve ever had to buy a prescription diet food for your pet, you know how expensive it can be. You may have wondered whether or not the high cost was justified and what benefits your pet received from eating these special foods.
This article will explain why prescription diets are so costly, when they should be used, and which ones are best for your pet.
What Are Formula Diet Foods?
If your pet has a specific health problem, you may be considering feeding him or her a formula diet food. But before you switch to this type of food, let’s talk about what it is and why you might want to consider it.
Formula diet foods are specially formulated to meet the nutritional needs of pets with specific health problems. They’re not meant as substitutes for balanced diets or healthy lifestyles. You can check Purina Pro Plan which helps take care of digestive health.
They are designed only for those who need special care because they have specific health problems. It can’t be addressed with other types of diets or by changing their lifestyle habits.
What Health Problems Can Be Treated?
Several health problems can be treated with formula diet foods, but they typically only work when your pet has a specific condition. For example, if your cat has kidney disease and is undergoing dialysis, then a renal kibble may be beneficial for them to eat.
Similarly, dogs with heart disease could benefit from eating an energy-dense meal like Hills Prescription Diet Canine Hearty Medleys Chicken & Rice Adult Formula Canned Dog Food.
Liver Disease
Liver disease is one of the most common health problems in dogs. The liver is a large organ located on the right side of your dog’s abdomen, and it plays a vital role in many different body functions. These include digestion, metabolism, hormone secretion and absorption from food, blood clotting, and breaking down toxins (among many others).
If you suspect that your dog may have liver disease, there are several things to look for:
- Jaundice – this means that their skin or gums will appear yellowish-orange when they’re exposed to light; jaundice can be subtle or severe
- Loss of appetite – this is especially true if they’ve been eating normally up until now
- Diarrhea or vomiting – these are symptoms associated with many types of liver disease; intestinal bleeding can also be an indicator of severe damage to this organ
Urinary Stones
Urinary stones can be quite a nuisance to your pet. They are essentially small deposits of minerals and salts that form in the urinary tract due to an imbalance of uric acid and calcium in the blood, as well as other factors.
The deposits can vary in size, ranging from microcrystalline to large stones that obstruct urine flow. Most urinary stones aren’t painful but they may cause symptoms such as blood in the urine, straining to urinate, or passing only a small amount of urine at one time (which means more bathroom breaks!).
Treatment will depend on how large the stone is and how much damage it has caused. However, there are some things you can do at home right away:
- Increase water intake – 70% of all cases resolve spontaneously once regular drinking habits have been established (1-2 cups per day)
- Reduce sodium intake – reduce animal foods high in sodium such as meat byproducts or table scraps containing salty foods like bacon bits
- Avoid phosphate additives – fillers found in cat food formulas contain high amounts of phosphorus which increase the risk for the formation of struvite crystals when combined with bacteria from urine buildup behind the blockage
Kidney Disease
If your dog has kidney disease, you may have been recommended to feed him or her a special formula diet food. These diets are designed to reduce the amount of protein and phosphorus in your pet’s diet, which helps prevent damage to their kidneys.
Many factors contribute to kidney disease. If your dog is overweight, this can put extra strain on his or her organs and make it harder for them to work properly. If a dog has been eating table scraps or feeding treats all day long, this can also negatively affect his or her digestion system by adding too much fiber into the body too quickly.
Weight Reduction or Obesity
There are many ways to tell if your pet is overweight. If you have a dog, the easiest way is to look at the area below its rib cage and above its waist. The skin should be taut and not bulging outward. If it is, then your dog is probably overweight.
Look at your cat’s ribs and see if they are visible underneath his fur. In most cats, there should be a layer of fat on top of their rib cage that helps hold warmth in during cold weather or when they eat something fatty like chicken or fish oil (this means you may want to give these foods to your cat instead of dry kibble). If you can see his ribs, then he’s underweight for sure!
It’s also important that we talk about what makes an animal a healthy weight versus an unhealthy weight. Sometimes people get confused about this topic. There’s no clear answer on how much food should be given per day based on the size/type of animal (dog vs cat).
Pancreatitis or Intestinal Diseases
Pancreatitis is a digestive disease in which the pancreas becomes inflamed. The pancreas, located along with other organs in the abdominal cavity, produces enzymes that aid digestion. When it becomes inflamed, pancreatitis can be dangerous to your pet’s health; it can even cause death if not treated properly.
Arthritis and Other Diseases of Aging
What Is Arthritis? Arthritis is a disease of aging, often affecting older pets. The most common joint affected by arthritis is the hip joint, but other joints such as the knee, elbow, and shoulder can also become inflamed and painful. The condition causes inflammation in the joints which leads to pain when walking or moving around.
What Causes Arthritis? The exact cause of arthritis isn’t known but it’s thought to be due to wear on the cartilage in your pet’s joints. This can occur due to trauma such as jumping off furniture onto hard floors or repetitive motion like running after another dog at high speed!
Conclusion
We hope that this article has helped to clear up the confusion around formula diet foods and their proper use. Additionally, some pet health insurance companies like Bivvy offer affordable coverage options that protect your pet in case of an accident or illness. This can be an excellent option to mitigate vet-related expenses and keep your furry friend happy and healthy for years to come.
