Nutrition

Cats can get a bad rep for being finicky eaters, but research by the Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition suggests otherwise. A study looking at the flavour, aroma and nutrition of cat foods found that even unappealing flavours can be a cat’s preferred choice if the nutritional content is right. The study by Mars Petcare showed that cats are able to …

Why are labradors so greedy? A new study claims to finally have the answer! The study, supported by the Wellcome Trust, Medical Research Council Metabolic Diseases Unit, found genetic links between labrador retrievers and their motivation for food. These findings are one of the first to directly link a gene to canine obesity. There is no doubt that labradors tend to be …

A new pet obesity report, ‘Pet Obesity: Five Years On’ published by the PFMA (Pet food manufacturers’ association) uncovers how the problem of pet obesity has developed over the past five years.

A recent study reported that a number of hypoallergenic pet foods were actually contaminated with undeclared animal by-products that could cause allergic responses. Hypoallergenic diets are an important diagnostic tool for determining pet food allergies, however the study discovered that 10 of the 12 limited antigen diets contained undeclared avian, mammalian or fish DNA (e.g. bone, protein and fats). This …

We’ve compiled a list of what we think are the 12 best supplements for your dog, including vitamins, minerals, prebiotics, probiotics and more. Supplements are becoming increasingly popular in the companion animal industry, following the successes of the human supplement industry. So we’ve taken a look at just what those supplements are actually proven to do. Take a look through …

We all know how important diet and nutrition are in maintaining good health, for both ourselves and our pets. This is why it is important to provide our animals with a varied diet, to ensure that they receive all the nutrients they need and to prevent deficiencies. Whilst we may feed certain foodstuffs to correct or prevent deficiency, an increasing number of …

A recent study by Cats Protection investigated whether cat owners believed their cats to be overweight or not. Of the 1,120 owners asked, 23% of them deemed their cats to be overweight. The true figure of cats that would fall in to the overweight category is likely to be even higher than that. The study was conducted right after the …

In recent months, there has been a rise in the number of premium pet food products containing EPA and DHA for dogs. EPA and DHA are simply omega-3 fatty acids – already proving popular as a human supplement.

Being a pet owner brings responsibilities as well as privileges. One of the most important responsibilities is making education decisions about what is best for your pet. For most cat owners, sterilisation (neutering) is one of these educated decisions. In fact around 90% of cats in the UK are neutered (Murray, 2009).

Pregnant dogs require very different nutritional needs than normal dogs and it’s important to educate yourself on them, if you plan on becoming a breeder or if your pet has fallen pregnant by chance. The stages a female canine goes through is very stressful on her and her body and will require certain steps and proper care for her journey …