If you have a pet, you’ll know how important it is to keep them healthy. Your pets are more than just a member of your family — they’re also your best friend! As such, you must feed them the correct type of food so that they stay happy and healthy for as long as possible. Pet food is the food given to cats and dogs. It’s made from meat, fish, poultry, grains, and vegetables. Pet food in Australia isn’t just for dogs and cats, though—you can also buy it for other animals.
What food is good for pets?
Raw meats and bones (e.g., chicken bones) can cause choking, blockages, or punctures in the digestive tract.
Milk and dairy products can cause diarrhoea and digestive upset in many animals.
Most dogs can’t digest onions, garlic, grapes, raisins, and chocolate products. These foods may cause vomiting or anaemia in dogs who eat them regularly. Chocolate contains caffeine which can be poisonous to pets at certain levels; it also contains theobromine which is toxic to cats at relatively low levels of ingestion; it also has a substance called xanthine oxidase, which causes pain when it mixes with stomach acid during digestion. You should avoid pet food with any of these ingredients. Also, remember that human food cannot always be fed to pets as their nutrient requirements are different from humans. Also, pets cannot always tolerate food that is made for humans.
Dog food
Dog food is also made from meat, fish, and vegetables. It’s generally more nutritious than cat food. In Australia, cat food usually contains less protein than dog food. Cats need less protein because they’re smaller animals and don’t require as much energy to maintain their body weight.
Dogs are carnivores, so they need more protein than cats (around 30% more). This is because dogs have a higher metabolic rate than cats, meaning that they use up energy at a faster rate, which means they require more nutrients per day.
Cat food in Australia
It’s important to note that cats are obligate carnivores and have specific dietary needs. Cats need taurine, an amino acid found in meat products that can’t be synthesised by cats or dogs. Taurine deficiency leads to blindness and heart problems in cats; therefore, it’s essential to ensure any commercial pet food in Australia contains sufficient amounts of taurine.
Cats need specific vitamins: vitamin A for eye health; vitamin D for bone development; calcium for strong teeth and bones; and linoleic acid for skin and coat health (this omega-6 fatty acid is deficient in many commercially-available dry foods).
Which ingredients are bad for cats and dogs?
In the world of pet food, there are certain ingredients to be wary of. Cats are carnivores and require meat to maintain a healthy lifestyle; dogs, on the other hand, are omnivores and can eat vegetables and grains. Some common ingredients that contain corn or wheat include corn gluten meal, wheat gluten meal, soybean meal (which can also be found in cat food), rice hulls, and rice bran which often go into cheaper dry foods.
Corn syrup is another commonly used sweetener in Australia that should be avoided as it’s high on the glycemic index scale – meaning it spikes blood sugar levels quickly (and then drops them just as rapidly). Another ingredient to avoid is artificial colourings like FD&C yellow #5 , which have been shown to cause cancer in animals over long periods – but fortunately, these aren’t present in most commercial dog foods in Australia anymore!