Anasazi Animal Clinic

Pet Food

Proper nutrition for your pet is the key to providing him with a long healthy life. Cat

Many people have questions regarding which is the best food for their pet. Dogs and cats are as individual as people and no one diet is right for every pet at every stage in their life. The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) sets pet food-manufacturing guidelines. It is up to Federal and State agencies to enforce these guidelines. Recommendations to help you choose the right well balanced for your pet include:

Choose a reputable company who lists a phone number with their name and address on the label. Manufactures of a high quality product generally welcome consumer calls and questions.
Beware of products that read, "packed for" or "distributed by." The company whose name appears on the bag may not manufacture the food. Top quality and consistency controls may not be monitored closely.
Read the label.
- Name - The name tells you how much of an ingredient is in the food. Example: if beef formula is in the title, at least 25% of the diet is beef.
- Ingredient panel - Ingredients are listed in descending order according to weight before cooking. The first ingredient in dry food should be a source of high quality animal protein.
- Guaranteed analysis - The label should include a chart of percentages called the guaranteed analysis. Minimum percentage of protein and fat and maximum percentage fiber and moisture should be listed.
- Nutritional adequacy - If this statement includes animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures,� the food was actually fed to dogs at that life stage and found to be adequate. If the AAFCO statement reads meeting nutrient profiles the dog food has not necessarily ever been fed to dogs. Laboratory analysis was used to compare to industry standards.
- Recommended feeding amounts - In general, label directions for a 10 lb dog that advise � - � cup per day have a better digestibility, thus, have higher nutrients available for your pet per unit weight than one that requires 1 - 2 cups of food for the same 10 lb dog. Thus, less expensive foods may only seem to be a bargain.
- Look for animal fats - In general, vegetable oils are not digested and absorbed by animals.
- Look for whole grains - Whole grains have more nutritional value than fillers such as brewer's rice.
- Look for animal protein sources - One of the first ingredients should be chicken, beef, lamb or meals. Meal is meat (striated muscle) rendered to a dry form. By products are organ viscera, bone and blood and also have nutrition value

For your convenience, we offer a wide range of Hill's and Waltham prescription diets. Nonprescription diets are stocked in limited quantities and can be ordered and received in a few days. Please call ahead to verify that your requested product is in stock.

Please see below for information on specific products

Hill's Science Diet
Hill's Prescription Diet

Pet disease information and conditions that may require a prescription diet to be prescribed are listed below. Please keep your pet healthy by keeping yourself informed. Learn about the warning signs and symptoms of many common pet diseases.

Allergy and Food Intolerance
Brain Aging and Behavioral Changes
Cancer
Dental Disease
Developmental Growth Disorders
Diabetes
Gastrointestinal Disorders
Heart Disease
Kidney Disorders
Liver Disorders
Serious Illness, Accidents, and Surgery
Urinary Tract Disease
Weight Management

Waltham ROYAL CANIN Canine Veterinary Diets
Waltham ROYAL CANIN Feline Veterinary Diets

Waltham also offers a complete range of therapeutic diets for dogs with special health concerns, including:

Allergies
Arthritis
Colitis
Constipation
Diabetes
Diarrhea
Dietary sensitivity
Digestive disorders
Growth
Heart disease
Joint problems
Kidney disease
Obesity
Pancreatic disease
Skin disease
Urinary disease
Vomiting

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