Spotting the difference between dogs and cats

Do pet owners recognize the important differences between dogs and cats? While many of us may notice the physical and behavioral differences, there are distinct internal metabolic variations that impact their nutritional needs, as well. These have important implications for a pet’s diet.

Experts recommend owners to give their pets food that are specially formulated to supply their nutritional needs. Pet owners must never give a dog cat food or vice-versa because a dog’s nutritional needs differ from a cat’s nutritional requirements. As the voice of the US pet food and treat makers, the Pet Food Institute shares some of the major differences between a dog and cat’s diet.

Let’s go for a walk! Pet Food Institute shares tips on proper etiquette on dog walking

Taking a walk out in the park or neighborhood with your furry companion is a great way to provide social activity, help your dog stay healthy and prevent obesity. Pets need regular exercise – such as daily walks – to keep at a recommended weight, plus walks allow you and your dog to get acquainted with other pets and pet parents. While dog-walking is a fun and worthwhile activity, it can also be full of potential mishaps that could adversely affect other park-goers if proper etiquette is not observed.

As an advocate of responsible pet ownership, Pet Food Institute, through its campaign “Well-Fed, Well-Nurtured” in partnership with the Veterinary Practitioners Association of the Philippines, shares some tips for an enjoyable, worry-free dog-walking experience.

Make sure your pet is in good health

Too Much Love? : Steps to Prevent Overfeeding and Pet Obesity

Pet owners adore their furry companions and treat them just like a part of their family. Pets indeed have their unique ways to make their pet parents feel special, and owners reciprocate the love and affection through belly rubs, cuddles, and hearty meals and treats. Food can be a great way to strengthen a bond with a pet, but what most pet lovers don’t recognize is the tendency to overfeed.

Paired with insufficient exercise, overfeeding is a primary cause of obesity. An overweight pet means that it is consuming more calories than it actually needs which can severely lower the pet’s quality of life. The danger lies in several factors which include the nutritional inadequacy of foods given to pets, the frequency of feeding, and the lack of physical activity. When obesity strikes, the pet can be vulnerable to the risk of osteoarthritis, diabetes, certain cancers, heart and respiratory diseases, and other illnesses.

Pet Food Institute Launches Newly Designed Website

As the Voice of US Pet Food Makers, PFI Creates New Platform to Provide Pet Lovers with Information about Dog and Cat Food at www.petfoodinstitute.org

WASHINGTON - The Pet Food Institute (PFI), whose members make 98 percent of all U.S. pet food products, announces the relaunch of its new website at www.petfoodinstitute.org . The refreshed and redesigned website supports PFI’s mission of providing factual information about pet food safety and nutrition, and advocating for a transparent, science-based regulatory environment for its members.

Inside the New Website and Social Media Platform The website features pet food essentials, a newsroom, archive of public comments, and a new blog, The Whole Bowl. Content across the site will help pet lovers, media and other stakeholders find accurate information about how nutrition and safety drive today’s carefully crafted pet food recipes, and how the ingredients support these priorities. Visitors will also find information about how they can help to keep pets happy and healthy. PFI has launched a Twitter handle, found online at @USPetFood, to promote these digital resources.

The real score behind your pet’s finicky appetite

If you keep your pet active and happy by giving food, and yet your four-legged friend just sniffs it and walks away, your pet might be a picky eater. Most pets will eat everything without a moment’s hesitation, so it can be concerning why your dog or cat doesn’t show much enthusiasm during meal time.

As pet owners, you want to provide the best for your furry ones. The problem may be traced from the pet’s health or lifestyle, so a consultation from the most trusted vet is advised. To help determine the cause of your pet’s pickiness on food, the Pet Food Institute and the Veterinary Practitioners Association of the Philippines, through its Well Fed, Well Nurtured campaign, cite some contributing factors that make your pet a finicky eater.

Most recipes for cooking up trouble -Taking out the myth in the reality of feeding homemade pet food to your furry friend

One myth about pets that has emerged in recent years is that homemade food is superior to commercial products. Numerous recipes can be found on the Internet for homemade pet food, and several books have been published about the benefits of homemade food for dogs and cats. The reality is that the actual benefits of such concoctions do not measure up to the rhetoric.

Pet owners may think that cooking special meals for their pet is the way to show their love, but experts stress that nutritional deficiencies may arise because most of the recipes for homemade pet food do not provide the vitamins, minerals or other key nutrients their pet needs to stay healthy.

Most pet food products on the market are designed to provide total nutrition for pets. Such complete and balanced products contain the right balance of protein, fat, fiber and carbohydrates. Complete and balanced products provide between 42 and 48 required nutrients, including specific vitamins, minerals, fatty acids and amino acids. "Balancing all of those nutrients is complex, but that work is the day in and day out responsibility of commercial pet food manufacturer” said Dr. Angle Thompson president of Thompson Pet Tech.

A recent study conducted by a team of researchers at the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine analyzed 200 different recipes for home prepared dog foods. Recipes were selected from websites, veterinary textbooks and pet care books. The findings were startling: 95 percent of the recipes were deficient in least one essential nutrient, and 84 percent were lacking in multiple required nutrients.

Dr. Jennifer Larsen, a board-certified veterinary nutritionist and one of the veterinarians who conducted the study, explained the challenge of developing a diet for homemade dog food, "Formulation of a balanced recipe is a computer driven process, since complex calculations are necessary to ensure appropriate amounts of each of 40+ essential nutrients are provided. It is difficult for the average pet owner — or even veterinarians — to do this without training and expertise in the various aspects of pet nutrition.” The study found that even recipes authored by veterinarians had significant problems with nutritional adequacy. However, although board certified veterinary nutritionists wrote only four of the recipes, all of these were found to be balanced.

Sergeant Canine at your Service: Working Dogs Need Care Too

PFI shares tips on proper pet care for working dogs

Manila, Philippines – Working dogs are a class apart from their fellow canines because of their impressive abilities to help humanity. As early as the 1920s, certain dog breeds were already being used to help blind veterans in Germany during World War I. Today, they are widely seen on duty as bomb sniffers, guard dogs, therapy dogs, or guide dogs doing a wide range of tasks to ensure humans’ safety, health, and security.

What Makes A Good Pet Owner?

For many owners, pets are considered to be part of the family. Pets play the role as a loyal companion and a source of happiness. While there are many benefits to having a furry friend, there are obligations owners must attend to. Pet ownership is a big duty because the life of the pet relies on the owner’s care. One of the most important factors in raising a pet is lifestyle. In addition, it is important to ensure a pet receives the nutrition it needs for a long, healthy and happy life.

Before taking a furry companion home or saying thanks to a friend who gave that puppy as present, take time to look in the mirror and see if that future pet owner has got what it takes to be a good one. The Well Fed, Well Nurtured campaign of the Pet Food Institute and the Veterinary Practitioners Association of the Philippines is steadfast in promoting responsible pet ownership through proper nutrition and proper pet care. As experts in veterinary practices, pet nutrition and pet care, PFI and VPAP suggest the following as best practices that every good pet owner would find helpful in caring for their pets.

Wonder Pets: Loyalty, Heroism and Unconditional Love

It’s always a wonderful treat for pet owners to feel that warm compassion from pets. Their devotion is unwavering especially because it is rooted from the owners’ love and care. While pets are naturally and unconditionally affectionate, it is important to improve the human-pet connection through responsible upbringing.

Pet Food Institute (PFI), the voice of the US pet food industry, believes that good nutrition leads to a healthy experience and long life for both owners and pet cats and dogs. With its Well-fed, Well-nurtured campaign geared towards responsible pet ownership through proper nutrition and care, PFI urges pet owners to practice responsible pet care as the key foundation in building a good relationship.

Key Things to Ask your Pet Doctor

Visiting the vet might not be a daily or weekly routine, but it is one of the activities that a pet owner must take very seriously. For most pet owners, a visit to the vet is only done at least once a year, or only when their pet gets sick. However, vets encourage pet owners to take their pet regularly for a checkup. Many health and dental issues can be tackled more effectively if they’re spotted early, and vets will be able to help you and your pet on animal health and illnesses.

Most people think raising too many questions repeatedly can be maddening for doctors. In fact, they don’t mind it at all. Pet owners should not hesitate to open up their concerns for their furry friends. Keeping a list of questions that you would like to ask will help both pet owners and vets.

A sPETacular Summer for You and Your Pet

There is no better season to enjoy the outdoors than the summer. Picnics, barbecues, pool parties and basking in the sun are only some of the fun-filled activities to do in the summer, and these become even more enjoyable with your furry companions. While the season brings the opportunity to have fun and bond with your cat or dog, it also brings the high temperatures that may expose your pet to several health risks.

With its renewed commitment to engage the Filipinos in responsible pet ownership through good nutrition and pet care, the Pet Food Institute’s Well-Fed, Well-Nourished campaign shares some tips on how to make each summer destination safe and fun for your pets.

Pet Weight Watch 2014: Good pet nutrition for all year long

Manila, Philippines –With a renewed commitment to reinforcing good pet health through proper nutrition, the Pet Food Institute (PFI) is set to further engage Filipino pet owners in its Well-Fed, Well-Nurtured campaign with a few tips aimed at leading pets to a healthy lifestyle.

Weigh In

Apart from monitoring a pet’s food intake, assessing its weight regularly is one of the principal steps in supporting good pet health. Pets become increasingly exposed to obesity and other common nutritional diseases when they do not follow an appropriate diet and lack physical activity. Evaluating the pet’s weight regularly can help ensure that it remains at an ideal weight to reduce the risk of developing serious health problems such as heart disease, breathing problems, diabetes, and cancer.

A Furry Buddy’s Guide to Christmas

Public awareness campaign shares practical holiday gift ideas for pets

The Christmas season spells the celebration of joy and gratitude for the gift of companionship from loyal pet cats and dogs. With Christmas day just around the corner, nothing says love better than a parade of presents for your pets. The Pet Food Institute’s (PFI) Well-fed, Well-nurtured campaign shares a few gift ideas to share the holiday cheer with your furry companions.

Pets Speak: The Time is now for Preventive Pet Health

The Well-Fed Well-Nurtured campaign continues to
guide the Philippine pet community to responsible
pet ownership through education on proper pet nutrition and care

Companion animals are loyal friends that bring joy to every pet owner. It is the companionship and devotion of a pet that forges a deep bond with people. By providing shelter, food, veterinary care and safety, pet owners are able to return that special affection and fulfill their responsibilities as a pet owner. 

In an effort to educate Filipino pet owners about responsible pet ownership, the voice of the United States’ pet food industry, Pet Food Institute (PFI) and the Veterinary Practitioners Association of the Philippines (VPAP) share their vision for a healthier Philippine pet community through the Well-Fed, Well-Nurtured campaign. The public awareness campaign shares preventive steps to help promote overall wellness and a long healthy life for pet cats and dogs.