Common Misconceptions About Pet Nutrition and How to Correct Them

Getting the right nutrition for your pet is vital to their growth and health. There’s a lot of information especially when it comes to pets’ nutrition. Sadly, not all information out there can be trusted. Here are common misconceptions about pet nutrition and how to correct them. 

1. CBD for Pets is a “Cure-All”

CBD is the short form of Cannabidiol, which is a compound extracted from the hemp plant. CBD is not intoxicative and has several health benefits, and that’s why it has gained prominence both for human and animal use.  Many pet owners see CBD products as a panacea. They are not totally to blame; CBD products manufacturers tend to market anything CBD as a miracle worker. Although CBD products for pets have several health benefits such as promoting appetite, relieving pain, boosting the body’s homeostasis, however, CBD is not a cure-all supplement. Besides, using CBD can sometimes trigger low blood pressure, dry mouth, diarrhea, and drowsiness as side effects.  

Tackling this misconception starts with you. If you’ve earlier perceived CBD as a cure-all solution to give your pets, you need to correct that notion. Also, compare various CBD products before settling for one. This comparison matters because it will ensure you go for high-quality CBD pet treats.  

2. Pets Can Be Fed Table Scraps

It is hard to keep eating without giving your pets part of it, especially if they give you those cute googly eyes. Most people say, “it is fine, give the pets a little of what you are eating; it would strengthen your bond.” Well, it is not appropriate to give your pets a piece of whatever you are eating.  

First, they might have allergies or react badly to the table scraps you feed them; you can never be sure. Chocolate, for instance, has a compound called theobromine. This compound is known to be lethargically harmful to dogs.  Feeding human food to pets could trigger diarrhea, pancreatitis, stomach pain, or some other medical condition.  

Second, feeding pets table scraps or snacks anytime could encourage begging. This is a behavior you do not want to promote because it is hard and almost impossible to correct. You can tackle this misconception first by avoiding eating snacks when your pets are close by, especially if you do not want to give them. Set a regular feeding pattern for your pets. Also, have a pet feeding bowl and feed them only from the bowl. This will help them learn that they only get to eat when you put the meal in their feeding bowl.  

3. Specially Designed Commercial Diets are Superior to Homemade Diets

While trying to market their products, pet food manufacturers frequently claim their meal formulas are superior to homemade pet meals. This is a subjective notion, and one must take each specific product into account before believing such a claim.  Some commercial pet foods are formulated with high-quality ingredients specially designed to improve your pets’ health, but not all commercial pet foods adhere to this.  To correct this misconception, you need to do topnotch research before buying any commercial product. Try not to just believe everything marketers say about the product. You’ll find out that knowledge is power when choosing pets’ food. Find out about the ingredients used in manufacturing the product and possible allergies your pet might react to.  

You also need to understand that labels can sometimes be misleading. Learn more than just what the label says before using the product. It might also help to check what previous users have to say about the product (reviews). Researching a product before introducing to your pet will reduce the risk of developing health challenges due to chemical-laced commercial pet diets.  

4. Homemade Diet Is Superior to Commercial Pet Products

In contrast to the previous misconception, some believe that a homemade diet is a superior than commercial diets.  Some people believe that homemade meals are better for their pets because they are quality-packed and free of additives. While this is partially true, commercial pet foods entail so much more than just preservatives and additives. Homemade pet diets rarely contain the total nutrient packages that your pets need to stay healthy. Quality commercial pet foods are specially formulated to contain nutritionally balanced components to help them stay healthy always.  

Preparing homemade pet foods that have similar quality will be stressful and time consuming. Besides, the kind of nutritionally-balanced homemade diet your pets need would be just too expensive to keep up with.  So, how do you handle this particular misconception? You can start by doing thorough research before dabbling into making homemade pet meals for your cuties. Instead of settling for solely commercial diets or exclusively homemade diets, you can do a mixture of the two.  

Conclusion 

Although, there are so many misconceptions about pet nutrition flying around, you can still pick the right nutrition for your pets and keep them healthy. You just have to visit the right sources for information concerning your pets’ diets. Your veterinary doctor or veterinary nutritionist should be your primary go-to for your pet-related information. Asides that, you could also visit verifiable web pages to know more.