Pets, we love them. If my children had a choice we’d have cats, dogs, horses, rabbits, lizards and goodness knows what else running around the house. If my house was bigger and I earnt more I’d be totally up for the idea, not sure my husband would though. But with pets comes great responsibility and I’m not just talking about the looking after, cleaning, walking etc that’s involved.
Did you know there are common illnesses that animals can develop that can be treated with the correct foods? It’s not something that many consider when getting a pet, but that people can discover further down the line.
Cats
Take for instance Cats. These cute cuddly furballs are great to have around. They are pretty independent yet in many cases love to sit on laps for a stroke and cuddle. Did you know like humans, cats can suffer from bladder stones? I know, something you’d never think of unless you had a cat that developed it. The good thing is, you can treat this through their diet with various types of food found at places like Pets at Home. It’s formulated to reduce the recurrence of stones. Great to be aware of should our little friend Poppy develop any problems.
Dogs
Dogs can also develop conditions we normally associate with humans too. Let’s use heart disease one of the largest killers in the UK when it comes to human illnesses as an example. Who doesn’t love dogs? They’re fun, affectionate and we care for them like our children (but they tend not to answer back, bonus!!!). Where a dogs diet isn’t well balanced they can develop heart disease. Might be best not to make feeding your dog table scraps a habit that’s for sure. Instead maybe try a 5* Which rated product Akela 80:20 Original Grain-Free Working Dog Food that can help keep the diet well managed. It has a great mix of ingredients to help keep “man’s best friend” nice and healthy and around to keep you company for many years.
Horses
When we visit the local stables there are a number of horses that are boarded there. My children love to go and see the horses and are even happier if they get to go riding (this is not very often though unfortunately). Whilst at the stables, I often talk to the other adults around and recently discovered from a lady that owns a horse that they can get Cushing’s disease. Well I hadn’t expected that. As in humans this condition is caused by a tumour in the pituitary gland which results in the excessive production of cortisol. Although not curable it is treatable. Cushing’s in horses can be treated with products from Spillers Horse Feeds. This can help them live fuller healthier lives than they otherwise would.
Rabbits
Rabbits teeth grow throughout their life. Did you know that? If they are not constantly grinding their teeth down eating fibre as they would in the wild then their teeth can grow to form sharp points. This will cause damage to their tongue and cheeks. The solution is simple, provide a fibre rich diet to help prevent this happening. Overgrown teeth can be avoided by providing a fresh supply of feeding hay and nuggets like those from Burgess Pet Care. These will naturally help keep their teeth worn down preventing overgrowth occurring.
Bearded Dragons
These fun little guys are great to have around. They can suffer from impaction (constipation) – when they eat something they can’t digest or that is hard to digest. Of course if your pet has this you’ll be seeing a vet. To help avoid this problem occurring try providing easy to digest foods like calci worms from places like exotic-pets.co.uk.
Have you heard of pets getting any of these conditions? Do you know of any other pet conditions that are treatable through diet?
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My cat got a stone in his bladder once, it was the most stressful time. I was sick with worry. Thankfully the vet was wonderful and fixed my little furry baby. We changed his diet and thank god we’ve had no problems since.
Katie xoxo
Oh wow I can imagine it would have been a worrying time. Animals become part of the family so I can imagine you would have been very worried when they were ill. Glad they’re better and that you were given advice in relation to food that helps prevent recurrence x
I know from friends how expensive vets bills can be, so if there are alternative ways to treating animals which are much more cost effective and even proactive in helping them stay well then that’s a great thing.
Some foods can be used as preventatives to help avoid conditions. Of course if the animal needs the vet there isn’t always an option. It’s best to avoid it coming to that.
This is so useful, I hadn’t realised so much could be down to diet. Our cat once had a urinary problem I wonder is that was diet related.
This all makes a lot of sense, especially as we are tasked with keeping them healthy…often it is down to the human more than the animal if their diet is unhealthy for them!
It’s interesting to see that each animal can be helped through specific foods.
I knew about rabbit’s teeth but didn’t know about cats bladder stones – I have 2 cats so will def take this on board!
I know what you mean. It’s not something we really think about. I’m glad that people liked this piece and have learnt something new from it too x
I think for me one of the reasons I am not keen on pets is not knowing what to do when they get ill plus the vet bill. Thanks for this post lovely
Vet bills can be expensive. Insurance can really help.
My sister’s dachshund had eczema which she cured by changing his food, and recently he went on a big diet as he had a bad back, and it’s really helped!
It is great that animals can be helped by something so simple.
Vets can be super expensive so this blog post can save people so much money! I don’t have pets but I’ll be sure to pass this info onto my friends who do 🙂
Thanks Katie. I do hope this helps your friends and their pets x
I wasnt aware cats could get bladder stones, hope thats never an issue for my furball
Same here, I thought this might make an interesting read.
I had no idea you can also treat pet conditions through diet, this is very interesting. I didn’t know cats could suffer from bladder stones.
We do have an overweight cat. We’ve tried putting her on a diet but it doesn’t seem to matter. She’s just fat and cranky. Our other cat isn’t overweight at least!
This is all great to know. It’s nice that diet can be so helpful. I know how much a diet can affect anyone, even pets.
I do not own any pets and this was eye-opening. I didn’t know Rabbits can get bladder stones.
It is good to know that a lot of common pet problems can be treated through their diet. We are huge animal lovers here and I know my kids would have so many pets if they could.
It is great to have pets when growing up and as an adult.
Just like with humans, help begins with self-help, unless you really like those huge vet bills.
It’s nice that you are sharing this info. Visiitng the horses is nice. My granddaughter likes to ride, though she doesn’t get to do so often either.
Horses are lovely animals. I’d love to own one of my own.
I do believe a good diet for our pets is important, our dog was never ill and we are sure it was due to his diet. I am even learning on budgies diets now it is not all seed and millet
What cute pictures! I know diet makes a huge difference to the health of humans, so it stands to reason the same thing would be true for pets. I didn’t know animals suffered from some of these conditions and it’s great to know affordable ways we can combat it.
Indeed, nutrition can play a tremendous role in treating health issues in our dogs and cats. Thank you for this.
I’m not a pet owner but I didn’t know any of these conditions. It’s sad to hear about them but it’s good to know they’re curable. I’m a dog lover 🙂
It does help to know what you can treat just through diet.
This is good to know. Honestly, not a lot of people are still not aware that animals have their own special diet and continue to feed them human food. I believe that causes majority of our pets’ ailments.
That’s a wide variety of pets and conditions that can be improved or addressed through a specific diet, incredible!
There are way to many to mention here. It’s important as pet owners we make ourselves familiar with our pets requirements.
My cousin has a dog, and her dog has a problem with bladder stones. I will save your article and share it with my cousin.
Oh no, poor thing. I’d make sure she takes it to the vet who can advise.
Love this and I totally believe that diet can heal some animals and even people. Great tips here and my cat was just diagnosed with Diabetes and trying to get his weight under control to eventually help him to get off of insulin 😉 Fingers crossed!
Pawsitively enlightening! This highlights so well the power of proper nutrition in pet health. It’s amazing how diet can play a crucial role in treating various conditions. Here’s to happier and healthier furry companions!
Our diet can really affect us all. We control our pets diet so it’s only right we make sure we provide a healthy one.
I’ve done this for my kitties. I use the urinary tract food to keep them healthy!
It’s great to hear that you take their diet seriously x
Great information and I love that you provided it for a number of different animals instead of just dog/cats! It is always helpful to know extra ways to keep your pets at their happiest & healthiest.
Considering how similar dogs and humans can be regarding health conditions is incredible. Heart disease is such a severe issue for us, and it’s eye-opening to learn that our furry friends can also be affected by it. As dog owners, we must ensure our pets have the best diet possible to keep them healthy and happy. The Akela 80:20 Original Grain-Free Working Dog Food sounds like a great option to help manage their diet and keep them around for many years. After all, our dogs are more than just pets; they’re family!
Hey there, you’ve put together a super informative piece! It’s awesome how you shed light on common pet illnesses and how proper diets can play a role in preventing and treating them. Your insights show genuine concern for pets’ well-being. Keep spreading this valuable awareness to pet owners!
We do love animals. It can be handy to know how to prevent or reduce the risk of some illnesses.
Absolutely agree! Pets bring so much joy and companionship to our lives. It’s fascinating how proper nutrition can play a vital role in preventing and treating common illnesses in animals. Taking care of their health goes beyond the basics and requires understanding their dietary needs. Your post highlights the importance of responsible pet ownership and the ongoing commitment it entails. It’s a wonderful reminder that our furry (and scaly) friends deserve the best care possible.
It’s true. A good diet means a healthy body and mind. And a very productive life. Goes for animals too. Thanks for sharing!
Diet is so, so important. I’ve started with a dietician for our little one because she suffers from pancreatitis and has to eat very low-fat foods now. Very good read.
Poor thing, at least you were able to use a diet to help her. Thanks for reading x
This is a really great and very informative post. This will help a lot of pet owners to save money. Thanks for sharing this with us
It’s a beautiful post about the pets living with us at home. Really informative and useful. Thank you for this delight!
This is really informative,this article can be helpful specially to those new pet owners
Cute photos- I loved how you touched on many animals in this post. I’m sure all the PAWrents would benefit from this post.
Our cat just had constipation. First time since we’ve had her and it was a little worrisome. She’s ok now.
Poor thing, I’m glad to hear that she is okay x
No pets here but this is super intersting information!
Exploring how diet can impact pet health is so interesting! 🐶🐱 It’s great to know there are dietary solutions. Have you personally seen positive changes in your pets’ conditions through diet adjustments?
This is interesting and the animals look so cute. It’s been a while since I visited an animal shop or zoo park. Thank you for sharing!
I know that skin issues can be cleared up by using the right food. My Yorkie has tummy issues so I get him a grain free food that’s for sensitive digestive system.
This is great as we had such a big bill for our cat and this could potentially save pet owners so much money
We only have fish so thankfully I Haventt dealt with many pet illnesses. But I feel like just like with people diet is everything. This will hep a lot of pet owners.