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Dog Food Prescription Diet
Before I'll explain you more about dog food prescription diets (also known as 'therapeutic diets'), there are a few things that I need to make clear to you.
Things to know before switching to a dog food prescription diet
Please read this page first before diving into one of the special therapeutic dog diets. You'll quickly learn some general guidelines that will help you understand these kinds of food better.
Dog Food Diets
Special foods for:
Diabetic dogs
Senior dogs
Allergic dogs
Obese dogs
Kidney disease
Bad teeth
First…
Malnutrition can result in illnesses, though the other way around is not true. Not all diseases are caused by bad dog food. We know that good nutrition is a prerequisite for good health. But your dog can get sick because of a hereditary trait and in some cases you THEN can support your dog by switching to a special dog food diet.
Good dog food and dog care is the foundation for a healthy dog, though dogs can get sick for various reasons (not always because of bad dog food).
Second…
You don't just switch to a prescription diet. Dogs are very different and what works for your neighbor's dog, does not have to be beneficial to your canine companion. Specific medical conditions may require that your dog is best supported with a special dog food diet. Your veterinarian is the one that diagnoses your pet and will advice you on the best dog food prescription diet for your dog specifically.
Prescription diets are available only by or on the order of a licensed veterinarian practice for this reason. The dog food label will mention phrases such as 'Veterinary Exclusive Pet Food', 'Authorized for prescription and sale only by veterinarians' or 'Sold and distributed by licensed veterinarians only'.
Special diet dog food is advised by a veterinarian after he or she has diagnosed your dog with a specific illness.
Third…
A dog food prescription diet is not a cure. I can best illustrate this with an example.
Suppose your dog has a tendency to develop allergies and he has become allergic to most kinds of protein sources used in dog food. To prevent allergy symptoms you can switch to a hypo-allergenic diet. It won't cure your dog (as the symptoms will get back when you switch back to regular dog food), but it helps preventing dog food allergy symptoms to re-occur.
Other dog food diets aid in recovery from a disease or disorder. These special diets can be given to help your dog get his strength back after an episode of illness.
Another category in therapeutic dog foods consist of diets that delay the progression of disease.
Dog food prescription diets consist of normal dog food ingredients but in special amounts and compositions relative to each other. The composition is designed to match the specific needs in a pathological digestion related or metabolic disorder.
And finally…
On the menu
Special foods for:
Diabetic dogs
Senior dogs
Allergic dogs
Obese dogs
Kidney disease
Bad teeth
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Some therapeutic dog food diets can be fed a life long whereas others are designed to assist only before surgery or to assist in recovery after. You need to get clear information on what dog food to feed and for what period of time from your vet.
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Feeding therapeutic dog food to healthy dogs can be counter productive: it can be damaging to your dog's health! So never assume that what's good for one dog will also benefit the other.
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Dog food prescription diets are more expensive than regular dog food. To save money on therapeutic dog food despite your vet having advised this is not a smart thing. If you're hesitating then ask your vet a prognosis of the veterinary bills in scenario 'regular dog food' and 'advised therapeutic dog food'.
Compare the price difference between these foods to the vet bills plus the happiness of you and your dog if you can put a price to that. I'm certain you'll be convinced to follow the advice and buy the more expensive food as it's the wisest thing to do.
Different dog food prescription diets for different dog disorders
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A low-sugar, high-fiber dog food diet for dogs with canine diabetes
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A low-calorie, nutritious and digestible dog food for senior dogs
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An exotic or hydrolyzed protein containing diet for allergic dogs
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A low-protein - but of high quality - diet for dog with kidney disease
Where to buy prescription dog food and treats online
Although you can conveniently order kidney disease dog food online, you still need veterinarian approval in order to purchase prescription dog food. Upon checkout all necessary information will be collected and a prescription will be verified by the online webstore if required. Alternatively you buy these kinds of food at the veterinarian's.
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