Healthy eating trend can also be applied to animals

With the rising popularity of natural and organic diets for people, it is hardly surprising that the pet-food industry has turned health-conscious.自存倉 According to the Association of American Feed Control Officials, natural pet food refers to "a feed or ingredient derived solely from plant, animal or mined sources, either in its unprocessed state or having been subjected to physical processing, heat processing, rendering, purification extraction, hydrolysis, enzymolysis or fermentation" - or more simply, it includes no chemically synthesised substances such as preservatives.Although there is no official government body to enforce or regulate the labelling of pet food, the benefits of natural pet food and a balanced diet is being recognised increasingly by Hong Kong pet owners and vets. Dr Marietta Foo, of Four Paws Animal Hospital, says the quality of pet food depends on the formula of the ingredients."Animals need different levels of nutrition throughout different life stages, including protein, magnesium and calories. It is important to feed your pets with food that suits them most. For example, larger dogs are more vulnerable to hip dysplasia, so an ideal diet would i迷你倉新蒲崗volve a regulated protein level, so that these dogs are restricted to moderate growth."Foo emphasises that every pet should have a diet tailor-made by vets to achieve ideal growth and maintenance. "There are a lot of factors that deduce how many calories an animal should take in daily. For example, a dog can eat more than another dog of exactly the same size and still be healthy if it is very active and burns more energy per day."Foo says most vets in Hong Kong only recommend several brands that they find trustworthy, and they can be found in almost every veterinary clinic. "If you pay attention, you would notice that most vets sell only two brands of pet food in their clinics. Those brands are supported by research laboratories and would list out exactly what is in the pet food."In addition to pet food, Foo suggests owners to mix other fare into their pets' diets. "I recommend vegetables with high-fibre levels, like cucumber blocks for dogs. You can also feed water-boiled chicken breast or tuna. But bear in mind to cut down on pet food if you feed them with these human edibles to maintain the same calorie intake. And always make sure that their water bottle is filled."迷你倉出租