Posts Tagged ‘pet food’

This formula helps prevent digestive upset when switching pet foods

Posted in Pet Health, tagged , , , , , on July 25, 2019| Leave a Comment »

Use this method to make switching foods easier and gentler on your pet’s digestive system

There are a number of good reasons you might change the food your pet is eating, including:

  • Pet enters a new stage of life [puppy/kitten stage to adult, or adult to senior]
  • Pet develops a food allergy
  • Pet requires a prescription diet to manage health issues, such as obesity or liver disease
  • Pet refuses to eat its regular food
  • Pet could benefit from a higher-quality food than the one it currently eats

[Note: Before changing your pet’s diet, consult with your veterinarian.
In the case of prescription diets, your pet may need to be
on a strictly measured amount, rather than free-choice feeding.]

 

The key to making the switch is to gradually introduce the new food, so that your pet’s digestive system has time to adjust to the new ingredients.

Dr. Donald Miele, a Norfolk veterinarian at Little Creek Veterinary Clinic, recommends using this formula to introduce a new food to your pet:

Days 1 and 2: Feed 3 parts old food and 1 part new food*

Days 3 and 4: Feed 2 parts old food and 2 parts new food (i.e. half and half)

Days 5 and 6: Feed 1 part old food and 3 parts new food

Day 7: Feed only the new food

*Be sure to calculate how much of each food to give, so that you are not overfeeding.

Note: If your pet experiences loose stools during the transition, your veterinarian may recommend adding probiotics to the diet.

Questions? Clients of Little Creek Veterinary Clinic can Contact Us for more information.

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This article originally appeared on January 21, 2016.

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Kick off the New Year with savings on food, flea control, and heartworm preventatives!

Posted in Pet Health, Special Offers, tagged , , , , , , , on January 2, 2018| Leave a Comment »

Happy New Year 2018!
We hope your year is off to a happy and healthy start.

Speaking of happy and healthy, you may have resolved to keep your pets on their special prescription diets, flea control, and heartworm preventative year-round, so they can have an awesome 2018, too.

If so, we’ve got good news: several pet supply manufacturers have jumped in to load us up on coupons and rebate forms for some of your favorite pet products, available at Little Creek Veterinary Clinic.

Keep in mind that these coupons and rebates are valid only for products purchased in our office and must be accompanied by our original receipt and the manufacturer’s original rebate form, which we will provide you. (Photocopies will not be accepted.)

Please note the expiration date, if any, on each form. Rebates and coupons that have expired cannot be honored, so don’t delay — restock your pet’s pantry and medicine cabinet soon!

Contact Us for details and offer expiration dates.

Check out the offers below, for the pet food, flea control,
or heartworm preventative that you use:

$10 coupon for Hill’s Prescription Diet Derm Defense, available at Little Creek Veterinary Clinic.
Click to enlarge. Sample only; not valid for redemption.

 

$15 rebate for Hill’s Prescription Diet; limit one per customer. Available at Little Creek Veterinary Clinic. Click to enlarge.

 

Hill’s Prescription Diet 5-4-3-2 coupons. Available at Little Creek Veterinary Clinic. Click to enlarge. Sample only; not valid for redemption.

 

Seresto 8-month Flea & Tick collar $15 rebate. Available at Little Creek Veterinary Clinic. Click to enlarge.

 

Sentinel heartworm/intestinal worm/flea control rebates. Available at Little Creek Veterinary Clinic. Click to enlarge.

 

Heartgard 12-dose/$12 rebate offer, available at Little Creek Veterinary Clinic.

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How to make sense of pet food label claims, Part 1

Posted in Pet Health, tagged , , , , , , on September 19, 2017| 1 Comment »

When it comes to picking the perfect food for your pet, the choices can seem overwhelming — especially when so many brands claim to be the one and only food you should be feeding your pet. But not all pet foods are the same — and making sense of their labels is nearly impossible without some basic guidelines.

In Part 1 of our series on pet food label claims, we’ll talk about some of the common words you’ll see on pet food labels, and we’ll tell you what they really mean.

Believe it or not, there are rules governing the words that can be used to describe pet food — and those words are linked to the contents of the food.

We’ll look at several imaginary pet food label claims, focusing on meat content.
Pet Food A is “100% chicken”
Pet Food B is “Beef entree”
Pet Food C is “Veal formula”
Pet Food D is “Salmon recipe”
Pet Food E is “Vegetables with lamb”
Pet Food F is “Venison flavor”

So how much meat does each product actually contain?
A: Anything listed as “100%” or “Full”  must be made of at least 95% of the listed ingredient. In this case, the food must be at least 95% chicken.

B/C/D: Anything described as “entree,” “formula,” “recipe,” “dinner,” or “platter” must comprise at least 25% of the listed ingredient. In our examples, beef, veal, and salmon make up at least 25% of the imaginary foods.

E: Anything following the word “with” comprises 3-24% of the food. In our example, lamb may be as little as 3% of that food.

F: Anything listed as “flavor” need only be detectable to a pet as a flavor. Our example does not need to contain a certain percentage of venison; it only needs to taste like venison.

What about words like “holistic,” “premium,” “high quality,” and “human grade”?
There are no legal or standard definitions for those words. Such descriptors are often used as marketing tools to set one company’s food apart from the others. 

However, certain claims, such as “organic” and “natural” are defined and standardized.
Look for the Organic seal on pet food, which indicates the food contains no hormones or pesticides.
Look for the word “natural” which means there have been no chemical alterations of ingredients. (Vitamins are the acceptable exception to this rule.)

Watch for Part II of our series, “How to make sense of pet food label claims.”

 

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Holiday Round-Up at Little Creek Veterinary Clinic

Posted in Fun Stuff, General, Schedule Changes, tagged , , , , on December 8, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Ho ho ho! Get ready for the holiday season with Little Creek Veterinary Clinic!

Prescription Diet Order and Delivery

The cut-off date to order your pet’s prescription diet for pre-holiday delivery is Friday, December 16th, at 4:30 PM. Final pre-holiday delivery date is Monday, December 19th.

Food deliveries will resume, post-holiday, on Monday, January 9th. Don’t get left out in the cold with no food for Fido or Fluffy — order today!

Clinic Holiday Schedule

Little Creek Veterinary Clinic will be closed on the following dates:

  • Wednesday, December 14
  • Wednesday, December 21
  • Saturday, December 24
  • Monday, December 26
  • Saturday, December 31

Client Contest Continues

Our Client Contest is running through December 19th. Click here for all the details and see how easy it is to enter!

December Rabies Boosters Now Due!

Don’t let your pet get lost in the holiday shuffle — with friends, family, and delivery people coming and going at your house, be sure your pet is up-to-date on his Rabies booster. Better safe than sorry!

Check this list of Rabies tags expiring this month. If your pet’s tag is on it, Contact Us for an appointment today.

dec-rabies-list

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A Healthy Mouth = A Healthy Pet

Posted in Pet Health, tagged , , , , , on February 9, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Welcome to National Pet Dental Health Month!
PetDental_logoPet

A healthy mouth = a healthy pet. 

     “By the age of three, more than half of all cats and dogs are beginning to show signs of a dental problem.” – Hill’s Pet Nutrition

What is periodontal disease?
     It is a disease affecting the tissues that support the teeth and can lead to destruction of the tooth root, gums, and jaw.

What are the precursors to periodontal disease?

  • Plaque – a colorless film containing bacteria
  • Tartar – hardened plaque along the gumline
  • Gingivitis – inflammation of the gums, leading to gum disease and tooth loss

     “Infection associated with periodontal disease can be responsible for bad breath, and bacteria can enter a pet’s blood stream and spread to vital organs such as the heart, liver and kidneys.”  – Hill’s Pet Nutrition

What are contributing factors to periodontal disease?

  • Poor oral hygiene
  • Breed – especially among breeds of dogs and cats with small, crowded mouths
  • Age

What signs should I look for at home?

  • Bad breath
  • Bleeding gums
  • Drooling
  • Tooth loss
  • Tartar buildup
  • Pain when eating
  • Pawing at the mouth
  • Change of eating habits
  • Subdued behavior

What can I do about it?

  • Schedule your pet to get a dental exam and teeth cleaning from the veterinarian. Some pets may need the services of a veterinary dental specialist. Pets sometimes need root canals, just like people!
  • Clean your pet’s teeth after its meals, using a pet-specific toothpaste or liquid dentifrice.
  • Add Oxyfresh Pet Oral Hygiene Solution to your pet’s drinking water.
  • Feed Prescription Diet t/d to healthy adult pets. Hill’s t/d food is designed to scrub your pet’s teeth as he chews.

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Information for this article adapted from “Oral Health:  Caring for your pet” by Hill’s Pet Nutrition. Copies of the pamphlet are available at our office.

Repost from February 6, 2012.

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Try this easy trick to switch your pet’s food without upsetting her stomach

Posted in Pet Health, tagged , , , , , , on January 21, 2016| 1 Comment »

Feeding time at the zoo

  Is it time for a change?

There are a number of good reasons you might change the food your pet is eating, including:

  • Pet enters a new stage of life, such as going from puppy/kitten to adult to senior
  • Pet develops a food allergy
  • Pet requires a prescription diet to manage health issues, such as obesity or liver disease
  • Pet refuses to eat its regular food
  • Pet could benefit from a higher-quality food than the one it currently eats

Before changing your pet’s diet, consult with your veterinarian.
In the case of prescription diets, your pet may need to be
on a strictly measured amount, rather than free-choice feeding.

The key to making the switch is to gradually introduce the new food, in order to reduce the possibility of digestive upset. 

This is the trick to introduce a new food to your pet:

Days 1 and 2: Feed 3 parts old food and 1 part new food*

Days 3 and 4: Feed 2 parts old food and 2 parts new food (i.e. half and half)

Days 5 and 6: Feed 1 part old food and 3 parts new food

Day 7: Feed only the new food

*Be sure to calculate how much of each food to give, so that you are not overfeeding.

If your pet experiences loose stools during the transition, your veterinarian may recommend adding probiotics to the diet.

Est. 1973

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Who likes a mystery…when it comes to pet food?

Posted in Pet Health, tagged , , , , on November 4, 2014| 1 Comment »

If your pet has food allergies or certain dietary restrictions, you’ve likely spent a good deal of time examining food labels to ensure no offending ingredients are present. But what if all your hard work was for naught? That seems to be the case for some un-named foods examined in a recent study by Chapman University.

Seriously...what's in there???

Seriously…what’s in there???

The pet food study found that 16 out of 52 foods tested contained a meat ingredient that was not listed on the label. And, the meat that was listed on the label was not even detectable in 7 out of the 52 samples. The study noted that the majority of labels (31 of 52) contained correct information; however the university declined to name any of the pet food brands tested.

What does the FDA require on pet food labels? Click here to find out!

The study did determine that no horsemeat was present in any of the samples. So, what’s in there? Here’s the breakdown:

  • 51 samples contained chicken
  • 35 samples contained pork
  • 34 samples contained beef
  • 32 samples contained turkey
  • 26 samples contained lamb
  • 9 samples contained goat.

This bird meat was found in only one of the samples.
Click here to find out what it is!

The study noted that pork was not mentioned on 7 out of 52 pet food labels, representing the “most common undeclared meat.” Meanwhile, the makers of 2 cat foods, 2 dog foods, and a dog treat claimed beef as an ingredient — but no beef was actually present in the sample. The study could not determine whether ingredient substitutions and omissions were accidental or intentional.

So what does this mean for pet owners? Most of us are not equipped with the sort of high-tech lab equipment needed to test our pet’s food. We’re left to research and trust the manufacturers.

But keep your eyes open. If your pet has been doing well on a particular brand, but seems to develop skin or intestinal disorders following the purchase of a new bag of the same brand of food, it could be due to a wayward undeclared ingredient.

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