Today’s pet foods have received a facelift. Gone are the days when canned food was put on the sideline for our pet’s health. While the convenience of dry food still makes it a popular feeding choice, our pets can benefit from the inclusion of wet food on a regular basis or even occasionally. There is also a trend for us to provide our pets with the similar eating experiences we have. Wet food is 75-85% water, making it appear moist and has a meaty, appetising texture resembling the foods we enjoy. How many of our clients love to feed a little bit of something “On Top”. We can now serve our pets a blend of protein with nutritious vegetables and grains providing balanced nutrition through all life stages.
There are some distinct benefits of wet food:
- Increase water intake
- Support kidney and urinary tract health
- Softer and easier to consume for some pets
- Ideal for young kittens at weaning
- Easy to eat for pets with dental issues
- May help with lack of appetite and illness
- May help reduce the risk of weight gain¹
Our understanding of taste has helped us develop a breakthrough technology, Enhanced Appetite Trigger™( EAT) where we can match the unique taste profiles of cats with specific ingredients. Food processing is just as important to ensure the food is cooked correctly to provide a consistency the pet enjoys; everything needs to be JUST RIGHT.
Refer to Blog : What’s for Dinner? Have you ever wondered how taste is measured?
Check out Hill’s Science Diet pouches for cats to complement our current extensive range of popular loaves, minces, chunks and savoury stew for cats and dogs. They are portable and take up less shelf space.
Dr Penny Dobson BVSc MACVSc (Canine)
References:
1. Wei et al. Effect of water content in a canned food on voluntary food intake and body weight in cats Am J Vet Res , 2011.
HIMA-PD-17130689
Penny has worked as a clinician in small animal practice Sydney Metropolitan area for 30 yrs and is a Veterinary Practice owner with her husband, Paul Hansen of Woollahra Veterinary Hospital. She has worked as a clinician in small animal practice Sydney Metropolitan area for 30 yrs and is a Veterinary Practice owner with her husband, Paul Hansen of Woollahra Veterinary Hospital. Penny has been involved in the Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) as Secretary Sydney Metropolitan Practitioners Branch for 12 years and recipient of the AVA Meritorious Service Award 2002. She is also an active member of the ASAVA. Nutrition is a passion for Penny and she is the Hill’s HelpLine Manager with the Veterinary Nutritional Consultancy team with a focus on uroliths, kidney, obesity, immune diseases and their management.