It has long been recognised that great nutrition determines your pet’s health and wellbeing. If they eat a high-quality pet food with the right macronutrient ratios (fats, proteins and carbohydrates) and ideal levels of vitamins and minerals for their life stage, theoretically, your pet should enjoy optimal health and longevity.
However, since every dog or cat is different and can be affected by genetics, illness or allergies, toxicity or injury, not every diet will be ideal for them. When a pet is diagnosed with a clinical condition, a prescription diet or veterinary diet may be recommended as part of the management plan for their condition. Veterinary diets ensure these pets enjoy maximum nutrient absorption to maintain and support their health while undergoing treatment for their condition.
When they are diagnosed with a progressive or chronic condition, they may be prescribed a veterinary diet they will need to be on for the rest of their life. Kidney disease is a very good example of this; where the purpose of the veterinary diet is to maintain the pet’s condition while not exacerbating the symptoms of the disease.
Does your pet need a veterinary diet?
There are some fantastic high-quality commercial pet foods on the market – each one more customised and better suited than the next to pet size, breed type, age and dietary preference. However, if your pet has been diagnosed with a health condition, they will need additional care and attention when it comes to their diet, which will form part of their health management regimen, especially if it is lifelong.
Pets who do not suffer from a health condition should not be placed on a veterinary diet, as these may not contain sufficient proteins and other nutrients to maintain a healthy pet’s body condition and vitality. For example, a veterinary diet for kidney disease has lower than normal protein and mineral content, to essentially give the kidneys a break when they are weak or compromised. A healthy pet will not derive any benefit from eating the veterinary diet for kidney disease.
Let’s explore the veterinary diets for some common pet health conditions.
Veterinary diet for skin conditions
If you’re wondering what food is good for dogs with dermatitis or skin allergies, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Dermatitis can be caused by environmental allergies that are hereditary (atopy) or as a symptom of food allergies, so it’s important that the vet provides a clinical diagnosis for your pet’s skin condition before you begin to feed them a veterinary diet for dermatitis. Cats are often subject to flea allergy dermatitis and would therefor not need a change in diet for their symptoms to subside. A veterinary diet for skin diseases would include omega-3 and -6 fatty acids to support a healthy skin and coat and reduce inflammation, as well as antioxidants, vitamins and minerals to help reinforce the immune system.
Very often chronic skin issues and gastrointestinal upset go hand-in-hand, so some veterinary diets are prescribed to mitigate both conditions.
Veterinary diet for gastrointestinal issues
Pets with food allergies would be prescribed a veterinary diet that reduces their allergy triggers. These diets often contain less common primary proteins like duck, venison and fish, and contain limited ingredients to minimise the potential for GI upset and contamination with other food allergens. The purpose of veterinary diets for GI issues is to go easy on the GI tract. They may include prebiotics and probiotics to stabilise the good bacteria in the gut. For pets that are severely allergic, hydrolysed protein may be a primary ingredient in a veterinary diet – protein that is broken down into such small parts that the immune system doesn’t recognise it as a threat, and the protein can still be digested and utilised without the pet getting sick.
Veterinary diet for joint health
Most pets will suffer with osteoarthritis or degenerative joint disease as a symptom of old age, but for some pets, this is an early affliction due to genetics, injury, obesity or overuse. When a pet is diagnosed with an orthopaedic disease that affects their mobility, they can be prescribed a veterinary diet that specifically targets the protection of their joint cartilage while supporting their muscle health. This specific veterinary diet contains anti-inflammatory ingredients such as omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants, as well as ingredients that support the structure of the joint cartilage and slow its deterioration, such as glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM.
Veterinary diets for joint health will also contain the optimal calorie balance between supplying enough protein to support muscle maintenance and enough carbohydrates and fats for weight management. The secondary purpose of the joint health diet is to prevent the animal from weight gain, which can put unnecessary strain on compromised joints.
Veterinary diet for weight management
Pet obesity has increased at much the same rate that obesity in humans has, and for the same reasons: life has become more sedentary and food is consumed for convenience rather than for fuel and health. Overweight pets are often shown love through snacks and treats, which has resulted in veterinarians seeing more and more cases of obesity that need to be correctly managed. Very seldom is pet obesity an endocrine issue, caused by an underactive thyroid or other hormonal problem – weight gain is only one of the symptoms of these conditions.
When a pet is diagnosed with obesity or a weight problem, the pet owner’s main goal should be to help their pet to lose weight. Not only does an obese pet experience fatigue, body pain and stress on their joints, but they will suffer a reduced lifespan as their health is compromised by the excess weight. The vet will prescribe a veterinary diet for weight management, which is a calorie-controlled pet food that contains less fat and more fibre to help pets to feel full. It will also contain ingredients such as L-carnitine to support the metabolism. The pet owner must also be prepared to change their feeding and treat habits at home, and not give in to their pet begging at the table or demanding treats. If the pet loses enough weight over a period of time, the vet may take them off the veterinary diet for weight control.
Veterinary diet for dental health
Most pets will experience some kind of dental disease by the age of two years old – mainly due to pets’ teeth not being brushed daily, and their dental health not being prioritised. However, some pets are more susceptible to developing dental disease because of the size and structure of their jaw (think small breeds and brachycephalic dogs and cats), which leads to dental crowding. A veterinary diet for dental health is not a stand-alone solution for preventing dental disease, but rather just one weapon in the fight against periodontal disease and gingivitis. The kibbles are sized and shaped to increase the amount of chewing a pet does, thereby being more abrasive on the teeth and also increasing the amount of saliva they produce, which helps to eliminate or ‘wash away’ dental plaque. These pets especially need to have their teeth brushed daily and will also benefit from the use of dental gels, sprays or rinses.
Pets with dental health issues need to visit the vet once or twice a year for a check-up and to get their teeth cleaned and scaled when necessary. The vet will also have the opportunity to see how effective the veterinary diet for dental health is and make adjustments where relevant.
Veterinary diet for urinary tract health
Cats are susceptible to feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) and feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC). These feline health problems present as a cluster of symptoms resulting from inflammation, obstruction, infection and even cancer, which affect how the cat is able to produce and eliminate urine. These symptoms are exacerbated when the cat is stressed, so the solution to resolving FLUTD includes a lifestyle change.
The veterinary diet for urinary tract health includes ingredients that will dissolve bladder stones and create a urinary environment that does not allow the formation of calcium oxalate crystals. It also promotes calmness in the cat and supports their kidneys and cognitive health, promoting vitality in ageing cats.
Veterinary diet for kidney health
Some pets are genetically predisposed to developing chronic kidney disease and eventually renal failure. It would place unnecessary strain on their kidney function if they continued to eat standard pet food. A veterinary diet for kidney health contains reduced amounts of protein, phosphorus and sodium. It also contains a scientifically formulated blend of antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamins and minerals that support optimal kidney function and general wellness, without making the kidneys work too hard. Pets with chronic kidney disease often have a reduced appetite, so a renal veterinary diet is generally made to be a lot more palatable than normal pet food.
Do veterinary diets really work?
Pet food that is prescribed by the veterinarian is aimed at fortifying your pet’s health against the condition for which the food has been prescribed. It is meant to work in conjunction with the medical management of their disease or illness. Therefore, if the veterinary diet is going to work for your pet, you need to be 100% compliant with the vet’s treatment and diet regimen.
First, do not feed your pet anything other than what the vet has prescribed or recommended. If your pet has renal disease and they are only supposed to eat a kidney disease veterinary diet, it won’t be very effective if they continue to eat regular snacks or table scraps.
Second, in a multi-pet household, you will need to ensure your other pets do not eat any amount of the veterinary diet prescribed for one specific pet. Generally, pets should each have their own food bowl and be fed a calorie-controlled amount of food for their size, breed and age.
Conclusion
Feeding your pet a veterinary diet is an effective way of supporting their health if they are on treatment for a specific health condition. They will require regular check-ups for the vet to assess their progress or recovery. If their condition is a systemic or progressive disease, they may need to be on the veterinary diet for the rest of their life. If they recover, however, the vet may recommend slowly weaning your pet off the veterinary diet and back onto regular pet food.