Pet Health

Did you know that more than half of all dogs and cats have weight issues? But only about 10% of pet owners think their pets are overweight? That’s more than 80 million pets at higher risk for cancer, diabetes, kidney disease, and other health issues. This sad fact is not necessarily to be blamed on the pet owners either. A few years back I was shocked when I actually started to look at the ingredients in my pet food; I actually thought, well, it is food made for pets, so obviously it’s good for them. Ummmmmm, nope!

You would be surprised to learn that finding a perfectly balanced pet food can be harder than it seems. Pets are like humans; they have specific nutrients that need to be in their diet in order to thrive and, like humans, with different stages of life comes different needs. This is the reason that Hill’s Pet Nutrition employs over 200 veterinarians, Ph.D. nutritionists, and food scientists who work every day to createnew products and improve existing ones that will help your pet live a long, healthy and full life!

For starters, did you know that both an excess and deficiency in nutrients can be dangerous to your pet’s health? That’s why a balanced level of nutrients in your pet’s food is so very important! As you can see from the chart below, something as simple as protein, needs to be well balanced to allow for proper growth without kidney stress! Hill’s has certainly learned through ample research what that proper balance is to keep our pets healthy!

So, obviously, balanced nutrients are key – but Hill’s takes things a step further to look at even more specific needs of various life stages. As we enter later age brackets, our nutritional needs change. However, when it comes to pets, more than half of pet parents are not feeding their age 7+ pets the right kind of food. By switching your pet to a food that focuses on maturing needs, you can help maintain their youthful vitality for years. Through 10 years of research, Hill’s has created a line called Youthful Vitality that helps support pets and their cells as they age. It contains a proprietary blend of ingredients that support brain function, interaction, energy and vitality. It has Omega-3 & -6 fatty acids for luxurious coat or fur, clinically proven antioxidants, vitamins C+E, for a healthy immune system, and easy-to-digest ingredients! They have learned that older dogs and cats have different gene expressions than younger pets, which affects how their bodies function in ways such as inflammatory processes, oxidative stress, immunity, DNA repair, energy production and protein metabolism. So they have created the line to address all of these issues!

So allllllll of that has been taken into consideration for simply one line of their pet food products! I haven’t even started on their lines to help with kittens and puppy growth, joint wellness, urinary tract problems, weight issues, hairball issues, and the list goes on and on! Don’t worry, I’m not going to launch into all of that here. I think you’ve got the idea from simply breaking down the science that has gone into the development of their Youthful Vitality line. And if you are curious about the science behind other needs that are specific to your pet, you can certainly find that information on their website.

Our furry boys, Willie and Wrigley are both about to turn 10 years old in a few months. Willie struggles with weight issues and Wrigley with Hairball issues. So, Willie enjoys the Hill’s Science Diet Perfect Weight 7+ years variety and Wrigley loves the Hill’s Science Diet Hairball Control for 7+ years. So yes, they have varieties that are specifically tailored to your pet’s needs.

Information on proper nutrition for our pets needs to be spread, so thank you Hill’s for sponsoring this Blog post, that does just that!