Sudbury veterinarian offers tips on what to feed your pet

As humans, we put a lot of planning into what we are going to eat but what about your pet?

A Sudbury veterinarian says there are several things to consider, including your dog's age and health, when it comes to choosing their food.

Dr. Darren Stinson says the cost varies greatly when it comes to choosing dog food food. But he says you do get what you pay for, adding if you decide to go with a cheaper option, you'll pay for it in the long run.

"Your dog will have to eat more of it," he explained. "Even though the price of the bag may be lower, your dog ends up having to eat more bags."

He says it's important to see how much is recommended on the bag for your dog to eat each day.

"The food that you feed the least amount per day is the higher quality diet," he said.

He says some people think dry food is best but says wet food for pets does have its benefits.

"One of the biggest things we see with some of our pets … is the risk of developing bladder stones and crystals," he said.

"One of the primary reasons for that is because their kidneys concentrate the urine too much [because] they don't have enough water consumption."

You've probably noticed your veterinarians office sells food that isn't available in other stores. Stinson says vets sell food for several reasons, including addressing certain health issues.

"The other reason is many of us carry maintenance diets that are made in the veterinary exclusive line," he said.

He says the veterinary exclusive line food goes through more testing.

"They have higher levels of quality control," he said.

"They have usually higher quality ingredients that go into it. They are all designed by veterinary nutritionists."

If you do decide to switch your pet food, Stinson says you don't have to do it slowly. He says dogs will eventually eat what's in front of them as long as you don't cave in and give them something else in the meantime.

"Mixing [the old and new food] is ok because they'll take in some of the new with the old," he said.

"They will start to gradually learn to like the new. They will eventually come along to it. It's very, very rare that you'll see a dog have a total refusal."