Book of Proceedings I PetFeeding

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treats/table scraps/extras can result in excess energy intake and nutrient dilution.
Diet choice
There are thousands of diets in the marked, made by hundreds of companies. The WSAVA
has a document aimed for pet owners to help them navigate this complex market in their
toolkit
(http://www.wsava.org/sites/default/files/Recommendations%20on%20Selecting%20Pet%20
Foods.pdf). Price alone does not determine the quality of a diet, and some diets are very
expensive based on ingredient-based marketing and little investment in science and research.
There are several maintenance diets with further specialization, such as sensitive
skin/stomach, breed specific, size specific, etc. There are no official recommendations on
many of these items, but that does not mean that these diets only exist for marketing reasons
and are without merit. These diets will differ in ingredients, fiber amount and type,
macronutrient composition, digestibility, presence of omega 3 fatty acids, etc. It is important
to consider all the groups of diets that make up the adult maintenance market and familiarize
ourselves with their characteristics. This will allow customization when recommending a pet
food for an adult dog.
In short, choose a diet that is complete for adult dogs, that is from a reputable company, and
that has nutritional and energy characteristics that adjust to the lifestyle and other
characteristics of the dog and its owners. As circumstances change, diet changes might be
necessary, which will be noted with subsequent nutritional evaluations.
Feeding method
The main feeding methods are ad libitum (food always available) or portion control (by time
or by amount). Ad libitum feeding is easy and convenient, but is only recommended in cases
where the adult dog is able to self-control their energy intake to maintain an ideal BCS.
Portion control by amount is the best method to maintain a proper oversight on food intake
and prevent undesired weight gain, but it is more cumbersome.
Follow up
Healthy adult dogs should be seen by their veterinarian at least once a year, and a nutritional
evaluation performed at each visit to identify any items that can be caused by an inadequate
feeding plan (such as obesity) or that can be managed by diet.