A Vet’s Easy Tips to Transition Your Pet to a Healthier Diet

It is a new time in the world of pet food. Pet parents are researching the best healthy dog food for their babies, wanting to feed their pets the best, and seeking out information and advice. For us, how we nourish our bodies and what we eat is a direct reflection of our overall wellness and health. And the same is true for our pets!

Embracing the Best Healthy Dog Food Options

The pet food industry is on board with this exciting, healthier transition from highly processed kibble-based diets to whole food ingredients and cleaner eating for our pets. In 2018, one of the largest pet supply stores in the country, Petco, made a progressive policy change to only carry high quality pet foods with no artificial additives, preservatives, or chemicals.

“Since our first store opened in 1965, Petco has been dedicated to ensuring the well-being of pets. That commitment continues today, with our decision to not carry food and treats for dogs and cats containing artificial flavors, colors and preservatives,” said Petco CEO, Ron Coughlin. 

There are a multitude of pet food companies that provide complete and balanced whole food nutrition diets for your pets. Feeding your pet a healthier diet is even more convenient and accessible now.

Like Petco, I also started carrying whole food nutrition, Side by Side Pet Food, in my animal hospital, Victoria Park Animal Hospital. I have been transitioning my patients away from processed kibble and on to high quality, whole food nutrition diets over the last few years.

And the results have been nothing less than incredible!

As a veterinarian, I love and fully embrace this change in how we feed our pets! Giving the best healthy dog food possible to your furbaby will set them up for a long, healthy life. In addition to a general, overall increase in wellness, Side by Side Pet’s formulas have helped my pet patients with a number of common ailments.

I fully believe their formulas are the best dog food for skin allergies. And my patients would agree! It’s also one of the best dog foods for sensitive stomachs. Their use of whole food nutrition combined with Eastern Food Therapy to heal your dog from the inside out just can’t be beat in my book.

So today, I want to help you figure out the best way to transition your dog to a better way of life. I have some simple and inexpensive tips on how you can start feeding your pet a healthier, cleaner diet. Let’s get started!

So why do pet parents hesitate to switch to cleaner, healthier whole food nutrition diets?

So what are some of the things holding you back from transitioning to the best healthy dog food? What are the hesitations other pet parents have? And how can we overcome them with simple changes?

1. I do not have time to “home cook” for my pet every day.

Great news! You do not have to slave all day in the kitchen to provide your pet with a whole food nutrition diet.

The pet food industry is changing. Pet parents are demanding a healthier way for their pets.

And pet food companies are listening!

There are a multitude of pet food companies that provide complete and balanced whole food nutrition diets for your pets. The ability and availability to feed your pet a healthier diet is now even more accessible.

In my animal hospital, I carry and love Side by Side Pet Food. They combine whole food nutrition with Eastern Food Therapy practices to heal your pet based on their specific nutritional needs. I have seen amazing results in so many of my pet patients, and I’m so glad even more pets can experience the benefits of Side by Side Pet Food with their Petco partnership!

2. It is too expensive to feed my pet whole food nutrition, especially with large breed dogs.

It’s true. Whole food nutrition based diets can be, at times, more costly than certain brands of kibble diets.

But not always!

With the increased demand of higher quality pet food, more companies are offering affordable whole food nutrition pet food diets.

As a veterinarian and a large breed owner myself, I understand the conflict that large breed pet parents have when wanting to feed their pets the highest quality diets with no artificial additives, chemicals, or preservatives. To help transition to a healthier diet, I recommend supplementing with as much high quality whole nutrition as possible.

Remember, cancer rates drastically decrease by only replacing a quarter of your dog’s meal with high quality whole foods!

As the pet food industry moves toward higher quality whole food nutrition, more options are available. In fact, as part of their launch in Petco stores, Side by Side Pet will also offer an affordable, balanced, whole food nutrition diet for larger breeds!

So whether you’re looking for the best dog food for Pomeranians or the best dog food for Labs, a whole food nutrition diet is ultimately the way to go! And whether you’re all in or just working in the best options as you can, you’re helping to make your furbaby’s life happier and healthier!

3. Kibble-based pet food diets are so convenient and easy to store.

Yes, dry dog food is convenient and easy to store. But feeding your pets whole food nutrition does not have to be inconvenient!

Many commercial whole food nutrition based diets are actually freeze dried or air dried. They’re compact and so easy to store and transport. You simply add water, and your pet has a healthy, whole food nutrition based meal, ready to go in minutes!

Check out how easy it is to use Side by Side Pet Food’s newest products!

Final Thoughts on the Best Healthy Dog Food on the Market

As a small animal veterinarian, I love when pet parents take action with the health and wellness of their pets. Nothing is more important than nutrition. Our pets rely on us to make the right choices for them. Providing them with the highest quality, natural ingredients is one of the most important choices we can make for them.

I hope these easy and affordable tips on transitioning your pet to healthier and cleaner eating are helpful. Your pets will thank you for providing them with a high quality, whole ingredient diet.

Expect many years of unfaltering devotion, love, and health. As always, the best interest of your pet is my number one priority.