Animal-based Proteins Help Maintain Pet Health

Maintaining a balanced diet for your dog or cat is incredibly important to keeping them healthy. Finding the right food for your pet and keeping tabs on the portions you dole out will help keep your animal at an optimal weight and improve pet health overall.

With this in mind, it's important to find a pet food rich in animal-based proteins, an important element to a balanced diet for pets. Cats and dogs are carnivores, and as such require the supplements that meat and meat-based products can provide.

Animal-based proteins contain essential amino acids necessary to building lean and strong muscles and help promote hair and skin health in pets. Additionally, they are easier to digest than plant-based proteins like gluten, which comes from grains like wheat, barley or rye.

"Digestive tract issues are a main medical concern for pets due to their shorter digestive tract," says Dr. Melody Raasch, DVM, MS and Manager of Scientific Communications for IAMS/P&G Pet Care. "These proteins are digested quicker, and in turn help alleviate some of those issues."

These proteins also contribute to weight reduction, as they are low in fat. They help senior pets as well by helping maintain muscle mass that generally decreases with age.

"Animal-based proteins are the most natural way to feed a dog or cat," says Dr. Raasch.

Do you feed your dog or cat a diet rich in animal-based proteins? If you don't, will you now? Share in a comment.