Dogs and cats have different nutritional needs than people and other animals. Either way, your pet’s nutritional health depends on you feeding them a complete and balanced diet to ensure a healthy body weight and a lean body condition. The six necessary nutrients are water, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins. But dogs and cats of different ages have different nutritional requirements.

Protein is essential for cell growth, muscle repair, and general body maintenance. Therefore, choose human-grade meat as some pet meat and bone products will contain preservatives. Large breed dogs may need food containing glucosamine and less fat. However, cats need to get already-made vitamin A that only comes from animal tissue. These pet foods can be found at many retailers, including grocery stores. Pets like diversity, too, so incorporate grains and vegetables into the mix. A low sodium diet can also be an important modification for a pet with heart disease.