According to the Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association, the pet food industry is worth upwards of a staggering £2.6 billion per year. These figures include wet and dry dog and cat food accounting for £1.8 billion of the overall total.
The choice of dog and cat foods is enormous, and choosing the right food for your own pet can be a little confusing. Whether shopping in a high street store or online, it really does pay to make sure you buy the right product to complement the stage of life that your cat or dog has reached to ensure it stays happy and healthy.
Royal Canin, a premium brand for both dogs and cats, has a long history dating back to its creation in 1968 by veterinarian John Cathary. He knew from his vast experience treating animals that not all dogs and cats are the same and that they will have different dietary requirements. A working Springer Spaniel will have different nutritional needs to a Chihuahua, and an ageing cat will need food supplements that a young cat will not.
Here we look at some of the reasons to choose Royal Canin, Junior, Renal, Sensitivity, High Quality Cat and Dog Food when considering which food to give your pet.
Nutritional Balance
The research team at Royal Canin considers nutrition as well as ingredient selection when creating the various formulated foods in its range of pet foods. Over 50 nutrients are included in each of its food formulas to maintain the health and well-being of the animal it has been specifically developed for.
Minerals, fatty acids, amino acids and vitamins are a requirement to maintain physical health and development in dogs and cats. Fat, carbohydrates and protein ensure that your pet has enough energy to get it through the day. Prebiotics, fibre and antioxidants are used in foods designed to address a certain issue your pet may have such as digestive problems or impaired kidney function or just to ease the ageing process. Nutrients are added or limited in certain foods to help a pet recover from illness or a particular health condition.
Breed-Specific Food
Royal Canin makes dog food for a range of different breeds to cater for breed-specific requirements. This ensures that different breeds of dog with different coats, different metabolisms and different sizes are each being fed according to their own specific requirements to maintain the correct body condition. Royal Canin also recognises that different breeds of cat have different requirements – for example, a long-haired cat may require specific nutrients to maintain a healthy coat that a short-haired cat may not.
Age-Specific Diet
When you introduce a puppy or kitten into your family, it will need a diet that will help with bone development and healthy growth. As the animal reaches maturity and enters the most active period in its life, it will require food that will boost its energy levels. As your pet ages, it requires fewer energy-boosting ingredients which may lead to weight gain, but it will need nutrients to help maintain bone strength and healthy eyes, ears and coat. Royal Canin’s research and development team considers all of these needs when creating its range of foods to meet the changing dietary requirements as your pet moves through life.
Kibble
Sales of dry kibble-based dog foods far outstrip the sales of wet food, particularly for dogs, and because of this Royal Canin has developed different shapes and sizes of kibble to meet the requirements of different breeds of animal. We all know that Labradors love their food, and so Royal Canin’s Labrador dog food is doughnut-shaped, slowing down the greedy Labrador when it eats. Research has shown that slowing the rate of food intake will have a positive effect on digestion. Royal Canin’s kibble has also been designed to brush your dog’s or cat’s teeth while it is eating helping to maintain oral health in your pet too.
Quality Control
Royal Canin ensures that every stage of its manufacturing process follows its strict guidelines and that all products used are sourced from suppliers who adhere to the company’s supply chain quality guidelines. This ensures that each of Royal Canin’s products is the best that it can be in helping to maintain a happy and healthy pet at whatever stage of its development. From puppy food to senior food, from weight management to aiding cardiac health, Royal Canin has a range of quality foods for all your pet’s dietary and nutritional requirements, and its range is available at all good online pet pharmacies.