🐾 Nutrition: an essential pillar of our companions' health!

At Labo Solidago , we believe that a healthy animal starts… in its food bowl!
Our dogs and cats depend entirely on us for their food. What they eat directly influences their vitality, coat, behavior, and even their lifespan. That's why we'll be discussing the various aspects of nutrition in upcoming newsletters.

Here's why it's essential to pay attention to it:

1- Disease prevention

A balanced and appropriate diet reduces the risk of being overweight, diabetic, and suffering from kidney, digestive, or joint problems. Conversely, poor-quality food can, in the long run, lead to deficiencies and weaken the body.

2- Respecting their physiological needs

Dogs, and especially cats, are pure carnivores. Just look at their teeth: they're not made for eating biscuits... Furthermore, their bodies are designed to assimilate quality animal proteins, not large quantities of cereals, grains, or by-products.

3- Daily quality of life

Good nutrition influences vitality, coat, digestion, immunity and even behavior (an animal that digests well is calmer and more balanced).

4- Transparency and security

Not all kibble or wet food is created equal. Some contain chemical additives, colorings, controversial preservatives, or ingredients of low nutritional value. Learning to read labels allows you to make an informed choice.

PRIORITIZE HIGH-QUALITY PROTEINS

One of the fundamental principles of animal nutrition is to prioritize high-quality, highly digestible proteins. These proteins should primarily come from meat or fish (only occasionally due to mercury), rich sources of essential amino acids that the animal's body cannot synthesize itself. These proteins ensure better absorption, limit muscle loss, and support the animal's vitality. (See our next article on proteins.)

KNOWING HOW TO READ FOOD INGREDIENTS

Learning to read pet food labels is a crucial step in making informed choices. Here are the key elements to examine:

The list of ingredients

The ingredients are listed in descending order of weight . Therefore, you should pay attention to the first five ingredients, which should contain animal protein, and avoid those primarily containing animal by-products or an excess of cereals or grains (wheat, corn, soy). These latter ingredients offer little nutritional value and can cause digestive problems or allergies. Furthermore, be aware that this industry is unregulated.

Analytical composition

The indicators to check are:

• Crude protein : Average of 30%, maximum of 35% for an adult cat or dog . A higher level = source of future health problems, unless advised by a veterinarian.
• Fat content : generally between 10 and 20%, to be adjusted according to the animal's activity level.
• Crude fiber (fiber): helps with intestinal transit.
• Crude ash (minerals): essential mineral indicators.
• Humidity : influences preservation and palatability.

HOW TO EVALUATE THE QUALITY OF FOOD?

To choose the right food for your dog or cat, several criteria must be taken into account:

• Predominant animal proteins : Meat should be the primary ingredient to ensure a source of quality protein and good digestibility.
• Low in grains and carbohydrates : Grains (wheat, corn, soy—beware of pesticides) are poorly digested and low in energy for obligate carnivores, especially cats. Grain-free diets are therefore preferable. It should be noted that starch, necessary for making kibble, is often replaced by legumes or tubers, which also contain starch.
• Absence of chemical additives : Choose foods free from artificial preservatives, colors, and synthetic flavors. Natural additives and vitamin and mineral supplements are essential for balancing processed foods. Check for the presence of essential nutritional additives (vitamins, minerals) while avoiding artificial colors, flavors, and chemical preservatives such as BHA or BHT. Some additives to avoid include: glyceryl monostearate, phosphoric acid, propylene glycol, propyl gallate, colorings, and ethoxyquin.

HYDRATION

Hydration is a key factor in health; animals, especially cats, naturally drink very little. Moistening kibble is a simple way to increase fluid intake, prevent urinary problems, and improve digestive comfort.

For comparison : moisture content (water content) in different types of food or prey.

🌿 Natural prey (birds, mice, etc.)

• Humidity : 65 to 75% (sometimes up to 80% depending on the animal).

•It is therefore a source rich in water, close to the body composition of a living animal.

•Example: a mouse contains approximately 70% water, 18–20% protein and 5–10% fat.

•Advantage for carnivores: the animal hydrates itself almost exclusively through its diet (like cats which, in nature, drink little).

🍽️ Commercial kibble (dry food)

•Humidity: only 6 to 10%.

•This makes them stable and easy to store, but very low in water.

•Consequence: the animal has to compensate by drinking much more.

•Example: a cat fed only on kibble tends to be more prone to urinary problems (cystitis, stones), because it does not always drink enough to compensate.

Their bodies are designed to digest foods that are naturally rich in water, whereas kibble contains very little moisture.

See the difference in this graph.

⚖️ Quick comparison

BARF DIET AND SPECIFIC SUPPLEMENTS

The BARF (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food) diet is based on a raw diet consisting of meat, offal, and vegetables.

THEREFORE: Providing a dog or cat with a personalized, natural, and balanced diet that prioritizes the quality of ingredients and adapts to individual needs is the best way to naturally support their overall health.