Category Archives: Nutrition

How is Pet Food Made? With Lots of Safety Precautions!

A group of veterinarians touring a pet food manufacturing plant

I recently experienced a first in my veterinary career: I was invited to tour a pet food manufacturing plant, along with a number of veterinary colleagues. The plant manufactures only dry food and treats using four extrusion lines and three packaging lines. (Manufacturing canned food requires an entirely different plant.) I went with my journalistic

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How to Know If Your Pet Gained Pandemic Pounds

grey cat sits on scales and licks mouth

The COVID-19 pandemic not only increased the number of pets we share our homes with, it also increased the weight of the pets we already had. A recent New York Times article describes the weight gain incurred by a number of pets during the pandemic. The experiences of these pets and their families provide some

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Diet-Related Canine Heart Disease

A dog eats from a bowl of food

Last week, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced an investigation into diet-related heart disease in dogs. I suspect most dog families would be surprised to learn diet may play a role in the development of heart disease in their favorite fur baby. Here is a summary of the FDA announcement. Heart Disease

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