Feed Boutique

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"The beautiful spring came; and when nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also." ~ Harriet Ann Jacobs #feedboutique #welcomespring #happyspringday

Why is it essential to understand your pet’s skin barrier? Many dogs and cats struggle with skin issues. These commonly include external parasites such as fleas, ticks and mange; sunburn, superficial skin infections, allergies, scrapes and wounds and irritation secondary to plant and insect contact. The skin provides a physical barrier to protect your pet's internal organs from external threats. The skin also forms an important part of the immune system. Damage to the layers of the skin barrier causes loss of water, ability for various microscopic particles and molecules to gain access to the deeper layers and cause detrimental inflammatory reactions, ongoing skin irritation, pain and infections, and lifelong allergies. It is crucial to keep in mind that repairing damage to the skin barrier doesn’t happen overnight. Supporting the skin barrier and repairing damage to the skin barrier takes time and commitment on the part of the owner/pet parent. It takes nearly 3 weeks for the full cycle of skin rejuvenation, and full repairing the damage to the skin can take 3-4 cycles. You will see improvement during this time, but it is important to understand the full response will take 9-12 weeks. The best supplements to support the skin barrier include highly bioavailable fish oils, medicated shampoos and conditioning treatments, proper parasite controls, topical treatments that reduce inflammation and nutraceuticals that have a broad-based response to supporting skin health and rebuilding the skin barrier. The skin and coat can be affected by many nutritional factors such as protein, fat, essential fatty acids, zinc, copper, vitamin A and vitamin E any many more. Contact us for more information: info@feed-boutique.com #feedboutique #skin #skinbarrier #pets #companionanimalnutrition #askushow

Body condition scoring provides one of the simplest, yet valuable tools for proactive dog health. By regularly assessing condition, veterinarians, nutritionists and pet owners can catch issues early, fine-tune nutrition, minimise disease risks and optimise welfare. A BCS is a quantitative tool used widely by veterinarian’s and nutritionists to evaluate a pet’s body condition, fat accumulation, and nutritional status. Regularly weighing and tracking weight over time can help catch unwanted weight gain early allowing adjustments to diet, treating behavior, lifestyle, and exercise routines. 🐶The preferred BCS scale ranges from 1 (emaciated and extremely underweight) to 9 (dangerously obese with an extreme amount of body fat). 🐶An ideal body score for dogs is typically a 4 or 5 with a healthy amount of muscle and body fat. For more information, or to book a body condition check and nutritional assessment, contact us at info@feed-boutique.com Follow us Feed Boutique #feedboutique #pets #dogs #nutrition #bodyconditionscoring

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Many pets develop some health problems that may benefit from a change in diet. Diet-associated conditions in pets can be grouped as either “diet-induced” or “diet-sensitive”. Compliance with feeding recommendations for pets can be poor, especially in chronic illness cases. It is crucially important to understand the value of recommended therapeutic diets and feeding management. Even though therapeutic nutrition can address the physiological compromises and some of the clinical signs caused by disease, but cannot cure the underlying disease, it can be the difference between effective and ineffective medical treatment results. Many therapeutic nutrition options are available. In order to provide pet patients with the best possible care, it is important to consider the nutritional needs of each patient. This is best addressed by completing a nutritional assessment on each patient. The nutritional assessment includes information such as body weight, body condition score, muscle condition score, and diet history, in addition to medical evaluation. As with the medical history, the nutritional assessment should be updated at each visit to determine any changes made or needed. For more information, contact us at info@feed-boutique.com Follow us Feed Boutique #feedboutique #petnutrition #companionanimalnutrition #therapeuticdiets #clinicalnutrition #knowthevalue #understandthefacts #asktheexperts

The other day I heard a client, who’s dog has renal failure, ask a vet if the therapeutic kidney food, suggested as part of the dog’s treatment plan, really make a difference, or is it just a myth and money-making scheme from the vets? This is an important topic to address, so let’s have a look at it and answer 4 of the most asked questions: 1. What is the difference between prescription diets/ therapeutic foods, and other “specialized” or “veterinary” foods? 2. Do these diets really work or is it just a myth? 3. Is it just part of a money making scheme? 4. Why are Prescription Diets/ Therapeutic diets more expensive than “normal” pet foods? Surely it doesn’t make that big a difference in my pet’s condition and isn't worth the money? “Total disease prevention requires lifelong dedication to proper nutrition, immunizations, dental care and parasite control programs. Nutritional factors are a cornerstone in maximizing health, performance, longevity and disease prevention. Nutritional counselling and intervention, however, are beneficial only if done properly.” ~ Thatcher et al. Responsible pet ownership includes responsible feeding of your pets. Contact us for more information at info@feed-boutique.com. Follow us: Feed Boutique #feedboutique #nutrition #pets #therapeutic #prescription #responsiblepetowners#knowthefacts

Xylitol is a naturally occurring substance that is widely used as a sugar substitute. Xylitol is a sugar alternative, often used to sweeten sugar-free products such as gums, candies, peanut butters, and baked goods. Xylitol can also be found in a variety of non-food products, such as sunscreens, medications, toothpastes and other oral hygiene products, chewable vitamins and supplements, cosmetics, deodorants, and hair care products. Sugar-free syrups and elixirs used as medicinal bases (e.g., liquid gabapentin formulations) also frequently contain xylitol. Xylitol is extremely toxic to dogs. When dogs eat xylitol, the xylitol is absorbed into the bloodstream very quickly, resulting in a potent release of insulin from the pancreas. This rapid release of insulin causes a profound drop in blood sugar (hypoglycaemia), an effect that can occur as quickly as 10-60 minutes after ingestion, although signs of hypoglycaemia may be delayed up to 12–18 hours if the xylitol is in a substrate that slows its absorption (e.g., some gum products). Clinical signs of hypoglycemia include vomiting, weakness, ataxia, depression, hypokalemia, seizures, and coma. If untreated, hypoglycaemia can be life-threatening. The amount of a product that is needed to be ingested before toxicity is expected varies, due to the differing amounts of xylitol present in various products. In general, lower doses of xylitol cause hypoglycemia, while higher doses can cause liver failure. If you suspect that your dog has eaten a xylitol-containing product, please contact your veterinarian immediately. Do not induce vomiting or give anything orally to your dog unless specifically directed to do so by your veterinarian. It is important to get treatment for your dog as quickly as possible. As some dogs may already be hypoglycaemic, inducing vomiting can worsen clinical signs. If you use products containing xylitol, make sure they are stored safely, out of reach of your dogs. For more info, contact us at info@feed-boutique.com Feed Boutique #feedboutique #xylitol #dogs

The nutritional needs of the horse will vary, not only with breed and environment, but also with age and activity level. It is vitally important to feed according to the nutritional requirements of the various stages of the horse’s life, to avoid metabolic disorders and behavioral problems. 🐎 For more information, contact us at info@feed-boutique.com. Follow us: Feed Boutique #feedboutique #equine #nutrition #feedingforalifetime