What Is Bi-nutrition For Pets?
Several years ago, animal health professionals realized that the exclusive intake of feed or solid foods can lead to low water consumption, especially in cats. Sometimes this habit is responsible for urinary problems such as stones or cystitis. Therefore, bi-nutrition for pets is currently recommended.
But what is bi-nutrition for pets?
Bi-nutrition, also known as organic food, consists of mixing two types of food. More specifically, it consists of combining the rations with so-called wet rations, which contain 60-70% water.
This dietary practice aims to increase water intake through food. You should know that a cat only gets thirsty when it is dehydrated. Therefore, including moist foods will not only promote hydration, it will also protect your pet to some extent against urinary tract diseases.
It also helps to diversify meals. Therefore, providing moist food is beneficial to the domestic cat, known for its demanding taste and low spontaneous water intake.
For the well-being of your pet, opt for a diet with a variety of flavors, textures and aromas, from an early age. Don’t hesitate to ask a pet store vendor for recommendations so you can tailor your four-legged friend’s food to your needs.
Virtues of bi-nutrition for pets
As already mentioned above, some urinary tract diseases occur because of the low amount of water ingested by our pets. This type of problem is much more common in cats.
Bi-nutrition provides many nutrients that contribute to the efficient functioning of the cat’s urinary tract organs. Good quality food, drinking lots of fresh water and having a clean litter box are the best steps to avoid this type of illness.
Why assume bi-nutrition is the best option for pets?
Problems affecting a cat’s lower urinary tract often prevent its bladder from emptying properly. They can even cause a fatal blockage in the urethra, the tube that connects the bladder to the outside of the body.
Dehydration is usually the main cause of this type of disease, as it causes an imbalance of water and electrolytes (minerals) in the body and can trigger serious complications in the pet.
Bi-nutrition for pets provides the necessary amount of fluids that should be consumed daily to maintain health. In addition, it also helps to replace fluids routinely lost through urine, feces and breathing.
Water makes up 80% of your cat’s body and is necessary for all biological processes, including circulation, digestion and waste disposal. So the idea is to combine the two types of food. Generally, two settings are used:
- A mixture of feed and pate (usually for cats).
- The combination of industrialized food – feed with or without pate – and homemade food (that you prepare yourself for the pet).
Are the rations better?
In the past, this was a fact. The foods offered at home consisted mainly of leftovers, which inevitably led to excesses, mainly of fats, and deficiencies in calcium and vitamins, causing serious illness.
The creation of balanced rations has allowed all of our pets’ needs to be adequately met, helping to significantly increase their life expectancy, mainly because now there are even rations to treat specific illnesses.
However, we see that the exclusive use of feed often leads to low water consumption, thus causing urinary problems.
Homemade or industrialized food
In general, an adult cat should drink approximately the same amount of water – in milliliters – as the amount of kilocalories consumed per day. Dry cat food contains between 7% and 12% water, while canned cat food can be up to 80% water.
Cats that eat only dry kibble do not get as much water from their food as cats that eat canned kibble. Therefore, they should always have easy access to clean drinking water to supplement their intake. The use of water fountains for cats is an ideal option to encourage water intake.
A true dietary study is needed, according to weight, age, physiological stage and possible diseases. We must choose a source of protein (a meat), add a source of fatty acids (an oil), a source of vitamins and minerals (complex in industrialized powder) and a source of fiber (vegetable, starch) to thus provide to our friend a balanced diet for a better quality of life.
