A Comprehensive Guide To Keeping Your Pet In Good Health
Part 1: Prolonging Your Pet’s Health
Pet owners agree that our furry friends bring about much laughter and joy in our lives, and are beloved members of our families. Whether you have a companion animal that provides you with psychological support and unconditional love, or a trained service animal to assist you in daily activities and cope with disability, it is only natural that we want to provide the utmost for their health and wellbeing.
Instead of treating conditions and ailments only when our pets present symptoms of pain and discomfort, responsible pet owners in Singapore should spare no expense and holistically take care of their pet’s health. Some ways include providing our pets a nutritious diet to promote their health and fur quality, pet supplements loaded with additional vitamins and minerals to maintain their good health, regular checkups at the vet to stay abreast of their health and take swift action to treat conditions if necessary, and regular exercise to improve their cardiovascular health and reduce risk of obesity-linked conditions.
Pet health products play a key role in prolonging your pet’s health, being specially formulated based on your pet’s species and their nutritional needs. One example is nutraceuticals, which are natural food-based supplements which provide additional medical or health benefits to help in the prevention of diseases, as well as act as a treatment aid in conjunction with existing medical treatments. Nutraceuticals are predominantly made from all-natural ingredients, and can be delivered in liquid, capsule, powder, or tablet form, based on your pet’s personal preference.
Nutraceuticals are growing in popularity with pet owners in Singapore and across the globe, and with good reason. Firstly, they incorporate natural ingredients and are made without excessive fillers, flavours, and artificial colouring. This is a growing preference with pet owners concerned about the overly processed nature of regular pet supplements and food. Secondly, quality nutraceuticals, such as those carried by Pet Health Global, are the result of extensive research carried out over decades. This research allows for highly effective nutraceuticals loaded with essential ingredients and nutrients to promote optimal health in your pet. Finally, nutraceuticals play a key role in extending both the lifespan and quality of life for senior companion animals through protecting against chronic diseases, allowing pet owners to provide a good quality of life for their companion animals in their twilight years.
As an established pet supplies distributor based in Singapore, Pet Health Global carries a wide range of pet wellness products and nutraceuticals for pet owners. They include eye drops to treat cataracts, nutraceutical capsules to boost your pet’s immune system, as well as dental care gels loaded with probiotics to improve dental health. Read on to learn more about what constitutes a nutritious diet for your pet cat or dog, various types of pet nutraceuticals and health products and how they promote your pet’s health, as well as common health conditions that affect both cats and dogs.
Part 2: Handling Your Pet’s Nutrition
Our pets’ bodies naturally function differently from our own, and consequently they require different nutrients to grow up healthily and reduce the likelihood of health problems. Learn more about what constitutes a nutritious diet for cats and dogs, as well as key pet supplements and nutraceuticals pet owners in Singapore should take note of.
2.1 A Nutritious Diet
As our pets are fully reliant on us to provide proper nutrition and care to promote their health and wellbeing, it is essential that pet owners are fully aware of the essential nutrients that our pets require. These nutrients fall into a few classes, such as proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals.
There are noticeable differences between the dietary requirements of cats and dogs. Dogs are omnivores, and derive nutrition from both animal and vegetable sources. In contrast, cats are considered to be obligate carnivores, with a predominantly meat-based diet and a higher protein requirement. Pet supplements and nutraceuticals further ensure that our pets get the nutrients they need, keeping them in good health.
Proteins form the basic building blocks for cells, tissues, organs, and antibodies, and are essential for promoting healthy growth, general body maintenance, and recovery from injury. They are broken down into amino acids, which fall into both non-essential and essential categories, depending on whether your pet is able to naturally synthesise them or has to obtain them from their diet. An essential amino acid in cats is taurine, which is required for cats to have optimal vision, heart health, and reproductive ability. Ideally, cats should have at least 25% of their diet consisting of proteins, while dogs’ diets should consist of 18 to 25% protein.
Dietary fats are the biggest source of energy in your pet’s diet. They are required to synthesise fatty acids, such as omega-3 and omega-6, which keep your pet’s skin and fur healthy, produce certain hormones, and improve absorption of vitamins. Compared to dogs which require approximately 10% of fat in their diet, cats require almost as much fat in their diets as they do protein at approximately 25%.
Similar to fats, carbohydrates also deliver energy and are essential for your pet’s healthy functioning. Generally, dogs require about 30-70% of their daily intake to consist of carbohydrates. In contrast, as obligate carnivores, cats have a reduced capacity to process carbohydrates, with fats as their main source of energy. Cat owners will want to avoid low-fat food which is high in carbohydrates as fillers, which can lead to obesity and various allergies.
Vitamins and minerals form a smaller component of your pet’s diet, but still play important roles in promoting their health. Vitamins are organic ingredients found in small traces that are essential for your pet’s health, growth, and reproduction, and are a key ingredient in pet supplements in Singapore. Examples include Vitamin A which is necessary for eye, skin, and tissue health; Vitamin E which aids in immune system development, as well as the Vitamin B family which helps regulate metabolism and healthy function.
Minerals are inorganic nutrients that keep your pet in good health in various ways, and include elements such as calcium, phosphorus, and zinc. Deficiencies in these minerals can lead to issues such as bone deformities, weakness, and poor dental health. They are particularly important for young puppies and kittens to ensure that they grow up healthily, and are usually incorporated into enriched pet food.
Choosing the right type of food for their pet is a common concern that new pet owners have. One frequent question is whether dry or wet food is more suitable for a nutritious diet. The answer is that both types of food provide your pet with the nutrition they need, and each has their own strengths. In addition to being cheaper to buy and store in bulk, dry food also has a beneficial effect on pets’ teeth, helping reduce plaque accumulation and gingivitis in both cats and dogs. Pet dental care products further help to maintain dental hygiene, containing probiotics to gently clean teeth and gums.
Some advantages of wet food include improved ease of eating, particularly for senior pets with few teeth or dental problems, as well as greater ease of administering pet supplements and nutraceuticals mixed into the food, particularly for stubborn pets. Wet food is also often given at specific times, and can serve as a reward for good behaviour or to teach them tricks.
JPN’s Allergy-HS RX Diet is an ultra-hypoallergenic, grain-free food that is perfect for dogs experiencing long-term food intolerances and conditions such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease, severe skin problems, and ear infections. As a quality pet health product, it contains advanced hydrolysed proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids as part of an RX diet, allowing your dog to return to an active and healthy lifestyle.
Beyond choosing the right foods for a nutritious diet, having a regular feeding schedule is essential for promoting your pet’s health. Firstly, having a consistent feeding schedule allows you to control your pet’s caloric and nutritional intake, which is important to avoid obesity and other related health conditions. In addition, it also allows you to quickly tell if your pet is unwell, as loss of appetite is usually a tell-tale sign of an underlying condition. Finally, regular feeding promotes their emotional wellbeing, as they are creatures of habit who form strong bonds through consistency and regularity.
2.2 Key Pet Supplements
There are various types of pet supplements and wellness products available for pet owners. Beyond providing a balanced and nutritious diet for your pet, pet supplements also improve health in other ways, such as increased resistance to illnesses, or a healthier and thicker coat for comfort and beauty.
Joint Supplements
Joints play a crucial role in allowing cats and dogs to enjoy movement and mobility, be it running outdoors on walks or climbing your furniture. If neglected, poor joint health can lead to chronic joint pain or arthritis especially with age, severely impacting your pet’s quality of life.
Joint supplements for pets in Singapore promote joint lubrication, strengthen bones and cartilage, as well as improve flexibility and mobility. They frequently contain glucosamine, a compound naturally occuring in connective tissues to aid in joint function and repair damaged cartilage. Other commonly used ingredients include chondroitin which promotes water retention and elasticity and methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) which reduces inflammation and inhibits cartilage breakdown.
Digestion Supplements
Poor digestive health can lead to various conditions in your pet, such as diarrhea, obesity, bloatedness, and bad breath. Probiotics are one of the most commonly used pet digestion supplements in Singapore, incorporating ‘good’ bacteria that inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria in your pet’s digestive tract to promote their health and reduce likelihood of illness.
JPN’s SuperBiolite Probiotics Powder is specially formulated for dogs and cats of all sizes and ages, promoting digestive health and supporting their immune response. It contains Lactobacillus plantarum and Enterococcus faecium probiotics which boost the immune system, as well as improve gut microbiota and oral health. It also contains Australian Zeolite, which is a highly refined toxin absorber that diminishes oral and gut nitrogenous toxins, exerting a calmative effect in your pet’s gastrointestinal tract.
Heart Supplements
The heart plays an important role in our pets, delivering oxygen and nutrients for optimal body function as well as efficiently removing waste products. As our pets age, their hearts no longer function as robustly as they used to, making them at greater risk of cardiovascular conditions which can result in breathing difficulties, inability to exercise, fatigue, and heart failure.
JPN’s Heart & Aging Animal Formula is a pet supplement that is invaluable for prolonging the health and wellbeing of senior companion animals. It contains 4 key ingredients: Coenzyme Q10, L-Carnitine, Taurine, and Hawthorn extract, which have potent antioxidant and essential amino acids to prevent Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) as well as manage heart disease and peripheral vascular disease.
Immune Booster Supplements
A robust immune system is essential in protecting your pet against a wide variety of diseases and germs, as well as promote faster recovery from infections. In addition to a healthy diet and regular exercise, immune booster pet supplements in Singapore strengthen your pet’s immune system and promote overall health and wellbeing.
JPN’s Immune Modulator Beta Glucan capsules contain pure laboratory extracts of beta-glucan, which is an immune modulator that fights off bacterial infections as well as promotes the growth of ‘good’ bacteria in your pet’s gastrointestinal system. It comes in both liquid and capsule form, allowing pet owners the flexibility to choose whichever option is easier to administer to their pet.
Part 3: Common Pet Health Problems
Understanding more about the common health problems that our pet cats and dogs face helps us as pet owners to take proactive steps for their care and treatment through medication, visits to the vet, and pet health products, allowing them to spend more meaningful moments with us.
3.1 Health Problems For Dogs
1. Fleas & Ticks
Fleas and ticks are parasites that cause a wide range of illnesses and discomfort in dogs, such as flea allergy dermatitis, tapeworms, and Lyme Disease, amongst others. Dogs get them from being outdoors and interacting with other animals which may carry them, and they persistently stay on your dog’s skin and can affect the health of your family members.
JPN’s flea and tick spray is specially formulated to be natural, non-toxic, and effective in removing fleas and ticks from your dog’s skin. It contains all-natural botanical extracts, and can be sprayed directly onto live fleas and ticks for effective removal. In addition, do utilise paraben and soap-free shampoos to avoid causing irritation and allergic reactions in your dog’s skin.
2. Eye Conditions
Dogs are susceptible to eye conditions such as corneal ulcers, dry eyes, and cataracts. Corneal ulcers are open wounds within the cornea, while dry eyes occur when dogs are unable to produce a normal amount of tears, resulting in dryness and inflammation. Lastly, cataracts are the leading cause of blindness in dogs across the world. It occurs when the lens of the eye clouds, preventing light from reaching the retina.
JPN’s pet eye drops contain lanosterol, which has been shown to be the only compound which can potentially reverse and ‘dissolve’ cataracts in dogs. Our eye drops also include ColloRX collagen, soothing discomfort from dry eye or corneal irritation as well as stabilising lanosterol for enhanced efficacy. In severe cases, surgery may be required to treat your dog’s eye conditions.
3. Arthritis
Arthritis is the inflammation of your dog’s joints, resulting in pain, discomfort, stiffness, and reduced mobility. It is particularly common amongst senior companion dogs, but can also begin at an early age due to bone and joint development problems. While arthritis cannot be fully cured, there are various ways to help manage pain and reduce further deterioration.
Nutraceuticals and pet joint supplements incorporate ingredients such as chondroitin and glucosamine that improve lubrication and joint repair, while regular exercise minimises the load on your dog’s joints and improves range of motion and fitness of muscles around the joints.
4. Ear Infections
Outer ear infection, or otitis externa, is one of the most common infections that affect dogs, and is characterised by redness, inflammation, discharge, and pain. Severe infections can also result in loss of balance or coordination as well as hearing loss in your dog.
Medicated cleansers, antibiotics, and anti-inflammatory medicines are often prescribed to treat your dog’s ear infection. In addition, JPN’s Quintessentials Aural Lotion promotes your pet’s wellness, containing all-natural essential oils which contribute to a healthy ear environment by removing ear debris preventing fungal and bacterial growth. Do also regularly keep your dog’s ears clean and dry, especially after their bath or swim.
3.2 Health Problems For Cats
1. Dental Issues
Dental issues affect an estimated 85% of cats aged three and older. A common condition is periodontal disease, which occurs due to plaque accumulation and tartar formation. It can lead to gingivitis or more advanced periodontitis, which is more common in senior cats. Another issue is stomatitis, which is a severe form of oral inflammation that causes swelling and ulcers in the mouth, making it painful for your cat to eat properly and have proper nutrition.
JPN’s pet dental and oral health care products incorporate natural ingredients to promote your cat’s dental health. In addition, brush your cat’s teeth regularly, as well as arrange for regular professional veterinary dental cleanings.
2. Parasites
Both external and internal parasites can cause significant discomfort and illness in cats. External parasites such as fleas and mites can cause ear and skin infection and allergies, while internal parasites such as tapeworms and roundworms can lead to poor gastrointestinal health, anemia, and make your cat more susceptible to viral and bacterial infections.
Symptoms of internal parasites in your cat include diarrhea, little weight gain despite a nutritious diet, dull fur, and constant lethargy. Your vet will usually conduct a stool sample test to diagnose your cat’s condition, before prescribing medications such as dewormers to treat internal parasites. For external parasites, flea sprays can help in reducing the proliferation of fleas, along with a regular bath regime using specially formulated shampoos.
3. Diarrhea
Diarrhea refers to unformed or loose bowel movements, and is usually a sign of an underlying health issue. It is frequently caused by intestinal parasites in your cat, although it can also be due to dietary sensitivities and imbalances, a lack of digestive enzymes, or inflammatory bowel disease.
It is important to bring your cat to the vet as soon as possible if they are experiencing prolonged symptoms of diarrhea. Through proper diagnosis, your vet can then prescribe proper treatment, such as switching to a specially formulated diet to promote good bacteria, along with antidiarrheal agents, dewormers, and probiotics if necessary.
4. Kidney Issues
Kidneys play an important role in removing waste, regulating blood pressure, and synthesising hormones in your cat. Kidney issues tend to increase in prevalence with age, and are either acute or chronic. Acute kidney conditions occur when cats accidentally ingest poison, experience kidney infection, or shock due to rapid blood loss or dehydration. Chronic conditions tend to be due to other conditions, such as cancer, prolonged blockages, as well as high blood pressure.
While chronic kidney issues are often incurable, seeking early diagnosis and treatment at the vet is key to help prolong your cat’s quality of life. It is also important to provide your cat a balanced and nutritious diet of both wet and dry food, while also incorporating pet supplements to provide essential vitamins and nutrients and promote their holistic health.
Part 4: Conclusion
We owe it to our pets to return their unconditional love and support by providing them the best care and health. By proactively monitoring their health, feeding them a nutritious diet, and incorporating pet wellness products to lower the risk of various conditions, we can greatly lengthen the time and quality of life they have with us.
Visit Pet Health Global’s website to see our full range of nutraceuticals and pet health products in Singapore, and take the step towards holistic and natural health for your pet today.