Over the years, a great deal of research has been conducted into the appropriate diets for pets. The results have been used to usher in dramatic improvements in the quality of pet foods sold, with ingredients carefully balanced to keep animals of different species, breeds, and sizes happy and healthy.
Studying to become an administrative assistant for veterinary businesses, you will get to explore pet nutrition in detail, allowing you to become up-to-date with the latest thinking in this important area.
Want to learn a little more about proper pet nutrition? Here are some of the most important facts today.
Learn About Modern Thinking on Good Nutrition for Dogs
Dog food has come a long way in the past few decades. For a time, some dog foods included only animal protein and some minerals. This, however, was not ideal for dogs’ health. This is because dogs are omnivores, and get good nutritional benefits from some vegetables, like potatoes, carrots, and more.
Today, most dog food you can find in a store will make animal protein from meat, eggs, or dairy a primary ingredient, and incorporate some plant-based content into the mix, as well as some additional vitamins and minerals to create a well-balanced diet for dogs. Explore these, and other ideas relating to proper nutrition for dogs, during your time in a veterinary administrative assistant training program.
Teaches You What Cats Should Eat
“Ash,” or inorganic material like minerals and other similar ingredients, was once present in dry cat food is quite a high concentration, and this was bad for cats’ urinary systems. Crystals would form in the urinary systems of cats eating dry foods, and this could cause serious health complications. Today’s dry foods have a lower ash content, which reduces the odds of this problem occurring. Some experts do still recommend that cats be fed a diet of wet foods, though, to further reduce the likelihood of crystals forming.
Wet cat food may still be best for cat health
As with dogs, cats are best served by a diet that is heavy on animal protein. Additionally, a cat will usually need fewer plant-based foods in their diet than a dog will. However, cat nutrition is a complicated subject, and many people today remain under-informed about what constitutes a good balance for cats. You’ll be able to explore the topic in-depth and gain a great understanding of this area of pet nutrition, by studying towards your veterinary office assistant diploma.
You Can Even Learn About Rodent Nutrition
Though rodents are not for everyone, many people do love their pet rats, guinea pigs, and other rodents. As rodents are a relatively common kind of pet, it’s worthwhile for you to learn about what their nutritional requirements are, in preparation for your future career in the veterinary services industry.
Rodents do best with a diet of plant-based foods and special food pellets
Rodent nutrition recommendations are a little looser than those for dogs and cats, with a mixture of fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as rodent pellets offering good protein and fats, considered to be right. Grains and other sources of carbohydrates, perhaps surprisingly, are usually not ideal in large quantities, as they can cause rodents to attain an unhealthy weight.
Different animals have different dietary requirements, and it’s important for animals’ health than those dietary requirements are met on a regular basis. Attend a good veterinary administrative assistant program to learn more about this fascinating topic!
Contact Academy of Learning Career College to learn more about our program!
