Questions tagged [diet]
Food or overall nutrition comprising "what" is being intentionally fed to a pet.
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Can cats safely eat raw meat?
Is it safe to feed my cat raw meat, or should we cook the meat first? Or should we stick exclusively to factory produced cat food instead?
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What to feed kittens that are only a few weeks old? (Their mother died)
There are 2 kittens outside our house, only a few weeks old (perhaps a month) but their Mom died in an accident. Now there is no one to take care of them. We have decided to step in and take care of ...
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How can I help my obese cat lose weight?
My oldest cat is obese. She was a rescue (as were my other cats), and was recovering from starvation when we adopted her.
Ever since, she's had food issues.
She gets noticeably stressed whenever ...
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Can I feed my cat whenever she wants?
My cat does not have any specific schedule or amount for eating.
I feed her dry cat food available at market.
Whenever she gives me a particular call, which I know is her "please feed me call", I ...
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Is dry food better for pets’ teeth?
I had always heard that dry food was better for my dog and cat because it helps keep their teeth clean, I even remember TV commercials about dry treats that would clean the dog’s teeth.
In the ...
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What happens if cats drink coffee?
I was drinking my coffee the other day and I accidentally spilled some on the floor (a couple of drops).
My cat licked them. I don't really think this is a big deal because it was only two drops, but ...
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Can I feed my cat a vegetarian or vegan diet?
I have a few friends who are vegetarian or vegan, who have considered putting their pets (mainly cats, which is why I specified in the title) on a similar diet.
I feel like that might not be good ...
user53
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Is it okay to feed my cats canned tuna?
I opened a can of tuna today and my cats went absolutely insane over the smell. I let them have a very tiny piece and they absolutely loved it.
What I'm concerned about is that it's canned tuna. ...
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Why is iceberg lettuce bad for rabbits?
I have read that rabbits should not be given iceberg lettuce. Why is that?
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How long can a healthy cat go without food?
I am trying to change the kind of food my cat is getting, and he is refusing to eat it. He is completely healthy, he passed his last annual physical without issue.
If I give him some of the old ...
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Is there benefit to feeding my cats cat food that incorporates fruits and vegetables?
At the pet store this weekend, we were approached by a sales representative marketing a "gourmet" pet food brand. One of the biggest selling points was apparently that the food contains "wholesome ...
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My cat loves coconut oil. Is it safe to give him some?
I use coconut oil to moisturize my skin everyday. If my cat happens to be around me by the time I'm using the coconut oil, he goes nuts and tries to lick it from the jar. Occasionally I give him just ...
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How can I ensure that homemade dog food is healthy for my dog?
I am interested in getting my dog on a more natural diet.
I've been wondering whether homemade dog food is safe and healthy for my dog.
Which specific vitamins & minerals should I ensure are ...
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Should my cat be allowed some wet food every day?
My cat is a two-year-old Maine Coon. He's very lean and in good health.
He has all-day free access to his dry food and he eats a small quantity a few times a day. As everything is going well I don't ...
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Is it healthy for a cat to regularly eat cheese?
My kitten Mickey is addicted to cheese and will not stop meowing until we feed him. We give him about a handful a day. Is that healthy for a one-year-old cat?
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Is corn based food bad for my dog?
I've read that corn based food could be harmful to dogs. Is this true? If so, what would be a good alternative?
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Should my cat follow daylight savings?
I feed my cat twice a day: once in the morning and once in the evening. He is of the type that is always willing to eat, so I try and maintain a strict feeding schedule by feeding him exactly at 7am ...
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Are chicken bones dangerous for dogs?
I often heard that chicken bones are dangerous for dogs as they may break, splinter and damage the internal organs.
Is there any truth to this claim?
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Should cats eat "huge" animals?
I'm going to ask a question I wondered with my dad. It was raised because I believe several things related to my cat, mostly when I heard a little from the vet, a little from the friends, a little ...
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Why is adding hay to a rabbit's diet important?
These questions mention feeding rabbits hay:
What are healthy treats for a house rabbit?
How can I help my adult rabbit gain weight?
Why is adding hay to a rabbit's diet important? I am ...
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Are onions dangerous for my cat or dog and why?
Someone advised me not to feed my cat or dog foods which include garlic or onion, as they are bad for my pets and can make them sick.
Is this true? How would it make my cat or dog sick?
user6796
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Should I worry if my cat accidentally ate some chocolate?
I know I shouldn't feed a cat chocolate, and I also know dogs can get sick from it. Do I have to worry for my cat's health if (s)he eats some chocolate?
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What should I do if my cat stops eating and starts hiding more?
My cat is usually really social. Loves to be cuddled, loves being around people, always crawls in my lap. Today, though, he spent the day hiding in my closet and in his cat tree. He didn't really eat ...
user53
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What will help an aging dog with arthritis?
I've got a black lab going on 12 yrs. She seems to enjoy her walks and can still run, but in the mornings she seems particularly stiff and can sometimes stumble or walk with a limp. She's having a ...
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Is it a good idea to allow my cats to eat leftovers / table scraps?
One of our cats has a habit of jumping on the kitchen counter and chowing down on any leftover scraps from dinner. Personally, I don't mind this, as it's mostly "licking the plate" kind of stuff.
...
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What are some safe, healthy treats for my turtle?
I want to spoil my yellow-bellied slider a little bit, but I don't know what to provide as treats to break up the regular diet of pellets.
I know that they are omnivores, and her previous owner said ...
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Can cats survive solely on dry food?
Is it safe to only feed a cat dry food?
Should cats have a more complete diet or not? My cat rarely eats anything else apart from dry food, and I do not know why
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Are dogs carnivores?
I have been told that dogs are carnivores because they inherited the trait from their ancestors, The Wolves. I also read an article online that says that dogs have been able to evolve over the years ...
user34
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Can dogs eat yoghurt?
My dog loves eating yoghurt. I'm wondering if this is good for her.
Can dogs eat yoghurt, is it good for them?
Are there any dangers?
What should I be looking for when selecting a yoghurt?
user6796
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Will dogs overeat?
I grew up having dogs as pets, and feeding them always seemed to be pretty simple: put food in the bowl, and when it was gone, put more food in the bowl. This usually wound up being roughly every day,...
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How do I keep my supply of feeder crickets from keeping me awake at night?
In college, I had a pet lizard that ate crickets. However, the dorm room was quite small, and keeping crickets on hand proved problematic, as their chirping at night was annoying, and interfered with ...
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How can I help my adult rabbit gain weight?
I have a female English Lop that started growing well and was on a healthy track to meet normal weight requirements. She got stressed out and stopped eating and drinking. We were able to prevent ...
user9
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Is hand feeding my horses hay enough to supplement their feed if my grass is not enough to sustain them?
I have two horses (hacks) on a 5 acre property. It has grass, but it is not enough to sustain them both.
Is hand feeding them hay enough to supplement their feed or do I need to use hard feed?
What ...
user6796
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How do I switch from free-feeding my cat dry food to meal-feeding her wet food?
I've had my cat for several years now, and up until a couple weeks ago, I've been free-feeding her dry food. My vet has just told me that she's a little overweight (the cat, not the vet), and ...
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What is wool block in rabbits?
My rabbit has lost it's appetite and isn't drinking much, she is losing weight. I'd been feeding her a diet of rabbit pellets and carrots, and ensuring she has plenty of fresh water.
The vet said she ...
user6796
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Why do cats act like their food bowl is empty when there is still food left?
So my cats - well, one more than the other - will whine and meow at me in a certain manner that I have come to recognize as, "There is no food in the bowl." When they exhibit this behavior, I ...
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Why are grain-free cat foods filled with vegetables instead of more meat?
Every grain-free cat food I've seen is filled with vegetables like sweet potatoes and peas. Why is this? Why don't they just put more meat? Are there 100% meat product cat foods, wet or dry?
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Is chocolate harmful for dogs?
There's all this fuss over feeding dogs chocolate and how it can be harmful and even fatal.
I had never heard of this growing up and we never had a problem all the years we had dogs, but looking back ...
user6796
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Should I feed my cat milk?
My cat seems to enjoy a bowl of cow's milk. I have noticed some runny stools, since I have been giving him milk. Could the milk be causing this?
We are thinking about getting another cat (as a kitten)...
user6796
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Low Quality Dog Food - What are the risks?
I have an 11 year old lab. I have a friend that has a 15 year old lab. I have another friend who put his 8 year old lab down.
Based upon the following experience I have a question.
The oldest lab, ...
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My cat is gaining too much weight, how often should I be feeding her?
I have a ten years old cat that I used to fed twice a day but now it asks for food every time she sees me. I started to feed her three times a day and she has grown considerably fat.
Is this good ...
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What types of food and vitamins are appropriate for a leopard gecko?
My partner and I have had many reptiles over the years (bearded dragons, snakes of various sizes etc) but our latest additions are 2 leopard geckos - we're not sure exactly what breed, but we think ...
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Kitten Food in an Emergency
Hello I have 4 kittens and they are hungry as their mother just died 4 or 5 hours ago. I need to prepare food for them as they are only 34 days old. What can I feed them?
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What are the most common dietary allergies in cats?
We suspected a food allergy in one of my cats. The course my vet recommended for this was to switch him to a special diet (containing no previously-eaten proteins) for a few months and then, if that ...
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How do I choose a good brand of cat food?
For both dry and wet food, what criteria can I use to determine on my own if it is a high quality food for my cats (normal, healthy cats)?
In the past I've had experiences where, when I told the vet ...
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How much calcium and vitamin D₃ supplementation is beneficial to an adult tortoise who may be deficient?
I have a 10 year old redfoot tortoise. Her natural origins are in South American, so she's not desperately dependent on UV-B radiation to survive like an African species is. She gets plenty of ...
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Why don't cats eat snails?
We have plenty of snails in the garden, but the cat does not show the slightest interest in eating them - I wish he did! Even when he is hungry and I crush a big, fat snail and offer it to him, the ...
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Are carrots a healthy part of a rabbit diet?
Pretty much every iconic image of Bugs Bunny shows him with a carrot in his hand/paw. For many people, this image of Bugs is one of the first things which pops into their mind when considering what to ...
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What alternative foods can I try feeding my snake?
I have a California kingsnake. She is female and around 4 years old. I have been having some issues with feeding her as described here.
We eventually concluded that the problem was she was bored of ...
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How can I stop my cat from scratching her chin?
I have two six year old cats, brother and sister (friend "forgot" to fix their parents, so I know the specific litter and birth date). The female keeps scratching her chin profusely, to the point that ...
user907