Questions to Ask Your Vet About Your Cat’s Food
It’s a huge misconception that vets do not care for their patients to ask questions about their cats. In fact, more veterinarians wish that their patient’s owners would ask more questions as it’s more likely to lead to fewer visits and overall healthier cats. You’ve probably been in the vet’s office a time or two with your cat considering asking the vet a question before deciding against it because you don’t want to take up any more time or annoy your vet. Your vet wants you to ask your questions, and she wants to answer them.
This is especially true about your cat’s food. Vets know that so many cat owners feed their cats incorrectly and they’d love to give you a chance to ask questions so that they can offer you the right type of advice when it comes to feeding your cat. Get ready to find out what it is your cat needs from you when you are at the vet. The next time you take your cat in arm yourself with a list of questions you have about his diet, his food and his overall health and starting asking the vet for some answers. Here are some of the questions you should be asking the vet about your cat’s food and diet; and vets want to make sure you know the right answers.
Is my cat eating too much?
If your cat seems to have gained some weight recently, you’re going to want to ask the vet about it. Your cat should be within a very breed-specific weight range. Since we do not know what type of cat you have, we cannot tell you which weight range your cat should fall in, but your vet can do just that. If you think that your cat is eating too much, chances are good you think this for a reason. Ask the vet; feline obesity can cause a number of harmful health issues and even death.
What food should I be feeding the cat?
The most unasked question at vet’s offices; what does my cat need to eat? Most of us walk into the pet aisle at the grocery store and put as much thought as, “Oh, that’s on sale buy one, get one,” into our selection and that’s what our cats are eating. That is not, however, the way to ensure your cat is getting a good, healthy diet. Ask your vet, instead. He or she can tell you what your cat should be eating based on your cat’s current health conditions, the medications he or she might be taking and other health conditions from which your cat might suffer. It’s a great way to ensure that your cat is as healthy as can be when being fed.
Is my cat getting enough nutrition?
If you don’t feel that your cat is getting enough nutrition on his diet, ask the vet about it. The vet can easily tell you whether or not your cat is getting the type of adequate nutrition he or she needs to live a healthy life, and she can tell you if your cat needs more of something or less of something based on its current health. It never hurts to ask; hopefully, your cat is healthy as can be. But, it really never hurts to ask so that you know your cat is as healthy as possible.
Should my cat’s diet change concern me?
Sometimes cats change their own diet. They might eat less all of a sudden, they might seem uninterested in their food, they might drink less water and they might even start doing strange things such as eating everything in their bowl all at once and then vomiting it all up a while later. It could all mean something or it could mean absolutely nothing. But you don’t know what it means or does not mean until you ask your vet about why your cat seems to treat his or her food differently all of a sudden.
Is my cat’s diet and food choice causing poor dental and/or oral health?
Cats with particularly bad breath are often accused of eating an unhealthy or smelly diet. However, your cat’s diet could be to blame, but his or her bad breath might also be caused by some health concerns. It’s not uncommon for cats to have oral health issues, and getting them checked out by bringing them to the vet’s attention is imperative. Your cat deserves the best that you have to offer, which is often just the simple task of asking questions so that you can alleviate your concerns and get to the bottom of potential health risks.
Is my cat’s food changing his mood and behavior?
Believe it or not, the food that your cat is eating could affect his or her behavior or mood. It might be the food, or it might be something else, such as a reaction to medication that the cat is taking. You don’t know what the issue might be until you ask, though. Your question could lead the vet to realize that there is something else going on, which could lead to more testing and some changes in diet, medication and overall health. You never know when your seemingly ‘stupid’ or innocent question could actually save your cat’s life.
Is there special food for my cat with this medication?
Is your cat sick, or did your cat suffer from some sort of injury that requires your cat eat a different diet all of a sudden? If so, you might want to ask your vet if the cat needs to be on a special diet at the moment. When our dog attacked our cat last year, we had to give the cat four medications a day for weeks and it meant that we had to give the cat soft, wet food instead of hard food. Dietary changes with medications are often necessary, and it’s something that you do have to consider asking your vet at some point.
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