🦴 The Basics of Pet Nutrition: What Every Pet Owner Should At Least Know
Tuesday, 5:32 a.m.
I woke up to the sound of slurping. It was not the twins brushing their teeth or Tolu drinking straight from the tap again. Nope. It was Blaze–my overzealous German Shepherd–making strange noises in the backyard.
I opened the kitchen door and saw him chewing grass like his life depended on it. Curious, I googled it. Turns out Blaze might be battling some dietary deficiencies… all thanks to a steady diet of either fufu or jollof rice. I had no idea.
This, friends, is how I realized it was time to get serious about my pets' nutrition. Or at least lift a finger.
🥘 What Is Pet Nutrition, Really?
Honestly, I used to think feeding dogs meant dumping rice and bones into a bowl and yelling, “Eat!”
But turns out, just like humans, pets need balanced diets—not just belly fillers. (Ghen ghen)
💡 Did You Know?
Feeding your dog only carbs like rice can cause nutrient deficiency and cranky behavior.
A cat fed only on “leftover fish head and amala” is more likely to hate you forever and develop kidney issues? True story. Ask Stu's grandma.
🧾 Here’s What I’ve Learned (the hard way):
✍️Dogs need protein, fats, carbs, vitamins, and minerals. Not just jollof rice or fufu. Blaze loves dry kibbles by Blue Buffalo Ltd
✍️Cats are obligate carnivores. Big words, I know—it just means they need meat to survive. Stu tried Cat food products by Orijen – it was a gift from my kid sis. So now Stu has questions. I can tell by the way she eyes my kpanla that she believes she's in the wrong family.
✍️Puppies and kittens require more calories than adult pets. They play more and have a longer way to grow.
✍️Too much fat = chubby pets + expensive vet bills, which nobody wants. I mean, we love our pets, but we'd rather not pay an arm and a leg for their treatment, especially when we can do the right thing.
✍️Too little water = constipation. And nobody wants to deal with a constipated Basenji. Raya chews on grass when constipated. So we give her pet food that's calm on her tummy, from Hill's Pet Nutrition.
🤡Just In case You Didn't Know This:
🚫You can’t just feed pets what you eat. Some of the things you eat, like seasoning cubes, are actually kidney killers.
🚫Stu will NOT eat anything that touches beans. Don’t ask me why. One of his ancestors could have died after eating beans, who knows?
🚫There’s such a thing as pet allergies. One day, Raya almost scratched herself bald after eating the spicy chicken that Demi gave her. Never again!
🚫I learned this the hard way–please don't give your dog shawarma.
🚫Chicken bones are dog treats; they are not food. Think of them like chin-chin, not lunch.
🚫You don’t need to cook gourmet meals, but try to avoid ‘garri and palm oil special’. It's not healthy.
🐶 A Peek into Our Feeding Schedule (and the drama that comes with it)
🥩Blaze gets his kibble + boiled meat + carrots in the morning. If he doesn’t get meat, he sulks and guards the gate with a bad attitude.
🥔Raya gets boiled potatoes + turkey bits + egg yolk. But only if she’s in the mood. If not, she pretends she’s fasting for spiritual reasons.
🐠Stu the Cat? Only eats boiled fish, cat biscuits, or my expensive sardines. One time, he refused kpanla. I’m still offended.
🎯 Bare Minimum You Should Know
If nothing else, dear reader, at least know these five things:
✅Water. Always. Fresh. Not agbo-infused.
✅No seasoning cubes or spicy leftovers.
✅Balance meals with protein (meat/fish), carbs (rice/potatoes), and veggies (carrots/peas).
✅Observe your pet’s stool. Yes, poo tells stories.
✅Don’t trust silence after mealtime. They’re either plotting or bloated.
📌 Link for curious nerds
Here’s a link to the website PetMD , one of their specialties is Pet Nutrition; just in case you want to go full vet mode.
Me? I’m still learning.
Final Thoughts:
Feeding pets is part science, part vibes, part “please Lord let this not be toxic.”
It’s okay to make harmless mistakes, but some mistakes could be deadly, so be aware of these basics.
And please, don’t feed them birthday cake twice 🥺.
Next post:
“How to Understand Pet Food Labels Like A Pro.”
Stay Blessed❤️,
Nene Ajayi,
(Your local chaos coordinator @ Fur Babies Central)
N/B: If you're wondering where this all started, go here. It'll lead you back to the mother of this entire series, and you can enjoy all the lovely posts and stories.
The product links here are affiliate links. This means if you buy anything by clicking on them, I'll be able to buy one sleeve of plantain for my fur babies–at no additional cost to you.😉
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