Whilst some hamsters enjoy cheese, not all do. Hamsters that do eat cheese should only be fed very small amounts as an occasional treat to avoid giving them too many calories. The best way to provide a healthy, balanced diet is to feed a prepared hamster food. 

Manufacturers began to introduce ‘life-stage’ diets in 1975, starting with a puppy diet. Five years later ‘life-stage’ products for other pets at other stages in life become widely available . For more information on the history of the pet food market please visit our Market History page.

Dog owner concern: I have been given conflicting advice and don't know what to do, My puppy is 20 weeks old and has been on a diet containing about 29% protien and 30% chicken, mainly rice to bulk it up. I have been told that this is too high by a breeder who specialises in the breed (border collie) and that I should put her on to a low protien diet adult food. about 19%. A field and trial mix. I also live close to a shop which makes it's own food and promotes a low protien diet so that your puppy doesn't fatten up too quickly and result in joint and bowel problems! Help!  

Expert Advice: Based on scientific evidence, it is now widely accepted that large breed dogs (those with an optimal adult body weight of 25 kg, or heavier), such as Labradors, are at an increased risk of developmental orthopaedic disease and this usually arises because their growth rate is too fast. Overfeeding (i.e. consumption of too many calories, not too much protein) increases growth rates in puppies, especially large and giant breeds. Ideally all puppies should grow at an average, rather than maximum, growth rate for their breed.  It has been shown in studies that foods containing between 23 to 32% protein do not have any negative effect on skeletal development and they support optimal growth, provided that the calcium, phosphorus and energy levels (i.e. calorie levels) are appropriate.

A balanced puppy food is the ideal diet. A number of manufacturers produce specially formulated puppy foods that have been designed to meet the specific needs of the dog at this stage in life. They are widely available on the market.

Complete: nutritionally complete, providing all the nutrients in the amounts and proportions the pet needs.

Complementary: These foods are designed to be a part of the diet; however they do not meet the known nutritional requirements when fed alone so they must be fed along with an additional food type such as mixer biscuits in the case of the dog, or hay, in the case of rabbits. All complementary foods are labelled as such with appropriate feeding guidelines

British Small Animal Veterinary Association advises against feeding raw (or cooked) bones to dogs and cats as splinters from bones can cause extensive internal injuries by lodging in the mouth throat or chest, in addition to damaging stomach lining and puncturing intestines. These problems can be life threatening.

To ensure a nutritionally balanced diet, we recommend feeding a commercially prepared pet food which has been specifically designed to meet your pets’ nutritional needs. All pet foods are subject to stringent legislation to ensure safety and undergo microbiological testing.  There are concerns that feeding raw meat to pets (e.g. bought from a butcher’s) which is not managed in line with the Animal By-Products Regulations (2005) can present a human/animal health risk (e.g. salmonella contamination).

Some members of the PFMA produce commercially prepared frozen pet foods for the consumer who chooses to feed raw meat diets as part of their feeding regime.  These pet foods are subject to the same stringent legislation.

There are also specially formulated puppy foods available on the market, which have been produced to address your pets’ requirements at this life stage.

Puppies require about two and half times as many calories per kilogram bodyweight as an adult dog while they are growing. As a result, food for this age group should be higher in calories, protein and other key nutrients. Although many nutrients are needed in higher quantities, some nutrients may need to be adjusted in other ways. For a very young puppy the food needs to be easy to chew and eat.  A specially formulated puppy food will take all these factors in to account.
 

Thanks for your recent enquiry. Difficulty in giving pets medication is a common problem and the person best placed to advise on this is your veterinary surgeon and  your veterinary clinic and we would encourage you to contact them as soon as you can. Many clinics will be able to offer different ideas to help you and the vet nurses at the clinic may be able to show you ways to make sure the medicine is taken well. There may even be alternative forms of medications that are easier to give your pet.

Using small amounts of human food to disguise medication is sometimes recommended however, this can unbalance your pet's normal diet as human food is often high in salt and fat. This can be especially important if your pet has a specific dietary recommendation made by your vet due to age or an underlying medical condition.

A balanced puppy food is the ideal diet formulated to allow for the specific needs. There are a number of factors you need to consider when deciding the best pet food for your dog, for instance age, body shape and level of activity.  Specially formulated puppy foods are available on the market that have been designed to meet the specific needs of a dog at this stage in life. 

Puppies require about two and half times as many calories per kilogram bodyweight as an adult dog while they are growing. As a result, food for this age group should be higher in calories, protein and other key nutrients. Although many nutrients are needed in higher quantities, some nutrients may need to be adjusted in other ways. For a very young puppy the food needs to be easy to chew and eat. 

A specially formulated puppy food will take all these factors in to account.
       

Far from it. It is widely recognised by the veterinary profession that pets today are now living longer, healthier lives and that a balanced diet of prepared pet food has played a significant role in this development. 

There is a lot of information on pet care and pet nutrition which can make it difficult to find credible and accurate guidance, particularly on the internet. I’d like to reassure you, the UK pet food market is strictly regulated to ensure products of safety and high quality. 

There are over 50 pieces of legislation which cover all aspects of pet food production, from the ingredients used to labelling. For instance, legislation states pet food manufacturers can only use raw materials from animals which have passed veterinary inspections as fit for human consumption.

Members of the PFMA produce their diets in line with the FEDIAF (European Pet Food Association) Nutritional Guidelines. These guidelines detail the nutritional requirements of cats and dogs at varying life stages. The document is peer reviewed by independent veterinary nutritionists in Europe. The document is updated to ensure the latest nutritional science is included. Pet owners feeding a prepared pet food can have complete confidence they are addressing their pet’s nutritional needs.

At this age a puppy can be like having a willful youngster who is pushing the boundaries to see exactly how far they can go! Hopefully the tips below will help you successfully transition your dog to eating their own food. 

• At 8 months, your dog is still a puppy and we would recommend a specially formulated puppy food (these are widely available in the shops). This means all the nutritional needs at this specific life stage will be met, they are also very palatable. 
 

• Introduce the new food gradually. This is the most successful way to ease your dog into the change in diet. Start by mixing 25% new food with 75% old food. Slowly change the proportions over the next three days or so by gradually increasing the amount of new food and decreasing the amount of old food. At the end of this weaning process, you should be feeding 100% of the new food. You may encounter some difficulties such as your dog choosing to eat only the old food, or not eating at all.
 

• Food left out for 2 days will not be appealing to the dog as it will lack freshness and become stale. We suggest putting down small amounts at first and taking it away after 20-30 minutes. Do not offer anything else but repeat with fresh dog food every 4 hours or so. It is important not to give up too soon.  During the initial 3-5 day period, do not give your dog treats or table scraps. Giving in to their demands only reinforces refusal behaviour and makes it more difficult to make a nutritious dietary change.
 

• Watch your body language. Bringing a new food into the home, placing it into a bowl, and declaring that your dog had better eat it might cause your dog to go on hunger strike. It is better to introduce the new food to the dog using a pleasant tone of voice. Gently encourage the dog to try the new food.
 

• Switching diets may be more challenging when changing from a canned food to a dry food. If your dog continues to resist eating dry food, mix a little warm water with the food. You may even want to put the moistened food in the microwave for a few seconds. If you mix the food with water it is important to discard the uneaten portion after 20 minutes. This prevents spoilage. The same rule applies for canned food. After the dog has become accustomed to the moistened food, you can wean him or her onto the dry food. To do this, follow the same mixing instructions as outlined above.
 

• Speak to your vet nurse who is likely to be answering these sorts of questions frequently; they will have some tips and advice for you. 

Our advice would be to speak to your vet as you require tailored advice for your dog.  Your vet will be able to provide specific dietary advice and behavioural advice. If they feel it is needed, they can also give a referral to a behaviour specialist. What would be useful in the first instance, is for the vet to rule out any underlying medical cause.  Members of the PFMA do make specially formulated pet foods to help with dietary sensitivities and there may be a product which is already made and suitable to your pet’s needs rather than worrying about a homemade diet.   In the unlikely event the dog cannot tolerate any prepared pet food, the vet can help design a balanced homemade diet.

PFMA conducted some market research in to what influences pet food buying decisions. Our research highlighted that 96% of owners say enjoyment by their pet is the key determinant when choosing pet food. The format of the food is next up (89%) followed by suitability (e.g. for older pets). Product benefits (e.g. calcium for healthy teeth and bones), variety and brand are other key determinants. The data shows that brand loyalty is high, with the majority of pet owners having one or two favourite brands that they return to. 

Many thanks for your email. I'm afraid we don't know the answer to your question and would suggest that you contact one of the following veterinary bodies:

BSAVA - British Small Animal Veterinary Association - Tel: 01452 726700
Email: customerservices@bsava.com

BVA - British Veterinary Association - Tel: 020 7636 6541 Email: bvahq@bva.co.uk

RCVS - Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons - Tel: 020 7222 2001 Email: admin@rcvs.org.u

www.pubmed.gov

The feeding guidelines on a pet food packet and your local vet will provide guidance on how much you need to feed and at what intervals. It is always important to read the feeding guidelines as these can vary from product to product. As well as speaking to your vet, many pet food manufacturers provide customer care lines with feeding advice for owners, a number also have dedicated puppy/kitten clubs.

In terms of what is the best pet food, we would recommend a specially 
formulated puppy diet as these have been specifically designed to meet the nutritional needs of your pet at this time in her life. It is also important to monitor your puppy's health and development and adjust the amount fed as your puppy grows. Regular weight checks are also beneficial as being at the ideal weight during this period can help prevent certain health conditions in the future.

Feeding the right diet to rabbits and guinea pigs is fundamental for maintaining health, particularly of the dental and gastro-intestinal systems. Rabbits and guinea pigs have teeth which grow continually and need the right diet to prevent painful dental conditions. Both pets need high levels of fibre in their diet for efficient gut movement and to encourage chewing to keep their continually growing teeth trim.

A daily diet for a rabbit and guinea pig should consist mainly of large quantities of hay.  The remainder of the diet can be made up of a prepared pet food and these are widely available on the market.  Life stage pet foods have been developed for rabbits and guinea pigs which take in to account the different nutritional needs of at the varying life stages.  For instance, products appropriate for growing rabbits or light products for adult rabbits that are inactive or prone to weight gain. A good supply of fresh, clean water should always be available.

It is important to note that guinea pigs, like humans, but unlike rabbits, are unable to make their own Vitamin C within their bodies and so it must be provided as part of their diet. Feeding a rabbit diet without the right supplementation would not meet your guinea pigs needs.  If you prefer to buy only one food, it should be the guinea pig diet which will have the right levels of Vitamin C added. 

The feeding guidelines on a pet food packet and your local vet will provide guidance on how much you need to feed and at what intervals. It is always important to read the feeding guidelines as these can vary from product to product. Regular weight checks are also beneficial as being the ideal weight can help prevent certain health conditions in the future. 

Whilst it is not impossible to provide a nutritionally balanced homemade diet for your pets, it does require a good level of research with advice and guidance from the relevant experts - a vet or animal nutritionist. Your local vets will have recommended the NRC Guidelines, as this is a key authorative document detailing the nutritional needs of cats and dogs at the varying life stages. It has been produced by eminent veterinary nutritionists. FEDIAF, the European Pet Food Association produce a more succinct form for pet food manufacturers to follow to ensure that diets supply all the nutrients pets needs. Any homemade diet you provide will need to be tailored to your pets individual needs and should take into consideration factors such as life stage and lifestyle, for instance how old your pets are? Are your pets active? As it is a tailored approach, you will need to find a vet or animal nutritionist who can help you with this. You may need to broaden your search of vets to find someone with a particular expertise in this area.

Nutritional needs for bitches during lactation are higher than at any other life-stage. Successful lactation hinges on getting the nutrition right throughout pregnancy and supporting the specific needs during the lactation period itself.

As energy requirements can be 2-4 times adult maintenance at the peak of lactation (weeks 3-4 post birth), if this is not provided for the dam may suffer severe weight loss and loss of body condition.  Energy requirements of the dam should return to normal at 8 weeks post birth.

For further support and guidance, please consult your vet.

There is no fixed answer as when to feed a dog, it is completely individual. Some owners may feed their dog once a day only, some owners may feed their dog twice a day, whilst other owners may feed their dog three or four times throughout the day.
 

The key to a happy, healthy pet is feeding them the right type and right amount of food specific to their individual age and lifestyle. Historically dogs are scavengers, so will eat whenever the opportunity arises, however this can easily lead to overfeeding. Manufacturers’ guidelines found on all commercially prepared petfood packaging (including dry food and wet food) recommend total daily amounts which can then be divided into a chosen number of meals. Your petfood manufacturer should also be able to provide further individual advice if you contact them directly. It is important to remember that your dog's nutritional requirements and appetite will vary as they go through life and depend on a number of factors including;
 

- Breed/Size

- Weight

- Life Stage/Age

- Activity Level

It is essential that your pet maintains an ideal body condition throughout life for optimum health and to try to minimise the risk and impact of conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and arthritis. To see if your dogs fall into a healthy body size why not take the 'Healthy Pet Test' by using the PFMA 'Pet Size-O-Meter' available on this website at Pet-size-o-meter

Use regularly to check that your pet is maintaining the right weight throughout life. If your pet appears to be under or overweight then food quantities, and possibly diet type, will need to be adjusted to correct this. Your vet will always be the best person to advise you for your dog’s own individual health and nutrition needs as he/she will be able to assess them directly.

A puppy can be transitioned from puppy to adult food from skeletal maturity so it depends what the anticipated adult size of your puppy is. Small breed dogs (such as Poodles and Yorkshire Terriers) have a shorter growing period and may be considered adult as early as 8 months. Larger breed dogs, like Great Danes or St Bernard's may still be growing at 2 years of age. We would strongly recommend that a vet has actually assessed your dog prior to making this decision, a vet of pet care specialist should be able to advise.

It is also important to remember that when you do transfer your puppy from a growth or puppy food to an adult food then remember to do so over a period of 7 days. Gradually introducing the adult food to the puppy food over time to allow the puppy's tummy to adjust.

*Always remember to give your dog a bowl of clean and fresh water with their food.*