Like many pet owners, my dogs and their health are extremely important to me.  Which is why I jumped at the chance to join a YouTube Live session with Dr. Evan Antin who’s a veterinarian at Conejo Valley Veterinary Hospital, internet heart-throb and People Magainzes “Sexist Beast Charmer” alive, to chat about pet nutrition.  He not only has years of experience as a veterinarian he has experience treating a variety of animals from domestic to exotic animals. to chat about pet nutrition.  When talking to Dr. Evan Antin it was easy to see that he is passionate about educating people about their dog’s health.

I learned a lot during the YouTube Live session and here are a few things I learned about my dog’s nutrition.

Things I Learned About Pet Nutrition from the World’s Hottest Vet

It was a great YouTube Live session, were a few other bloggers and me were able to speak with Dr. Antin about most commonly asked questions and myths about pet food and ingredients.  We covered a lot of information and I learned a lot about the importance of what I’m feeding my dogs.

Understanding just how important a healthy and balanced diet is for your cat or dog

When you understand how important a healthy and balanced diet is for your cat or dog you are helping your pet live their life to the fullest.  I admit I wasn’t sure what a healthy diet looked like for my pet and I probably wasn’t making all the right choices.  They need a quality food for them.  To find out the best food for your dog or cat be sure to speak with your vet.

Do your research when it comes to your pet foods ingredients

The #1 thing to consider when choosing your pet food is whether or not it provides them with complete and balanced nutrition.  Having a good understanding of the ingredients is essential.  Did you know that dogs are omnivores?  Yes, they need a vegetable-based or lower protein diet and often provide your dog with a more complete nutrition than other ingredients often used to substitute grains.  I’m sure you have all heard about the raw diet?  Well, some people think that their pets should be eating a raw food diet because it’s closer to what they would eat in the wild.  However, did you know that raw pet food may not provide your pet with all the nutrition they need and can actually have dangerous bacteria if food safety regulations are not meet?  Oh and by-products, most manufacturers use a high quality by a product like chicken, beef, etc.  They include things like livers, hearts, kidneys, etc.  Oh, and did you know that the pet foods labeled natural or organic can often be misleading?  It’s not necessarily healthier than other pet foods.

Know the quality of your pet food

This isn’t an easy task, did you know that 8 out of 10 pet owner have either reached out or would like to at least know where to get more information about their pets food, 41% of those who would like to reach out have no idea where to find this information.  Pet owners should make sure their pets food meets or exceeds the PDA and AAFCO standards.  To do this you can contact your pet food manufacturer or by visiting their website.

Think before giving them table scraps

However, with the holidays coming up I did want to make sure and note that our dogs and cats are not humans and we shouldn’t be feeding them human food.  I know it’s tempting and our pets love it but you never know what could happen.  You might accidentally give your dog diarrhea, pancreatitis and some foods such as garlic and onions are toxic to your dogs.

Dogs have different dietary needs than we do and we need to understand that they need to eat foods that are nutritional for them.

About Dr. Evan Antin

When he’s not traveling to the most exotic places on the planet to work with wildlife, Dr. Evan Antin is a veterinarian at the Conejo Valley Veterinary Hospital outside Los Angeles, California. In 2014 and 2015, he was named People Magazine’s “Sexiest Beast Charmer” alive. Dr. Antin received his undergraduate degree in biology from the University of Colorado, and his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at Colorado State University. He lives in Agora Hills, California with his fiancée, his dog, Henry, his cat, Willy, his savannah monitor lizard, mangrove snake and an assortment of tropical freshwater fish.

This is a sponsored conversation by Purina and Dr. Evan Antin.  All opinions are my own.