Animiyo blog
Food is the daily lever with the largest effect on long term health. Here you will find how an animal's energy requirement is actually calculated, what labels do and do not tell you, and how to run a diet transition without gastrointestinal upset.
23 articles
Slimming a dog or cat is not just fewer kibbles in the bowl. It is a slow, measurable project that starts from body condition and reaches a weight decided with the vet.
A treat is food, so it is calories. It should not be banned but counted: here is how to portion it, subtract it from the ration and choose it well without weight gain.
Grain free does not mean better. Here is why attention turned to the dog's heart, what the evidence really says and how to choose a food with judgement.
Fibre gets dismissed as filler or invoked as a cure for every gut problem. The truth is in between: different types serve different aims, and the dose matters.
Dogs and cats do not share the same metabolism. The cat is an obligate carnivore, and some nutrients a dog makes for itself the cat must find ready made in its food.
Water is not measured in millilitres: it is observed. Here is why cats tend to underhydrate, how to judge whether a dog or cat drinks enough, and which signals call for the vet.
A skipped meal is not a disease, but a lasting drop in appetite can be. Here is how to tell the two apart, why a cat needs earlier attention, and when to call the vet.
Itching that never settles, chronically inflamed ears, soft stools for months: food is only one possible explanation. Here is how to reach an answer with method, instead of switching kibble every month.
The bowl's material, depth and placement matter as much as the food. Here is how to choose the container and where to put it so your pet eats and drinks without stress.
Wet and dry are not good versus bad: what changes is water and calorie density. Here are the criteria to choose for your own animal, without dental myths or portion illusions.
In a puppy the problem is not making it grow but making it grow at the right speed. Adult size changes everything: ration, food and the pace of development.
A cat that circles the bowl and walks off is not being difficult: it is often neophobia, distrust of new food. Here is how to read it and how to widen its menu.
A working dog needs not just more food but different food, given at different times. Requirements, fuels and the checks that tell you it is working.
Lactation is the highest energy demand of a queen's life. Here is why the need rises sooner than you think, which food to choose, and how to track her weight.
The right question is not only how much, but how often. The number of meals changes with age, species and health, and affects digestion, weight and behaviour more than people think.
The bite from the table seems harmless, but it weighs twice: some foods are dangerous and all of them add invisible calories. Here is how to set rules without wrecking the diet.
Supplements are not equal in front of the evidence. Some have solid clinical trials, many have only plausible biology, and a few make things worse.
In the two most common chronic diseases of cats, diet does not support treatment: to a large extent it is the treatment. And a cat that refuses the food defeats the best plan.
Food changes usually fail because of haste. Here is the seven day plan, the cases that need longer, and the signals telling you to step back.
Laboratory surveys of commercial raw products come with hard numbers. Here is what was found, who at home is really at risk, and how the hazard is reduced.
Cooking for your own animal is a legitimate choice. The problem is not the cooking: it is that an unformulated recipe produces deficiencies that only become visible months later.
The table on the bag is an average, not your animal. Here is the requirement formula, the real multipliers, and how to turn kilocalories into grams in the bowl.
You cannot compare two foods by reading the percentages on the front of the bag. You need dry matter, the ingredient list and energy density, in that order.