Imagine the story of Fez, a now older Labrador who was loving life at his house.

At Fez’s home, there were kids and toys and properly regulated food bowls. He loved to run and play in the yard. And he loved to chase after those fast moving aluminum boxes that drive down the street. His family tried to tell him not to do it, but he just wouldn’t listen.  Oh Fez! Poor, poor Fez!!

Now he finds himself, yet again, at the vet to see the great and powerful Dr. Fez, who should probably wear a superhero cape at this point except for that it would get who-knows-what on it at the vet clinic. Dr. Fez was super careful while picking Fez up out of the vehicle but MAN DID HIS LEG HURT! He tried his best to be a good boy and to not bite the Doctor.  After carefully taking x-rays Dr. Fez found the culprit; a broken leg! Dun dun duuuuun!!! Dr. Fez explained how the family would properly care for Fez after he had surgery to repair his poor leg. Included in Dr. Fez’s aftercare instructions was feeding Fez a special food, which was quite a surprise to his family.  

How could a food help with aftercare from a traumatic experience?

We all know that when our pets go through any traumatic experience we want to make them as comfortable as possible.  Part of this process can consist of feeding their bodies with the nutrients it needs to help them heal. There are several foods on the market that can help our pets heal faster and more efficiently.

It is important for your veterinarian to be an intricate part of deciding which food is best for your pet’s particular condition.  Here are some of the factors that may influence which food your Animal Medical Center Veterinarian recommends to help your pet recover.

• • A food that is high in protein, fat, carbs, omega-3 fatty acids, and amino acids will help aid in promoting wound and tissue healing and reduce painful inflammation.
  • A food that is highly palatable ensures that the pet continues to eat and is essential to recovery.
  • Increased B-Complex, other vitamins and potassium will help replace nutrients lost during bouts of diarrhea and vomiting if that was the case for your per.
  • A highly digestible food is important to make it easier for the GI tract to absorb the nutrients out of the food.
  • When our pets aren’t interested in eating their normal food portions, it becomes more important for the food that they are eating is more calorie dense so finding a food higher in calories can also be important.
  • When our pets go through a traumatic experience where they may retain fluid, it is important to feed a diet that is low in sodium and chloride.
  • Added antioxidants are important to help defend cells from free radicals and promote a healthy immune system.

Isn’t it awesome that we can help our furry friends recover just by the food we feed them?  The evolution of technology in relation to the pet food industry is amazing and it continues to improve all the time through careful research by some of the top dog food companies (Science Diet, Purina Pro Plan, etc.). When your furry friend goes through a traumatic experience and needs a little TLC, contact our Veterinarians and our Nutritional Specialist at Animal Medical Center.

If you have any questions about your pet’s food, please call us at 307-682-1507 and ask to speak with Tara.

Tara is a Certified Pet Nutrition Specialist at Animal Medical Center and watch for her blog “Tara’s Kitchen Bites” every month!