Confused about what to feed your animals?

There is a plethora of confusing and contradictory information on feeding animals. Nutrition is the foundation of optimal health and vitality for all species. Dr Megan advises clients to aim towards feeding their animals a wild-type diet that is appropriate for that species. Dogs and cats have evolved over thousands of years to eat raw prey. Cats are hunters and dogs are hunter-scavengers. They eat a (raw) carcass starting with the organs, including the gut contents, which is masticated and partially digested plant matter, then move onto muscle and other soft tissues. They start to chew the bones when eating soft tissues and then finish the remaining bones. Sadly, we know too well how efficient wild cats are at hunting birds, small mammals, reptiles, frogs and insects. Wild dogs eat a very varied diet based on hunted and scavenged ruminant and small mammal carcases and scavenged eggs, fruit, berries, nuts, roots, grasses and other plants.

Herbivores like horses, cattle, sheep, goats, alpaca, rabbits and guinea pigs graze or browse fresh plants. Birds have evolved to eat plants, nectar, seeds, insects, birds, reptiles, frogs or mammals depending on the species. Reptiles and amphibians may hunt other reptiles and amphibians, insects, birds and small mammals or scavenge eggs or browse plants according to which species they are. Fish generally have evolved to hunt fish and other animals, and a few eat plants. Different species of insects are hunters, scavengers or browsers. This diversity of dietary requirements is one of the reasons that wildlife nursing and veterinary care is so specialised.