WE CARE ABOUT
THEIR NUTRITION

Take note of the following practical tips:

• A good choice: Choose a balanced food, bearing in mind age, size, level of physical activity and its physiological state (whether it has been castrated or not). Switch food immediately after sterilisation to one specifically for sterilised dogs.

• Regular exercise: walks, games, etc.

• Provide suitable portions spread across two feeds a day, or three for puppies.

• Do not give them titbits, leftovers or sweets.

• Monitor your dog’s weight assiduously.

• If there is more than one dog in the home, take care and ensure that one is not eating part of the other’s portion.

• Visit the vet regularly and follow any nutritional guidelines given.

If a dog is suffering from obesity, it must be understood that this is a disease and, as such, should be treated by following the regimen established by the vet relating to diet and changing habits.

And so, when choosing the most suitable food, a series of variable should be considered: whether it has been formulated for cats, age (kitten, adult or mature), physiological state (pregnant, lactating...), whether it has been sterilised or not, its lifestyle and any sensitivities it may have.

Diet plays an essential role in keeping a cat healthy and its well-being as well as in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. However, an unsuitable diet, through it not being balanced or properly rationed, may lead to clinical diseases.

A cat’s main nutritional problem is obesity although others to keep in mind are, among others, gastrointestinal disorders or a deficient immune system.

With respect to obesity, it should be borne in mind that a close correlation exists between it and diabetes mellitus, joint problems, cardiac and liver diseases, skin disorders and even complications with surgical operations and anaesthetic risks.

Ultimately, an unsuitable diet generates a cascade of disorders that significantly influence a cat’s quality of life, put it at greater risk of contracting diseases and lower its life expectancy.

• From 2 to 12 months of age: From the moment of birth itself, a kitten’s diet is fundamental. After weaning, a kitten’s digestive apparatus, which has been evolving to stop drinking milk, needs new food. This new kitten food should be capable of satisfying all its nutritional requirements.

  It is also important to bear in mind that its digestive apparatus is still immature and so the food should be as digestible as possible. Another key aspect of kitten food is that it should promote optimal immune system functionality, given that it is not yet fully developed and has stopped receiving the defences it was getting from its mother’s milk.

  Summit 10 recommends the following food for kittens:

  • Summit 10 Kitten Chicken, fish & rice.

• Starting at 1 year of age: A kitten’s food should next be changed when it reaches maturity, at around 12 months of age.

  Notwithstanding, if it has been castrated, it should be given a food adapted to this new condition. Such food for sterilised cats should contain all the nutrients required for its complete development but with lower calorie levels, in order to prevent possible weight gain, and capable of making the urine more diluted and less acidic, owing to a higher risk of urinary stone formation.

  It only remains to remind you that the maximum daily ration should always be respected at the beginning and adjusted according to a kitten’s evolution bearing in mind that if it is gaining weight it is because it is being given more calories than it is consuming. This is crucial to stopping it from becoming overweight a disorder that then becomes very difficult to correct.

  If you give your cat a high-quality food adapted to its nutritional requirements and if it is never short of clean, fresh water, it has a better chance of growing up healthy and strong.

  Summit 10 recommends the following food for adult cats, starting at 1 year of age:

  • Summit 10 Adult Cats Complet – Special furball control.
  • Summit 10 Adult Cats Light & Sterilized.
  • Summit 10 Pregnant and lactating females // Kitten (Chicken, fish & rice).

Below, we explain which nutrients it needs and which provide a suitable diet.

• Water. Is just like any other nutrient and required for an organism’s other functions. And so, a cat should always have access to water and we should ensure that it drinks given that, by nature, it does not always drink as much as it should.

• Proteins. An organism uses them to build and regenerate tissue as well as produce enzymes which then perform the chemical reactions that keep it alive. Some of the amino acids are called “essential” because they are necessary for its health and its organism cannot synthesise them. The highest quality and most digestible are meat, fish and eggs.

• Carbohydrates. This group also includes starches and sugars, which supply energy for immediate use, fibres such as cellulose and psyllium as well as prebiotics such as FOS. Cats can digest and assimilate starches perfectly when they are properly treated, as is the case with the manufacture of dry foods, and constitute an excellent energy source for them.

• Lipids. Fats supply high energy levels and essential fatty acids. Among the most important of these are those of the omega 3 and omega 6 series . Omega 3 fatty acids are known for their anti-inflammatory properties, especially EPA and DHA which are found in oily fish. Omega 6 fatty acids are a source of essential fatty acids and important in maintaining skin health and coat quality.

• Minerals. are indispensable for specific functions that are not of organic origin.

  • Macroelements: an organism needs these in relatively high quantities. This is the case with phosphorus, which transports energy; magnesium, indispensable for producing nerve impulses; potassium and sodium, which intervene in ionic cellular balancing; and calcium, which allows ossification of the bones.
  • Trace elements: an organism needs these, but in lower quantities. Iron belongs to this group, which is indispensable for synthesising the haemoglobin in the red blood cells (which carry oxygen to the cells); zinc, for cutaneous development; copper, for synthesising skin pigments; iodine, which helps the thyroid glands to function; and selenium,the thyroid glands to function; and selenium,

• Vitamins. These are many and perform very diverse functions in the organism of your cat by regulating cellular functionality. They are usually denominated alphabetically.

• Other nutrients. There is a large group of nutrients which are not indispensable, but whose presence in your cat’s food brings great added value. They are called nutraceuticals yand may have very diverse functions, acting as antioxidants or chondroprotectives.

House cats are also frequently given more food-based treats, which are not usually suited to their nutritional needs.

On the other hand, living in a house may cause a cat to become bored promoting excess grooming and with it an increased risk of furballs forming in its digestive apparatus. Also, boredom is associated with stress, which in some cases may cause a cat to want to eat even when it is not hungry.

For this type of cat, foods containing highly satiating fibres should be chosen, which allow the appetite to be controlled in a natural way, eliminate furballs and contain a lower fat content to reduce the total calories not consumed owing to its lack of activity. It is essential to adjust portions according to the on-pack instructions because there is no benefit in feeding it such a customised food if it is then allowed to gorge on it.

On the other hand, the more variety of proteins there are in a dog or a cat’s diet, the greater their biological contribution will be. Therefore, if a dog has no allergies it is better to regularly feed it a diet varied in high-quality proteins.

Furthermore, various scientific studies have proved that puppies fed a variety of foods during their first year have a lower probability of developing food allergies later on.

The protein sources of Summit 10 are: Chicken, Lamb, Fish and Eggs

Furthermore, fresh meat provides better vitamin conservation and less fat oxidation.

Summit 10 Grain Free contains 40% fresh meat or fish.