Talking About Individualized Feeding Guidelines with Kendra Jenson
Healthy Dogs | March 25, 2019
Overlake store manager Kendra Jensen knows from experience that the manufacturer’s feeding guidelines don’t always meet a dog or cat’s needs. As a three-year Muddy, Kendra has talked about the importance of individualized feeding guidelines with hundreds of customers.
She also uses an individualized feeding plan for her own dog, Kylo. Due to some unique health challenges, Kylo must take daily medication that also causes weight gain. It would be easy for Kylo to gain excess weight that could stress his joints, but Kendra carefully watches his diet and builds exercise into his daily routine so he stays lean.
We visited Kendra at the Overlake Mud Bay to discuss manufacturer’s feeding guidelines, and how they might differ from what your own dog or cat needs to stay healthy.
KJ: I first ask what specific food they want to feed to their dog or cat and help them decide if they aren’t certain. Once we have the food that works for that owner’s lifestyle and their dog or cat’s specific needs, it will only take a few minutes to help owners figure out exactly how much they should feed.
When we start talking about feeding guidelines, we can pull up our new feeding calculator and input all the information we need to get a customized recommendation. I may ask questions like: What’s the age of your pet? What’s the body weight? What is your dog or cat’s activity level? What is the body condition score of your pet? Is your dog or cat intact or altered?
KJ: Feeding recommendations are how much a food manufacturer thinks a dog or cat of a certain size should eat. There are a few guidelines that manufacturers may follow. They sometimes consider if the pet is spayed, neutered, or intact. Other times, they may specify an amount for young animals under two years old, and then have a maintenance feeding recommendation for older dogs or cats. But different food manufacturers don’t use the same guidelines to decide how many calories they designate. Sometimes, the calorie recommendations may vary within a single brand.
Also, the guidelines on the package don’t consider body condition, exercise level, or other important factors that can affect how much you should feed. Because the recommendations on the package doesn’t take those factors into account, the package guidelines can be significantly different than what you should actually feed your dog or cat.
KJ: Feeding recommendations are how much a food manufacturer thinks a dog or cat of a certain size should eat. There are a few guidelines that manufacturers may follow. They sometimes consider if the pet is spayed, neutered, or intact. Other times, they may specify an amount for young animals under two years old, and then have a maintenance feeding recommendation for older dogs or cats. But different food manufacturers don’t use the same guidelines to decide how many calories they designate. Sometimes, the calorie recommendations may vary within a single brand.
Also, the guidelines on the package don’t consider body condition, exercise level, or other important factors that can affect how much you should feed. Because the recommendations on the package doesn’t take those factors into account, the package guidelines can be significantly different than what you should actually feed your dog or cat.
KJ: The number of calories your dog or cat needs depends on activity level, age, body condition score and weight. We also need to know if the dog or cat is altered or intact because removing reproductive organs also lowers the number of calories an animal needs.
It’s important to know that there can be other outliers. For example, medications can make a dog or cat lose or gain weight. Some dogs or cats are going to have slightly different caloric requirements. You can’t group all dogs or cats together, even if they weigh the same amount.
For example, my mom’s dog is the same weight as my dog Kylo. My mom’s dog is a very sweet, lazy dog, and she eats almost double the food Kylo eats because of her own body’s metabolism.
Meanwhile, Kylo is super active. He’s a dog that goes on daily walks. He has puzzle toys, and he plays lots of fetch at home. But he still eats a lot less than my Mom’s dog due to their different body makeups, metabolisms and medications.
KJ: I think it’s important that people reevaluate how much they’re feeding every time they switch foods. Pet owners can run into trouble if they don’t evaluate how much to feed after every food switch. It’s easy to think if I’m feeding two cups of this brand, I should feed two cups of this other brand.
Sometimes there’s a big feeding change when you switch foods, especially if you’re switching from kibble to a more protein dense food form like raw. Then you might need to feed a smaller amount. That’s why we encourage pet owners to have a long transition time between foods.
For example, if you’re switching from canned food to raw food, you’ll start off with three-quarters canned food and one-quarter raw food. And you might notice that raw food sometimes has a smaller volume than canned food for the same number of calories. But if you spend at least 14 days transitioning between the two foods, your dog or cat will become accustomed to the smaller volume of food. When transitioning, you can also take 21 to 30 days to switch between foods. Taking at least three weeks to transition gives you an even longer time to help your dog or cat adjust to any changes.
Overlake store manager Kendra Jensen is a three-year Muddy who’s the proud owner of a hedgehog named Hodgins and an adventurous dog named Kylo. To talk about feeding guidelines, healthy weight or pet foods in general, you can visit her at the Overlake Mud Bay.
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Just tear open, squeeze, and serve. You can mix it with water, pour it over kibble, or give it on its own. You can buy them one at a time or in a pack of six.
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Shop Furvor Bone Broth in-store or online today! 🛍️ 🐾
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Capstar Oral Flea & Tick Treatment
🐾When fleas show up, it helps to act quickly. Capstar is an easy-to-use oral treatment that starts working in about 30 minutes and can kill most fleas within the first few hours. It’s a simple way to bring fast relief and can be used alongside your dog’s regular flea and tick routine.
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Vetality Flea & Tick Monthly Topical Treatment
🐾 For ongoing protection, Vetality Avantect offers vet-quality coverage at a great value.
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These broad-spectrum topicals kill and repel fleas, flea eggs, ticks, and mosquitoes, while also targeting all stages of the flea life cycle. It also helps repel biting flies and kill lice. Available in four weight ranges and a four-month supply for continued protection.
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We have all the treats, toys, and zoomie-inducing catnip options for your cat, both in-store and online at Mud Bay.
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So whether you have a cat who likes to bite, rabbit-kick, or lie back and relax with a nice treat and some catnip, we have what your feline friend needs to keep them happy, healthy, and engaged.🐈
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Oven-fresh meals straight to your dog’s bowl.
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Nulo Culinary Harvest is a high-protein, oven-baked dog food, basted in bone broth to support your dog’s digestion and joint health.
Nulo only uses high-quality proteins like turkey, herring, chicken, pork, lamb, and beef, then bakes each formula slowly at low temperatures to retain nutrients and make meals easier to digest.
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Choose from Adult recipes such as Chicken & Whitefish, Turkey & Herring, or Pork & Lamb, available in 4-lb or 25-lb bags. For small breeds, Beef & Lamb comes in 4-lb and 10-lb bags.
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Shop Nulo Culinary Harvest Oven-Baked Dog Food in stores or order online today!
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Did you know that Mud Bay now has sushi 🍣 for cats?
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Thanks to our friends at Fabcat, your cat can now enjoy a 5-piece sushi combo platter at Mud Bay. Each piece is not only fun to play with, but also filled with North American-grown catnip that will get your cat excited to bite, swat, and zoom around.
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Check out the Fabcat Sushi Combo Platter and treat your cat to something special. Available in-store or online.
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Looking for a simple way to slow things down at mealtime or keep your dog busy?🤔
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The Walkabout from Woof is a multi-purpose enrichment toy that can hold up to 2 cups of food or treats. Just twist it open, fill it up, and rotate the inner dial to adjust how quickly food is released.
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A great option for busy days, working from home, or dogs that need a little extra enrichment. 🛒 🛍️ Shop the Walkabout in-store or online at Mud Bay.
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You heard us, now we want to hear from you! 📣 👂
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We want to know your dog’s favorite woof Pupsicle recipe. Let us know what your pup loves most in their Pupsicle. We’d love to share your recipes with our followers, too.
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Send us a DM, leave a comment, share photos, or tag us in your favorite woof recipe. We might even make your recipe in-store and give you a shout-out! We can’t wait to hear from you.
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Stay tuned, because we’ll be sharing some of your recipes 🧑🍳 in the coming weeks!
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Nulo Culinary Harvest coming soon at Mud Bay!
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This new option from Nulo is an oven-baked, high-protein dog food basted in bone broth. And because it’s oven-baked, that means it’s cooked at a lower temperature, so your dog can absorb more nutrients and get the most out of each meal. The bone broth also adds extra flavor, perfect for dogs who appreciate something extra at mealtime that also has functional benefits to their overall health.
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Nulo Culinary Harvest for Adult and Small Breed dogs, will soon be available both in-store and online at Mud Bay.
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🐝 🌷 🌈 Spring is here, and that means fleas and ticks are back. To help protect your cat, we’re excited to offer new TropiClean 🌴 options designed to make care simple and effective.
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TropiClean Laundry Additive helps tackle fleas, ticks, eggs, and larvae right in your wash. Just add half a cup with your regular detergent, let it soak for 10 to 15 minutes, and use it on bedding, towels, blankets, rugs, and toys. Plus, it’s safe for use with your dog!
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TropiClean Gentle No-Rinse Cat Shampoo offers an easy way to clean and protect without the hassle. It helps eliminate fleas, ticks, and mites, protects against mosquitoes, and is safe for pets and kids.
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TropiClean Gentle Mist for Cats is a quick, on-the-go option for added protection. Just spray and go for an easy way to help protect against fleas, ticks, mites, and mosquitoes.
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You can shop TropiClean products for your cat in-store and online at Mud Bay.
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Furvor bone 🦴 broth for dogs is made with 100% human-grade ingredients and is highly concentrated, so every squeeze adds real nutrition to your dog’s routine.
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Weruva WX Phos Focused Freeze-Dried Chicken and Tilapia is a low-phosphorus, high-protein supplement made from 93% boneless, skinless chicken breast, tilapia, and egg white. It has no grains, fillers, bones, or organs.
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Due to its naturally low phosphorus content, this food is suitable for cats requiring phosphorus management, particularly those with kidney conditions. Additionally, it’s highly digestible protein helps maintain lean muscle mass.
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You can serve it dry or add water to soften the texture. Adding water can help your cat digest it more easily and boost their daily water intake. This recipe is meant as a supplement and works well as a topper or treat alongside a complete, balanced diet.
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If you want help figuring out if this is right for your cat, visit your local Mud Bay and speak with a Muddy, or shop with us online today.
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If your pup brings the energy indoors, meet their new favorite toy. The ultra plush Fluff & Tuff Soccer Ball is designed for fetch, toss, and all-out play.
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With a strong inner mesh liner and concealed double stitching, it delivers the durability Fluff & Tuff is known for in a soft, soccer-inspired design.
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Kick off the fun and shop the Fluff & Tuff Soccer Ball in-store or online at Mud Bay.
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