Pet Nutrition Consulting

24/06/2024

Unfortunately for the foreseeable future I won't be taking on any new pet consultations. I am too busy with pet diet and supplement formulation work currently.

28/02/2024

While out of action Emma from Training Tails has been helping out with exercising Lexi. At the same time she has also been teaching her some much needed manners and now we are in town, how to walk nicely on a lead. I can't recommend her enough if you are in the Tauranga area for dog walking and training.

20/02/2024

A question that came via one of my pet food clients recently is can you compare the nutrient values on the label of pet foods with AAFCO requirements? The answer is no. AAFCO requirements are on a dry matter basis and as I have previously discussed values on labels are on an as fed basis. Even if you convert these to a dry matter value you can still not necessarily compare them due to the complexities of the AAFCO standards, which are based on a pet food with certain energy content.

20/02/2024

Current situation for me....Broken foot but good news is I am still taking client consults and now have more time to update this page. If you need any advice send me a message or email me at [email protected]

26/11/2023

It's been a busy few months moving house and getting all 6 animals adjusted to their new city life! They are all pretty relaxed now & the cats are finally all braving the outside world!

10/11/2023

Hope to see you all there!

10/10/2023

This is one of my new clients Hearty who is 7 today (happy birthday Hearty!). She has been with her owners for around 3 years. Hearty is a retired Greyhound and her race name was Bigtime Hearty. Although Hearty was nervous when her owners got her, she now loves pats, people, food, sleep, walks and runs. Such a gorgeous girl!

05/10/2023

If anyone in the Tauranga area needs dog walking or training give Emma at Training Tails a call. Support small businesses!

30/09/2023

Come and see me at this great event raising money for RRR- Rescue, Revive, Rehome - Bay of Plenty.

As a former farmer, Pam is a resilient, pragmatic and hard-working real estate agent with a rare dep

28/09/2023

Great event in Tauranga in October with one of my PhD supervisors speaking.

Check out these two exciting events happening in Tauranga, New Zealand! The Paws & Learn Speaker Evening and Dogs Day Out Tauranga on October 7th and 8th are must-attend events for all dog lovers.

At the Paws & Learn Speaker Evening, you'll have the opportunity to hear from renowned speakers such as Prof. Nick Cave, Dr Jess Beer, and Michelle Le Long. They will be discussing various topics related to our furry friends, making it a fantastic evening for anyone interested in learning more about canines.

During Dogs Day Out, there will be captivating demonstrations by Milly and Scott from the Department of Conservation, as well as the Mount & Tauranga Dogs Agility Clubs. Additionally, there will be a dog-centric market area featuring Grange Spa Tauranga, Genius Pet Food, Tails A Waggin Dog Adventures, Tag-Me Instant Tags, Wandering Wolf NZ, PAW by Blackmores NZ, and Kiwi Vet Behaviour.

These events are made possible thanks to the support of Tauranga City Council, The Weekend Sun, CS Signhouse, Royal Canin, TECT, BayTrust, Acorn Foundation - encouraging giving for the Western BOP, and Western Bay of Plenty District Council.



Department of Conservation
Grange Spa Tauranga
Genius Pet Food
Tails A Waggin Dog Adventures
Tag-Me Instant Tags
Wandering Wolf NZ
PAW by Blackmores NZ
Kiwi Vet Behaviour
Tauranga City Council
The Weekend Sun
CS Signhouse
Royal Canin, TecT
BayTrust
Acorn Foundation - encouraging giving for the Western BOP
Western Bay of Plenty District Council

18/07/2023

Did you know?
The dog’s sense of taste is less refined than humans, which can be seen by the fact dogs only have approximately 1700 taste buds on the tongue whereas humans have approximately 9000.

21/06/2023

One of my past clients, this beautiful boy Digit, has sadly crossed the rainbow bridge this week. Sending love and hugs to his family. He was so very lucky to have such caring owners who did everything they could until the end xo

20/06/2023

A common misconception is that fat is bad for dogs.....
For healthy dogs, without health issues or predisposition for diseases such as pancreatitis, fat is not an issue for dogs. In fact, working dogs such as sled dogs and NZ farm dogs have been shown to need high quantities of fat in their diets. Research conducted during my PhD highlighted that working dogs here in NZ are best suited to be fed a high protein, high fat and low carbohydrate diet to support their activity. These dogs were found to predominately burn fat during exercise, rather than carbohydrates.

21/05/2023

Did you know?
Dogs have 42 permanent teeth, all through by 6 months of age; 12 incisors, 4 canines, 16 premolars and 10 molars.

Incisors are used for holding prey, canines are used for shearing/tearing prey and molars are used for crushing/grinding.

Dogs have more molars than obligate carnivores such as cats, reflecting their more omnivorous diet. In comparison, cats have 30 permanent teeth; 12 incisors, 4 canines, 10 premolars and 4 molars.

14/05/2023

One of my special foster kittens who we have kept, Ewok. Amazing what some TLC and regular feeding can do for these poor unwanted babies!

10/05/2023

Can I compare the guaranteed/typical analysis on the label of a dry food (kibble) with a wet food (canned, pouch, raw)?

No this is not possible without converting the nutrient values on the labels to a DM basis. Guaranteed/typical analysis on a label is on an ‘as fed’ basis and obviously wet food contains a lot more water than a dry food, preventing direct comparison. You can contact the pet food company to request this information or alternatively I can do this for you.

22/12/2022

2022 has been a massive year trying to get my business off the ground. Thank you to everyone who has supported me in my new venture - my friends, family and most importantly, all my lovely clients who have used my service. Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from my family (minus 6 sheep and 1 frog) to yours! Stay safe and enjoy your holidays xo

26/09/2022

Feeding Guides. How accurate are they?

There are a number of different formulas to calculate cat and dog daily energy requirements, both at adult life stage and during pregnancy, lactation and growth. Coupled with this, there are large differences in the needs of two cats and two dogs weighing the same amount, depending on their breed, de s*xing status, s*x and activity level. Additionally many feeding guides use cups to feed which can be greatly inaccurate as this depends on the same size cup being used as the pet food company has used to create their guides. Weighing the food is a much more accurate option.

Based on these facts, feeding guides should be used with caution, and not treated as gospel. If you are feeding other foods, treats or table scraps you need to factor this into the amount you feed your animal each day.

I always recommend weighing and body condition scoring your animal, feeding the amount for their weight on the label (adjusting to take into account any other treats, table scraps or foods being fed) and then re-checking their body condition score (and weight if possible) after 7 days (and weekly following this). If they have a good body condition score at the start (i.e. 3/5) and have maintained this weight, keep the amount you are feeding the same. If they were overweight to begin with and haven't lost any weight (or have put on weight) then the amount needs to be decreased. I would suggest a 10-20% decrease depending on the weight fluctuation and how overweight they are. Finally if your animal was underweight to begin with then you need to increase the amount you feed daily, again I would suggest a 10-20% to start with.

If you need further information or help with a specific diet plan for your animal, please get in touch.

18/09/2022

The neighbourhood celebrated this sweet girl's 13th birthday at the weekend with a dog friendly cake! Spoilt girl Stevie Nix!

03/05/2022

We had to say goodbye to these little cuties today as they went to a new foster home. I have been bottle feeding them for the past few weeks for an amazing local rescue RRR - Rescue, Revive, Re-home. Always sad seeing them go but I'm sure they will find loving forever homes and my job is done and my tank is full 💖 Rescue organisations across NZ are swamped with unwanted, neglected and abused animals and are always looking for help so if you have the means to, please support them and the incredible work they do.

06/03/2022

People often ask me "what is the best dog/cat food?". Unfortunately there is no simple answer. It depends on what your preference is for diet form, your budget and whether your pet has any allergies and or health issues. Get in touch if you want help with finding the best diet for your pet 🐱🐶

26/01/2022

I am now back at work after an extended holiday with my human and furry family. Get in touch if you require any help with your pet's nutrition, I'd love to help and share my knowledge.

The photo below is of Eric, a baby hedgehog I rescued over the holidays from my dog Lexi (she was very gentle but wouldn't leave him alone). He was very cute but has been relocated to another property for some peace and quiet!

07/01/2022

It's a bit late but Happy New Year and welcome to 2022!

20/12/2021

With Christmas just around the corner I wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a happy new year from my furry family to yours. Thank you to all my clients who have supported my new little business this year. Let's hope 2022 is an easier year!

29/11/2021

How gorgeous is Luca?! I recently worked with her mum to help her with Luca's diet. She is a competing sled dog and such a star!

08/11/2021

Struggling to find a Christmas gift for your pet loving family and friends? We offer gift vouchers to either pay for, or put towards a nutrition consult 🐶😺

06/10/2021

Many pet owners ask me what to look for on pet food packaging.

The main items to check are:

-The statement of nutritional completeness: i.e. whether it is a complete diet or a treat only.
-For a diet that is complete and balanced there will be a statement such as 'formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by AAFCO for dogs/cats.' This statement should also include whether it is for maintenance (i.e. adult dogs/cats) or growth and reproduction (i.e. puppies/kittens, pregnant/nursing bitches/queens). If it states 'all life stages' then it can be fed to dogs and cats at all life stages.
-For a treat, the label will state 'treat only' or 'not suitable as a sole diet' or something similar.

-The ingredient list. This will list the ingredients from the highest to lowest inclusion in the diet. Therefore the first ingredient on the list is included at the highest amount in the diet.
-If your pet has allergies to certain animal proteins, be sure to check this carefully as some diets will state something like 'chicken and or beef and or poultry'. This means the diet can contain any of these animal proteins depending what the manufacturer has available.

-Analysis table: this provides information on the minimum and maximum macronutrient levels in the diet. Be aware that some diets state this on an as fed basis, whilst others state it on a dry matter basis so you need to be aware of this before comparing values between a wet food and a dry food. As fed analysis includes any water in the diet whereas dry matter analysis excludes any moisture in the diet.

-The directions for use and feeding table: storing the product and how much to feed per day depending on the animal's bodyweight. Keep in mind this feeding table is only a guide and it is important to monitor your animal's body weight and body condition regularly and adjust the amount you are feeding accordingly.

- Contact details for the responsible party: this is who to contact if you have any issues with the product you have purchased.

-If you have any other questions about pet food labelling or any specific concerns with the diet of your pet, please get in touch to arrange an individual consultation.

Thanks
Shay

17/05/2021

The number of overweight and obese cats and dogs continues to increase worldwide, with significant impacts on their health, wellbeing and life expectancy. Consequently, it is important for pet owners to be educated that feeding guides are just that, they are a guide. An individual animal's daily energy requirement depends on a number of factors including their breed, age and level of activity.

I assess my pet's body condition at least fortnightly and then adjust their intake as required. Additionally if you are feeding table scraps and treats these need to be taken into account when considering how much to feed your pet.

Assessing body condition is very simple using a 5 point scale;
1/ Very thin - ribs and pelvis are prominent with no fat covering, severe abdominal tuck visible, loss of body muscle
2/ Thin - ribs and waist are visible with little fat covering, abdominal tuck visible
3/ Ideal - some fat covering but ribs are easy to feel and an abdominal tuck and waist is visible
4/ Overweight- ribs are difficult to feel, no abdominal tuck visible, little or no waist present, rounding of abdomen
5/ Obese - marked fat covering, ribs can not be felt, no abdominal tuck, no waist, rounded abdomen

Any questions please let me know.

11/05/2021

Welcome to my new little business. My name is Dr Shay Rutherford, I am a NZ registered, PhD qualified animal nutritionist, ready to provide advice for your furry family. I can assist with all nutrition advice for cats and dogs, including weight management, specific lifestages or diseases, and working dogs. I look forward to working with you and your pets, as I believe nutrition is at the heart of animal health.