Shopping Tips

• Whichever food you choose, verify with your vet that it has all the right nutrients at the right proportions for your particular pet.

• Some vegetarians prefer that their pets also abstain from eating meat. This is a controversial choice, since dogs and cats may not receive all the nutrients they need to thrive on a vegetarian diet. Cats, especially, need a nutrient called taurine that can only be obtained through foods of animal origin. The ASPCA recommends against vegetarian or vegan diets for cats.

• Don't feed dogs cat food or cats dog food, and avoid feeding them an abundance of "people" food. Dogs and cats are both carnivores but their nutritional needs are very different. The ASPCA has compiled a list of ten people foods that you shouldn't feed your pets.

• If you want to switch your pet from his or her existing food to a new organic product, mix the new food with the old for several days to get pets used to the taste and to avoid stomach upset.