Is Your Pet Eating for the Season? What You Should Know About Summer Nutrition
Nutrition is one of those topics that comes up at nearly every wellness visit — and for good reason. What your pet eats directly affects their energy, weight, immune function, coat health, and long-term organ health. And yet for most pet owners, it's also one of the most confusing areas to navigate.
Walk through any pet store in Bend and you'll face an overwhelming number of options: grain-free, high-protein, raw, freeze-dried, limited ingredient, breed-specific. Add in the volume of conflicting information online, and it's easy to understand why so many clients aren't sure what their pet is actually eating — or whether it's right for them.
Here's what we think is worth understanding heading into summer.
Activity Level Changes — And So Should Calories
Summer typically means more outdoor time, longer walks, more hikes, and more activity for both dogs and their owners. But not always. Some pets — particularly older dogs, cats, and pets prone to overheating — actually move less in high summer heat. Feeding the same amount year-round regardless of activity level is one of the most common contributors to gradual weight gain.
A helpful check: you should be able to feel your pet's ribs easily without pressing hard, and there should be a visible waist when viewed from above. If that's not the case, it may be time to revisit portion sizes with your vet before the trend continues.
What the Research Actually Says About Diet Types
There's been significant discussion in veterinary medicine in recent years about grain-free diets. The FDA launched an investigation into a potential link between grain-free diets (particularly those high in legumes like peas and lentils) and a form of heart disease called dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs. Research is ongoing, but most veterinary cardiologists and nutritionists currently recommend caution with grain-free formulas — especially for breeds already predisposed to cardiac issues.
Raw diets are popular and often fed with the best intentions, but they carry real risks: bacterial contamination (Salmonella, Listeria), nutritional imbalance when not carefully formulated, and potential public health concerns for households with young children or immunocompromised individuals. If you're feeding or considering a raw diet, a conversation with your vet is worthwhile before assuming it's the right fit.
How to Actually Read a Pet Food Label
A few things worth knowing:
Ingredients are listed by weight before processing — so "chicken" listed first doesn't always mean the food is primarily chicken once moisture is removed
Look for an AAFCO statement confirming the food is "complete and balanced" for your pet's life stage
"Natural" and "holistic" are marketing terms with no regulated definition
Board-certified veterinary nutritionists (DACVN) are the gold standard for diet formulation guidance
Visit our lobby to explore some of the supplements and food we offer
When Food Becomes Medicine: Prescription Diets at HDV
For pets dealing with specific health conditions, what they eat isn't just a wellness choice — it's part of their treatment plan. At High Desert Veterinary, we carry prescription and therapeutic diets that are formulated to support pets with documented medical needs. These aren't over-the-counter products with clever marketing — they're diets developed with veterinary nutritionists and backed by clinical research.
Hill's Prescription Diet
Hill's Prescription Diet is one of the most rigorously researched lines of therapeutic pet food available. Each formula is developed by veterinary nutritionists and tested in clinical settings, which is why a prescription is required — these diets are designed to work in tandem with a diagnosis, not around one.
We carry formulas that address a range of conditions:
Skin & food sensitivities (z/d, d/d): Hydrolyzed or novel protein formulas that minimize immune reactions in pets with confirmed food allergies or chronic skin issues
Digestive health (i/d): Highly digestible ingredients with a balanced fiber profile to support recovery from GI upset, IBD, or colitis
Weight management (r/d, Metabolic): Clinically proven to support fat loss while preserving lean muscle — particularly useful for pets whose weight is affecting joint health or mobility
Kidney support (k/d): Controlled phosphorus and high-quality protein to reduce the workload on compromised kidneys
Urinary health (c/d, u/d): pH-adjusted formulas designed to dissolve or prevent certain types of bladder stones and crystals
Joint & mobility (j/d): Enriched with omega-3 fatty acids at therapeutic levels to support dogs with arthritis or degenerative joint disease
If your pet has been diagnosed with any of these conditions — or if you've noticed recurring symptoms like itching, chronic soft stools, frequent urinary accidents, or unexplained weight changes — a prescription diet may be one of the most impactful changes you can make.
Stella & Chewy's
For pets that don't require a therapeutic diet but whose owners want to feed at a higher quality standard, we also carry Stella & Chewy's — a premium brand built around a simple philosophy: ingredients that are minimally processed, responsibly sourced, and nutritionally dense.
Stella & Chewy's is best known for its raw and freeze-dried formulas, which preserve the nutritional integrity of whole food ingredients without the bacterial risks associated with traditional raw feeding. Their recipes feature high meat content, no artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors, and are made without the fillers common in mass-market pet foods. Many pet owners report meaningful improvements in coat quality, energy, and digestive consistency after transitioning — particularly for dogs that seem to do better on lower-carbohydrate, protein-forward diets.
It's worth noting that Stella & Chewy's is not a substitute for a prescription diet when one is clinically indicated. But for the generally healthy pet whose owner wants to prioritize ingredient quality, it's one of the better options on the market — and one we're comfortable standing behind.
What We Recommend at HDV
We don't have a one-size-fits-all answer, because nutrition genuinely isn't one-size-fits-all. A senior dog with kidney disease has different needs than a working dog or a young cat. What we do recommend is that nutrition be part of your pet's wellness conversation every year — not something pieced together from social media or a pet store recommendation.
If you're curious about whether your pet might benefit from a prescription diet, or if you'd like to explore the premium options we carry in-clinic, ask at your next visit or give us a call. We're happy to take a closer look and make a recommendation grounded in your pet's individual needs — not trends.
