Although the name may be misleading, a diet food is not necessarily reduced in calories and designed to help you lose weight. These are foods that are only given in the case of certain diseases, since their specific composition makes them an integral part of the treatment. They are specifically designed to fulfill one or more nutritional purposes.
These are defined by law and include kidney, bladder, liver and intestinal diseases as well as food intolerance.
Dietetic foods are protected by special laws and must have specific nutritional characteristics tailored to the disease in question. This type of food is given only after a diagnosis and on the advice of the veterinarian.
Diet foods are also known as therapeutic foods, veterinary foods, or prescription foods. They are offered in the form of dry kibble or wet food.
"Normal" complete feeds are also referred to as physiological feeds. They are suitable for healthy animals and contain all the nutrients that the animal needs on a daily basis.
It may contain additional ingredients that, while not essential, have a specific benefit, e.g. salmon oil for a shiny coat or prebiotics for the intestinal flora.
These foods meet individual needs, but only to a limited extent.