According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, over 36 percent of households in America own dogs and 30 percent own cats. However, not every owner knows the proper procedure for winter pet care; every year thousands of companion and stray animals die from being left out in this extreme weather. These cases are investigated more by police and animal control agencies than any other form of animal abuse. A common misconception is the belief that the fur on animals’ back will insulate them from suffering in the cold winter temperatures or upcoming storm. However, without proper shelter, food and water, these domesticated animals’ chances of survival in frigid temperatures is greatly decreased. Guardians of Rescue, a nation-wide animal rescue organization, is expanding their “Gimme Shelter Program” to avoid the suffering of innocent animals this winter season.

Purchasing pet food is something that millions of households do on regular basis across the nation. A portion of those making the purchase, however, are in need of food that will meet the needs of a pet that is on a restricted diet. Many pets suffer from a variety of conditions that prompt pet parents to seek out food to help with their symptoms. When it comes to feeding pets on a restricted diet, however, there is more to it than just switching food overnight and leaving it at that. Doing that will not help you determine if you made the right call and if it’s helping your pet.

“Feeding a pet that needs a restricted diet can be tricky, and most people are not sure where to begin with it,” explains Dave Ratner, owner of Dave’s Pet Foods. “While it may seem like a scary task to try and feed such pets, it’s not nearly as complicated as it may seem, especially if you follow a few guidelines with doing so.”

Here are some tips for feeding pets on a restricted diet:

Around the country there is a lot of pet food sold each year. In fact, according to the Pet Food Institute, sales have reached over to over $20 billion annually, selling over 8 million tons of pet food. With over 71 million people having a pet dog and over 73 million having a pet cat, consumers shop for pet foods on a regular basis. What they may not realize, however, is that when they do so they often make mistakes that could lead their pets down a path of health problems.

“Our cats and dogs are just like us in that they need to eat a healthy diet in order to stay healthy themselves,” explains Dave Ratner, owner of Dave’s Pet Foods. “The good news is that there are healthy food options out there. Yet I’ve learned over time that most people are just not aware of it or what makes for a healthy pet food. That’s a mistake that could lead to issues over time.”

Here are 4 mistakes shoppers make when buying pet foods: