Raw food Diet

I have spent the last several years researching ways to keep our animal companions healthy, and have found that the primary factor for creating health & longevity is good food.  There are many food choices for our companion animals. First, I suggest that you take a look at the BARF (Biological Appropriate Raw Food) diet. The BARF diet  is based on the combination of foods that a dog or cat would eat in in the wild, primarily meat, bone, and some organs. The BARF diet is becoming more popular; however a majority of veterinarians still do not believe that your pet should be eating raw meat, citing a fear of bacterial contamination. I had a client call me because she had some puppies that were developing a paralysis. I believe there were six puppies and one at a time they became paralyzed. She had taken them to the vet, but the vet could not help and one pup had died. I suggested she feed them a raw diet. They started to improve and eventually they all were able to walk again!  Not all dogs and cats can tolerate this type of diet, but if your dog or cat can it is worth feeding this type of diet for long term health.

Dry Dog Food Diet

If your dog or cat doesn't like the raw diet or has other problems with it, there are some excellent alternatives.  What I tell people is to look at the label of the bag of pet food you buy. If there is any type of by-product, this includes egg product, wheat, corn, BHA/BHT, or soy this food is not good for you companion.  There are many really good foods available now. Read the label before you purchase a food. That includes the food that you may be purchasing from your vet.  Here is an example of the ingredients from a "prescription diet:"Ground Whole Grain Corn, Chicken By-Product Meal, Pork Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Brewers Rice, Soybean Mill Run, Soybean Meal, Flaxseed, Fish Meal, Chicken Liver Flavor, Dried Egg Product, Dried Carrots, Dried Spinach, Dried Grape Pomace, Dried Tomato Pomace, Dried Citrus Pulp, Soybean Oil, Potassium Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Oat Fiber, Choline Chloride, vitamins (L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), L-Lysine, preserved with BHT and BHA, Iodized Salt, Calcium Carbonate, L-Tryptophan, Taurine, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), L-Carnitine, Alpha-Lipoic Acid, Beta-Carotene.  Notice that the first ingredient is corn and if you add up the amount of grains, there are more grains than good protein plus it has BHT and BHA which are both linked to liver disease.

Now here is the ingredients of a healthier food: Lamb, Menhaden Fish Meal, Oatmeal, Ground Barley, Ground Brown Rice, Rye Flour, Tomato Pomace, Canola Oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a natural source of Vitamin E), Salmon Meal, Rice Bran, Tomatoes, Ground Millet, Natural Lamb Flavor, Ground Flaxseed, Carrots, Spinach, Sweet Potatoes, Apples, Blueberries, Dicalcium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Potassium Chloride, Minerals [Zinc Sulfate, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Proteinate, Copper Sulfate, Manganese Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite], Vitamins [Beta-Carotene, Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Vitamin A Supplement, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B-12 Supplement], Choline Chloride, Taurine, Mixed Tocopherols (a natural preservative), Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Chondroitin Sulfate, Chicory Root Extract, Garlic, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Green Tea Extract, Dried Lactobacillus plantarum, Enterococcus faecium, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation products. This food, as you can see, has the first two ingredients are meat. There are vegetables as well and no BHA or BHT.

Dry Cat Food Diet

The belief that cats should not have any grains is getting to be very popular.  If we look at what a cat would in the wild, they would not have much grain in their diet. Many cat foods are filled with grain and particularly corn. It is my belief that this is the reason for so many kitties developing diabetes, but it is only a theory and as far as I know has not been proven. There is also a theory that cats fed strictly dry food develop kidney problems. So to avoid this, it is recommended to feed canned food also.  The canned food will assist in keeping your cat hydrated.  

Here is a list of ingredients from a popular brand of cat food: Brewers Rice, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Ground Whole Grain Corn, Animal Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Dried Egg Product, Soybean Mill Run, Chicken Liver Flavor, Powdered Cellulose, Fish Oil, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, DL-Methionine, Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin E Supplement, Iodized Salt, Natural Flavor, Calcium Sulfate, Taurine, vitamins (Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, ), L-Cysteine, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Potassium Citrate, L-Carnitine, preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid, Magnesium Oxide, L-Arginine, Beta-Carotene, Rosemary Extract.

Here is a list of ingredients from a grain-free brand of cat food: Turkey, Chicken, Turkey Meal, Chicken Meal, Potatoes, Herring Meal, Chicken Fat, Natural Flavors, Egg, Garlic, Apples, Carrots, Tomatoes, Cottage Cheese, Alfalfa Sprouts, Dried Chicory Root, Taurine, Lecithin, Rosemary Extract, Vitamins/Minerals, Viable Naturally Occurring Microorganisms

One last word on supermarket brand and some rather expensive brands that have by-products is that these are things that are not for human consumption. They are animals that are diseased, debilitated, dead, or dying. They have metal, toxins, drugs, pesticides, and herbicides just to name a few. The products I have listed are human grade foods. That means everything that goes into the food could go into making human food.

Here is a partial list of brands of healthy foods for your dog or cat:

Truth about vaccinations and other medications

The other thing that keeps our companion animals healthy is limiting vaccinations. The Truth about Vaccinations is a brief article regarding vaccinations.  Most holistic vets will not over vaccinate your pets. Find a holistic vet in your area. Dr. Jean Dodds has created a non-profit organization called Rabies Challenge to research the immunity of rabies vaccination. Other medications that you need to be aware of causing more harm than good to your companion are drugs called NSAID or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The commons names that veterinarians use are Rimadyl, Deramaxx, Etogesic, Previcox, Metacam, and Zubrin. Reactions to these drugs can range from vomiting to death. Not all dogs will have an adverse reaction to these drugs, but in the FDA study I have linked to, however, 97% of the dogs did have a reaction of some sort and almost 20% died. There are alternatives to these types of drugs such as glucosamine, MSM, Glyco-Flex, Syn-Flex, Synovi, and Elk Velvet Antler.  Most holistic veterinarians will have one of these products.

Flower Essences for Animals

Flower essences are a great way to assist animals in coming back into balance. I use flower essences to assist with behavior mainly, but there is one flower essence that I recommend everyone have on hand at all times. That is Bach Rescue Remedy.  I use this anytime my animals are stressed or have been injured.  I have personally witnessed it from stopping an animal from going into shock.  Rescue Remedy can help with dogs that are fearful of thunderstorms. What I recommend is dropping 2 - 3 drops anywhere on the body every 5 to 10 minutes until you see signs of your animal relaxing. There isn't any chance of over doing it with any flower essence.  Another nice thing about flower essences it that they don't interfere with medications your vet may be giving. 




"I do not in any way diagnose, treat, correct, change, manipulate, relieve, or prevent disease, deformity, defect, injury, or other physical condition in animals. It is necessary to consult with a licensed Veterinarian."