HOW TO FEED A CARNIVORE...

 How do you feed a carnivore?

Take a large hunk of meat and place on plastic mat!
(no plates or bowls required)
Enjoy watching them eat!

If there are any left overs, pick it up and put it back in the freezer (or fridge - but you should leave it uncovered contrary to popular belief), and serve again at the next meal!

RAW DIET V PRESCRIPTION DIET?

So my Brownie has just been diagnosed with early stages of renal failure, and of course the vets have insisted that I switch her to a presciption diet with immediate effect.

I tried to argue as to why I won't do it but pretty much got told that a raw diet was bad for her and would make matters worse blah blah blah; cause a raw diet has very high protein content and with renal failure Brownie will not be able to cope with such a high protein content.

I then asked what was an acceptable level of protein for a dog that had renal disease and was told that it should be approximately 20% MEAT or protein of their total diet. I had to hold my tongue because a raw diet generally has only about 20% protein, and what people don't seem to understand is that high meat content does not necessarily equal high protein content. The main difference, however, between a raw diet and crapple (kibble), is the quality of the protein, particularly the quality of protein that goes into prescription diets.

I also asked then what should the rest of her diet consist of if only 20% of it should be meat. I was told that the remaining 80% of her diet should consist of carbs from vegetables and fruits such as sweet potatoes and potatoes, barley and grains. Again I had to hold my tongue cause these foods are not even appropriate for a healthy dog as it it very difficult for dogs to digest vegetables and grains, much less a dog that has compromised kidney functions.

Anyway, the objective of this post it to just highlight a few things. The first being that if your vet ever tells you to feed a prescription diet to your sick dog, just take a step back and think for a minute:

Why is it that when humans get diagnosed with some sort of disease, the doctors would almost always tell us to change our diet to a more nutritious, natural and wholesome diet and to go organic if possible; but when our fur kids are diagnosed with the same disease, the vets try to shove highly processed foods that are full of chemicals and preservatives with almost zero nutrition down our kiddos' throats?

Secondly, let's take a look at the prescription diet that will be recommended by all vets for our furkids that have been diagnosed with renal failure: which according to the manufacturer is a complete and balanced food that provides all the nutrition dogs need.

According to the manufacturers: the diet is formulated with the following benefits:

• Reduced phosphorus to help maintain healthy kidney function
• Reduced levels of protein to help reduce kidney workload
• Reduced sodium to help maintain normal blood pressure
• Increased levels of omega-3 fatty acids to help blood flow to the kidneys
• Increased levels of B-complex vitamins to compensate for vitamin losses in the urine
• Added antioxidants to control cell oxidation and promote a healthy immune system

So great, this food has  a reduced phosphorus level. I guess this would be in comparison to other normal non-prescription kibble. The phosphorus level in this prescription diet is stated at 0.2%. But did you know that the phosphorus level of raw chicken is only 0.15%?

It apparently also has reduced sodium at 0.23% compared to 0.084% in raw chicken.

The level of protein in this particular kibble is listed as 14.3% while raw chicken is at about 16.3% and pork at about 20%.  But what you need to really consider is that raw chicken and pork is generally free from all sorts of ridiculous chemicals and preservatives that are required to make the kibble and to keep it fresh. So yes while the protein level is lower, you are also feeding your dog a whole lot of nonsense which will stress their already dysfunctional system even more.

In terms of the added supplements, well most of the nutrients are available in raw meat and you can always supplement your dog with better human grade vitamins. 

Additionally the type of protein that is used in kibble is far from appropriate for our fur-kids. If you take a look at the ingredients list you will find the following:

Brewers Rice, Pork Fat, Dried Egg Product, Flaxseed, Corn Gluten Meal, Chicken Liver Flavor, Powdered Cellulose, Lactic Acid, Calcium Carbonate, Dried Beet Pulp, L-Lysine, Potassium Chloride, Potassium Citrate, Choline Chloride, Iodized Salt, Calcium Sulfate, vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), L-Threonine, Taurine, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), L-Tryptophan, Magnesium Oxide, Mixed Tocopherols for freshness, Phosphoric Acid, Beta-Carotene, Natural Flavors.

It is important to note that all dog foods and cat foods must list the ingredients of their food in order of weight. Therefore, the first ingredient listed is the most important because there is more of that ingredient than any other.

Now, we know that dogs are carnivores and are not meant to eat grains as they simply cannot digest it! And the main ingredient in this food is Brewers rice! (To find out how to properly read dog food labels, check out The Dog Food Project.)

What exactly is brewers rice? Have any of you thought about what it really is? According to The Dog Food Project, brewers rice is a processed rice product that is missing many of the nutrients contained in whole ground rice and brown rice. Contrary to what many pet food companies want to make you believe, this is not a high quality ingredient, just much cheaper than whole grain rice.

Then the second ingredient listed is Pork Fat. It is important to note that any animal fat listed on a dog food is not required to originate from "slaughtered" animals. The rendered animals can be obtained from any source, so there is no control over quality or contamination. Any kind of animal can be included: "4-D animals" (dead, diseased, disabled, or dying prior to slaughter), roadkill, animals euthanized, restaurant and supermarket refuse and so on.

Corn gluten meal is also high up on the ingredients list and what it really is, is an inexpensive by-product of human food processing which contains some protein but serves mainly to bind food together. It is not a harmful ingredient but should not rank high in the ingredient list of a quality product.

And then there is Chicken Liver Flavour...Anything that has the word flavour is something you need to be careful about. The manufacturer may or may not give more detailed information about what is used for flavoring and whether it is made from a natural or chemical substance.

I could go on and on, but I think you get the picture now. 

Basically, I just cannot see how a bag of highly processed food can be deemed as a complete and balanced died versus whole, natural and unprocessed meat. It just doesn't make sense. A sick dog needs to get high quality nutrients from reliable and clean sources without any added chemicals and preservatives. Quite frankly, if you fed your dog table scraps, that could potentially be better than that expensive bag of prescription kibble!

At the end of it all, I'd like to quote Jamie Oliver "If you can't understand what's on the label, don't buy it".

Related reading:
Should You Feed Your Dog High Performance Kibble?
Why I will Never Feed My Kids Kibble Again?
We are Carnivores
The Quality of Pet Food Ingredients
The Quality of Pet Food Ingredients Part 2
Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats

Note: This post is intended as a guide or reference and is not meant to replace veterinary advice. The information on this post is based on conclusions that I have made after extensive reading, advice from other raw feeders in particular the Raw Feeding and Raw Chat Facebook groups, and on my experience with my own dogs. Please consult your holistic veterinarian for advice on the most appropriate way to feed and supplement your dogs.

WE ARE CARNIVORES! Part II

 

Many pet owners want the best for their pets, and are willing to spend tons of money getting their beloved companions the best of everything - the prettiest collars, the coolest t-shirts and premium or even ultra premium pet food. 

In the past, I used to feed my dogs and cat the best kibble there was on the market. Why? Simply because I did not know any better. And surely if my vet thinks that I should feed my pets kibble, who am I to disagree? 

I was one of those who thought I was doing the best for my furry companions by buying them the "best" and "most expensive" kibble there was in the market. But little did I know that I was actually slowly but surely "poisoning" my kids. 

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So, Should You Feed Your Dog High Performance Kibble? 

Click on the following link to find out  

Why I will Never Feed My Kids Kibble Again?

 

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And then of course, there are those pet owners who will go to great lengths to prepare home-made meals for their canine or feline companions in order to ensure that their beloved pets get a balanced diet. Very often however, these home-made meals include fruit and vegetables. And some even go so far as to advocate a vegetarian diet for their pets which is completely inappropriate.

The ideology that including fruits, vegetables and grains in your pet's diet will make it a wholesome and balanced diet is completely and utterly wrong. Your canine and feline companions do not need these types of food and by feeding them these foods, you are actually putting unnecessary stress on their internal organs. 

When I first started raw feeding I was sort of following the BARF method which included a small amount of pureed fruit and veges. Why? Well, it was because the few raw feeder friends that I had included fruit and veges as part of their dogs and cats diets, and because I was desperate to try anything that would improve Cleo's health. 

*Yes, I only made the switch to raw feeding after Cleo was diagnosed with a severely enlarged heart and her condition deteriorated so rapidly and there was nothing the vets could do except give her medication to alleviate the symptoms.Thankfully, two years down the line, Cleo is doing really well on her prey-model raw diet which does not include any grains, fruits or vegetables.

Anyway, since we first started raw feeding almost two years ago now, I have been doing extensive and continued reading, and I have learnt that dogs and especially cats have no use for fruits or veges. (I should have realised this on my own after the first month of raw feeding. In the first few meals, yes they would eat the pureed fruit and veges, but then later on they would just go for the meat and bones only!).

Picture from www.vetmed.wsu.edu

Picture from www.vetmed.wsu.edu

Now let's take a look at the teeth of our furry companions. Note that both dogs and cats have no flat molars which are required for chewing and grinding veges, fruits and grains. They only have sharp incissors, canines and molars which are meant to cut and rip meat off bone as well as to crush non-weight bearing bones. If you observe your dog carefully, they do not chew... they merely crush  their food a couple of times (if it's a big piece) and then swallow. Dogs and especially cats, are unable to move their jaws from side to side to provide the grinding movement required to chew. This is also another reason why many dogs choke on kibble or other "small" pieces of inappropriate food - because they are unable to chew and therefore will inhale or swallow small pieces of food.

Additionally, dogs and cats do not produce the enzyme amylase in their mouths like humans (and herbivores and omnivores) which is very important for breaking down starch and carbohydrates before they enter the stomache.

Their digestive systems are that of true carnivores, i.e.a they have a very short digestive track which means that it cannot digest plant matter which requires a much longer time to be broken down. How many of you have noticed that if your dog ate some grass, it would come out the other end completely undigested?

This means that if you feed your dog or cat grains and carbohydrates, you are stressing your pets digestive system and you may cause excessive strain on your dog's or cat's pancreas.   

For a more detailed analysis on whether or not your dog or cat requires fruits, grains and veges, check out the following links:

The Great Debate: Do Dogs Need Fruits and Vegetables?
Myth: Dogs are Omnivores 
What is Wrong with Dog Food?
Canine Evolution and Anatomy

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Note: This post is intended as a guide or reference and is not meant to replace veterinary advice. The information on this post is based on conclusions that I have made after extensive reading, advice from other raw feeders in particular the Raw Feeding and Raw Chat Facebook groups, and on my experience with my own dogs. Please consult your holistic veterinarian for advice on the most appropriate way to feed and supplement your dogs.

ACUPUNCTURE FOR LITTLE TEDDY

We rescued Little Teddy (Tadasana) a couple of months back from a six foot drain. He was in a terrible condition and had injured one of his hind legs slightly. We started him on a raw diet and began to see improvement in his condition within days. We were unable to take him to the vet at that point in time as he was also a very fierce kitten. He would hiss, spit, scratch and bite whenever we tried to handle him.

Anyway, over time he became a really sweet and adorable kitten. He started to play as a normal kitten and we were really happy.

However, two weeks ago, he suddenly became very ill. One day he was doing fine and the next day I noticed that he had not eaten his food which he normally gobbles down within minutes. He also did not greet me or try to play with me like he normally does.

He was just lying in his litter box. I tried to pick him up and he screamed in pain. That was when I realised something was very wrong.

Anyway I brought the food to him and he ate it all up but he was in severe pain. I took him to the vet the next day blood was also taken as physically there didn’t seem to be very much wrong with him.

The results came back and the readings for his organs were okay. But His neutrophil reading is quite high about 10,000 and bands at over 500. So he was put on a 5 day course of antibiotics.

We saw an improvement as the pain descreased and he started to try and play again after the 3rd day of antibiotics although he still could not stand, but he was trying to grab our hands and nibble on our fingers.

On the 5th day he started to try and stand and walk, but he was still quite wobbly. So we took him in and the vet recommended that an x-ray be done.

The x-rays apparently showed that he had a severe calcium deficiency as his bones were not clearly defined and were very faint.

There was also a small fracture on his leg, but apparently that was nothing to worry about and should be just left as it is.

Our vet has since recommended that we switch him to a kibble diet as it is a more balanced diet. I disagree and cannot bring myself to feed Teddy such rubbish.

My main area of contention is that if there was a severe calcium deficiency then the change should not have been that drastic, i.e. happy kitten one day, miserable kitten the next. It should have been a progresssive deterioration. These pictures posted above were taken only 3 weeks ago with the exception of the first picture which was taken when he was initially rescued.

So anyway, I decided to take him to see Dr Susanna of Asia Paws, and he took to her really well. No screaming or hissing and allowed Dr Susanna to put in several needles into his back and into his legs. He then even started to walk about on the treatment table albeit rather wobbly. So we will be continuing acupuncture with Dr Susanna for Teddy and hopefully he will be all better soon.

WE ARE CARNIVORES!!!

 

 Folks, I have been completely swamped with work, rescued ones and fostering and have not had the time to post anything at all... So I do apologise for the silence.

However, this is just a gentle reminder to everyone that our cats and dogs are CARNIVORES!!! 

So just because you might be vegetarian, your cat and dog should NOT BE VEGETARIAN!!! 

Ideally they should be fed a PREY MODEL RAW DIET! This consists of plenty of fresh, raw meat and bones and organs!!! Not veges and fruits and other nonsense like grains!!!

Sorry, for shouting there, but had a phone call from someone who wanted advice on what to feed her over-weight basset hound that seems to have a million allergies. But whatever I tried to tell her, she had an excuse for not doing that, and then ends the call by telling me that a vegetarian kibble diet is what her basset hound needs! 

Argh... have no idea why she even called me when she did not want to listen to or even consider anything I had to say...

CLEO AND BECKS

Cleo (my ferocious raw fed dog) having fun with my 2.5 year old niece, Becks....

AGGRESSIVE RAW FED DOGS

It's been awhile since I posted anything... have been super duper busy with work... Anyway here's a picture of my 2 kids eating their breakfast this morning... Yup, raw fed dogs are sooooooo aggressive! :)

For those of you who have not made the switch to raw because you think it will make your dogs aggressive and fight over food, I hope that this picture will show you that it does not. Food aggression has nothing to do with raw. If a dog is possessive about food it's because he is worried that it will get taken away. It has nothing to do with feeding raw...

VERDICT ON THE AUSTRALIAN LAMB SHOULDER: PASSED!

Just a few pics of Cleo and Lucky eating their Australian lamb shoulder from Giant!

They enjoyed it thoroughly... (didn't manage to get pics of Rascal and Belle eating their portions as they wouldn't stay still long enough!). 
 

The quality of lamb was actually quite good! And the kids didn't turn their noses up on it, so that was a relief! Yes, my lot are quite picky! If they don't like it or they think it's not good, they won't eat it!

Also, for RM17/kg from a supermarket, it's a good price! I just saw the exact same thing at Cold Storage, Great Eastern Mall this evening for RM24/kg.

So I reckon I shall be making trips to Giant from now on, eventhough I don't actually like shopping in Giant as I find it so messy and disorganised that it usually gives me a headache!

AUSTRALIAN LAMB SHOULDER!

Today I happened to be in Giant and so decided to take a look in their frozen meat section and I found this. Apparently it's Australian Lamb Shoulder and it was only RM17/kg. So I bought some for the kids to try.. Hopefully they will like it...

My only gripe is that it's sliced... so not a big hunk like what they're used to these days. But I will be feeding it in large frozen chunks so it should be fine. Will let all of you know how it goes! If they like it, then lamb can be a regular feature in their meals!

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You see the kids love lamb! But as I usually buy New Zealand lamb which is rather expensive, they don't get it as often as they would like.

A couple of weeks ago, I got 2 huge leg of lambs to be shared between the 4 of them. It cost me RM40+/kg! But it was enough to last them for 2.5 days... So that was alright as a treat...

Cleo

Rascal

Belle

SHOULD YOU FEED YOUR DOG HIGH PERFORMANCE DOG KIBBLE?

I have been feeding my kiddos raw for about a year now and it's probably the best decision I have ever made for them. Some time ago I posted "Why I will never feed my dogs kibble ever again?", and I meant to write another post to give you the low down on kibble. Unfortunately, due to a number of issues etc, I just haven't had the time to write properly.

So instead, here an article from Dr Karen Becker of Mercola Healthy Pets. While I personally no longer believe that our dogs or cats should consume any grains or even vegetables, this article has alot of useful and important information for all dog or cat owners regarding the ingredients in pet food.

It's High in Protein, High in Fat - But Should You Feed It to Your Dog? 

By Dr. Becker

If your canine companion gets plenty of strenuous exercise or participates in athletic events like agility, flyball or dock jumping, you may have noticed some new products in the pet food aisle: formulas designed for active dogs. It seems a growing number of pet food manufacturers have discovered a new sales niche and are hoping to appeal to dog owners who exercise with their pets or get them involved in canine-oriented activities and competitions.

Very active dogs do have somewhat different nutritional requirements than more sedentary pets, but their need for high-quality, biologically-appropriate food is just as important. In fact, I’m sure most parents of athletic, competitive dogs would argue their pets have a greater need than most for the right kind of excellent nutrition.

Since I’m always curious to learn about new and improved pet foods and whether the quality matches the marketing hype, I took a closer look at three formulas for athletic dogs that were introduced in January, all made by the same pet food company.

Ingredient List Does Not Impress

There are three new products in the lineup, all kibble, ranging in dry matter protein content from 26 percent to 30 percent, and in dry matter fat content from 16 to 20 percent. Since most canine nutrition experts agree very active dogs need more fat and protein than average dogs, on the surface, these numbers might seem reasonable. But let’s take a look at the ingredient lists.

All three formulas list chicken as the first ingredient, but as we know, once chicken is processed for kibble, it slides down the list several positions and is no longer the primary ingredient. The next several ingredients in each formula include poultry byproduct meal, corn gluten meal, and animal fat.

Poultry byproduct meal, according to AAFCO, is comprised of the “ground, rendered, clean parts of the carcasses of slaughtered poultry, such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs, and intestines, exclusive of feathers except in such amounts as might occur unavoidably in good processing practices.” Note that “poultry” does not equal chicken, so we don’t know exactly what type of fowl is in the mix. Byproducts are less expensive than chicken meat, and less digestible for pets. In addition, what winds up in each batch can vary tremendously in terms of ingredients, quality, and nutritional value.

The AAFCO definition of corn gluten meal is “The dried residue from corn after the removal of the larger part of the starch and germ, and the separation of the bran by the process employed in the wet milling manufacture of corn starch or syrup, or by enzymatic treatment of the endosperm.”

The reason this ingredient is used so often in commercial pet food is because it’s inexpensive and contains some protein, which helps to increase the overall percentage of protein contained in the formula. You, as a savvy dog owner, already know that animal-based protein – not grain-based protein – is the most beneficial protein source for your pet.

AAFCO defines animal fat as derived “from the tissues of mammals and/or poultry in the commercial processes of rendering or extracting. It consists predominantly of glyceride esters of fatty acids and contains no additions of free fatty acids.”

No animal is specified in “animal fat,” and this fat doesn’t come solely from slaughtered animals. In fact, any kind of animal from almost any source can be used, including “4-D animals” (dead, diseased, disabled, or dying prior to slaughter), rats, roadkill, restaurant and supermarket waste, and even animals euthanized at shelters.

Liberal Use of Inexpensive, Poor Quality, and Grain-Based Protein Sources

All three formulas also contained, among the top ten ingredients, corn germ meal, fish meal, and animal digest.

Corn germ meal is another inexpensive ingredient that’s high in protein, and like corn gluten meal is used to boost the overall protein content of the formula without the need to use more expensive – and biologically appropriate – animal protein. As I discuss frequently here at Mercola Healthy Pets, corn and all corn-derived products are also well known in the holistic veterinary community as allergenic, problematic ingredients in pet food.

AAFCO defines fish meal as “The clean, rendered, dried ground tissue of undecomposed whole fish or fish cuttings, either or both, with or without the extraction of part of the oil.”
Once again, “fish” isn’t specific. In addition, unless the manufacturer can assure you they use human grade fish or fish meal, it’s a sure bet this ingredient has been preserved with ethoxyquin. Ethoxyquin is a banned substance in human foods except for very small quantities used in spices. It has been implicated in liver failure and other health problems in dogs.

Animal digest is essentially a cooked-down brew of unspecified pieces and parts of unspecified animals sourced from wherever. As is the case with animal fat, the source can be any combination of slaughtered or 4-D animals, horses, goats, pigs, rodents, roadkill, restaurant or supermarket garbage, or euthanized shelter pets.

How to Feed Your Canine Athlete

Your very active, athletic dog needs a nutrient-dense diet that provides optimum energy in a small quantity of food. The protein source should be good quality and animal-based, and the food should be relatively high in dietary fat, including supplementation with raw organic coconut oil.

The main components of a raw diet for an athletic dog with no health problems include raw meaty bones, muscle and organ meats, a few dark green vegetables, a constant supply of fresh clean water, and appropriate supplementation as needed. As always, I recommend you talk with your holistic vet about the right diet for your active pet’s individual needs.

In my experience, no dog – whether a couch potato or an elite athlete – will thrive on the kind of low quality, biologically inappropriate nutrition found in the new formulas described above. So again I must caution you to look past the attractive marketing claims and beautiful packaging, and go right to the ingredient list to determine whether a newly niched pet food formula is really all it’s cracked up to be.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY