Let's think about this for a minute: God did not design our animals to eat pre-packaged, kibble or pellet-like food. In the wild, dogs don't tell each other, "Hey, I'm hungry, let's go to the pet food store and grab us some lunch." As if!
No, together, they go out and hunt down their food, then dig right in while it's still warm. Sorry about the graphic image, but well, that's nature for you! They also do not stoke up a campfire and sit around singing Kum Bi Ya while the meat gets cooked. Nope they just have at it in the natural raw form.
Now you might be thinking, "Yeah but that's wild animals, not our sweet kitties and dogs." Think again. They are and will always be carnivores. They need raw meat and bones to be healthy with a fully supported immune system. Also the raw, non-weight bearing bones such as the shoulders and backs give dogs and cats strong, clean white teeth eliminating the need for dentals done under anesthesia at a veterinarian's office, something that is not only much riskier but much more expensive than feeding your dogs and cats what they were designed to eat: meat.
Your other pets such as horses, guinea pigs, birds and rabbits also need natural raw food in order to thrive. They do not forage for pellets, let me tell you. Many birds are omnivorous so they'll eat fruits, veggies and meat. While our other furry and feathered friends need to eat fresh fruits and vegetables.
Kim Christopher states, "Proper diet is among the more important considerations in the health maintenance of your pet and essential in the management of many diseases. To feed correctly, a knowledge of dietary nutrients and their availability is important."
And Dr. Russell Swift,"Carbohydrates are not needed by dogs(or cats). Carnivores cannot maintain long term production of the quantity of amylase enzyme necessary to properly digest and utilize the carbohydrates. In addition, the proteins in grains are less digestive than animal proteins. As a result, the immune system becomes irritated and weakened by the invasion of foreign, non-nutritive protein and carbohydrate particles."
So just what do you think most packaged pet foods commonly know as premium kibble contain? Grains. Byproducts. Toxic preservatives.
The question would then arise, if pet food manufacturers know this (they must because they're in business to know) why are these things added to our pet food and why are we told that these packaged foods are so good? Even our mainstream veterinarians are selling these foods to us.
Good questions. Part of the reason is because it's cheaper to use grains and byproducts. Byproducts can be anything we'd normally throw out such as beaks, feathers, feet/hooves, euthanized animals, road kill, you name it. It all gets rendered and added into our packaged pet foods.
Oh but it gets better. These foods are then baked. Here is what Dr. Betty Lewis stated on her website, "What's wrong with commercial foods? The number one item which makes commercial foods inappropriate for pets is that these foods are cooked. No one has ever reported seeing wild animals routinely barbecuing their meals! Raising the temperature of food above 118?F destroys all the enzymes and many of the nutrients."
To top it all off, in order to be able to say that these commercial foods have all the needed nutrients in them, they SPRAY on the nutrients. To get more details on this pick up the book by Ann Martin, Foods Pets Die For.
One of the best things you can do if you're confused about how to get started feeding your pets a natural diet is to first find a holistic veterinarian in your area and then find out what is appropriate for your pet. Homeopathic and holistic vets really adhere and promote the complete natural lifestyle for your pets and can help you put together a diet that will give your pet what he/she needs for full nutritional support.
All the problems we're seeing in our pets: allergies, skin disorders, cancer, diabetes, feather plucking, pulling out furr, etc., can almost alway be attributed to poor nutrition AND to food allergies. Their immune systems are compromised because they are not getting enough nutrition to support themselves which then weakens their immune system. Then we see disease. If the immune system is not supported properly, disease gets a front door welcome into your pets bodies.
So if you want to start seeing your pets live healthier, longer lives and also greatly reduce your vet bills, then switch to a natural, raw food diet. Your pets will love you for it!
References:
http://home.earthlink.net/~pawsreflect/nutrition.html
http://www.raot.org/information/nutrition.htm
About the Author:
Kim Bloomer is a natural pet care educator helping pet owners learn to care for their pets through natural, holistic means. Disease prevention is her goal to help pet owners lower their pet care costs and extend the lives of their pets. Visit her website aspenbloom pet care and her dog's blog barkin' about natural pet care from a canine perspective aspenbloom pet care
Look for Kim's new book on natural dog health with Dr. Jill Elliot, DVM due for release spring 2006.
professional maid services Deerfield ..Cats are living longer lives thanks to dedicated care from... Read More
Imagine that you are scolding your cat for scratching at... Read More
Everyday someone asks me, "How do you start a pet-sitting... Read More
Do you have a home robotic vacuum cleaner? They are... Read More
When I first started my interest in reptiles I was... Read More
Dog grooming is relatively simple for most dogs. I have... Read More
To vaccinate or not to vaccinate? That's become the burning... Read More
Of course, we humans use shoes to protect our feet.... Read More
Brings live to your community tanksMany freshwater fish-keepers have a... Read More
So you're getting a Rottweiler puppy? Here are some general... Read More
Congratulations on your choice to bring home a West Highland... Read More
Electric Dog FencesIs an electric dog fence something for you?... Read More
Boy or Girl?How can you tell whether your Goldfish is... Read More
For most cat owners, training their cat to use the... Read More
The teaching and training of dog tricks while not a... Read More
One of the best parts of the day for any... Read More
What makes something news? The fact that you take good... Read More
Your cat scratching at your furniture can not only leave... Read More
... Read More
1. Accidents and medical emergencies in the home happen frequently.... Read More
I have a business card burning a hole in my... Read More
Has your pet recently been coughing, eating less, or being... Read More
If your life is so busy you literally only have... Read More
Buy or Adopt - That is the question.If you intend... Read More
Fleas are wingless, blood-sucking insects that feed on dog, cats,... Read More
quick home cleaning Lake Forest ..Lonely, bored, tired of eating that same old stick, then... Read More
Out of all the pet animals, the cat is most... Read More
Before we talk about using the essential oils, we first... Read More
Caring for a kitten is a lot of work. With... Read More
Allergies to dogs can strike anyone at any age, yet... Read More
To teach a dog to jump, with your right hand... Read More
Everyday someone asks me, "How do you start a pet-sitting... Read More
Contributed with the help of Karen L Overall of the... Read More
A German Shepherd puppy can become a very welcome member... Read More
Quieting a barking dog is a quick and easy process.... Read More
Puppy TrainingPuppy training can be a trying time. The key... Read More
Good filtration is the prime priority in the discus tank.... Read More
I was talking to a friend of mine today and... Read More
Dogs are a fantastic edition to any family but like... Read More
Get to know your beloved dog better with these insightful... Read More
Most dogs live between ten and seventeen years. The relationship... Read More
As much as you love the sound of your new... Read More
Making our lives better includes protecting our families, and also... Read More
Puppy training can and should begin the day you bring... Read More
Bark CollarsMany pet owners become lost as to what to... Read More
A family, including three dogs and a cat live happily... Read More
Training your dog to obey commands is an important part... Read More
The Discus fish has its habitat in the South American... Read More
Occasionally watching Animal Planet does have its advantage. You can... Read More
Toys are fun both for our dogs and us. Lucky... Read More
Pet |