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.
cleaning team near Winnetka ..The proper selection of a training collar can have a... Read More
Pet DoorsAre you considering installing a pet door for your... Read More
My dog has fleas. That one statement is enough to... Read More
How to Deal With Anxiety in Your DogAnxiety in dogs... Read More
When I first started my interest in reptiles I was... Read More
While "late is better than never," sooner is better than... Read More
When pondering whether my neurosis is learned or genetic, I... Read More
Teaching your puppy crate training is the first and best... Read More
I'm a pariah among the dog fanciers in my community.... Read More
If you are looking for tips on breeding tropical fish,... Read More
Moving is about as stressful a time as any in... Read More
When we talk about hypoallergenic dogs, we mean that they... Read More
It's no secret that Americans love their pets. In fact,... Read More
Sure, you may be a master of human First Aid.... Read More
Every month I am approached by dog owners of my... Read More
"Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil... Read More
Every year, hundreds of thousands of cats and kittens are... Read More
Pet adoption is a fabulous option if you're seeking a... Read More
Which cat food should you feed your cat to be... Read More
Attention breeders, livestock owners and pet lovers! *Pets looking for... Read More
Nutrition and Your Dog's Behavior Proper nutrition is the fundamental... Read More
Among the most well known cat lover gifts are photo... Read More
The most important things in dog training are consistency, keeping... Read More
Let's face it ? Fido and Fluffy are an important... Read More
Talk to the animals?Yes.And what's more, they talk to us!If... Read More
family-safe home cleaners Northbrook ..Have you noticed that doctors are now being much more... Read More
Over the last 20 years, vaccinations have generally been started... Read More
Dog Shock CollarsDog shock collars are a touchy subject among... Read More
Small dog breeds are great pets, but since their personalities... Read More
Dogs come in many assorted breeds, shapes, and sizes. They... Read More
When pondering whether my neurosis is learned or genetic, I... Read More
Let's say you've made up your mind on the breed... Read More
He will be there by your side, as your loving... Read More
What makes something news? The fact that you take good... Read More
Training your dog can be time consuming and frustrating at... Read More
One of the greatest thrills for a little boy or... Read More
"Westies" or West Highland White Terriers are furry coated dogs,... Read More
Pets are family members and should be treated as such.... Read More
Your poor pooch is scratching himself all over. Plus, you... Read More
Cryptorchidism is peculiar to male dogs and a condition present... Read More
Why paint your cat? After all cats are beautiful creatures... Read More
A couple of years ago a Japanese electronics company came... Read More
Beaks, Bills, Face Knives, Beakers - whatever we want to... Read More
Choosing a dog is a fun adventure. The search for... Read More
Guinea Pigs make great pets and are fairly easy to... Read More
With ancestors who were a breed of tenacious terriers, most... Read More
Dogs are quite amiable creatures. Much like our human counterparts,... Read More
Show an uninformed dog lover a photo of a Westie,... Read More
The proper selection of a training collar can have a... Read More
1) Why should I crate train my dog? ... Read More
Pet |