Pet Medical Recorder

Are Your Pets Eating Right?

The first printed edition of this publication carried a dedication to
      "Leika, for whom all this information came way too late; and to Collar: may she prove us right"

Leika and "her" kids
Leika, a wonderful livestock guardian dog, and "her" kids.

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Contents

 

Introduction

We all know we need to eat properly to stay active and healthy in life, and, as humans, we can make choices accordingly. Yet, most pet owners, however well-intentioned, go to the store and buy whatever pet food is on special. "All pet foods are the same anyway," one hears all too often. Or, "my dog/cat is doing fine on this product." We take it for granted that our pets can get by on the cheapest food and still function normally, because for a while they do. Later in life, however, they then suffer from some of the same degenerative diseases we're afflicted with, like cancer and heart disease. We tend to write it off as "that's just the way it is," but older people often tell us that pets lived longer, healthier lives some decades ago. Truth is, despite "improvements" in nutrition and medical technology, our pets' life expectancies have dropped in the last 40 or so years. We now know that, in humans, those "killer diseases" are largely nutrition-related and can be prevented by a diet containing lots of natural, i.e., raw, whole foods.

The purpose of this page, then, is to give you a basic overview of the concepts of pet nutrition. We will touch on a number of topics on how to provide your pet with the best possible nutrition for a long, healthy life.

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Optimal health requires optimal nutrition

Most of the information in this section applies to both human and animal nutrition. While the actual nutrient requirements differ between species, basic functioning at an elemental level is quite similar. Otherwise, studies using animals to draw conclusions about human health, all ethical issues aside, would not be possible at all.

"Optimal nutrition" involves more than the simple ingestion of good food. All food must also be digested, the nutrients assimilated, and the wastes eliminated. Improper workings of the alimentary tract can result in great disparity between what is ingested and what is actually utilized. Full assimilation requires that foods be properly digested, for which enzymatic action is essential; it also requires that the nutrients then be in bio-available form, meaning they are recognized by the body as nutrients rather than being only chemically close to the useable form.

The prevailing opinions that manufactured "nutrients" are equivalent to the same substances found in natural sources, or that the body produces all the enzymes needed for digestion, are only partially true at best. Past and current research reveals a far more complex picture, but the simplistic approach sells more product. Yes, we can identify certain nutrients and reproduce them chemically, but, as we are just now finding out with the thousands of phytochemicals (plant substances), for example, that we are discovering as essential in human nutrition, our present understanding of a particular food source is limited at best. And yes, enzymes are produced in the body, but a great deal of research, some going back decades and reconfirmed by new data, shows that, over a lifetime, the body can make up for only so much. If enzymes are not replaced on a regular basis through ingestion of raw foods, deficiencies develop. The then improperly digested substances either pass through the system without assimilation, which puts a strain on the liver and kidneys, or enter the bloodstream and eventually are deposited somewhere in the body. Often, however, they just sit in the gastro-intestinal tract for extended periods and putrefy, contributing to the development of abnormalities and cancers. On a long-term basis, this all results in a generally toxic state leading to a variety of unhealthy conditions, such as cancer, arterial plaque, arthritis, and many digestive disorders.

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Signs of a healthy pet

Soft, shiny coat; texture and thickness varies with breed and season. Cats should have no odor, and dogs very little, depending on the breed. Clear eyes, no tearing. Dogs: moist, cool nose; cats' noses are drier but also generally cool; no discharge. Alert, energetic but not hyper; hyperactivity in dogs can be related to breed, training, exercise level, as well as diet. Small stools, firm but not hard; at least one movement per meal per day.

Some warning signs, not necessarily directly related to diet, nor a complete list: discharge from eyes or nose, especially if thick. Unusual body odors or bad breath. Listlessness. Dull coat; bare patches, irritated or inflamed, raw skin; constant scratching -- this can be a sign of fleas or other parasites, as well as a nutritional deficiency or allergy. Excessive water intake and frequent urination. Straining to urinate, especially in male cats; this is an emergency! Hard or loose stools (occasional bouts that clear up in 24 hours are usually harmless); mucus or blood in the stool. Weight loss. Obesity. Lumps. Behavioral changes.

If you notice any of these or other abnormalities, consult your veterinarian promptly. We prefer working with holistic veterinarians.

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Why a "100% complete and balanced" pet food is impossible

When considering the complexities of the natural world, claiming that a few ingredients can equal the nutrition an animal derives in its natural environment from natural sources is downright preposterous. Just think of the surprise a few years back when taurine was discovered as a heretofore unknown essential nutrient. Cat foods now contain it, but before this discovery, all cat foods were supposedly "100% complete." What other essential nutrients will be "discovered" in the future?

Certainly, science has come a long way in analyzing some of the nutritional components of an animal's natural diet, but just like we are realizing in human nutrition that our foods are complex beyond comprehension, so are our pets' needs based on such complexities.

We humans now know to eat more whole foods -- fresh, raw whole foods -- but we still expect our pets to get by on processed, cooked, extruded chunks of cereal (see below on how to read pet food labels to choose the best available foods). Heating of food, in human as well as in animal nutrition, alters its consistency and denatures many of its nutritional components. Enzymes, which are normally found in raw food-sources and are essential to human and animal health, are rendered useless by temperatures over 120 F. (One pet food company, in a recent promotional article, went so far as to put enzymes in the same "undesirable" category as "food-borne pests;" enzymes are only "undesirable" because they promote the breakdown of foods. They decrease the yearlong or better shelf-life expected of pet foods. Just ask yourself, can something that has been on the shelf for a year, unrefrigerated, really contain all the nutrition of fresh food?)

Other nutrients are only partially absorbed or become unavailable altogether. These unavailable "nutrients" are either excreted or stored in the body, resulting in stress on the liver and digestive tract, or an accumulation of useless substances in the body, with toxic effects in the long run. In humans, we consider such accumulations as one of the causes of cancer -- maybe we should ask ourselves why there has been such an increase in cancer in pets in recent years?

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Expensive is not necessarily best: What to look for when buying pet food

This section's purpose is to give you a basic overview on to how to read pet food labels. It is not meant to be a scientific treatise on the finer nuances of ingredients in pet foods. I am not going to argue whether small variations in protein or fat percentages make a huge difference, but will concentrate on the ingredients themselves.

All pet foods are not created equal. The first clue as to a food's value is in the first few ingredients listed. Most commercial and even some "premium" dog foods have "ground corn" listed first, meaning, just like in human food labels, that ingredient represents the highest portion over all others. Considering its low digestibility, corn then becomes a filler, adding little more than bulk (which eventually comes out the other end). If corn appears further down the list, its proportionate amount is far lower and it acts less as a filler and becomes more of a necessary source of carbohydrates. With smaller amounts in the food, there is also less of a chance of the pet developing allergies to it.

Meat vs. Byproducts

Meat, such as lamb, chicken, etc., is just that, of which lamb is the highest quality meat, being high in protein and easily digested. (Meat) meal may simply be ground meat, but mostly it will include all parts of the animal utilized, including bones and organs. Now, in the wild, canids will devour the organs first (organs of herbivores contain nutrients of the plants digested as well as beneficial bacteria and enzymes), then the meat, and after that they gnaw on the bones to get the cartilage and the marrow; in the process they'll actually eat a lot of the smaller bones. In fact, it's that very practice that keeps their teeth clean and healthy and prevents tartar build-up -- a major problem in our pets these days. (The myth that "bones are bad for pets" comes from the fact that cooking alters bones so that they become brittle and indigestible, which then can cause punctures of the stomach or intestine.) So, if you see either the (meat) or (meat) meal as the first ingredient, you know you have a potentially good food. 

Byproducts, on the other hand, are those parts of the carcass left over after processing for human consumption, meaning only the bones, maybe some of the organs, feet, beaks, heads, and other parts, including tumors, not fit for human consumption. This represents at best a skewed meat:bone ratio, and is nutritionally far inferior to the above meat meal. Some products will contain both: meat meal first, and some byproducts further down the list. Some products will have corn as the first ingredients and byproducts as the only "meat" source as the fourth or fifth ingredient....

Wheat

Whole wheat is often used in some of the better brands. While there is nothing inherently wrong with wheat, some animals are allergic to it, or develop allergies to it after prolonged feeding, so it's probably a good idea to avoid it altogether.

Soy

Soybeans are mildly toxic and are difficult to digest even when cooked. You'll note that most human soy-based products are fermented in some form or another, and our systems are supposed to be able to digest food from plants. Our pets, being meat-eaters, are far less able to digest plant substances, and soy products in pet foods can cause gastric disturbances or might not be eliminated properly, resulting in toxic build-up. Soy is the number one allergy cause in pet foods. Wheat is second.

Other grains

Rice, oatmeal, and barley are fairly common in the better foods. These are excellent sources of carbohydrates. Be sure these are in whole form, especially the rice portion. Look for whole brown rice listed as such.

Other ingredients

All dry foods will contain a long list or vitamins and minerals.  Learn to recognize their names so you can distinguish them from other chemicals that might have been added.

Top quality foods now contain vegetables, herbal extracts, probiotics such as Lactobacillus (the beneficial organism that turns milk into yogurt), even enzymes (look for guaranteed activity).  Especially "Senior" formulations see the inclusion of glucosamine and chondroitin, nutritional substances proven to help keep cartilage healthy, which helps prevent or improve aching joints.

Preservatives

In order to stay "fresh" for over a year on the shelf, all pet foods must contain some form of preservative. Most of us have learned to avoid BHT, BHA, etc. in our food because of potentially harmful side-effects, but our pets cannot make such choices. They rely on us to read the labels, and even some of the "premium" foods have these additives. Another preservative, one to be avoided at all cost because of the reactions it causes in some pets, is "ethoxyquin," originally classified as a poison by the FDA, as was the now common (in human food) sweetener aspartame. Its effects are well-known, but it's still out there -- you guessed it -- even in some of the "premium" brands. 

Nowadays, many of the better pet foods use mixed tocopherols which is a form of vitamin E, as well as ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), and citric acid (responsible for the tart taste of citrus and other fruit). The fact will usually be featured prominently on the bag. However, there is some debate over whether Vitamin E by itself is really effective for the long-term preservation required of pet foods, so you will often see Vitamin C or citric acid added as well. It's also been questioned whether tocopherols are denatured and changed into a harmful form during the heat of kibble processing; some manufacturers spray on heat-sensitive ingredients after the main processing cycle. 

Be aware, pet food companies are able to buy separate ingredients that are already preserved in some form. Since the manufacturer did not add the preservative, it does not become part of the label.

Canned food

Canned foods are often cited as contributing greatly to the epidemic of poor dental health in pets, although that view has changed recently, even among holistic vets. Buy the best quality available, using the guidelines under "meat." Generally, you'll find "water for processing" to be the first ingredient, but the better ones now start with a meat and add some kind of broth rather than plain water.

Lite vs. Regular food.

Many pets today are overweight. They don't get nearly enough exercise, and usually their owners follow the label instructions regarding amounts to feed, plus give a little extra, which might take the form of dog treats. When the veterinarian finally points out the weight problem, the animal is put on a low-fat food, and before you know it, while there hasn't been much weight loss, the pet develops skin problems. So, oil of some sort -- there are a variety of products besides plain vegetable oil; fish oil is particularly rich in omega essential fatty acids -- is added, because pets need a certain amount of high quality fats in their diets in order to maintain a healthy coat. Lite foods often fall short in that department.

Interestingly, human obesity is often called a "disease of malnutrition" because the body "knows" when it hasn't been given the proper amount of nutrients for optimal functioning, which then translates into cravings. Our pets often act like they're always hungry, but much of that is simply a behavioral trait. Or is it? Most of the feeding instructions on pet food bags are purposely on the high side. For two reasons: one, to sell more food; two, because that much food is needed to meet the "nutrient requirements." The animal simply has to eat more of all that cereal in order to get even close to the nutrition it needs. That's where supplements come in.

Raw food and table scraps.

Don't buy into the fairy tales of raw food and table scraps being inherently bad. Pet food manufacturers very much want you to believe that so they can sell their product. Period. A large percentage of traditional veterinarians know about nutrition only what they learned in vet school in classes held or sponsored by pet food manufacturers, and what those pet food reps tell them later on.

Table scraps are bad only when they contain large amounts of fat and trimmings, because too much fat can lead to pancreatitis, a potentially life-threatening condition. We already mentioned that cooked bones, any cooked bones, are dangerous. However, if you want to share some vegetables, potatoes, and pieces of meat with your pet, more power to you!

Better yet, feed raw. Some pets may need a slow transition by first offering them lightly cooked meat. If you ever have any doubts as to the safety of the meat, dip it briefly into boiling water; food-grade hydrogen peroxide can also be used. Unless you grind the meat yourself, hamburger and other ground meat is probably safer cooked.

Raw feeding can have a profound effect on a pet's health -- see Update below.  There is some discussion as to whether it's ok to mix raw and kibble (dry food).  Some raw food proponents say absolutely not, others take a more moderate stand.  My dogs have always enjoyed their "special treat" along with their regular food, with no ill results.

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Supplements:
Why do I need to supplement my pet's diet?

Dogs and cats are carnivores. That means their main food source should be other animals. While canines of all types also scavenge and eat carrion, felines need to eat almost exclusively freshly killed animals. Both, however, also eat some plants. We've all seen cats and dogs chew on grass. Wild canines like wolves also consume some berries and herbs. All this helps to keep their digestive system in top shape, as well as adding extra nutrients not available through meat sources. It is not necessarily a sign of digestive upset, although, in our pets, eating grass often facilitates the regurgitation of undigested foods -- a natural means of getting rid of something that causes irritation in the stomach and not (usually) a sign of illness. Repeated vomiting over the course of a day, however, should be brought to your veterinarian's attention quickly as it may indicate or lead to more serious problems.

While pet foods are formulated to the best of scientific knowledge, we've already talked about the absurdity of "100% complete." No man-made formula can copy all of Nature's goodness. Commercial baby formula and liquid diets for the elderly are the only other products on the market that claim to be 100% complete. One of the most common problems we see in dogs, for example, is that of poor skin condition: a dull, coarse coat, bare patches, itching (but no fleas), even raw areas. Skin condition is largely influenced by proper nutrient absorption, as well as an appropriate level of fatty acids in the diet, or it can be an allergic reaction to some ingredient in the food. We've already discussed the trend of overweight pets as well as the most common allergens in pet foods.

The market is being saturated with vitamin supplements for pets, but -- again similar to human nutrition -- most of these are derived from laboratory processes, which yield a "fragmented" product that does not contain the full synergistic complement of nutrients of a whole food and has a low bio-availability level (what the body can actually utilize as compared to the chemical analysis of a substance). Up to 70-80% of the nutrients of these vitamin products go through the system with little benefit to the animal or person while putting a strain on the kidneys.

What to do.

  1. Choose the best commercial food available, using the guidelines above. The extra money you spend per bag will be returned to you in the long run, because your pet will need to eat less, will produce less for you to clean up after, and will live a healthier life (=fewer vet bills). Increase the pet's exercise level. Feed the amount actually needed to keep the animal in good shape; this can be as little as half the "recommended" amount. You should be able to feel the back ribs, and there should be no "roll" behind the elbow and shoulder.
  2. Add supplemental enzymes and vitamins and minerals, choosing a product that remains as close to the natural source as possible -- being processed under carefully controlled temperatures to preserve the integrity of the ingredients -- and includes whole food sources, rather than isolated, man-made vitamins. It should also contain "pro-biotics" for improved intestinal health, like Lactobacillus cultures, and natural fatty acid sources, like safflower and flax seed.
  3. At least once week, treat your pet to a quality piece of meat like lamb. If you can find and afford farm-fresh, certified organic meat, it should be safe to feed raw, in which case a small amount of bone can be part of it. If you need to cook the meat, remove all bones.

A few companies now make fresher pet foods available, the kind with a relatively short shelf-life. There are also just now some lines of fresh, frozen or freeze-dried pet foods emerging to fill the gap in the marketplace, but few stores, as yet, carry them. As consumers become more demanding, we may well see more of those types of foods.

Whenever you switch brands of foods, do so over at least a week's time, gradually increasing the ratio of new to old food. Sudden changes can cause digestive upsets. For any change in diet you also need to allow at least three to four months before evaluating the results. Natural supplements particularly will take a while to develop visible signs of improvement in the animal, although a decrease in stool output is commonly seen within a couple of weeks or so. Certainly, you cannot expect results overnight, be it from a change in food or supplementation or both!

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These links express a range of opinion and research about pet nutrition and related products

Black Collar in 2002

Eight+ years later: 2005-06 Update on Collar

The Survivor

Disclaimer: These experiences are pure anecdotes with no statistical significance. This dog's responses to nutritional changes and therapies illustrate ONE particular case and in no way constitute the result of any "scientific study". If your animal companion shows signs of any health problems, please consult your holistic veterinarian; see AHMVA above for listings in your area.

Black Collar (BC) was born the night of October 9-10, 1991; she's half Chesapeake Bay retriever (purebred dam) and half "who-knows-what". She was one of five female and one male pups. The male was hit by a car and had to be euthanized at about one year of age. The other females were placed in various homes, and, as far as I know, as of this writing May 2005, BC is the last surviving member of the litter (not sure about one of them). All others succumbed to kidney failure and/or cancer between the ages of 10 and 12.

I see BC as living proof of my own "evolution", that is, awareness of dietary influences  both in humans and pets. First and foremost, I've found enzyme supplementation to be a MUST. We humans cook most of our food, but if we feed commercial pet "foods", ALL of THEIR food is cooked. Cooking destroys VITAL enzymes and nutrients.

When BC was around between one and two, my then six-year-old Anatolian developed mammary cancer. Until then, I had been feeding her, and Collar, mostly generic "dog food". My own exploration of better nutrition had just introduced me to enzymes and our need for them; at the time, my chosen supplier did not have a product for pets. I started adding my own fruit and vegetable capsules (or the powders within) to their food (until the company finally came out with a pet product), but the Anatolian turned out to be quite fussy about that; she barely made it to 10, and I know I should have relieved her much sooner.

I started buying better pet food, learning about how to read ingredients, etc. BC did not do well on my first choice; while the food seemed great, and the company's literature helped me a great deal to learn about dogs' needs, BC's health and immunity became quite weak in a short time. She had ear mites -- and allergic reactions to pyrethrin-based medicines so that I had to wash out the ears to get rid of the medicine; she had fleas; she came close to a heat stroke after minimal playtime on a humid morning (fortunately I recognized the symptoms!). Nonetheless, the idea of better pet food stuck.

Over the years, we tried quite a few, and switched as my understanding grew. Late summer 2003, BC started to consume more water than normal. We were in the process of moving, so I wrote it off to stress. When she continued to get drink more and more and showed no signs of improvement by late fall, I feared the worst: 12-yr-old dog --> kidney failure; diabetes. Her urine and blood tests, however, proved normal (except for a slightly elevated creatinine level). My holistic vet recommended taking her off all dry food, largely because of the salt content, something that isn't listed on any labels. While I had been adding raw meat to her diet for quite some time, we now had to switch to an all natural diet.

Within a week, BC went through a healing crisis. A healing crisis occurs when the body responds to medicine and/or dietary changes; it appears that the patient gets worse, sometimes dramatically so. It's a cleansing mechanism and perfectly normal, but it seems quite scary to us. She had to go out to urinate every half hour or hour, and immediately drank lots of water when she came back in. Along with that, there was heavy panting and overall weakness. In less than two hours, however, it was over. She became more relaxed, drank less, and just seemed more at ease. I came very close to calling my vet, and if anything like this ever happens to you, please be sure to consult your holistic vet (a conventional vet probably would not know about healing crises).

Within a month, her water consumption was back to normal (no more getting up three times a night!). Within six months, her creatinine level was WELL within normal! She remains a happy, healthy, active dog.

It's often said that "you are what you eat" -- it's SOO true! Not just for us, but for our animal companions, too. Think of it this way: Total (R) cereal is "100% nutritionally complete" -- would you feed your child nothing but Total for the rest of his/her life?? Given the science advances every day, is "100% complete" really possible unless it is whole foods? Why would you feed your beloved pet what amounts to Total cereal??

Collar's Diet

Changing her to an all natural diet -- we prefer the term "natural" to "raw", because it isn't always raw -- has made a tremendous difference in her overall well-being. Meat and eggs are "home-grown"; we want them to be fresh and wholesome, which grocery store meat isn't. Here's what we're feeding (revised January 2006):

Note: in late 2005, BC showed evidence of hypothyroidism (dull, constantly-shedding coat), and blood tests confirmed it, with some values below normal, others in the low end of normal. We were already giving some kelp once a week or so, but immediately increased it to 1/4 tsp. daily; within a few weeks, her coat had improved greatly. We then also added two thyroid-specific supplements. Another bloodtest will be done in February.

Update April 2006: after another blood test for thyroid levels in March, it became obvious that, despite the supplements, her levels continued to be low or even dropping. So, somewhat reluctantly, we opted to start her on Soloxine thyroid hormone replacement. It will be interesting to watch whether that will impact her chronically elevated creatinine and cholestrol, something mentioned in the package insert. (Always request or look up online the package insert of any new meds!),

Snacks, as available: dried bread pieces (homemade whole wheat) or California Natural kibble; people leftovers

Meals 2x/d:

Daily:
2x:

  • Glucosamine/Chondroitin/MSM liquid (1g, 800mg, 500mg, resp.; 200mg Vit C ascorbic acid; per dose)
  • Brewer's yeast (nutritional yeast), 2 tbsp. total, split between meals
  • Vitamin C (Ester C) ~ 1g to 1.5g total, split between meals
  • Garlic powder
  • Thyroid Essentials
  • Soloxine, .4mg

1x, one or the other meal:

  • 1/8 cup old-fashioned rolled oats, moistened, not cooked
  • Raw meat, bone-in: chicken, turkey, or chevon, incl. organs; varying amounts; approx 1 cup, or more, depending on the "part" -OR- boneless cooked meat, usually chicken
  • Enzyme supplement
  • Vitamin E + Se (400IU, 200mcg)
  • Thyroid Essentials
  • Egg, raw, one or two 
  • Small amount of goat milk in season

Other:

  • Some canned food, maybe once or twice a week, if I forget to take some meat out of the freezer
  • Fish oil or CLO, about every other day
  • Frozen vegetables as snacks or with a meal
  • Concentrated vegetable or fruit supplement (flash-dried powder incl. enzymes) in place of regular enzymes
  • Yogurt or kefir

Working with holistic vets has been a godsend and an eye-opener.  Collar is receiving acupuncture to help with her old ACL injury and and sore hips. Most of the time, she acts like a dog half her age, with plenty of energy to play for a bit and romp around the yard. She's no puppy, for sure, but she's happy and healthy -- bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, so to speak -- and that's all we can ever hope for.

Final Note: even survivors don't live forever. Sadly, Collar had to be euthanized in August 2006 due to bladder cancer. She was almost 15. We miss her terribly.

Copyright © 1997-2006 by Brigitte M. Botnick. All Rights Reserved.. Created: 2/24/97