Nutrition - Club Canine - natural food for dogs and cats

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Recommended Articles:

by Dakota Bawden-Tutte
• Nutrition Information
• What are Dogs Designed to Eat?
• What are Cats Designed to Eat?

by Sarah Griffiths
• Evolutionary Nutrition for Dogs
• Evolutionary Nutrition for Cats

Nutrition
by Dakota Bawden-Tutte (reprinted with permission)

What Are the Benefits of Feeding Raw?

One of my 'glowing-halo moments' is seeing yet another 'raw food' convert come through door, and extol the virtues of what this raw food has done for "dear little poochie-pie". Below are some of the 'cures' that the raw food diet has wrought:

• Boosted immune system - Stronger disease resistance
• No more 'doggy' odour - dogs smell fresh, clean
• Healthy skin & Shiny coat
• Clean teeth & Healthy gums
• Fresh breath - no longer smells like swamp gas
• Behavior problems lessen - Hyper dogs tend to settle down
• Improved digestion - no more 'irritable bowels'/diarrhoea
• Less stool & Much less stinky!
• Fewer or no fleas & Less scratching/itching
• All-round increased energy & vitality
• Old dogs get 'younger' - arthritis lessens
• Fewer (if any) infertility/breeding problems
• Dogs (and cats) look forward to their meals!

Care & Feeding of Our Pet Carnivores

In nature, predators stalk, catch & eat their prey raw - meat, organs, bones & all! Today, we're removed from much that is 'natural'. We feast on 'fast foods', & then rush home to feed our pet a bowl of dried pellets. Is it healthy? Is it really "Complete & Balanced"as the stamp on the bag suggests?

For years I believed the multinational pet food companies 'call-of-the-wild-in-a-bag' marketing. It was not until I became a student of a European dog trainer who fed his own (very healthy) dog a diet of raw bones, chicken carcasses, & other assorted raw foods, that I was confronted with the question 'What are dogs (& cats) really designed to eat?'

What Are Dogs & Cats Designed To Eat?

The more I read, the more I see, the more convinced I become that dogs & cats - our domesticated carnivores - are designed to eat their food raw. We changed our own dogs & cat to the raw diet over 6 years ago - & never looked back. Now we have over a thousand satisfied customers (2 & 4 legged!). (If you have questions, give us a call, or better still, come and visit us.) Consider the following evidence & then make your own decisions:

Anatomy

1. Their eyes are at the front like a predator's, not on the side like a prey's.
2. Their teeth are made for piercing, ripping, crushing - & not for grinding (The jaw cannot move easily side to side.)
3. Their mouths contain no digestive enzymes to pre-digest grains like humans & herbivores can.

Gastrointestinal System

1. The wolf digests its prey raw. The wolf & the dog's gastrointestinal systems are identical.
2. Their intestinal systems are shorter than ours - built to quickly (4-6 hours) digest & absorb raw foods, thus avoiding putrefaction.
3. Their stomach juices are highly acidic (pH 1) - perfect for digesting raw meat/bone, & 'killing' any potentially harmful bacteria. (Human pH is about 4 - more alkaline.)

Genetics & Classification

1. The dog & wolf can & do interbreed. (The dog is closer, genetically, to the wolf than the fox is.)
2. In 1993 the dog & the wolf were officially designated as the same species: Canis Lupus.

A 10 Year Study on Cats Fed Raw & Cooked Diets

This is truly a 'the proof of the pudding is in the eating' study worth examining. In 1932, Dr. Francis Pottenger took 900 healthy cats - half of which he fed a cooked diet, while the other half received raw. The results were amazing: the raw fed cats remained healthy. The cats fed the cooked diet deteriorated in health & suffered from behavior problems, allergies, skin problems, parasites, skeletal deformities & organ malfunctions.

Evolutionary History & Personal Experience

1. Wolves, dingoes, wild dogs for thousands of years have thrived by catching & eating raw prey.
2. Wild carnivores today continue to kill & eat raw prey.
3. No ovens or dehydrators have yet been discovered in the wolf's den or the lion's lair.
4. For the past 7 years, we have been successfully feeding our own 2 dogs & cat a raw prey diet. Their health is superb. (As are the over one thousand dogs & cats who frequent our store with their owners.)
5. We are Vet Recommended - Veterinarians, homeopaths & animal nutritionists refer animals & their owners to our store so we can assist them in switching their pet over to a healthy, raw food diet. Many problems disappear within weeks of starting the raw food diet.

Pet Food Manufacturers

1. Commercial pet foods have only been around for about 60 years - a mere wink of an eye in the evolutionary history of carnivores & their diets.
2. Wysong - one of the 'top' kibble companies - rates "hunted, raw prey"as superior to their own 'kibble' brand of dry dog food.

But Isn't It Risky To Feed Raw?

Not if your pet is healthy, say veterinarians & animal nutritionists.

Here's a sample of qualified people who clearly state that feeding a biologically appropriate raw prey diet - even raw chicken - is not an issue for healthy dogs & cats.

1. Dr. Ian Billinghurst, DVM: "Raw chicken does of course carry bacteria, E.g. - Salmonella". These are of absolutely no consequence to a healthy dog.", Give Your Dog A Bone, pg. 135.
2. Kymythy Schultze CCN, AHI: "Salmonella has even been found in samples of commercial pet foods & treats. Bacteria is not a problem for a pet with a strong immune system, & a strong immune system is encouraged by eating species-appropriate raw food.", Natural Nutrition for Dogs & Cats The Ultimate Diet, pg. 15.
3. "Healthy cats & dogs can eat just about any meat & survive, if not thrive. Their stomachs contain high concentrations of hydrochloric acid & digestive juices & their digestive tracts host an abundance of beneficial bacteria, making it difficult for harmful bacteria to survive.", The Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care, CJ Puotinen, pg 71.
4. Dr. Donald Strombeck, Phd, DVM, tells us if salmonella really is a problem, then we should be just as concerned with processed pet food. He states that "Salmonellae has been found in commercial pet foods, something the public never learns."

Making The Switch To Raw

Our dogs made the switch to raw with ease. We started them out on green (raw, unbleached, stinky) tripe, & slowly introduced a variety of whole prey diets.

With our grumpy 18-year-old cat it took much longer. We had to 'sneak-in' small portions of anything 'new' & mix it in well with her current food. Patience paid off - 3 years have gone by - her arthritis has receded, and she has much more energy.

Feeding Raw Bones

Question: Haven't pets died from choking on bones?

Answer: "True. Usually cooked ones. Even then it is very rare. Many more die from cancer, cardiac disease, diabetes & autoimmune disease etc as caused by grain based commercial foods." (Dr. Ian Billinghurst DVM)

Bones are an important part of a carnivore diet. Combined with the meat, they provide a perfect 'calcium-phosphorus' balance. But bones don't just satisfy nutrition requirements, they also act as 'nature's toothbrush', provide hours of relaxation (a stress releaser, too), & help pups to strengthen jaw & neck muscles as they grow.

Know Your Dog's Eating Style

Does she eat her food slowly & daintily? Or does she inhale it? Sometimes this can be an indication of how she'll approach her bones. Every pet comes with different food experiences. As the pack leader, you, in a way, become the 'teacher' concerning bone eating.

I've seen 5-week-old puppies feast on raw chicken wingtips with no problems. They take to raw food quite naturally.

Remember that raw bones don't splinter. But cooked ones do. Cooked bone sits like 'concrete' in your animal's stomach. Avoid any 'treated', preserved, cooked chews or 'smoked' bones (including rawhide, pig ears, hooves etc.)

Some General 'Bone Rules':

1. Always supervise bone chewing.
2. Start with meaty knucklebones. The marrow in marrowbones can cause diarrhoea initially.
3. The bone should be large enough to not be swallowed by accident - or gluttony. You want your dog to scrape his teeth clean by chewing on the bone.
4. Not sure how your dog's system will respond to something 'new'? - then give the bone for 10-15 minutes to start.
5. Never try to take a bone from a dog unless something of equal or higher value is given in exchange.

What Are The Benefits of Feeding a Raw Food Diet?

Well, for starters, your dog or cat's breath will start to smell 'fresh'. And the poop will be a lot less, & not as 'smelly' either. Plus, the teeth get whiter & cleaner, & your pet's overall health will improve.

Below is a list of the benefits reported by pet owners who have made the shift from dry/tinned foods to the whole, raw prey diet:

1. Elimination of doggy odour - dogs smell 'fresh'
2. Boosted immune system ( demonstrated by stronger resistance to disease, parasites & bacteria)
3. Healthy skin & coat - soft & shiny
4. Clean teeth
5. Healthy gums
6. Fresh breath
7. Improved digestion (live enzymes)
8. Less stool (food more bio-available)
9. No additives or preservatives
10. Fewer or no fleas
11. Increased energy & vitality
12. "Old" dogs act younger (less arthritic)
13. Fewer - if any - infertility &/or birthing problems
14. Pups grow more 'slowly', allowing bones to mature

Random Thoughts Out Loud

1. On Vomiting: Dogs will swallow their food, throw it up, & then 're-enjoy' it. Bitches regurgitate partially digested food for their pups. If our own dogs swallow a piece of bone or object that doesn't 'fit right' in their stomach, they will vomit everything up - bone, meat & all - then re-eat their meal, leaving the bone or object behind.
2. On Diarrhoea: it makes sense that a change in food can bring a change in stool. Occasional diarrhoea is not unusual. Keep plenty of fresh water available.
3. On Grains: grains are foreign to a carnivore's stomach. Many vets now suspect grains to be a causal factor in pancreatitis, diabetes, and bloat.
4. On Fasting: "Occasional fasting by cats and dogs is a normal, natural phenomenon, especially when natural raw, fresh foods are fed. As long as your pet appears strong with good energy and clear responsiveness, self imposed fasting oftentimes ends by itself with a renewed gusto for life." Dr. William Pollak DVM. (Note: animals often fast when they are ill.)
5. On Stool Eating (coprophagy) - often indicates an inability to access critical nutrients in current diet. A change to a raw diet, and/or the addition of enzymes can help.

DISCLAIMER: The information provided here is not intended to replace or override the advice of your veterinarian.

© 2000-2005. Dakota Bawden-Tutte. No part may be copied without the express permission of the author.

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