Raw & Natural Nutrition for Dogs



 Still on the dog food trail!

This one is Raw & Natural Nutrition for Dogs by Lew Olson
(isbn 978-1-55643-903-2, published in 2010 by North Atlantic Books)





This gives clearly set out information on raw feeding, but also home-cooked food. It starts out with a very interesting history of dog food - how easy it is for us to be taken in by the big food giants, both for human and for dog food! There is no condemnation here, just the facts, which speak for themselves.

The latter half of the book deals with nutrition for specific illnesses and diseases. Very helpful.

If you've tried everything the vet has to offer and nothing seems to be happening, it makes a lot of sense to look at your dog's diet. There has been a lot of debate recently on how much protein older dogs need. Perceived wisdom has it that they don't need as much, and that too much can cause renal failure. Olson states that research shows no relationship between high protein diets and renal failure (p145).

I found this book very helpful and enlightening.

The story of Jess :

We received this story from a friend.....

Jess is a 5 year old dally. She picked us when she was 12 weeks old and came to live with us. Being a typical dally, she is a loving dog who loves nothing more than snuggling in to you. She adores swimming, which is a bit unusual for the breed I've heard, but you can't keep her out of water.
 She is also an accomplished thief! She is very clever at distracting you enough to steal whatever food is on the go! Nothing apart from mushrooms is safe! We rescued Isa who is a liver spotted dally when she was 9 months, and the 2 are devoted to each other.

Sadly when Jess was 3 she began having seizures. They appeared from nowhere and have continued for the last 2 years. After bloods and X-rays and scans the vet decided that she has idiopathic epilepsy. We started on phenobarbital medication twice a day. This resulted in a massive change in Jess. She became very sleepy, eating anything she could get her paws on. This has resulted in weight gain. The most upsetting change was in her personality - she became very irritable and was easily annoyed. After a year the seizures became more frequent and longer. The medication had been increased and we commenced on another drug, which meant Jess was on 7 tablets a day. Jess was so drugged she was no longer the same dog. She had no energy, she was blown up and her features changed, our happy crazy Jess had gone. The seizures continued and Jess had a poor quality of life. We were at a loss as to what to do, we didn't want her suffering but didn't want to lose our precious dog.

We decided to take her off some of the medication. If she had a better quality of life and she had a few seizures a week we could deal with that if she could. She has slowly returned to her old self and when she is not having seizures she is a delight. We are undecided about stopping her other medication as she has at least 3 seizures a week, would she have more? The family are well used to seizures now. My daughter deals with them like a pro! Needless to say we don't know how long we will be blessed to have our mad dog, but we are thankful for our time with her.

Any comments or help would be greatly appreciated, thanks

Abby Update............

Following this week’s blood test, we now know that Abby’s liver is fine.  The vet didn’t test for diabetes so we don’t know about that yet.  The vet would like us to try feeding Purina HA because the proteins molecules in it are so small that Abby’s digestive system wouldn’t put up a fight against them, and allow their absorption.  We checked out the ingredients.  The protein used is tofu.  The listed percentages of protein and fat add up to 40%.  We don’t know what the other 60% is.  Does anyone have any experience of this food?

Meanwhile, we think she must have eaten something unscheduled yesterday.  Sickness and a good doze of the skits …. Had to hose down the garden afterwards.  Poor wee soul.  (Me, that is!) .........................................

Benjamminandbeany

This is a portrait of Fergus, done recently by artist Amanda Walker. Amanda has also undertaken a companion animal bereavement counselling course. On her website there is a good, concise yet sensitive description of the process of grieving, and just to be in contact with her is a comfort. Check out her website, the link is in the 'Sites that Might Be Of Interest' in this blog and have a look at some of the fantastic portraits she has done.
Can't recommend her highly enough.

Update

Abby's due at the vet's next week, to get weighed and assess her progress. It doesn't look to us that she has put on any weight, but you never know. On advice from the vet we have reduced her walks from around 2 hours a day to two shorter walks. Honestly, she doesn't care! She settles at home with a kong when we take Cairid out.
She did a really strange thing this morning. Half way through her breakfast she ran to Cairid's dish, and for a moment the two heads were in the one dish....... this is astounding given Cairid's 'guarding resources from other dogs' behaviour previously! The dogs were fine, but we had to be resuscitated...............

Thanks all those of you who have completed the survey already. This is really going to help give us an indication of what kind of food is good. Of course, one size doesn't fit all, so there isn't going to be a definitive answer.

On the food front, so far we've discovered that the AAFCO (Association of American Food Control Officials), lists minimum nutrient requirements for dogs. The list includes protein and fat, but not carbohydrates. We haven't yet located a UK equivalent that isn't linked to pet food companies. Anyone got any information on this?

Book Review

“We are so cognitively disconnected from reality that we spray poisonous chemicals on the crops we feed to our children and rationalize such stupidity as the best and most efficient way to feed a hungry world and even to protect wildlife and biodiversity, and we are so emotionally disconnected from other animals that for economic reasons we justify incarcerating livestock in the cruel, intensive confinement systems of factory farming.”

P133 “Not Fit for a Dog”, (2009) Fox, Hodgkins and Smart.

We've just read 'Not Fit For a Dog' by M W Fox, E Hodgkins and M Smart (ISBN 978-1884956-83-6. 1-884956-83-1).
If you read this you will think carefully before you buy any cat or dog food in future, especially cat food! And more especially, dried food. (And you will think twice about what you put on your own table as well, probably!).
This is a well- researched book that exposes the truth about the manufacture of pet foods in the United States, and it's an easy read.
We have no reason to suppose it's any different in the UK, although there could be differences in regulations, and we will research this.
We'll keep you posted (or if you know any different, please put a comment in).



If you love your dogs and cats, READ THIS BOOK.