Disclaimer for Shirley's Wellness Cafe

Your Pet's Nutritional Needs

Nutrition has many potentially significant impacts on health and wellbeing of our dogs and cats. The results of a clinical study suggest that 74.7% of common diseases in dogs and 63% of common diseases in cats can be eliminated without medical intervention over a period of one year with proper diet modifications. Dr. William Pollak D.V.M. says that severe nutritional deficiencies and toxic states have been known to mimic almost every known disease in veterinary medicine.


Contact Shirley for Assistance

Animals Can Suffer from Multiple Deficiencies

Deficiencies of important nutrients such as vitamins, trace minerals, enzymes, pro-biotics and vital gut bacterias can be an underlying cause of illness in animals. These deficiencies may compel your pet to instinctively seek to eat certain things that it knows will provide the missing nutrients that it needs. According the Dr. Cindy Engels DVM, in the wild, animals instinctively will eat things like clay, herbs and plants, dirt, mineral rocks and even eat feces from other animals which can provide them precious micronutrients to support their health.

Many dog owners are unaware that such simple measures as changing their pet's diet and using vitamins, herbs, and other natural nutrients can help prevent or heal ailments ranging from excessive scratching to depression to a host of serious diseases. Symptoms of nutrient deficiencies range from a variety of diseases and health problems to fatality.

Are you meeting your pet's nutritional needs? Dr. William Pollak D.V.M. - "The higher quality nutrition, freshness of diet and formulation (predominantly meat in a natural and dry food form) of the "Natural Raw Meat Diet and/or PHD enables the animal's immune system to throw off lingering chronic disease. The inability to remove disease completely; whether in a sub-clinical or chronic form is due predominantly to the feeding of marginally adequate grain based commercial pet foods. The resultant long term sub-clinical multiple nutritional deficiencies makes the appearance of healing episodes impossible, thus enabling a fertile ground for the establishment and growth of chronic disease."

SignSigns Your Pet May Be Lacking Vital Nutrients:

  • Suffers from allergies>
  • Has dull and unhealthy looking coat. Hair falling off.
  • Your pet tries to eat poop (coprophagia)
  • Is losing weight or gaining weight abnormally
  • Has low energy, is tired all the time. Sleeps a lot
  • Suffers from gastrointestinal disturbance
  • Has dull and unhealthy looking coat. Hair falling off.

Why Dogs Eat Poop?

Dr. Will Falconer DVM suggests that dogs eat poop (coprophagy) to replenish microbiome, enzymes and other missing nutrients in their modern diet.

Dr. Donald R. Collins DVM, dogs will eat anything they can get their paws on if they are lacking in the nutrition to supply them with adequate energy.

The habit of eating feces is common with many dogs that eat commercial dog food. Why? To try to stay healthy! Feces are a highly valuable food, consisting of the dead and living bodies of millions of bacteria (microbiome). They are an excellent source of essential fatty acids, fat soluble vitamins (particularly vitamin K and the whole range of B vitamins), many different is common with many dogs that eat commercial dog food. Why? To try to stay healthy! Feces are a highly valuable food, consisting of the dead and living bodies of millions of bacteria (microbiome). They are an excellent source of essential fatty acids, fat soluble vitamins (particularly vitamin K and the whole range of B vitamins), many different minerals because of the soil in it, and a host of other nutritional factors including anti-oxidants, enzymes and fiber.

Debra Horwitz, DVM "Feeding a poorly digestible diet, underfeeding, and medical conditions that decrease absorption such as digestive enzyme deficiencies or parasites, could lead to malnutrition or vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and therefore an increased appetite and possibly stool eating."

In the wild, we know predators first seek the stomach contents and organ meat of a ruminant. Paunch manure (partially digested, fermented grass) is what dumps from the stomach and intestines. It is the food that the animal (deer, bison, buffalo etc) had eaten that day and not yet passed out as manure. It is full of all types of beneficial microbes known as microbiome and enzymes as well as omega 3 from the grass. Farm dogs, coyotes, foxes, and wolves all feast on it.

Joseph Demers, DVM, says a trace mineral and enzyme deficiency can lead dogs to stool eating. Dr. Roger DeHaan, DVM, a hydrochloric acid deficiency from inappropriate and incomplete diet can lead to poor digestion that can in turn lead to a search for nutrients in stool. Hydrochloric acid breaks down protein as part of the digestive process. With a newborn litter of puppies, eating poop is instinctual and completely normal. A mother with pups is wired to keep her den clean so as not to attract predators with scent cues. She will clean up after her young by eating their feces.

Cindy Engles, Ph.D - "Eating feces (coprophagy) is one way animals such as gorillas, elephants, rabbits, and hares add to their supply of essential bacteria through adult life. It is therefore an important aspect of their health care."

The feces they eat is of far greater benefit to them than the product peddled by the dog food companies! If you don’t want your dog to eat feces (and most of us don’t) then you must provide in the diet all those nutrients which are currently missing from your dog’s diet, and which feces supplies. This requires a team of ingredients like yogurt, eggs, polyunsaturated oils, an enzyme supplement, crushed raw vegetables as a source of fiber, etc."

Nuvet Plus for dogs and catsTo help ensure a wholesome diet with the appropriate nutrients avoid diets that are made of inferior ingredients or is made using high heat for processing and choose a diet for your friend that is comprised of appropriate raw food recipe or of a human quality pet food with wholesome ingredients.

"Your dog is a scavenger. You only have to leave your dog alone with an open garbage can to find that out. Dogs will eat and derive food value from practically anything. To a wild dog, eating clay mud is an important source of minerals. Bark from trees is an important source of fiber. Dogs receive valuable nutrients from material that we humans find totally repugnant. Things like vomit, feces, and decaying flesh.

Page Divider

Is Pica Linked to Dietary Nutrient Deficiency?

Pica is the act of eating non-food items. In less serious cases, cats may chew or suck on objects, but not actually swallow them. Common targets include yarn or string, fabric, wool, phone or electric cords, and plants. Any object may be a potential target, however. They provide our GI tracts much needed support for digestion, food assimilation and nutrient absorption. To date, approximately 30 different strains that have been successfully isolated and are commonly put into the probiotic supplements that we see on the market today.

Scientists theorize that mineral deficiency subjects us, and our animals,to more diseases, aging, sickness and destruction of our physical well-being than any other factor in personal health.

A groundswell of nutrition conscious veterinarians are beginning to recommend to their clients that they supplement their animals diet with a daily dose of flaxseed oil, coconut oil, marine phytoplankton, fulvic acid and humic minerals, and other nutrients for optimum health and vitality.

Montmorillonite Clay Provides Vital Nutrients

Calcium montmorillonite clay is a wonderful supplement to your animals diet. Animals are instinctively selective about the types of minerals they elect to eat. Extensive studies with cattle, horses, chickens pigs, fish, and other animals when mineral supplements are added to the their diet their health improves. For example, increases in butter fat and milk output are documented from dairy cows. These improvements have been found in all studies using a specific type of calcium montmorillonite clay.

Wheatgrass for Your Pet's Health

Cat chewing wheatgrass "My 13 yr male cat is now walking around, does not have his mouth infected and swollen face, and is carrying on with his appetite. Wheat-grass changed his energy level in 20 minutes, he began eating, the swelling and infection went away in 2 days, his respiratory and sinus dis-ease (due to chemical medicine he was prescribed and I stupidly gave him when I don't even use them for myself)was gone in those 2 days and my love is now back to normal. I'm also taking wheat-grass and feel great. With my cat I have to put it in a dropper cause he just does not like the taste but what the heck a grab by the neck everyday stimulates his senses and circulation, so its ok."

Page Divider

Symptoms of Magnesium Deficiency in Pets

Dr. John H. Kirk, DVM - "The clinical signs for magnesium deficiency may include the following:

  • Restlessness
  • Hyper-reactivity – aggressiveness, violent movements
  • Lack of coordination – exaggerated movements, inability to stand
  • Tetany – stiffness of legs and neck particularly when they fall
  • Convulsions, coma and death
  • Some animals may be found dead without observed signs

Home base business opportunityHolistic veterinarian Roger DeHaan, DVM states that some forms of epilepsy respond to supplementation of vitamin B6, magnesium, and manganese. Drs. Wendell Belfield and Martin Zucker stated that "It has long been known that a deficiency of vitamin B6 or any interference with its function can cause seizures in any mammalian species, including man and dog". Magnesium as well as certain other minerals can be a valuable addition to your dog's diet ensuring they have a healthy body. If your dog is in ill-health, irritable or stressed, magnesium supplementation could be a very helpful addition to their daily diet.

Magnesium in the form of supplementation has been found to be effective in either correcting or preventing the various ventricular arrhythmias and atrial fibrillation, while its effect in atrial flutter is noted to be poor in experimentally induced arrhythmias in dogs. Magnesium can be very beneficial for your dog's heart.

Page Divider

The Good Fats - Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids

One may not think of fats as being essential, but they are. Although fats are needed in small amounts they are a necessary part of the diet. Fats provide energy and store excess energy. Fats help produce body heat and carry fat-soluble vitamins in the body. Many sources of proteins are also sources of fats. Fats are found in both plants and animals. Plant fats include oils that are within seeds, which are the main source of fats in agricultural feeds

The healing power of healthy omega 3 fats such as flaxseed oil Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids are responsible for basic cellular health in all body tissues and are fundamentally important for all animals. Researchers now consider omega 3 fats such as linseed oil and fish oil to be as vital to our health and our pets' health as vitamins and minerals.

Dr. Jean Hofve DVM writes that because our dogs and cats cannot convert plant oils (such as flaxseed oil) into EPA and DHA to any significant extent, fish oils are the best way to supplement dogs and cats with essential fatty acids. The best fish oil supplements must be purified to remove heavy metals and other contaminants.

Without essential fatty acids in our diets and our animal's diet, cells can not be formed or function efficiently. Omega 3 fats play a major role in the maintenance of healthy coat and skin for cats, dogs, and horses.

Raw, uncooked fats plays an important role in the digestion process and in maintaining an animal's health. Fats supply important cell, enzyme and hormone material and are powerful sources of energy. A groundswell of nutrition conscious veterinarians are beginning to recommend to their clients that they supplement their animals diet with a daily dose of fish oil or flaxseed oil, poured right over the food. Mixing chia seeds with the dog's food also provide valuable essential fatty acids (omega 3 oil) and other valuable nutrients. The vets are finding remarkable results in clearing up skin conditions, relieving arthritic and inflammatory pain, as well as improved over all pet health.

Page Divider

Green Juice, Algae and Marine Plants for Animal Optimum Health

Shirley I use natural supplements to keep my animals healthy and prevent malnutrition

Many of the animal supplements listed in this page are available at Shirley's Pet Shop (Nuvet, Wheat grass juice, Stem Cell Nutrition, Clay, Plankton, etc) I also saved both my dog's life with a unique immune booster(To close this message, click anywhere on the page.)

Adding sea vegetables to your pet's diet to promote optimum health. Algae contains over 60 minerals and elements, 21 amino acids, simple and complex carbohydrates and several essential plant growth hormones. Being rich in amino acids, vitamins, minerals and trace elements is one of the key reasons why marine plant is known as a great promoter of glandular health, especially for the pituitary, adrenal and thyroid glands. It also supplies a natural source of iodine, which acts as an antibiotic to kill germs. Since the thyroid and pituitary glands regulate certain functions of digestion, blue green algae is beneficial in balancing out humans and animal's total system.

The Right Kind of Salt is a Vital Nutrient

The salt you buy at the store is only sodium chloride or refined common table salt; all of the other beneficial elements have been removed.

It seems that the medical and veterinary professions have been guilty of "over kill" and have been gravely misinformed about "sodium". On December 2, 1983, an article appeared in the local newspaper entitled "Chloride may play role in hypertension". Doctors Theodore W. Kurtz and Curtis Morris, Jr., in a paper published in Science Magazine, concluded that table salt (sodium chloride) is the cause of hypertension and high blood pressure. Most of the warnings that dietary sodium is important in causing or worsening hypertension are based mainly on studies in animals and humans where only (sodium chloride) was used as the source of sodium. These researchers say the findings indicate that salt (sodium chloride) and sodium cannot be used interchangeably.

salt bowlDomesticated animals need the right kind of salt. Farmers place salt-blocks on their pasture so that their livestock and all other animals can lick the salt to their heart's content. Major producing companies dry their salt in huge kilns with temperatures reaching 1200 degrees F, changing he salt's chemical structure, which in turn adversely affects the human body. Avoid the common refined table salt.

An abundance of the ingredients in unrefined real salt are as synonymous with life today as they were a billion years ago before single cells appeared here. Lack of them is synonymous with birth defects, organ failure, decay, diseases, premature aging and death at a young age. Long before the earth knew pollutants of any kind, a huge, ancient sea covered what is now North America. Pure, natural salt was the main ingredient of this sea, and over millions of years, the water in the sea evaporated, leaving the salt in undisturbed deposits.

Bowl of plain water Bowl of water with salt added The best way to provide salt to your pets is to provide two separate bowls. One with real-unrefined-unheated-natural-sea-salt and one without, so that the animals can consume as much salt as they require. They will drink from the bowl that contains salted water, however once they have had enough salt, they will drink from the bowl that has plain water.