What's Best for Pets: Kibble, Raw or Home-cooked Food?

"The food your pet eats should provide all of the nutrients an animal requires to prevent disease and heal itself, and to do this it requires the energies and nutrients of a well-balanced diet. The ancestral diet of a carnivore includes lots of variety of food and there is ample proof that today's pet dogs and cats do not thrive on cheap grain and corn-based pet food.

Related: Nuvet Nutrition Supplementation for Dogs and Cats

Choose Your Pet's Food Carefully

The pet nutrition industry is a multi-billion dollar industry full of hype and false claims. Consumers are being duped into believing that they are feeding their pets healthy foods, when in actuality they are feeding nothing more than inferior meat meals, cheap grains (including corn and soy), fillers, by-products, pesticides, preservatives and toxic food that are making our pet sick. Never before has the pet-food industry been rocked by widespread contamination and rampant recalls.

Dr. Richard Pitcairn D.V.M - " I believe along with poor quality nutrients, the chemical additives in pet food play a major part in that decline. Pet foods contain slaughterhouse wastes, toxic products from spoiled foodstuffs, non-nutritive fillers, heavy-metal contaminants, pesticides, herbicides, drug residues, sugar, and artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives."

Pet Food Choice: The Kibble, Raw or Home-cooked?

These are the same fresh human edible meats you would buy for yourself with one important exception....it's 'bon-e-fied' biologically appropriate raw food! Our pets’ wild ancestors derived their fats, and more particularly their essential fatty acids, from raw carcasses of animals and also from pre-digested raw vegetable material. l.

To optimize your pets’ health, we supply fats from similar sources to those consumed in an evolutionary diet. A full spectrum of minerals must be supplied in your pet's diet in correct balance and sufficient amounts if he is going to remain healthy into advanced old age. Bones are the storehouse of almost all the minerals your pet requires in perfect balance for optimal absorption. In addition, excellent levels of minerals are found in the other components of the BARF DIET.

Switch easy on you and your dog with the B.A.R.F Diet Ebook guideline and instructions. The dangers associated with a commercial dog food diet is overwhelming – from immediate effects like a dull coat and foul smelling dog’s breath, to longer term effects like increasing the risk for canine cancers and a shorter life span. And that’s the sad truth that the commercial pet food companies don’t want you to know. The amount of processing and additives that go into the preparation of the commercial dog food contain chemicals that are not optimal for your dog and may even make them sickly and die early.

William Pollak D.V.M. - "In the wild, no one cooks for the coyote or wolf. Their foods are raw and unprocessed."

Can Your Pet Be at Risk of Salmonella and E. Coli?

The digestive tracts of dogs and cats are very different than those of humans. The human digestive tract is approximately 25 to 28 feet long with a stomach acidity between 1.5 and 2.5, whereas dogs and cats have a much shorter digestive system at an average of 10 to 13 feet for dogs (shorter for cats) with an acidity of less than 1. This means that raw food moves through your pet's system in less than half the time it would through a human's system, and the high acidity kills most bacteria. Even if the food was contaminated, it is likely that the microbes would not enter the animal's bloodstream.

Should You Be Concerned About Zoonosis Infection?

Zoonosis is an infectious or parasitic disease, which is naturally passed from vertebrate animals to humans, and vice versa, e.g. tuberculosis, rabies or brucellosis. "Dogs and especially cats can shed Salmonella organisms (from raw meat diet) in both their feces and saliva, meaning that transmission can occur via licking.

A pet dog or cat licking your hand is a very common occurrence. Sometimes a pet may lick the face of a child, helping germs spread more easily. Animal saliva contains many pathogenic agents.) If you are concerned about Zoonosis, there are healthy alternative to raw diet.

The Commercial Dry Kibble Food?

Feeding raw food may not always be possible. One of my dog could not eat much raw food because it gave him diarrhea. Feeding home-cooked food was not an option for me. I was very careful to choose a good quality grain-free kibble that would provides nourishing nutrients to support good health.

Holistic veterinarians believe that cats exhibit pica behavior because our soil, plants, and especially commercial foods are woefully deficient in key nutrients. 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.

I presented my dog with 3 different brand quality kibbles that I had carefully researched and let him decide which one he preferred. He loved Life's Abundance, a wholesome reasonable priced kibble which was delivered to my door by the manufacturer. He also liked Great Life and Orijen (available in selected pet food stores).

A Grain-Free Health Food for dogs and cats with human ingredients is formulated by Dr. Jane Bicks, a highly respected and nationally recognized holistic veterinarian. It contains only fresh, natural, wholesome ingredients. It is nutrient dense with vitamins, minerals, fats and fatty acids essential for the optimal health of your dog and cat. Five sources of high quality protein. Rich in powerful antioxidants from natural sources. And does NOT contain corn, wheat, dairy, by-products, artificial colors or flavors found in other leading brands.

Testimonial: Embarrassing Issue Solved! "We are so impressed with the Life's Abundance dog food! We can tell you that I was at my wits end trying to solve an embarrassing issue with my male corgi. The little guy had some kind of allergy that made his fur oily and stink! He smelt like old sneakers all the time. The vet tried baths with special shampoos and antibiotics, nothing worked. Well with a few weeks he is stench free and his fur is soft again! But, it even gets better. My female corgi has an autoimmune problem that attacked her nose and she lost all the pigmentation. Can you just imagine my surprise when again after only one month on this food her nose is turning black again! This is amazing! They are slimmer, have more energy and because the food is so digestible they are eliminating only twice a day. The dogs eat the like they are getting treats! We are now going to try the cat food, as I am so impressed with your product." Julia and Rocco Guarnagia and the happy corgi's: Poco and Annie

In our busy life, using kibble pet food can be quite convenient. Kibble is easy to measure out: food can be accurately and easily portioned to keep diets consistent. Kibble is easy to store. Dry food rarely goes bad as long as used within the expiration date. It can be purchased in bulk and stored for relatively long periods.

This means little waste, which often means good savings. Dry foods are also less expensive than wet foods in general. If you have a mobile lifestyle or travel a lot, dry food travels well and easily in any container. Another advantage of a dry kibble is that some of these foods are designed to help clean the dog’s teeth as they eat. Since some dog breeds tend toward tooth and gum problems, a dry food may help stave off such conditions. Of course, dogs with established tooth decay may find it painful to chew kibble and at that point, a wet food may become a better option.

The Home Cooked Diet?

Back in 1950 and 1960 in Europe, we didn't have commercial pet food. I remember my parents feeding our pets with left over scraps from our kitchen and our cats also ate rodents and birds. Our pets were healthy and happy. In those days, our family ate together a healthy home cooked diet. Things are very different now days. Home cooking can be time consuming and not convenient.

In terms of finding the proper diet for our companions, this means learning to look beyond our own needs, opinions, and agendas to address the natural needs of the animals that we care take.

Tom Lonsdale, a wonderful vet who has sacrificed his career in order to campaign to return carnivores to their natural fare, believes that dogs, cats and ferrets should be given a diet mostly based on raw meaty bones – whole carcasses, a small amount of vegetable matter, and some table scraps.

Unlike Tom, Ian Billinghurst – another raw meaty bone vet - believes that carnivores should also be given supplements. Juliette de Baircli Levi, the pioneer in holistic health care for dogs, advocated the feeding of grains and raw meat to dogs. Pat McKay, another expert, believes that grains for dogs are not a good idea. Ann Martin, who wrote Food Pets Die For believes that raw meat is dangerous for dogs, that we should cook their food. And the big multinationals believe that their complete and balanced commercial food in a can or a bag is, um, all your dog will ever need.

Dr. Pitcairn DVM - "In the natural state, carnivores do not develop calculus (tartar). Domesticated animals, in contrast, are not eating their natural diet and the softer food accumulates on the outside of the teeth in an area where it cannot easily be cleaned off. It is familiar to us that we can put our tongue in between our teeth and the inside of the cheeks to clean out accumulated food. Dogs and cats cannot do that as their teeth are too sharp. In the natural state, carnivores keep the outside teeth clean by gnawing on bones, a process you can still see with both dogs and cats accustomed to eating bones. If you observe the position they take, you will see that they use their side teeth in a sliding motion along the bone and this scrapes off any residue left from eating. The obvious solution to the problem of tartar accumulation in domestic animals is to give them bones to chew on. In my experience this is the most effective method and, for many animals, will clean the teeth to perfection."

The Purrfect Diet

If you are like me, you've intensely worried 24 hours a day about feeding the purrfect diet to your 4 legged furry friends.

Things to worry about like:

• Calcium – what's the absolute perfect amount to give?
• Essential fatty acids – how much, how often, what dose, what source?
• Meat – organic, free range or that dreaded hormone laced meat you buy from the store?

The questions are endless. However, in the end, the answer is but ONE. Let me explain...

Since 1993 I have been feeding a natural raw meat diet. It's been a journey to say the least. Over the last 20+ years I have had “failures” and I've had “successes”. I've experienced everything from cancer to a pet dying peacefully in my arms. What I've come to realize, more than anything, is that my expectations can only create my disappointments. It's my desire for perfection that creates the imperfection.

Ironically, my “successes” have only magnified my “failures” while my “failures” have magnified my “successes”. The successes make the failures more difficult and failures only make my desire for success greater.

I began to notice this pattern – this vicious cycle. I began to ask myself “how can I stop it” and “what really is the perfect diet”.

One of the benefits of teaching others about natural health and nutrition to others is that in teaching others, one begins to teach themselves.

I began to observe my thoughts. I began to realize that in order to feed the perfect diet, I must begin to first throw away all of my thoughts that told me what a perfect diet is. I began to realize that I cannot know what a perfect diet is. Instead, I can only know what a perfect diet is not. When you throw away all of the thoughts and ideas that are not needed, then all that can remain is the thought, the awareness, the realization of what a perfect diet is.

I began to realize that my quest for the perfect diet was actually a distraction. This distraction stopped me from embracing the pure joy and love of the moment. It's easy to have many questions and doubts about whether or not we, as loving pet guardians, are feeding the perfect diet. It's easy for us to worry about whether we are doing everything we can to give our pets perfect health and to prevent all problems.

But if you stop for a second, take a deep breath – let your mind go calm – then in your heart, you will discover the truth. Feeding a natural diet must be in your heart. When in your heart, there are no questions, there is no doubt – it all goes away.

So for let's get back to that perfect diet. Is it better to feed organic meat versus non-organic? Absolutely. But not all of us can afford to feed organic. In other situations, we may not have access to organic. But in our heart we know that raw is better than cooked meats.

When we wholeheartedly accept our situation – everything from finances to what's available – we are able to throw away these thoughts that are not needed. We stop worrying if we cannot get organic meats because our budget does not allow it. We stop worrying if there is no organic meat available in the town where we live. We throw all of that away – it's not needed. In our heart we know raw is best.

You see, worrying about perfection becomes a distraction. A distraction from actually loving each moment with our pets. We get so caught up in the distractions that we begin to actually stop enjoying the pure joy of having pets in our life. To feed the perfect diet is simple. Feed whatever food you are feeding with love. When you love what you do, everything becomes easy. When you love feeding your pets, you begin to realize that although health problems can still happen, illness is as normal as health. What's funny about health is that you can never know when you are successful. Why? Everything is normal.

So when your pet gets sick, people may say “See, you fed a healthy diet and your pet still got sick. That's proof a natural diet does not work.” But in your heart you will know that by feeding a natural diet that you have avoided as many health problems as possible. Sure, you may still experience health problems, but how many problems have been avoided?

The people who criticize your decision to feed natural are unable to see how many problems have been avoided. But you can. Why? In your heart, you will always know the truth. When we feed our pets a natural raw meat diet, is does not guarantee all health problems will be avoided. Feeding a natural diet merely provides our pets with the “opportunity” to be healthy. It's this opportunity that we must be focused on.

Feeding an unhealthy diet can only create an unhealthy body while feeding a wholesome diet provides the opportunity for health. People may debate what's healthy or not healthy. For some, it's commercial pet food. For others, like me, it's a raw meat diet. Although people may debate these issues, for me, there is no arguing the fact that wholesome nutrition is important... and for me, a natural raw meat diet is wholesome – it's in my heart... for me, it's not a belief, it's a truth.

Regardless of the diet you feed. Regardless of what you think is the best source of essential fatty acids. Regardless of what you think the perfect calcium to phosphorus ratio is... the truth is ultimately but ONE.

Focus on loving your pets.

When you stop worrying about the perfections you can never obtain and instead focus solely on the perfection that is, something magical happens... you begin to love each moment with your pets. There are no distractions, no debates, no trying to convince others... instead, you simply do what you do with love.

Omega 3 Fats for Healthier Pets

Source of Essential Fatty Acids (EFA) for Pets (and humans too)

• Liquid Fish oil for pets,rich in Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs)for improving the health of dogs, cats, and other pets. Pets LOVE the taste of fish oil! If your animal has dull coat, dry scaly skin, skin conditions, allergic reactions, inflammatory conditions, or gastrointestinal disorders, then they may have an Essential Fatty Acid (EFA) deficiency. Dr. Sears believes that most chronic diseases (such as arthritis and heart disease) can be characterized by two major factors: 1. Increased Inflammation, 2.; Decreased Blood Flow. Dr. Sear's Pharmaceutical. Grade Fish Oil starts with the highest health food grade fish oil and then goes through the following painstaking refining processes. Winterization at a very low temperature to remove additional amounts of saturated fats.
• Aphanizomenon flos-aquae (AFA) - Many show animal owners, horse breeders and other animal lovers are feeding this edible freshwater algae plant to their animals with amazing results. Although it has been eaten for centuries by indigenous peoples, for the first time in history, AFA - nature's most basic food - is available in it's complete, vital, fresh frozen, LIQUID form. The beautiful, unpolluted Upper Klamath Lake-one of the few remaining alkaline lakes on the planet holds the key to it's remarkable potency. This lake has an astonishingly high mineral concentration due to a massive volcanic eruption that occurred in the vicinity over 7,000 years ago, covering the area with millions of tons of mineral ash. Seventeen streams and rivers deposit into the 140 square mile lake an annual average of 50,000 tons of the mineral-rich silt from the surrounding 4000 square mile volcanic basin, making Upper Klamath Lake one of the richest nutrient traps in the world.

Pet Food Recall

Contaminated Pet Food Affected 39,000 Cats And Dogs Nationwide. A few years ago, nearly 39,000 cats and dogs were sickened or killed nationwide following the recent reports of pet food-contamination with an industrial chemical. The data, which was released by Banfield, The Pet Hospital, was reportedly compiled from records collected by its more than 615 veterinary hospitals.; On April 20, a new wave of recalls has been announced in the last 24 hours. Melamine, a chemical used to make plastics and fertilizers, was found in more than 100 brands of contaminated pet food that; were recalled from the marketplace in Canada and the United States in mid-March. Evidence suggesting that a shipment of the ingredient “Rice Protein Concentrate” contained melamine has come to light. Diamond Pet Foods, Natural Balance, Royal Canin and Blue Buffalo have all announced recalls of their products containing this ingredient. The contaminated ingredient is not brown rice; instead, it is & Rice Protein Concentrate

Food Pets Die For

Dr. William Pollak D.V.M - "Eating supermarket pet foods is like eating cardboard. Our pets just get by on them and the foods lack any real vitality for the flourishing of health. Life is designed to be lived in vitality; surviving is living a slow death even before departure from the body"

Dr Wendell O. Belfield, D.V.M. - "Their pets may have diarrhea, increased flatulence, a dull hair coat, intermittent vomiting or prolonged scratching. These are common symptoms associated with commercial pet foods." In 1981, as Martin Zucker and I wrote How to Have a Healthier Dog, we discovered the full extent of negative effects that commercial pet food has on animals. In February 1990, San Francisco Chronicle staff writer John Eckhouse went even further with an exposé entitled "How Dogs and Cats Get Recycled into Pet Food."