Raw - Ready-To-Eat Safe, Healthy RAW Pet Food

Feline Raw Diet Recipes

Raw Cat Food Diet Recipe Made WITH Real Bones   and  Raw Recipes for Felines    Step-by-step pictorial and guidance to making and feeding RAW cat food produced by Anne Jablonski. Read Anne's open letter to veterinarians

SeaCrest Keeshonden Feline Diet The cat is a creature who has total dependence on raw meat. Cats are obligate carnivores, and need a lot of meat in the diet. I believe that the grain based commercial diets are killing our cats. Cats are now dying of kidney disease, get diabetes, hyperthyroidism, IBD, etc. Commercial foods have only been popular for cats for the last couple decades. Before that, Fluffy was fed a variety of people food, and got a chance to hunt for herself. While I truly believe cats belong indoors in today's world, it has limited their diet. While indoor/outdoor cats can hunt and often choose that over commercial foods, indoor kitties aren't given that option. It scares me to think that we may be slowly killing our felines. My raw-fed cats have great teeth (unheard of in many cases), great coats, great condition, their coats gleam, they're incredibly soft. And VERY active!!! Even the vet has noticed a difference (not that he's seen the younger 2 for anything besides routine care...) 

"My own cats eat ONLY raw meat and, while this is not mandatory for good results in the diabetic cat, it is a very good way to provide some of the natural, unprocessed nutrition the cat evolved to utilize best."  Dr. Elizabeth Hodgkins DVM

The closer we can approximate the raw diet that Nature has designed felines to eat - a diet they have been eating successfully for eons - the more natural, digestible and appropriate their diet will be. And the closer we can come to modeling our cats’ diets this way, upon Nature’s ideal, the more the natural benefits of eating this way will impact their overall health and well being. A whole raw foods, or prey model, diet for cats can be comprised of a combination of a variety of whole, raw, small carcasses, (for example small game hens, chickens, duck, quail, rabbits, mice, rats and/or fish) along with a variety of different parts of other, larger carcasses, (such as things like turkey, lamb, goat, pork, ostrich, emu, elk, venison and/or beef) which are fed over time in the relative proportions that are found in the average prey animal. The idea is that the overall diet be comprised of a similar ratio of body parts that Nature uses to make up whole carcasses. learn more

Concerned about salmonella and other bugs? The digestive systems of dogs and cats are short, acidic, and handle bacteria well. This is why they are not susceptible to salmonella, parasites, or e-coli from tainted meat as humans are. Humans have very long digestive tracks which allow food to 'linger' for 24 hours or more, thus allowing more time for parasites to get into their bloodstreams.  Some people add Fulvic acids to their pet's raw food diet. According to research, Fulvic neutralizes toxins and can eliminate food poisoning within minutes. When it encounters free radicals with unpaired positive or negative electrons, it supplies an equal and opposite charge to neutralize the free radical. fulvic acid acts as a refiner and transporter of organic materials and cell nutrients. According to A. Szalay, fulvic acid has the ability to dramatically detoxify herbicides, pesticides, and other poisonsthat it interacts with – this includes many radioactive elements. This detoxification process may extend to animals and humans.

Concerned about Zoonosis? "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 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.   ---  Learn about Healthy Alternatives to Raw Food The Next Best Choice to Raw Food -  Healthy kibble for dogs and cats.

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Note from Shirley - I fed my former dog Shastaa homemade grainless balanced raw food diet which included raw meat, raw eggs, raw veggies, seavegetables, Chia seeds, etc. (see recipe). My new dog, Kuuma, is very finicky and won't eat veggies, etc. He only likes to eat raw meat such as chicken, pig feet, beef heart, etc. However, I won't feed my dog meat exclusively. I believe that chia seeds or flaxoil, coconut oil, kelp, glyconutrients, eggs, greens and other nutrients are important to support a dog's health. Therefore I supplement Kuuma's raw meat diet with healthy kibbles, which he seems to enjoy.

I discovered a new way of feeding my dog veggies.  Instead of storing my the pulpe of my green juice in the refrigerator or freezer until I am ready to prepare a batch of raw dog food, I store the pulp in an airtight container at room temperature. A month or two later, the pulpe is completely decomposed or pre-digested by naturally occuring friendly bacterias. This is "yogurt" for my dog, shock-full of nutrients and pro-biotics. It smells like poop, and the dog loves it!  Why Do Dogs Eat Poop?  Some people warn against feeding dogs broccoli, cabbage or cauliflower (cruciferous plants) because they claim that it can produce gas, which may at some point cause a portion of their belly to invert, requiring euthanasia or surgery. Other people say that broccoli and cauliflower should be lightly blanched (lightly steamed) in order to rid them of  the harmful toxins. Shasta and Kuuma have never had gas from their food, let alone an inverted belly. I've also heard that an overuse of cruciferous plants can interfere with thyroid functioning in people and animals. I give Shasta small amount of cruciferous plants. They have never suffered any adverse effects from these vegetables. I feed her mostly grounded or pureed raw carrots and greens (the pulp from my green juice)
 

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Much Healthier On A Raw Diet: a testimonial
Darcie Krueger

I was born, grew up, lived and worked on ranches until I was 27 years old. We grew our own food: meat, veggies, and fruit. Our dogs got to eat whatever didn't make it into the freezer or onto the table...raw food. I don't remember ever taking a dog to the vet for anything. Our dogs lived to a ripe old age and worked cattle right along side us and our horses. It's kind of embarrassing for me really. The fact is that I started feeding popular dog foods to my dogs after I moved to town. I should have known better. My dogs were ill a lot, had bad, scratchy coats, allergy symptoms, icky teeth, really bad breath, some were fat, and some very, very skinny. The thing I remember most is that my dogs tried to tell me...we call it finicky but it's really the dog telling us the food isn't good for them. Has your dog turned his nose up at his food? You probably did the same thing I did. Add a little gravy! Who knew that those dog foods were bad for dogs?! The dogs did!

Changes in our dogs after starting raw food: 

• Kari our Golden Retriever, rescued at 8 years old, grew young again! She lived to be 17 years old. She passed away quietly February 2002 of old age. 
• Bruno (born 1994), our rescue boy, grew sleek and strong, his nose turned black, quit having bellyaches, and he can breathe again. Bruno can hold his own at a full run all day long. 
• Dancer's (born 1995) fear of thunderstorms lessened from uncontrollable fear to wanting a hug and she changed from a skinny minny to a beautiful girl with a gorgeous coat. 
• Tilli (born 1996) lost her baby fat that just wouldn't go away no matter how much she exercised. Now she has an svelte figure. She's the Frisbee dog. Energy galore. 

We've only been to the vet for rabies shots, an old tooth that needed to come out, and a broken leg. Remember when Bruno broke his leg a few years ago? Recovered quickly. Our vet just couldn't believe it. Quick healing, perfect blood work, and clean teeth. Kari had a broken molar when she came to live with us. At 16 it finally started to bother her. The vet couldn't believe how perfect her blood work was and even gave us a discount on the surgery because her teeth didn't need cleaning.  learn more

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The Importance of Bones and Calcium, Phosphorous in Carnivore's Diet

Dr. Richard H. Pitcairn, D.V.M., Ph.D - Dogs and cats, their kind in the wild, eat a large amount of calcium. This happens because they chew on, and swallow, bones which have large quantities of calcium in their makeup. It is assumed that with time they have adapted to having this kind of diet. It is not completely clear that they must have this much calcium to be healthy. In other words, perhaps they can adapt to lower levels. It certainly seems that way for many of the animals I have known that, for one reason or another, have had small amounts of calcium in their diets. They often seem just fine. There is evidence that the growing animal is the one most sensitive to calcium deficiency. This makes sense if we remember that it is during this time that the bones of the body are rapidly enlarging. They are made up primarily of calcium and phosphorus. In any case, it seems wise to supply the amounts of calcium that are typical of the natural diet and our recipes are formulated with that consideration. To give you some idea of how much more calcium is "required" by a dog compared to a human being, consider this comparison. The amount of calcium the average woman needs is the same as that required by a small 10 lb. dog. A larger dog, say a 100 lb. German Shepherd requires about 10 times as much as this average woman. It is difficult to find sources of calcium that can add this much to the diet. The natural source is bones and we find that this is also the most ample source with which to formulate diets. 

"The common practice of feeding meat without bones (or bone meal) is nutritionally disastrousfor dogs and cats. There are far too many people giving eggs and meat to their pets without providing a balance to all the phosphorus they contain. Meat contains no calcium, and lots of phosphorus; bones contain lots of calcium. Eggs contain lots of phosphorus; the shells contain calcium. That is nature's balance. If we feed meat without bones or eggs without shells, or aren't sure of the correct ratios of those things to feed, we must use something to replace them. It is a common and tragic mistake to give a diet far too high in phosphorus to cats and dogs." Christie Keith from Natural diet.... what is it?   Raw fat is also vitally important in carnivore's diet for optimum health and performance. 

Samples Recipes of Raw Pet Food 
The following websites offer samples and recipes of raw food they feed their pets  (he sample recipes may be at the bottom of these pages)

• Raw - Ready-To-Eat Safe, Healthy RAW Pet Food
• SeaCrest Keeshonden Diet  Day by day detailed recipes: the dogs eat a diet based on raw meaty chicken bones. This makes up about 75% of their main diet. The rest is made up of crushed veggies, fruit, organ meat, beef bones, some starches and raw meaty chicken bones. 
• John Miller, professional dog-fancier offers dozens of  recipes. (they are not raw-food recipes but they are well worth looking at) 
• Feeding a Natural Diet    Christina Bredenkamp
• The home of Aniak Siberians - Our dogs are fed a natural diet. A "Back to Basics" approach
• Bodhi's Natural Diet: This is what I have found to work the best at this time for Bodhi and my budget, since he is retired from heavy training. 
• Sample recipe of what Shirley (author of this website) feeds her dog Shasta everyday At 12 years of age, Shasta remains in good health. She rarely has to see a vet because she is so healthy. She eats raw eggs, raw organically grown veggies, kelp, flaxseeds,  raw whole fish, raw bones, all sorts of raw meats including organ meats and I make sure that all meats I purchase for her at the market is NON-IRRADIATED.  I fast her on water every other day. 
• Illinois Cocker Rescue: Rescued Cockers: From Poor Health to Vitality within two months on a natural raw diet.
• Yorkshire Terrier owner: "BARF( Bones And Raw Food)  is best - I use natural and organic food - I treat with homeopathy  - I give lots of unconditional love. 
• Anne Robinson from Menlo Park, CA: sample raw diet for her Collie and Siberian Husky.
• Naturally Reared German Wire-haired Pointers. Willow's diet is now completely raw and natural and includes absolutely NO commercial kibble.
• Naturally Reared Afghan Hounds. Mary and Peter Voss have been involved with Afghan Hounds (both breeding and rescue) since 1989. Their philosophy: "a dog will catch it's food and devour nearly all of it...the flesh (good source of protein), fat (a good energy source), bone (high in calcium and helps keep teeth clean), muscle and organ meats, and the stomach contents (filled with plant material consisting of herbs and grasses). The philosophy behind the idea of Natural Rearing is to try and reproduce the way in which dogs feed in their natural state. Natural-Rearing diets are based on fresh foods such as raw meats, raw bones, raw vegetables and herbs. Because dogs in the wild would not eat every day, 1 day of fasting (only for adult dogs) per week is also part of the Natural-Rearing diet. This allows the animal to cleanse it's body of toxins."
• Poodles and Dalmatians Read how Dave and Marlene helped  their sick Poodles and Dalmatians recover their health with a raw diet. See their sample diet and chart for feeding ratio.
• Jubilee Airedales are raised on a species-appropriate diet of raw meaty bones, raw meat, and raw vegetable. The Jubilee Diet is a combination of the diets presented in Ian Billinghurst's 
• Raw Feeding FAQ - step by step guideline
• books, Give Your Dog a Bone and Grow Your Puppies with Bones; and in Kymythy Schultze's book, The Ultimate Diet : Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats.
• Wendy Volhard's website has a great deal of information about pet nutrition But Wendy differs from others in that she mixes grains with her homemade raw pet diet and adds vitamins. 
• Pat McKay Rawfood  Basic Recipe  Our own domestic cats and dogs must eat live food just as carnivores do in the wild to be at their optimum health. (NOTE: Most veterinarians disagree with raw bone concept, inclding me, Shirley)
• Riveriene Farm  All their dogs are presently reared and maintained successfully on their explication of Dr. Ian BillinghurstsBARF program (BARF = bones and raw food). Learn about their specific feeding programs. Riveriene Farm consults and teach alternative feeding methods for dogs (and cats). 

Raw Feeding Calculator As a general rule, a normal active dog require about 2% of its body weight per day. A highly active dog may require about 3% of its body weight per day. No two dogs are alike in their metabolic rates, age, or activity levels Puppies can use up to 10% of their growing body weight. Use the online calculator to calculate the amount of food needed by body weight.

Healthy Pet bulletin board  is designed to enable you to interact with fellow pet lovers (dogs, cats, ferrets, birds, more). Post messages, reply to questions, meet friends, learn and more. 

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Feeding a Natural Diet
by Christina Bredenkamp

Making the change to feeding raw foods can be so very traumatic ... to the owner! The dog would be very happy to acquire some nice raw beef or chicken. But we, as the owners, make all of those decisions for our pups.  My own diet, which varies with what is available, consists mainly of turkey and chicken necks. The turkey necks don't have any fatty skins on them so I have to add fat to the diet. I do this by adding a few chicken necks which have lots of skin on them. I also give chicken backs sometimes. They are very crunchy but also provide lots of fats. Remember that these fats are from natural sources. They have not been degraded by heating, causing them to become rancid and unuseable by the body. My 130# Dane bitch eats 2# of turkey necks and 3-4 chicken necks twice a day. I throw in a chicken liver once a day or so. About every third meal I feed a 1/2 pound veggie patty made according to Billinghursts' recipe. My patties are packed and frozen in 1# weights (which for me provides 2 feedings) in sandwich ziplock baggies for ease of feeding. The necks are packed and frozen in one gallon ziplock baggies with 4 - 5# of turkey and chicken necks in each. Again very easy to use. I take what I need out of the freezer once a day and allow it to thaw while the previous days' food is put into her 2 bowls for that days' feeding.

If for some reason she won't eat a meal, it isn't a bad thing. Fasting helps the body rest. Don't sweat it. Just pick up the food within 20 minutes and return it to the fridge for the next timed feeding. They are usually hungry enough to eat the next time. Of course, if your dog won't eat for a two days, something else is wrong and you need to find out what. A trip to the vet is in order. One thing I no longer really worry about is bloat. I still practice the usual precautions, but since I am not feeding cereals that will swell up in the tummy and take more than three times the digestion time needed (unnatural for a dog's short digestive system designed for raw meats), I don't worry. I have experienced bloat in 3 of my dogs (before feeding BARF). I still watch for symptoms, etc. But now I don't worry. YEAH! Raw foods pass through the stomach in 4 hours, not over 12. The enzymes are still intact for use by the body to convert the food into nutritional building blocks. It gets to the intestines quickly rather than spoiling in the stomach trying to be digested into something that the dog still can't use. The changes you will see in your dog will amaze you! Our allergies disappeared. Skin is smooth and supple with a glossy coat. No greasy coats or infected ears. Wounds heal fast. Fat turns to muscle. Stamina increases. Play increases. Vet bills decrease. You have a happy, healthy dog.

Yes, you do need to watch for problems. Like turkey necks that get thrown back up and re-eaten because they were so long! I cut mine in half now because it grossed dear hubby to watch that. Too large food chunks can also choke an animal, no matter what kind of food is being fed. Do watch for bones being thrown up. They will be undigested bones, nice and clean. Usually with grass. If your dog wants to eat grass, then let it. They are doing it for a reason. Usually because of a tummy upset. It also cleans out the colon. The grass catches the bones in the tummy that don't digest and helps bring them out one way or the other. This can be a sign that you need to cut back on the foods with bones and feed more veggies or less boney foods. Also, they can pass bones in the stool and sometimes that can cause problems. I don't feed meats with large/long bones in them, like turkey legs or chicken legs and thighs. These are weight bearing bones and can splinter more easily. The necks have small bones that can pass through if undigested. I feel better with this. They also contain lots of cartilage which is a natural source of glucosamine and chondroiton. NEVER feed cooked bones. They all splinter and can pierce the gut, causing a lifethreatening condition. Try going the healthier route and give your dog a raw bone! 

"My animals diet, which varies with what is available, consists mainly of turkey and chicken necks. The turkey necks don't have any fatty skins on them so I have to add fat to the diet. I do this by adding a few chicken necks which have lots of skin on them. I also give chicken backs sometimes. They are very crunchy but also provide lots of fats. Remember that these fats are from natural sources. They have not been degraded by heating, causing them to become rancid and intolerable by the body." Christina Bredenkamp, Great Danes

Raw - Ready-To-Eat Safe, Healthy RAW Pet Food

A Healthy Alternative to Feeding Raw Food
One of the alternative to feeding pets raw food is Life's Abundance, a natural kibble pet food for Dogs and Cats.  Life's Abundance chicken meal is made from chickens raised without hormones or steroids.  It contains only natural, wholesome ingredients and is nutrient dense with vitamins, minerals, fats and fatty acids which are essential for the optimal health of your dog or cat. It is free from corn, wheat, dairy, by-products, artificial colors or flavors. Click here to view the commercial dog food comparison chart

This Premium Health Food for Dogs or Cats  is formulated by Dr. Jane Bicks, a highly respected and nationally recognized holistic veterinarian. (author of 12 minute FREE audio presentation Do You Really Know What's In Your Pet's Food?).   Their chicken meal, fish meal and eggs are derived from human-grade processing plants, probiotics for a healthy digestive tract, and  is rich in powerful antioxidants from fruits, vegetables, flax seed meal,  and other natural sources. 

Learn about Life's Abundance and the Daily Nutritional Systems.

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Minerals and vitamin deficiency
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 supplement my dog's diet (and my diet too) for optimum health with the following:  flaxseed oil (linseed oil), chia seeds,  kelp and fulvic minerals and/or marine phytoplankton (naturally occuring absorbable plant derived minerals), bee pollen rich in naturally occuring vitamins and clay to promote healing and to detoxify. Shirley

Excerpts from Juliette de Bairacli Levy's marvelous book "The Herbal Book for the Dog- A Complete Handbook of Natural Care and Rearing"

About prey eating (pp 15-16):
"In the wild, hair and underskin are part of a natural flesh diet and supply essential roughage to exercise the strong muscles of the digestive tract, acting also as a mild laxative....Animals in the wild, after tearing off some outer skin and flesh of their victims, unfailingly show a preference for certain organs of the body: first the intestines, then the eyes. The intestines supply a good source of demi-digested starch and green herbage.... The other chose organs are the eyes, which animals gouge out with great eagerness. (Seagulls, which are partly carnivorous, always greedily seek the eyes of drowned bodies, animal or human.) It is no doubt some mineral salts which attract the carnivorous animals, phosphorus and iodine normally being present in the eye tissue. Dr Weston A. Price.... states: '.... they know that the tissues forming the back part of the eye are good for food. Science has recently demonstrated that the retina of the eye is one of the rich sources of vitamin A.'.."

About eggs (p 38):
"Eggs from hens, ducks, or turtles are a rich source of mineral salts and vitamins.... Eggs must be fresh, as staleness renders them indigestible. They should be fed raw, because cooking causes them to adhere to the digestive tract.... Eggs are quite a natural food to the dog, for dogs will seek out and eat the eggs of sea-birds and other birds, such as game-birds, which lay their eggs on the ground. Eggs are very *unsuitable* food for sick animals because of their highly fermentative properties. During the heat of fever, for instance, they rapidly poison the body instead of strengthening it. Egg-and-milk has long been the most misguided of orthodox medical-recommended invalid foods; the giving of such food has done about as much to spoil cures by orthodox treatment as has the popular use of the destructive sulphonamide group of drugs. It is claimed that raw egg-white harms health: I do not agree. Egg-stealers, such as foxes, weasels, cats and rats keep very well, thank you!"

Learn more about Juliette de Bairacli Levy, an extraordinary women and champion for natural health and well being of animals and children.

William Winter DVM:"Following my great success recommending raw natural diets, I began to explore other aspects of Ms. Levy's Natural Rearing.  I explored fasting.  To this day I do not believe that I have ever discovered a healing technique quite as powerful.  I have recommended fasting for 10,000 to 20,000 animals and have seen true miracles over these years of practice. Ms. Levy says it is one of the TWO MOST IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF NATURAL REARING.  The other being a raw diet.  It can be said that I will start every chronic patient on a fast and begin recommending fasting for all animals beginning at about one year of age."

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Bone of Contention:  Are Dogs Natural Fruit Eaters?
By Nora Lenz, www.NoMoreVetBills.com and www.RawSchool.com

Some dogs are notorious for devouring almost any food put before them, but if you’ve tried without success to feed fruit to your dog, you may answer “no” to the above question.  It turns out that personal preference doesn’t come close to settling the issue, however.

Whether or not fruits and vegetables are a natural part of the canine diet remains a bone of contention among raw and home-feeding dog owners. 

Recent studies on the wolf, the closest living relative of today’s domestic dog, are shedding new light on the subject. Using telemetry (satellite guided tracking), wolves can be followed so closely that researchers can study exactly what they eat and when. One study, Foraging and Feeding Ecology of the Gray Wolf, by Daniel R. Stahler, Douglas W. Smith and Debra S. Guernsey tracked the eating habits of wolves in Yellowstone National Park.  Preliminary evidence suggests that kill rates decrease as much as 25% in summer, when fruit and other plant foods are available.  Further studies exploring seasonal changes in wolf predation are still underway. 

Yellowstone wolves tend to be more selective than wolves inhabiting areas with more natural predator-to-prey ratios.  Nevertheless, they sometimes went without fresh meat for up to several weeks, according to the study. In summer, fruit was available to fill in the gaps, but in winter they subsisted by scavenging carcasses consisting mostly of bone and hide. 

Although it differs by continent, studies on wolf scats have shown evidence that wolves commonly eat a wide variety of fruits, including berries, cherries, apples, pears, figs and grapes. Yes, grapes!

The dietary classification for dogs usually boils down to the question: Omnivore or carnivore? Actually, both are correct. Dogs belong to a class of species called “facultative carnivora”, meaning that they have all the faculties of a carnivore, but are able to survive on foods other than prey, when necessary, for extended periods. In practical terms, this classification is not distinguishable in any meaningful way from omnivorism.

While fruits seem to be a natural variable in the canine diet, the same cannot be said for vegetables, as a whole.  The difference is digestibility.  The nutrients in vegetables are encased in a tough cellulose membrane and require the kind of teeth that can chew and grind them.  Dogs aren’t equipped with these, and they lack the digestive enzymes that would do the trick in lieu of chewing.  The only possible exception to this is some starchy vegetables, which resemble overripe fruit in composition when they are cooked.  Examples would be yams, sweet potatoes, squash and pumpkin.

There is no doubt that prey has been the main preferred food source for dogs throughout their biological history.  However, scarcity of prey has featured prominently enough to hold important clues for modern dog owners seeking to feed their pets properly.  If we want to truly replicate nature, we have to feed prey foods only as frequently as dogs have historically had access to them, on average.  Lacking that precise data, all we can do is estimate a range, based on the evidence.  The frequency end of the spectrum will be easier to pin down than the infrequency end, since the latter is based on fragmented information and will represent the elusive mean average of all those occasions when dogs experienced prey scarcity.  Giving great consideration to widely varying individual factors like size, condition and activity level of the dog being fed, optimal is likely somewhere between 2-4 times weekly to a few times per month. 

Wolves have been known to go as long as 6 months without a kill. This is probably rare, admittedly, but it would be just as uncommon for a wolf to eat his fill of prey everyday for days and months on end, like many domestic dogs do.  And it must be noted that wolves are extremely physically active, unlike most domestic dogs.

Domestic dogs that are fed prey foods too regularly are often overweight, sluggish, and symptomatic in one way or another.  This is true regardless of whether the food is raw or cooked, commercial or home prepared, although dogs fed a homemade raw diet will have far fewer health problems, of course.  Often, these dogs will not eat fruit.  There is no reason for a dog to eat a secondary food like fruit if primary foods are fed with such regularity as to produce the conditioned expectation of getting them.  When owners switch to feeding prey foods on a more infrequent or random basis, and particularly if appropriate fasting days are thrown in, they often find that their dogs will eat fruits readily even though they shunned them before. 

When this kind of ‘rotational’ feeding plan is implemented, owners almost always see positive changes in their dogs as well, like increased energy, shinier coat, better digestion and symptom cessation, especially if only one type of food is fed per day (as opposed to mixing foods together, which complicates digestion) and the foods are raw and biologically appropriate.

Feeding fruit regularly is beneficial not only because it simulates the gaps in primary food availability that a dog would experience in nature, but for what fruits don’t contain:  namely, excess fat, stored toxins, nutrient imbalances, etc.  Even when dogs are raw-fed, the foods that are produced in the modern meat industry can’t ideally meet their nutritional needs because they don’t precisely resemble what wild dogs have eaten throughout their history.  For example, humans have developed methods that produce food animals with a higher than natural ratio of muscle to bone.  Wild birds that are capable of flying hundreds of miles have tiny breast muscles, while modern domestic poultry that can’t fly at all have huge mutated chests that are only good for one thing – feeding humans.  These manipulations create nutritional excesses or imbalances in those who eat them, even when the consumer is a carnivore. 

In addition, producers often feed indigestible, inappropriate foods and toxic substances that get stored in food animals’ fatty tissues and cause problems when eaten by dogs.  There are other problems, too, like the lack of freshness, unavailability of whole animals and finding food animals with bones that are small enough to either be ground or chewed and consumed by small or medium-sized dogs.  Dogs need the entire bodies of prey, not just muscle meat.

So for civilized dogs, fruit represents a valuable break from the excesses inherent in modern foodstuffs.  Fruit, in fact, is so easy for a dog's body to break down that a day of only fruit allows almost as much rest for the digestive tract as a fasting day. And with modern dog owners being as reluctant as they typically are to employ the crucial ‘famine’ part of the natural feast-and-famine cycle that dogs are adapted to, fruit can provide the emotional satisfaction of feeding while allowing digestive rest at the same time. 

The idea that plant foods actually represent a larger proportion of a dog's natural diet than previously supposed would explain the anecdotal success that some people are enjoying raising vegan and vegetarian dogs, as well.  For dog owners wanting to minimize the use of animal products for ethical, ecological or financial reasons, feeding meat less frequently in favor of fruit and other appropriate plant fare offers this opportunity while not compromising the health of the dog.  Even if owners are not constrained by such concerns and wish only to keep their dogs in optimal health, fruit can be an important piece of the puzzle.

Sources:

• "Foraging and Feeding Ecology of the Gray Wolf (Canis lupus): Lessons from Yellowstone National Park", Daniel R. Stahler, Douglas W. Smith and Debra S. Guernsey 

• "Wolves: Behavior, Ecology and Conservation", L. David Mech and Luigi Boitani

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnivore

• "The Wolf’s Natural Diet – A Feeding Guide for your Dog?"  Mogens Eliasen 

About the author:
Nora Lenz is a 10-year practicing natural hygienist and specialist in transitioning to a raw food diet for humans and dogs.  She has been teaching people how to avoid and reverse disease through removal of cause for 6 years via classes, private consultations and her websites, www.RawSchool.com and www.NoMoreVetBills.com. 

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Need help/support?

• Sample Recipes of Home Made Rawfood Diet for Animals Get inspiration from breeders and pet owners who share their ideas, experience and recipes about RAW homemade meals. 
• Raw Recruits Support Group This is a group of like minded souls who have come together for the well being of their pets. They are a Support Group for people who have chosen to feed their cats and dogs a Species Specific Raw Diet and to care for them as much as possible in an Holistic way. Many of them have fed a raw diet for many years, some only more recently. How did they get here? Some came here through recommendations by friends, but many of us were struggling alone after reading books by Pitcairn, Volhard and Billinghurst. They were looking for that "bit extra" and for others who shared our beliefs and could give us support. They have found that support with Raw Recruits.
• There is also a email list you can join. Find support, help, feedback, motivation, etc. about all issues related to BARF diet (BARF = Bones and Raw Food - it refers to a type of diet fed to dogs and cats, which totally excludes all commercial dog foods.  also check out the (BARF = Bones and Raw Food) 

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Improving Your Animal's Immune System and Overall Health with Nutritional Support
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 and other important nutrients.When the diets of animals were fortified with flax, within three weeks their coats developed a beautiful sheen, and dandruff was greatly diminished. There are amazing testimonials about animals recovering from cancer, diabetes and other severe degenerative illnesses with a nutritional product called Transfer Factor. "My colleagues and I have found this product (transfer factor) to be very effective in modulating the immune system. Transfer factor is a "soup" of immune-modulating factors, which contains a leukocyte-type molecule that can passively transfer immunity from one mammal to another by stimulating cell-mediated immunity and is antigen specific.  Richard Bennett, Ph.D., an Infectious Disease Microbiologist and Immunologist from the University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, believes this could be the most significant development in animal health care in decades. We have a great number of veterinarians and clients who are experiencing very positive results in a broad area of disorders, including periodontal. "Charles W. Brown, DVM      more

Dr Wendell O. Belfield, D.V.M. "Their pets may have diarrhoea, 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". more about the poison in pet food

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Holistic Animal Health and Optimum Pet Nutrition 
A growing number of veterinarians state that processed pet food is the main cause of illness and premature death in the modern dog and cat. In December 1995, the British Journal of Small Animal Practice published a paper contending that processed pet food supresses the immune system and leads to liver, kidney, heart and other diseases. Dr. Kollath, of the Karolinska Hospital in Stockholm, headed a study done on animals. When young animals were fed cooked and processed foods they initially appeared to be healthy. However, as the animals reached adulthood, they began to age more quickly than normal and also developed chronic degenerative disease symptoms. A control group of animals raised on raw foods aged less quickly and were free of degenerative disease. For a return to health, pets require a diet which strengthens the immune system and most closely resembles that which they would get in the wild. It's really easy to do. Click here to learn more...

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Animals are not the only creatures on earth who can benefit from raw foods Learn about the Incredible healing power of raw foods for humans (Including personal accounts of cancer cures)

Most human illnesses and diseases are due to a deficiency of vital nutrients. When you supply your body with the proper nutrients, in a form that your body can use, it knows how to repair itself!"more

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Sodium Deficient Diet

Wild Health: How Animals Keep Themselves Well and What We Can Learn From Them
For millennia, humans have observed animals in the wild eating plants and minerals and applying naturally occurring topical antitoxins from the same sources to combat infectious wounds, parasites and internal disorders. Herds of elephants risk injury and death in a perilous journey to hidden salt caves where they supplement their sodium deficient diet. 

 Learn more about real salt for human and animal health

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Overweight Pet: Weight Management for Dogs and Cats 
Obesity is a significant health problem in many pets, and can contribute to major disease. There are many easily identifiable causes of weight gain in pets.

Rearing Healthy Pups and Kittens
Pet owner often complaint that their new puppy is sick with diarrhea, vomiting, running eyes and ear infections. A lot of money is spent on veterinary care and medication, often with poor result. Learn how to wean your pup or kitten to natural raw food diet. Learn about alternate method of vaccination. You will see all symptoms of ill health clear up in a few weeks and your animal will thrive. Breeders who have changed their animal's diet and used alternative methods of health care and vaccination have observed dramatic health improvement in the young and adult alike, including larger litters and less complication of prenancies and birth such as premature birth, smaller litters, frequent C-section required, tiny or weaker puppies; sick pups and high rate of puppy mortality.

Feline Natural Diet
"I've been feeding a natural diet to my cats for over six years now. Initially I used the diet developed by Dr. Jeffrey Levy, a homeopathic veterinarian living in Williamsburg, Massachusetts." 

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Natural dog and cat food  Quality pet food with only natural, wholesome ingredients and nutrient dense with vitamins, minerals, fats and fatty acids which are essential for the optimal health of your dog or cat. learn more

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Our pets are prone to suffer from minerals and trace mineral deficiency. For optimum health, I supplement Shasta's diet (and my diet too) with the following: fulvic minerals or marine phytoplankton (consist of an immense arsenal and array of naturally occuring powerful phytochemicals, biochemicals, supercharged antioxidants, free-radical scavengers, super oxide dismutases, nutrients, enzymes, hormones, amino acids, antibiotics, antivirals, and antifungals), bee pollen (rich in naturally occuring vitamins), kelp (marine plants), the right kind of salt (not common table salt); magnesium oil,(a miracle mineral in its healing effect on a wide range of diseases as well as in its ability to rejuvenate the aging body). and clay (to promote healing and to detoxify) and with flaxoil  (also knows as linseed oil - rich source of omega3 fatty acids). Shasta does not drink tap water. I give her only filtered water which is free from toxic chlorine and fluoride.  I support my immune system and that of my animals with Transfer Factor  and by raising our Glutathione level.  . I never cook or warm up food in a microwave oven. Please read about the Hidden Hazards of Microwave Cooking

I have witnessed the amazing healing power of homeopathy, herbal extracts,  Transfer Factor, Glutathione/Immunocal, and marine phytoplankton in traumatic emergency situations and in acute and chronic disease with my own health, that of my family and  my dogs: Nadja, Shasta and Kuuma. Some of the healings were nothing short of miraculous, including my own healing. When Nadja ate rat poison and was vomiting large amount of green fluid, the vet said she didn't have a chance to survive. I saved her life with the homeopathic remedy Arsenicum 10 M. If I need guidance, I will get a phone consultation with a holistic veterinarian. I had been chronically sick for years, addicted to prescription and over the counter drugs. Unfortunately, instead of generating a cure, the medications (steroids, antibiotics, antihistamine, etc.) merely temporarily suppressed my symptoms, weakened my immune system, and in the long run made me sicker. I completely turned my health around with the incredible healing power of homeopathy, raw food diet, herbs, and nutritional products such as flaxoil, chia seeds or oil,  clay, seaweed or plankton, saccharides/glyconutrients, and Transfer Factor.   I'm not a doctor or a nurse, but when a member of my family get sick or injured (including my animals) I immediately use homeopathic medicine, herbs and nutritional supplements with excellent results.  Shirley 

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Do you have a question about holistic animal health or need assistance? contact Shirley or call 323-522-4521 or 323-989-3372

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