Pets Health and Nutrition - Starting Point

herr eisenheim said:
In case you need to give pills or tablets to your pets this is good to knowhttp://www.catinfo.org/?link=pillingcats


I would like to share the Daenerys trick to pilling cats. :) I have four, and one of them has to take antibiotics at least once a year for a skin condition. She is NOT cooperative at all. This is what I figured out and it works like a charm.


I use a tube of the hairball remedy for cats. If a capsule, I undo the pill and dump on plate. If it is a tablet, I crush it up baby fine with a razor blade. I make sure the dose is correct, then i take the hairball remedy and squeeze a glob on my index finger. I put the dose on top of that, the put another glob of hairball remedy on top, and smush it into a ball. I then open her mouth and stick it to the roof of her mouth like peanut butter. Works great, and no gagging, no spitting out. She prefers the salmon flavor hairball remedy.


I tried everything under the sun before that to no avail, but this works wonders.


Mod: corrected font size
 
Herr Eisenheim said:
Same like with human health many disease processes can be prevented and reversed with proper nutrition.
General rule of a thumb should be "longer the shelf life of the food, shorter the lifespan of your pet".

Here are some links with detailed information for proper start, feel free to continue if you have some good links.

When it comes to our feline companions am delighted I stumbled across this website which contains most comprehensive selection of essential information about feline health care and nutrition I have encountered on the net.
It contains excellent guide to making your own cat food, great deal of information on different medical conditions and vaccines.

http://www.catinfo.org/

And as for our canine friends here are some links which contain excessive information on how to organize your dogs diet. Yes dogs need magnesium supplementation too.
This is my favorite veterinarian and his website is a true treasure cove of various information on dog and human health

http://dogtorj.com/

In case you need to give pills or tablets to your pets this is good to know

http://www.catinfo.org/?link=pillingcats

Thank You for this link Herr Eisenheim. :D

I have two dogs and I give them cca. 90 % of raw food, meaning raw meat and bones and viscera and meat offal for some years now and they are very healthy animals. They are intelligent, playful, with no injuries. :D
 
Jones said:
My understanding about bones is that yes dogs can/should have them but only if they're raw.

I've fed my dogs based on information from the following for around 20 years now:

http://www.rawmeatybones.com/

Totally agree. I feed my two dogs with raw meety bones and they look very healthy and playful dogs.
 
I want to share that the Nutrition Basics This is an exceptional beginning stage for a review of nourishment and pet health awareness.
Nutrition, the Foundation of Good Health The establishment of exceptional health has been undermined by false, deceiving, and benefit-determined advertising. The time is now's to clear the sloppy water suffocating the fundamental standards of nourishing pooches and felines. Cling being as how what you will pick up may shock you ..
 
jacke mite said:
I want to share that the Nutrition Basics This is an exceptional beginning stage for a review of nourishment and pet health awareness.
Nutrition, the Foundation of Good Health The establishment of exceptional health has been undermined by false, deceiving, and benefit-determined advertising. The time is now's to clear the sloppy water suffocating the fundamental standards of nourishing pooches and felines. Cling being as how what you will pick up may shock you ..

Hi jacke, your post doesn't make much sense. Could you please try to clarify?
 
I just wanted to give credit to those who have helped me to get my cat on the road to vibrant health who was diagnosed last November with Pancreatitis.

They are Dr. Becker who can be found by going to Dr. Mercola's site articles by him can be found on Sott.net under health and wellness and Laura who did the Sunday live sott talk radio show # 7 on eating healthy in a gmo world.

Butch is eating a gently cooked grass fed turkey with organic non-gmo pumpkin & parsley of which I am slowly weaning him to full raw turkey with pumpkin and a pinch of parsley (for its vitamin and detoxing abilities) as he can not process still at this point even moderate fats from chicken, beef or pork; his body is healing with few little back slides that are to be expected when transiting even a healthy cat or dog to a raw species appropriate diet.

He is getting before his meals a dose Iris Versicolor 30c and Pulsatilla 30c, these are cell salts that he gets 2 each of both. to help with the vomiting, irritability at times, diarrhea and his thirstlessness, as well as his craving for attention and intolerance of warm air; emotional and physical symptoms that stemmed from his pancreatitis.

None of the regular vet. protocol of drugs that were recommended by my local so called 'holistic Vet.' that have proven negative side effects that can actually and would have made his condition worse, which I found out by doing some research and reading many homeopathic and holistic care books on small animal and cat health specifically as well as listening to Dr. Becker's online video's library.
 
Found the following info, that can be important to those who feed their dogs raw diet.

_http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/normal-blood-values-and-raw-fed-dogs/

The majority of vets don’t advocate raw feeding and much of the reason for this is they don’t understand much about it. The result is that many vets are alarmed when the raw fed dog’s blod values are skewed and this can result in costly and unnecessary follow up care for the dog and his owner.

Blood testing results from raw fed dogs will often differ from those of their kibble fed counterparts and this is something you should be prepared for if you ever need blood work done on your dog. Below is a quick summary of what blood values are typically different.

The results below are taken from a study by Dr Jean Dodds’ that involved over 200 dogs of various breeds fed a raw diet for a minimum of 9 months prior to collection of the blood samples. The results of the laboratory tests were compared to healthy dogs fed dry kibble diet. Most of the blood values were comparable with the exception of the above.

TEST RESULT RAW FED DOGS KIBBLE FED DOGS NORMAL VALUES
Hematocrit 51.0 ± 6.6 – 53.5 ± 5.6% 47.6 ± 6.1% 37 – 55%
BUN 18.8 ± 6.9 – 22.0 ± 8.7mg/dL 15.5 ± 4.7mg/dL 6 – 24mg/dL
Creatinine 1.20 ± 0.34mg/dL* 1.07 ± 0.28mg/dL 0.4 – 1.4mg/dL

Below is further information.

Hematocrit

Hematocrit is the measurement of the percentage of red blood cells in whole blood. Decreased Hematocrit (anemia) can be caused by poor nutrition, parasites or chronic disease including cancer and liver disease. Increased values (dehydration) are more of a concern with the dry kibbled fed dog than the raw fed dog because of the lack of moisture of the diet. Raw fed dogs are also more likely to get adequate iron and vitamin B from their higher quality protein diets.

BUN

Blood Urea Nitrogen is a waste product derived from protein breakdown in the liver. Low levels are most commonly due to inadequate protein intake, malabsorption, or liver damage. Increased levels can be caused by kidney damage, certain drugs, low fluid intake, intestinal bleeding, exercise, heart failure or decreased digestive enzyme production by the pancreas. Raw fed dogs typically have higher BUN levels because they consume more protein.

Creatinine

Creatinine is also a protein breakdown product. Its level is a reflection of the body’s muscle mass. Low levels are commonly seen with inadequate protein intake, liver disease, kidney damage or pregnancy. Elevated levels are generally reflective of kidney damage and need to be monitored carefully.

Be prepared when your dog needs blood work done. Keep this guide and have it ready to discuss with your vet.
 
As if all the reasons not to feed highly processed garbage were not enough... meet aflatoxins. One of my most hated brands is Hills, probably because it is disguised as veterinary prescribed diet, and pretentiously called 'science plan' as well as sold at exorbitant prices, this expose is pretty damning

http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/cancer-causing-aflatoxins-found-in-dog-foods/
 
Hey Z, what do you, or did you, feed your dog(s) on a daily basis?
 
I've had huge success feeding my dog raw!! It has cured her of her adult incontinence and chronic ear infections/yeast. :)

We adopted her a year ago & I've worked hard to find a raw diet that didn't give her the runs or cause her issues to come back (kibble did both, especially the grain free type, due to being filled w starches that convert quickly to sugar). Too many veggies in a week or too much lard are no-no's for her & no grains (if it isn't obvious, each dog is an individual & will need different dietary adjustments. Just like with people, it isn't one size fits all in the least.)

A key point is to include organ meats with the raw meaty bones. I can pick up chicken livers for cheap & just keep an eye out for misc part/organs on sale.

I have found that feeding her a hearty breakfast (as in what I would normally serve in 2 meals) and no other food actually works out really well. It's obvious that she's not hungry later & it's a built in fast for her & supposedly "more natural" (not that I care, I just appreciate that she's not drooling & begging by the end of the day, plus less poops to pick up).


My system now, that works for my lifestyle & budget (mind you, I'm not working, & doing raw chicken is only a couple bucks more a week than the sack of "good" kibble):

weekly for my 50 lb dog

-- 1 whole raw chicken with giblets, cut into large segments (one meaty leg w thigh & a bit of gizzards is a meal for the day).
I cut it into 5 segments, each of these is 1 meal: leg w thigh; 2 meaty wings; whole underside; or chest cut in 2.
Trader Joe's has very affordable organic chicken w giblets, sometimes the organic griller pack is less expensive, but it contains no organ meats & less bone/joints included. She gets other types of meats & bones randomly too, but this is what is most affordable & completely bone-safe.

-- 1 lb raw liver. I usually mix it in w the veggies below or sparse it out w above cuts. Or just add whatever odd ball parts are available at the store. At first she wouldn't touch it raw (or a hunk of meat for that matter) so I would lightly saute it in the beginning and she'd gobble it up!

-- 1 quart baggie of veggie scraps. I have a bowl on the counter that I add to throughout the day, then put it in the fridge in the baggie: raw veggie scraps, leftovers, or frozen; or apple cores, berries, greens, herbs, sprouts, eggs (raw or table scraps)... she gets a little bit of it all.
I serve that quart as 2 or 3 meals drizzled w bacon fat, butter, coconut oil or fish oil.
Why I don't add it to every meal is because I want to help express her anal glands (also had been a very messy & smelly problem in the past) with this fiber blast, plus I'm very busy 1st thing in the morning, there is only so much futzing I'm willing to do.
I add no grains, it's extremely rare we eat them anyway, plus they cause her symptoms to return.


This summer she was finally free of all her aliments!! (after adopting her a year ago), and I believe it was due to all the extra variety & freshness of the veggies & fruit available in the summer (plus we barely had any money this winter, so it was tons of frozen for us & her) - nothing else was different. Implications for human health still make me shutter, valuable lesson!

Oh, final note - friends constantly remark on her good temprament, demeanor & endurance. Sure, some of that is breed, love & exercise - but it's plain as day that the friends that feed their dog the cheap kibble consistently have undesirable personality issues and/or rotting teeth or skin problems (this is with dogs around the same age, around 3 or 4 for that comparison - all the older dogs are very overweight, plus have degenerative issues that are now seen as normal).
 
Perceval said:
Hey Z, what do you, or did you, feed your dog(s) on a daily basis?
Huh, I guess this cannot be answered in one sentence :)

I feed my dogs BARF ( biologically appropriate raw food) meaning raw meat, organs and bones and some vegetables (20 % and usually less in the summer), this is their staple diet. Sometimes sardines, and eggs as supplemental treat. Butter - whenever I prepare food for myself which includes butter they line up in the kitchen waiting for their chunk.
Occasionally I give them kefir which I produce myself from unpasteurized goat milk.
In winter I give them small quantities of sour craut mixed with their meat.
I also occasionally add to their meals Golden paste ( turmeric cooked in coconut oil).
I give them daily 1 capsule of omega 3 - holland and berret with 500 mg of DHA and EPA, and I occasionally give Milk Thistle powder, especially few days before and after I treat for worms or external parasites.

As far as the meat goes there is an excellent food on the local market called Barf Menu which is deep frozen and contains human consumption grade quality meat from Germany ( venison, lamb, turkey, duck- there is also beef and green tripe but i find these too rich - causing loose stools so I avoid them). This food is perfectly balanced as it contains 40% meat, 20% ground bones and cartilage (mostly sternum and ribs), 20%organs (liver, heart, kidneys) and 20% vegetables. It is usually thawed in the fridge 24 h and then left on the room temperature for few hours. It smells and looks delicious so much so that even I am tempted sometimes.
The only problem with BARF menu is - it is pretty pricey. 1 kg pack costs 6.5 euros and this is what I basically need per day as I have two dogs, 25 and 13 kg of BW. This is usually served as evening meal, in the morning bigger dog gets 2 raw chicken wings ( in summer one as he is super lazy in the heat) or 250 grams of chicken necks, while the little one gets half of the same.
because of the price I usually feed this food 15-20 days a month. On other days I feed either chicken mince @ 1€ per kg ( obtained from local eco friendly farmer) which includes bones and organs or pork mince for dogs @70c perk kg from local butcher but these are not ideal as they are usually too rich in bones in case of chicken ( which will cause very hard stools) or in organs in case of pork which causes very soft stools.
Also one day a week they get to fast and they dont seem to mind at all. On a day of the fast I give them ( or rather shove it down their throat) Aloe vera gel, from freshly peeled leaf for colonic cleanse. It is also supposed to be rich in all sorts of microelements, minerals and vitaminsHalf of a big leaf for each dog.

FWIW I might add personal observation here:

My second addition Jojo(Mojo) AKA Serjoga AKA Srećko was pretty unattractive and scrawny looking jack russel/fox terrier mix when I first got him, his previous owners fed exclusively Hills dry food. After few months on my "cousine" Jojo blossomed into very attractive lean and mean power machine, he is pure muscle now. The biggest surprise is that his legs grew longer and funnily enough even his snout is now longer. He was 3 years old when I got him so this is not about normal growth. This transformation was so profound and obvious that his previous owners are gobsmacked every time they see him and they decided to switch their dogs to raw. When I first got him he would never make eye contact, and his owners told me that he was always like that, now he is constantly making eye contact.

For me Jojo's transformation was most vivid example how important the food is in order for a dog to reach its full physical potential and gene expression. And now I look at every dog on kibbles I meet with different eyes, I see what they are and what they could be.

Dogs are resilient and highly adaptable creatures they will survive on anything including dry food, cardboard, even wood but for how long and in what form that's entirely different question.
 
shellycheval said:
Thanks Z for a concise, clear, and helpful post.

Yes, thank you, it was very educational. As for Hills, their prescription diets also have corn, and are recommended to cats with urinary obstuction, for example. It means, that they already have a jeopardized health, and by feeding them with Hills, the owners just add insult to injury. :mad:
 
Here are 3 main points every cat and dog guardian should be aware of:

http://www.sott.net/article/301677-Three-main-reasons-to-use-common-sense-when-feeding-your-pets
 
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