I've seen a few posts about natural diets for pets and I agree they
are good. We actually found one food in Canada that is dried buffalo
and a few vegetables mixed it. Then our Pug got Inflammatory Bowl
Disease (IBD) so we put her on The White Diet: White Fish and White
Rice. This is to make sure she is not allergic to anything in the food
- like wheat. So far is is doing very we'll lots of energy.

I think one needs to be pragmatic about this. Maybe dont' feed raw
pork do your dog but think of what it might eat in a natural
environment then read the increadience on your food bag.

Anyway, you can read more about how our pug is doing he

http://www.preciouspug.org/

In article ,
Jason8 wrote:
Then our Pug got Inflammatory Bowl
Disease (IBD) so we put her on The White Diet: White Fish and White
Rice. This is to make sure she is not allergic to anything in the food
- like wheat.

I like Austria but I've had several meals there where all
the food was white and it was kind of odd. I hope that your
dog isn't very sensitive visually. An ugly plate can really
destroy your appetite.

Also, last week I was eating kosher for Passover hot
cereal. It was white and definitely made from wheat and not
much else.
--
Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis -

Prouder than ever to be a member of the reality-based community

Melinda Shore wrote:

Also, last week I was eating kosher for Passover hot
cereal. It was white and definitely made from wheat and not
much else.

Mmmm. Farina. Of course, I dump cocoa powder in mine, so it ends
up not being quite so white, but still. Mmmm.

--
Shelly
http://www.cat-sidh.net (the Mother Ship)
http://esther.cat-sidh.net (Letters to Esther)

You may want to try Slippery Elm Bark. It is fine for dogs and has an
amazing effect on the GI tract - soothing, helps it to heal.
Our 13 y/o Rotti X developed an intolerance (diarhea, pain, mucous) to
his regular raw food diet after having had a course of antibiotics for a
UTI. We went the "Bland Diet" route and although his B/M's were
better, his energy wasn't.
It really seemed that the antibiotics caused a condition in his bowels
that needed something to help heal it. We did some research and tried
Slippery Elm Bark - It was absolute magic!
We gave the recommended dose (1/4 tsp per 10lbs body weight, mixed with
a little water into a paste) with each meal and we saw IMMEDIATE
improvement. We switched him back to his normal raw diet without any
problems. His energy is back and interestingly he has no more foul
smelling gas.
I have pasted the information below for anyone who wants to read this
Vet's wisdom:

Slippery Elm

By Jean Hofve, DVM

As you may know, it is potentially dangerous to give herbs to pets,
especially cats. Many people commonly extrapolate a dose of hebs by using
the pet's weight compared to the "standard" 150-pound human. A large dog,
however, has a comparatively slow metabolism, while a small dog's rapid
heart rate and high energy level may make it difficult to get the desired
effect. Cats have very different metabolism and enzymes, and many
compounds
that are safe for humans and dogs (like aspirin) can be toxic to cats.

Slippery Elm (Ulmus fulva) is an exception to the fears and cautions
surrounding the use of herbs in animals. It is very safe and
non-toxic. The
part of the tree used is the inner bark, which is soft and stringy.
Simplest to use is the powdered form, which can be purchased in bulk, or
pre-packed in capsules, at most health food stores. It is readily
available
over the Internet from herb suppliers.

Herbalists attribute many wonderful healing properties to Slippery Elm:
demulcent (soothing, mucilage-forming), emollient (soothing and protective
for skin), nutritive (providing specific food nutrients), tonic (promoting
healthy function of one or more body systems), and astringent
(constricting, binding or drying effect). It can be used both internally
and externally. Slippery Elm is one of the herbs used in the original
formulation of "Essiac," an herbal brew widely promoted as a
cancer-fighter.

In the gastro-intestinal tract, Slippery Elm acts directly. It can be
thought of as a sort of natural "Pepto-Bismol." (Pepto-Bismol itself
should
not be used because it contains salicylate, a.k.a. aspirin). Its mucilage
content coats, soothes, and lubricates the mucus membranes lining the
digestive tract. Slippery Elm is an excellent treatment for ulcers,
gastritis, colitis, and other inflammatory bowel problems. It is high in
fiber, and so helps normalize intestinal action; it can be used to relieve
both diarrhea and constipation. It may also help alleviate nausea and
vomiting in pets suffering from non-GI illnesses, such as kidney
disease. A
syrup made from Slippery Elm Bark can be used to help heal mouth ulcers
from all causes (see recipe below).

Slippery Elm is said to relieve inflammation of virtually any mucus
membrane, and has been used in the treatment of inflammatory conditions of
the lungs (bronchitis, asthma), kidneys, bladder (cystitis, FLUTD
symptoms), throat (tonsillitis), and joints (arthritis).

Slippery Elm contains many nutrients (carbohydrates, protein, fat,
ascorbic
acid, beta-carotene, calcium, and several trace minerals) that can be
beneficial for recuperating pets, and it may stay down when other
foods are
not tolerated. It is known as a "survival" food; George Washington and his
troops survived for days during the bitter winter at Valley Forge eating
nothing but gruel made from Slippery Elm bark. However, Slippery Elm may
interfere with the absorption of certain minerals and pharmaceuticals, so
is best given separately from any concurrent drug therapy.

In the case of cystitis (bladder inflammation), Slippery Elm is thought to
soothe the bladder lining. However, it is somewhat high in magnesium, so
may be contraindicated in dogs who have an active infection with an
elevated urinary pH, where struvite crystal formation may be a risk. (In
cats, urinary tract infections are very rarely bacterial.) Slippery Elm
bark contains natural pentosans, a class of complex sugars that contains
the same compound found in the drug "Elmiron®,"the major pain-relieving
treatment for interstitial cystitis (IC) in women. Pentosan has been used
by the pharmaceutical industry as an anti-coagulant and anti-inflammatory
for more than 40 years. (Anti-coagulant effects are not seen with normal
oral administration.) Since bladder disease in cats is very similar to
that
in women, slippery elm may be especially beneficial for our feline
friends.
Small, frequent dosages of pentosan has been shown in humans to be more
effective than single large doses.

Externally, a soothing paste of Slippery Elm powder (mix the powder with a
little cold water) can be used as a poultice for hot spots, insect burns,
rashes, scratches, ulcerated areas, or other shallow wounds. Native
Americans used Slippery Elm bark to stop bleeding. It forms a natural
"bandage" that can be left in place for several hours, if you can convince
your dog to leave it alone! Moisten with water to remove it.

To give internally, mix about 1/4 teaspoon of Slippery Elm bark powder
with
cold water for every 10 pounds of body weight. For very small dogs, it is
fine to use the same 1/4 teaspoon dose. The bulk powder may be very
fluffy,
so pack it down as much as possible to measure it. Alternatively, use 1/2
capsule (per 10 pounds), opened and the contents mixed with water.
Slippery
Elm powder will absorb many times its own weight in water, so be sure to
add enough to make a moderately thick gruel. This gruel can be given
before
meals by syringe or eyedropper, or added to baby food, canned food, or a
homemade diet. It has a slightly sweet taste and is usually well-tolerated
by cats and dogs when mixed with food. Give a dose 5 minutes before meals
for sore throat, and before or with meals for digestive tract problems,
such as inflammatory bowel disease, until symptoms resolve.

Author Anitra Frazier gives the following recipe for Slippery Elm Bark
syrup in her book, The New Natural Cat, which applies equally well to our
canine companions when adjusted for weight: Into a small saucepan
place 1/2
cup cold water and 1 teaspoon powdered slippery elm bark. Whip with a
fork.
Bring to simmer over low flame, stirring constantly. Simmer 1 or 2 minutes
or until slightly thickened. Cool and refrigerate. Keeps 7 or 8 days. Give
a teaspoon of syrup (5 cc) for an average-size cat (again, about 10
pounds)
5 minutes before a meal to minimize diarrhea, or to soothe and heal mouth
ulcers.

Slippery Elm bark is inexpensive and easy to use; it would be a great
addition to your holistic medicine chest!
Jason8 wrote:
I've seen a few posts about natural diets for pets and I agree they
are good. We actually found one food in Canada that is dried buffalo
and a few vegetables mixed it. Then our Pug got Inflammatory Bowl
Disease (IBD) so we put her on The White Diet: White Fish and White
Rice. This is to make sure she is not allergic to anything in the food
- like wheat. So far is is doing very we'll lots of energy.

I think one needs to be pragmatic about this. Maybe dont' feed raw
pork do your dog but think of what it might eat in a natural
environment then read the increadience on your food bag.

Anyway, you can read more about how our pug is doing he

http://www.preciouspug.org/