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Old March 3rd 04, 09:41 PM
Alpha
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A BRIEF HISTORY OF CANINE NUTRITION

When I first began to seriously investigate nutrition for dogs and cats over
10 years ago, I was confronted with the problem of where to begin. It is
fair to say that the subject had been given little consideration in
scientific or veterinary literature, prior to the development of commercial
pet foods some 50 years ago. Since then, it has become "big business", and
there is a wealth of biased information available, to both veterinarian, and
dog owner. But what about prior to that? How did people feed dogs before
tinned and dry food became available? What nutritional problems did they
encounter? Who advised them on how to feed their dogs?

The answers are all quite simple. Dogs were fed fresh meat, bones, and left
over table scraps. The nutritional problems encountered were very few, and
simple to correct (calcium deficiency, rickets, hypervitaminosis A).
Veterinary advice was limited to suggesting additional calcium in the diet
for growing puppies. A majority of dogs were kept for specific purposes,
i.e. working dogs, guard dogs, hunting dog's etc., and had access to a wide
range of different food sources via scavenging on the job. Dogs were, in no
way, as strictly limited to the confines of the back yard, as they are
today. Some breeders and working dog trainers used various supplements in
their dog's diets, like yeast, cod liver oil, raw eggs and garlic, to
improve their dogs' fertility and performance. But on the whole, homemade
diets were basic, uncomplicated, and perfectly adequate. The dogs of
yesteryear enjoyed long, active, healthy lives, with few degenerative
diseases.

It was during the post-war era of the 1950's and 60's, when processed foods
began to gain popularity with people. Tinned and dehydrated foods of all
description began to infiltrate grocery stores and fill the pantries of
modern households. And riding on the back of the success of the convenience
era, came the first processed foods for dogs.

It took nearly thirty years for the medical profession to realise that this
type of nutrition was detrimental to human health, and begin to emphasise
the importance of fresh food, fruit and vegetables as part of a balanced
diet. Unfortunately (for dogs), the bulk of the veterinary profession is
still yet to come to terms with these same health issues, and begin
recommending fresh food (raw food) diets for dogs.

To fully understand the detrimental impact of commercial pet foods on the
general health of dogs, we must first understand the basic principles of
what dogs should eat. These answers can be found by tracing the evolution of
dogs, and understanding how contemporary wild dogs eat.
return to top



THE TRUTH ABOUT DOGS

The process of evolution is designed to "fine tune" every living species to
best survive and reproduce in its given environment. Every structure of the
living organism is affected by this process, right down to the cellular
level. The process causes minute changes that accumulate over millions of
years, with the end result being an organism that is ready to thrive,
survive, and reproduce. Dogs are no exception. They have been evolving for
40 million years (before human intervention) existing on a natural diet of
raw prey, vegetable matter, fruits, nuts, insects, and all manner of
scavenged food. They are omnivores by definition, meaning they consume both
meat and plant based food sources. In fact, they are the ultimate
scavengers, able to exist on a purely vegetarian diet, when necessary, and
thriving on a meat based diet, when available. They will eat almost anything
to stay alive, and have a cast iron constitution to reflect this. A wild
dogs diet can include up to sixty different ingredients in one day, varying
from live prey, carrion, grass, nuts, fruits, insects, bark, soil, clay,
decaying vegetable matter, animal excretions, and more. Despite the immense
variation, the one common factor is that they are all consumed raw.

The dog's entire digestive tract, from teeth and saliva, to organs and
intestines, digestive enzymes, microbial flora, and ultimately the entire
metabolic process to the cellular level, has been finely tuned, over
millions of years, to be able to process, digest, and absorb the products of
a raw food diet. The breakdown process of the raw ingredients in the
intestinal tract is critical for normal assimilation of all the vitamins,
minerals, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and other metabolic factors
essential for optimal growth and function.

When a dog (or dog pack) catches prey, there are well-defined eating
patterns that emerge. Apart from the hierarchical order in which the dogs
are allowed to participate in the feast, there is a systematic approach to
consuming the various parts of the prey. The abdominal cavity is opened
quickly, and the gut contents and organs (what we call offal) are consumed
first. The organs, like liver, kidneys, spleen etc, are rich in vitamins,
minerals, and trace elements. The gut contents, including stomach,
intestines and colon, are full of semi digested plant and grain material. It
is this "mush" of plant matter that the dogs devour immediately, almost like
a prize to the hunter.

The remainder of the carcass, comprising mainly muscle meat and bones, is
then consumed slowly, often over several days if the prey is large. If there
is an abundance of meat and bone, dogs will bury some, to ensure a feed for
themselves later on.

What we have learned from this, is a simple understanding of the basic
ingredients in a dog's natural diet. Apart from the vast array of scavenged
material a dog may eat, when available, a diet of live prey is the ultimate
in nutrition. This consisting of pre-masticated (chewed), semi digested
plant material and grains, a serving of rich organ meats, and a larger
portion of muscle meat and bone.

So what does this mean with regard to dog nutrition? It is certainly clear
that dogs are best adapted to eating their food raw, but does cooking a
dog's food really make that much difference? The message became very clear
when pet food manufacturers first began making processed pet food.
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COOKING CREATES DEFICIENCIES

The process of cooking food is unique to humans. We are the only living
species to have harnessed fire, and used it to modify our natural food
sources. Cooking is the oldest and simplest form of preserving food. The
process of heating destroys the natural enzymes in food, and microbial
content, thus preventing the natural process of decay. Unfortunately, it is
not limited to just enzymes and microbes, it also destroys natural vitamins,
essential fatty acids, amino acids and proteins, and renders many minerals
unavailable for absorption from the gut.

These problems became very evident in the early stages of pet food
manufacture. Severe, and sometimes fatal, deficiencies were quickly
identified. Deficiencies of Vitamins A, D, E, B1, and several essential
amino acids were discovered in early tinned pet foods. Most of these were
overcome by adding large amounts of synthetic vitamins and amino acids to
the original ingredients, to overcome the levels that were destroyed by the
cooking process. Modern processed dog foods have advanced a long way in
nutritional science, and have overcome many more problems along the way. But
there is still a range of subtle deficiencies that cannot, and never will
be, overcome in cooked pet foods.

Man has been domesticating animals for thousands of years, for use as food,
for transport, and as companions. Food animals have always held an important
position, and animal husbandry techniques (the care of animals for growth
and reproduction) have always placed supreme emphasis on correct nutrition.

The basic understanding of how to feed an animal for maximum growth,
development and reproduction has come from observing the animal in its
natural state (in the wild), and trying to reproduce the same environment in
the domestic situation (same types of feed, grasses, foliage etc). Due to
the enormous economic importance of cattle and sheep, there has been
intensive and ongoing research into nutrition for these animals. We possess
a total understanding of the importance of soil types, mineral content,
plant growth, and ultimately the physiology of the cow or sheep, eating the
grass, and turning that into fleece, milk, or meat. In the veterinary field
we have identified a myriad of mineral deficiencies, or toxicities, that
affect health, and a vast array of diseases that can be easily corrected
using mineral supplements and salt licks, or with simple dietary changes.
Much of the work in this area is actually a direct result of the unnatural
effects of domestication and modern farming practices on domesticated
animals. I may be exaggerating if I said there had been 10% as much research
on canine nutrition, with very little information on the effects of long
term dietary deficiency. This may reflect a lower economic value placed on
dogs' health, but it also reflects a lack of necessity in the past to
perform this type of research. The majority of deficiency syndromes in dogs,
that have been adequately researched, are as a direct result of the
commercial pet food industry, and the nutritional problems they created when
they first began cooking pet food.

The major flaw in modern canine nutritional research is that it has focused
on the immediate effects of nutrition. Deficiencies that create an obvious
short term, readily identifiable problem in health, have been extensively
studied, and corrected. But long term, subtle, non-life-threatening
deficiencies have not been investigated in much detail. The effects over an
animal's life span, the altered absorptive capabilities of older dogs, the
accumulation of years of low-grade deficiency, have not been addressed by
nutritional research. It is these types of deficiencies that are creating
the enormous "epidemic" of long-term degenerative diseases that afflict
modern dogs. Chronic skin diseases and allergies, osteoarthritis, dental
problems, autoimmune diseases, and ultimately cancer, can all be linked to
long term deficiency.

There are over 76 macro and micro minerals available in natural raw foods.
Modern nutritional research has focused on studying only the importance of
the major groups, the ones that show an immediate short-term health disorder
if deficient. This comprises only 30% of known nutrients. In fact even the
most premium brand pet foods are lucky to contain 50 of the 76 nutrients
available. Some cheaper pet foods may only have 30-40. It is the damage
caused by cooking and artificial processing of modern pet foods that creates
these deficiencies (rendering minerals unavailable for absorption from the
gut), and results in subtle disease syndromes that accumulate and worsen
over an animal's life -span. The average dog will maintain reasonable health
on commercial pet foods for about 5-6 years, but it is the next half of its
life where the problems will become evident. Allergic skin disease and early
onset arthritis are the two most common syndromes (omega 3 fatty acid
deficiency, calcium deficiency). The more basic and cheaper pet food brands
will result in signs of deficiency much sooner. A dull, dry, flaky coat,
itchy skin, poor dental health, blocked anal glands, obesity, diabetes,
hypothyroidism, irritable bowel syndrome, and a range of degenerative
conditions which were previously only diagnosed in people, are just a few of
the disease syndromes that can be linked to long term dietary deficiency.

And for all the complexities of these deficiencies, for which I can claim to
understand only a few, the answer to correcting them is so simple. A well
balanced, raw food diet.
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RAW FOOD IS THE ANSWER

A well-designed diet of raw food can provide all the available macro and
micronutrients necessary for perfect health. The easy part, is that because
it has not been cooked or processed, it supplies all the nutrients in an
easy to digest and absorb form. You do not need to be a rocket scientist to
formulate a well-balanced raw food diet. The aim is to match the natural
components of a wild dog's diet. A generous portion of muscle meat and raw
bones, some organ meats (liver, kidney, heart), and a balance of
carbohydrate and vegetable matter, equivalent to the gut contents of the
prey.

In general, it is easiest to use readily available ingredients, like rolled
oats for carbohydrate, flaxseed meal or oil for omega 3 fatty acids, and
plenty of green vegetables. There are some simple additives you can use to
fortify the diet, and fill any gaps that would normally be supplied by a
dog's natural scavenging habits. Brewers yeast, kelp, lecithin, calcium,
garlic, vitamin C, and powdered barley grass or wheat grass, can all be
added to the diet to create a fully balanced, nutritional masterpiece. Using
organic meats like kangaroo and rabbit will further enhance the nutritional
profile, and purity of the diet.

A simple guide for feeding ratios is as follows:




Muscle Meat
Organ Meat
Cereal / Veg
Supplement

Puppy
50%
20%
30%
20g / 250g

Adult
50%
10%
40%
5g / 250g

Senior
40%
10%
50%
10g / 250g

Weight Loss
30%
10%
60%
15g / 250g



Raw bones should be a daily part of the feeding program for puppies, as
they are the natural source of calcium for growth. Raw bones should also be
fed to all mature dogs at least 2-4 times weekly. Remove the marrow if
feeding them to overweight dogs. Vegetable matter should be pulped or
vitamised, to aid digestion, and prevent fussy dogs from avoiding eating
them. Increase the vegetable component for overweight dogs. Try adding a
clove or two of garlic to the vegetable mix, and soak it in some chicken
stock overnight. Cereal grains, like rolled oats, should be soaked in an
equal volume of water, or stock, for 24 hours at room temperature, before
mixing with the rest of the ingredients. This will greatly enhance the
digestibility and bioavailability of the grain content.

And there you have it. A simple, nutritionally complete, raw food diet, that
will provide your dog with the complete array of nutritional building
blocks, vitamins, minerals, and trace elements, required for perfect health
and a long, happy, and active life.
return to top


PERFECT NUTRITION FOR THE PERFECT PUPPY

If we could go back in time to the very first day man befriended the dog,
I'm sure we would find it all started with a puppy. Puppies are the picture
of innocence, love and affection, and will warm the coldest of hearts with
their instant adoring attention and playful antics. And it was these traits,
that carry on into adulthood, along with many of the common hunting,
protecting and scavenging skills that dogs possess, that ensured the dog's
place as "man's best friend".

But even though that happened over 10,000 years ago, man's actual impact on
the dog, on an evolutionary level, is less than 0.01 %. The dog family
(Canidae) have been evolving for over 40 million years, and for the first
39.99 million years, they had no human contact. So if we are to ask the
question, what should a puppy eat to get the optimum in nutrition, healthy
growth, strength and vitality; should we ask a scientist? a veterinarian? a
pet food manufacturer? a zoo keeper? or mother nature herself ?

Common sense feeding practices are they key to good health !

In just about every situation where mankind has altered the natural feeding
practices of domesticated animals, whether it be for reasons of increased
growth and production, better condition or speed, convenience, profit, or
simply by the nature of domestication and confinement, which prevents
natural migration patterns, we see deterioration in health, and the
emergence of new diseases. Mother nature, for want of a better name, or
Darwin's theory of evolution, has been at work for millions of years
evolving genetic traits and structuring every single organism to best
survive and thrive in it's given environment.And the basic essentials are
how to eat, how to survive, and how to reproduce. Dogs are no exception.
They have been evolving for over 39.99 million years eating raw food (prey)
and scavenging scraps. And that is exactly what they thrive on !

Nature has a counterpart for every domesticated animal, be it dogs and
wolves, cats and lions, horses and zebra, cows and buffalo, pigs and
boars........ and in every situation, you will find diseases and
degenerative conditions that are not prevalent in the wild counterpart. Yes,
domesticated animals often live longer due to their protected environment
and help from mankind, but in almost every situation, the domesticated
animal will suffer from diseases that are either not found or are very rare
in the wild. And why ? Because in every situation man has changed their
natural diet !

Do wolves suffer from allergies, flea hypersensitivity, gingivitis and gum
disease, anal gland blockage, sensitive bowels and food allergy, hip or
elbow dysplasia, diabetes, thyroid deficiency, early onset arthritis,
autoimmune diseases or the vast array of cancers that are diagnosed in dogs
today ? No !

Why not ? Because they eat a natural raw diet, the same diet they have
evolved to eat over 40 million years.

Their whole body, from teeth, salivary glands, stomach, intestines, organs
and enzymes, has all been finely tuned over 40 million years to process and
digest raw food: meats and organs, bones, fur, feathers, insects, plants,
fruits and nuts, grasses...fresh today or weeks old, they can handle it all.
And they thrive on it.

So how different are modern domestic dogs in 1999 ? ......... about 0.01 %

So what should a puppy eat to achieve maximum optimal nutrition, health,
growth and longevity........a natural, raw, uncooked, unprocessed,
unadulterated diet.


What is a natural diet for a growing puppy ?

Natural nutrition starts in the uterus, and in the diet of the pregnant
bitch. Although you can't always know the parentage of puppies, if you have
a choice, try and find a breeder who feeds raw food. The health and vigor of
new born pups is a direct reflection of both diet and genetics. The
importance of the bitch's nutritional plane continues through lactation,
where for the first few weeks the pups are completely reliant on mum for all
their nutrition (growth), immunity (collostrum), and waste disposal. You can
usually pick the strongest pup (often the pick of the litter) at about 2
weeks. At this age the pup is a direct reflection of his genetic make-up,
and the bitches nutritional intake.

From the time the pup cuts its first milk teeth ( approx. 2-4 weeks old) he
or she is ready to tackle solid food. This coincides with increasing
discomfort at feeding time for the bitch ( those nice sharp teeth we all
know so well !), who is stimulated to start offering solid food. In the wild
state, she does this by regurgitating food (voluntary vomiting) for the pups
to eat. Food (or prey) she may have eaten minutes or hours earlier, is then
regurgitated ; pre-masticated (chewed), warm (38.5 'C) and part digested,
for the pups to devour back in the security of the den (or whelping box).
Many bitches today will still start vomiting at this stage of lactation,
even if you are offering solids already, which is the cause of many a
panicky phone call from in-experienced breeders.

And what do the pups then eat ? Exactly what mum has eaten. Pre-chewed,
partly digested, raw meat, organs, gut contents, bones, fur, feathers, and
any other plant or organic material the bitch has eaten. But remember, the
bitch is often eating for herself and 6 or more pups, and as a result, her
diet is often more varied and ravenous than usual. Infact, the concept of
cravings for certain foods, which are experienced during pregnancy and
lactation, may play an important role in ensuring balanced early nutrition
of pups and people in the same way.
By 6-8 weeks, the pups will tackle whole carcass and food brought back by
the bitch intact. And by the age of 6-8 months old, the pup has grown and
learnt to hunt and scavenge for itself..

So how does this translate to the modern domestic puppy of 1999 ? Very
simply : We try to recreate the core elements of the natural diet, with
easily accessible ingredients currently available, that will supply the
equivalent constituents of a natural diet. It is not that complicated or
time consuming, and there is only one golden rule :

Do Not cook Anything for your puppy!

The cooking and artificial processing of dog (and cat) foods, that began
back in the 1950's with the post-war popularity surge in canned foods, is
the single most significant impact that man has had on the domestic dog. It
represents the most dramatic deviation from nature that we have imposed on
any domesticated animal, and is integrally linked to the rapid decline in
health, fertility and longevity that our "best friends" suffer from today.
The nutritional damage caused by cooking is insidious and far reaching, and
too involved to go into in great detail here. As a bare minimum, it
damages/destroys essential vitamins, minerals, fatty acids and trace
elements in the diet.It denatures (mutates) proteins, inactivates natural
enzymes, and kills all natural bacterial flora (sterilises food). It results
in decreased nutritional content, increased digestive effort and enzyme
output, poorer absorption and intestinal vitamin production, and greater
waste production. This all adds up to a diet that is nutritionally
deficient, has lowered bioavailability (harder to digest and absorb), and
contains mutated protein fragments that may be absorbed across the bowel.
Cooking is a completely unnatural, man-made process, and should not be
involved in the preparation of a dog's natural diet.

What are the ingredients for a modern 'natural puppy' diet ?

The ingredients in a natural diet vary only slightly from puppy to
adulthood. They comprise the four basic food groups : Proteins, fats,
carbohydrates and vegetables. The ratios of these in the diet will vary with
the different nutritional requirements of age (stage of growth), metabolism,
energy expenditure or exercise levels and reproductive status. A diet based
on raw meats (both muscle meats and some organ/offal), bones, mixed cereal
grains, vegetables and fruits, and a few basic natural supplements to ensure
vitamin/mineral balance, can be adjusted to suit all stages of a dog's
nutritional needs. Our aim is to mimic the omnivorous diet (both animal and
vegetable) that wild dogs consume.

The basic constituents of a weaning diet are no different to that of a
growing diet, except that the very act of pre-digestion and regurgitation
introduces several key points. The meat portion must be finely chopped or
ground to match the pre-chewed state. This increases the actual contact
surface area for easier digestion and absorption. The time spent in the gut
of the bitch also introduces both a mix of digestive enzymes, and a mix of
pro-biotic bacteria (normal bowel bacteria or flora), which are both
underdeveloped in the weaning pup. This can be re-created by the addition of
enzyme supplements (e.g. viokase, pancrease, Thrive-D), and pro-biotic
supplements (live culture, non-harmful, bacterial additives e.g. Protexin
powder, live culture yogurt). These two additives will greatly enhance the
digestive and absorptive capabilities of the pup, which results in vigorous
healthy growth.The mix should also be highly moist, and served at body
temperature (38.5"C) .

The weaning mix should be made available to the pups as soon as you see or
feel the milk teeth erupting (2 weeks plus). Spend some time introducing the
food to the pups; let them suckle your finger and then dip it in the mix and
repeat the suckle, show them where the bowl is etc. Make sure your bitch is
well fed if she is in with the pups during this process, as it will lessen
the chance that she will eat the lot herself.


The mix should be available as often as possible (ad lib), but the pups
should still have full access to mum's milk at least until 5-6 weeks old, or
ideally, when the bitch naturally dries up and weans the pups herself. The
practice of making weaning diets that are high in dairy products, and often
high in cereals, is unnecessary while the bitch is lactating. There is no
substitute for the bitch's milk, and certainly not pasteurised milk from a
cow. If you must use a milk substitute for any reason, raw (un-pasteurised)
goats milk is the best alternative.

High cereal diets (farax, porridge etc.) are not ideally suited to the pup's
needs. They provide a rich source of energy and easily processed starch and
sugars, but the pup has not developed a normal glucose metabolism at this
age, and will experience sugar highs and sugar lows (bursts of high energy
followed by collapse and sleep). Cereals are also too low in protein for the
rapidly growing pup (proteins are the building blocks for body tissues), who
is doubling his/her bodyweight every 3 weeks at this stage. The basic
nutritional ratio for the growing pup is 70% protein (raw meat), 20%
carbohydrate (cereals), 10% vegetable/fibre.

The final ingredient is access to raw bones. Bones are a vital ingredient in
any dog's diet ; they provide for good abrasive dental action, which
maintains healthy teeth and gums, they are the best natural source of
calcium in a dog's diet, and they provide solid matter for proper stool
formation which aids bowel cleansing and appropriate anal gland function.
Bones should be raw, soft enough to be chewed completely, and therefore
digested completely, and of a size large enough to prevent swallowing whole.
The ideal puppy bones are raw chicken carcasses or frames. They can be made
available as soon as the pups are starting to chew solids (or chew on soft
toys), and can be continued for life. The pups we raise can easily devour a
chicken frame at 4 weeks old.

The growth diet (from weaning as a pup to mature adult size) is designed to
provide the pup with all the raw materials required for rapid growth. The
pup needs higher levels of protein and fats, and more concentrated
vitamin/mineral content to keep pace with the rapid growth of body tissues,
organs and bones. Correct ratios of key elements like calcium and essential
fatty acids, and micronutrients like iodine, chromium and zinc, are all
vastly more important when designing a diet for a growing puppy, than that
of a fully grown adult dog. The diet outlined below is the result of years
of research and trial. We have fifth generation pups due shortly, that will
be weaned and grown on this diet, just as their parents, grand parents and
great grand parents were. Every generation raised on raw food benefits both
nutritionally, and genetically, as they grow to reproductive age. A natural
raw diet is the key to better health, vitality, reproductive vigor and long
life.

The puppy diet for all breeds

There has always been a lot of discussion about the different needs of large
and small breed puppies, but with a properly balanced puppy diet, the only
difference is in the amount you feed, and the length of time you feed it
for. All pups need small regular meals during the early stages (the amount
is relative to the size of the pups) ; 4 feeds a day up to 6 weeks old, 3
feeds per day up to 12 weeks, 2 feed per day up to 6 months old. Small breed
dogs will reach mature size between 6-12 months old, and can be fed once a
day.

Large breed dogs continue to grow for up to 18 months to 2 years, and should
be maintained on 2 feeds per day until then. As long as the diet ratios are
correct, this is the main significant difference.

The following recipe is designed to make up 1kg of "ready to eat" puppy mix.

(1) 700g raw meat
(2) 180g of soaked cereal mix
(3) 80g vegetable mix
(4) 40g nutritional powder mix
(5) One teaspoon of flax seed oil (optional.See below)


(1) The meat should always be raw, preservative free, and meat inspected. I
prefer kangaroo and rabbit, as they are both free range and organic, they
are a likely natural source of prey, they are lean meats (approx. 4% fat),
and they are cost effective to boot. It is a good idea to add some organ
meats on occasion (once or twice a week). A mix of 100g organ to 600g meat
is rich enough. Use liver, kidney and heart primarily, and only buy from a
butcher or supermarket. Try and always have a bone offering (chicken carcass
or equivalent) at least once daily or every second day.

(2) The cereal mix is a combination of 5 parts rolled oats, 2 parts cracked
barley, and one part each of soybean meal, linseed meal and whole grain oats
(although only add the whole oats when the pups are about 8-10 weeks old).
This mix is then soaked in an equal volume of water ( i.e. one cup mix to
one cup water), and left for 12 hrs (summer) to 24 hrs (winter) at room
temperature. This allows for seed germination, and the un-locking of starch
and other carbohydrates in the grain, which improves digestion and
absorption greatly.

(3) The vegetable mix can be very varied. The more soft and rotten the
veggies, the better. We use primarily carrot, pumpkin and parsley, with
green beans, peas, and any other greens available. Soft mushy fruits are
also great..just avoid fruit stones (seeds) and hard cores. Peelings and
fruit juice pulp are also great.... basically the contents of your compost
bin. The whole lot is then vitamised or put through the food blender until
it is a pulp. I also add about one clove of garlic for every cup of veggie
mix and pulp it in. The pulping process is essential to allow the dog to be
able to digest and process the veggie mix (dogs have a poor ability to
digest plant material in tact), and it also prevents fussy dogs from
selectively sifting out and leaving the vegetables. The mix can be
refrigerated for about 4-5 days, or frozen.

(4) The nutritional powder mix supplies the vitamin and mineral supplements
that balance off the diet in regard to content and ratios. It contains 12
parts calcium carbonate powder, 9 parts brewers yeast, 3 parts kelp powder,
3 parts lecithin granules, 1 part barley green or wheat grass powder, and 1
part vitamin C powder as sodium ascorbate.

(5) Flax seed oil is used as an Omega 3 fatty acid supplement, which are
vital for the development of the brain and nervous system. The diet above
will provide adequate Omega 3 levels as it is, but given that many people
may not choose to feed this every day, a flax oil supplement will make up
for any deficiencies in other diets used (especially if dry food is fed).

(6) When making a weaning mix (up to 6 weeks old), chop meat finely
(minced), add the equivalent of 2 viokase tablets (or Thrive-D as directed),
and one sachet of protexin powder per 1kg of mix. Add extra water to reach a
thick soup consistency, and serve warm (not refrigerated). Do not use whole
oats in the cereal mix.

All of the ingredients listed can be easily purchased from your local
produce store, health food shop and pet supply outlets / butcher. Most parts
of the mix can be made up and stored in bulk (cereal mix, frozen vegetable
mix, powder mix). The fully prepared mix will keep in the refrigerator for
4-5 days, and can also be frozen, however fresh is always best.

This simple diet plan will help you to rear strong, healthy , show winning
pups every litter. Continuing this dietary advice throughout the lifetime of
your dogs will guarantee them optimal health and longevity, and will save
you money on both feed bills and vet bills. The ultimate result will be to
maximise the genetic potential of your chosen breed(s) by eliminating the
damaging nutritional trends of the past 40 years.
return to top



Dr Bruce Syme B.V.Sc. (Hons), M.R.C.V.S.
Vet's All Natural Animal Health Centre,




Alpha


  #2  
Old March 4th 04, 12:55 AM
Rosa Palmén
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Alpha" wrote in message
...
A BRIEF HISTORY OF CANINE NUTRITION

When I first began to seriously investigate nutrition for dogs and cats

over
10 years ago, I was confronted with the problem of where to begin. It is
fair to say that the subject had been given little consideration in
scientific or veterinary literature, prior to the development of

commercial
pet foods some 50 years ago. Since then, it has become "big business", and
there is a wealth of biased information available, to both veterinarian,

and
dog owner. But what about prior to that? How did people feed dogs before
tinned and dry food became available? What nutritional problems did they
encounter? Who advised them on how to feed their dogs?

The answers are all quite simple. Dogs were fed fresh meat, bones, and

left
over table scraps. The nutritional problems encountered were very few, and
simple to correct (calcium deficiency, rickets, hypervitaminosis A).
Veterinary advice was limited to suggesting additional calcium in the diet
for growing puppies. A majority of dogs were kept for specific purposes,
i.e. working dogs, guard dogs, hunting dog's etc., and had access to a

wide
range of different food sources via scavenging on the job. Dogs were, in

no
way, as strictly limited to the confines of the back yard, as they are
today. Some breeders and working dog trainers used various supplements in
their dog's diets, like yeast, cod liver oil, raw eggs and garlic, to
improve their dogs' fertility and performance. But on the whole, homemade
diets were basic, uncomplicated, and perfectly adequate. The dogs of
yesteryear enjoyed long, active, healthy lives, with few degenerative
diseases.



It might very well be that the old homemade diets were better for the dogs
health, but I think it is very hard to know for sure as there aren't any
statistics about how many dogs had what diseases or problems before dogs
were fed commercial pet food.

The majority of the "dogs of the yesteryears" were not treated as
familymembers. To know for sure how many dogs back then "enjoyed long,
active, healthy lives, with few degenerative diseases." is impossible. If I
have understood correctly dogs were euthanized much easier before. If a dog
wasn't a good working dog, why would someone keep it, no matter if the
reason was physical or in the dogs head, why keep a dog you couldn't use?
Purebred pet puppies that showed faults were also euthanized. The runts of
big litters were euthanized or you let them die. So I think it is just
natural that the remaining dog population would indeed seem healthier than
todays population.

Rosa


  #3  
Old March 4th 04, 12:55 AM
Rosa Palmén
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Alpha" wrote in message
...
A BRIEF HISTORY OF CANINE NUTRITION

When I first began to seriously investigate nutrition for dogs and cats

over
10 years ago, I was confronted with the problem of where to begin. It is
fair to say that the subject had been given little consideration in
scientific or veterinary literature, prior to the development of

commercial
pet foods some 50 years ago. Since then, it has become "big business", and
there is a wealth of biased information available, to both veterinarian,

and
dog owner. But what about prior to that? How did people feed dogs before
tinned and dry food became available? What nutritional problems did they
encounter? Who advised them on how to feed their dogs?

The answers are all quite simple. Dogs were fed fresh meat, bones, and

left
over table scraps. The nutritional problems encountered were very few, and
simple to correct (calcium deficiency, rickets, hypervitaminosis A).
Veterinary advice was limited to suggesting additional calcium in the diet
for growing puppies. A majority of dogs were kept for specific purposes,
i.e. working dogs, guard dogs, hunting dog's etc., and had access to a

wide
range of different food sources via scavenging on the job. Dogs were, in

no
way, as strictly limited to the confines of the back yard, as they are
today. Some breeders and working dog trainers used various supplements in
their dog's diets, like yeast, cod liver oil, raw eggs and garlic, to
improve their dogs' fertility and performance. But on the whole, homemade
diets were basic, uncomplicated, and perfectly adequate. The dogs of
yesteryear enjoyed long, active, healthy lives, with few degenerative
diseases.



It might very well be that the old homemade diets were better for the dogs
health, but I think it is very hard to know for sure as there aren't any
statistics about how many dogs had what diseases or problems before dogs
were fed commercial pet food.

The majority of the "dogs of the yesteryears" were not treated as
familymembers. To know for sure how many dogs back then "enjoyed long,
active, healthy lives, with few degenerative diseases." is impossible. If I
have understood correctly dogs were euthanized much easier before. If a dog
wasn't a good working dog, why would someone keep it, no matter if the
reason was physical or in the dogs head, why keep a dog you couldn't use?
Purebred pet puppies that showed faults were also euthanized. The runts of
big litters were euthanized or you let them die. So I think it is just
natural that the remaining dog population would indeed seem healthier than
todays population.

Rosa


  #4  
Old March 4th 04, 12:55 AM
Rosa Palmén
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Alpha" wrote in message
...
A BRIEF HISTORY OF CANINE NUTRITION

When I first began to seriously investigate nutrition for dogs and cats

over
10 years ago, I was confronted with the problem of where to begin. It is
fair to say that the subject had been given little consideration in
scientific or veterinary literature, prior to the development of

commercial
pet foods some 50 years ago. Since then, it has become "big business", and
there is a wealth of biased information available, to both veterinarian,

and
dog owner. But what about prior to that? How did people feed dogs before
tinned and dry food became available? What nutritional problems did they
encounter? Who advised them on how to feed their dogs?

The answers are all quite simple. Dogs were fed fresh meat, bones, and

left
over table scraps. The nutritional problems encountered were very few, and
simple to correct (calcium deficiency, rickets, hypervitaminosis A).
Veterinary advice was limited to suggesting additional calcium in the diet
for growing puppies. A majority of dogs were kept for specific purposes,
i.e. working dogs, guard dogs, hunting dog's etc., and had access to a

wide
range of different food sources via scavenging on the job. Dogs were, in

no
way, as strictly limited to the confines of the back yard, as they are
today. Some breeders and working dog trainers used various supplements in
their dog's diets, like yeast, cod liver oil, raw eggs and garlic, to
improve their dogs' fertility and performance. But on the whole, homemade
diets were basic, uncomplicated, and perfectly adequate. The dogs of
yesteryear enjoyed long, active, healthy lives, with few degenerative
diseases.



It might very well be that the old homemade diets were better for the dogs
health, but I think it is very hard to know for sure as there aren't any
statistics about how many dogs had what diseases or problems before dogs
were fed commercial pet food.

The majority of the "dogs of the yesteryears" were not treated as
familymembers. To know for sure how many dogs back then "enjoyed long,
active, healthy lives, with few degenerative diseases." is impossible. If I
have understood correctly dogs were euthanized much easier before. If a dog
wasn't a good working dog, why would someone keep it, no matter if the
reason was physical or in the dogs head, why keep a dog you couldn't use?
Purebred pet puppies that showed faults were also euthanized. The runts of
big litters were euthanized or you let them die. So I think it is just
natural that the remaining dog population would indeed seem healthier than
todays population.

Rosa


  #5  
Old March 4th 04, 12:55 AM
Rosa Palmén
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Alpha" wrote in message
...
A BRIEF HISTORY OF CANINE NUTRITION

When I first began to seriously investigate nutrition for dogs and cats

over
10 years ago, I was confronted with the problem of where to begin. It is
fair to say that the subject had been given little consideration in
scientific or veterinary literature, prior to the development of

commercial
pet foods some 50 years ago. Since then, it has become "big business", and
there is a wealth of biased information available, to both veterinarian,

and
dog owner. But what about prior to that? How did people feed dogs before
tinned and dry food became available? What nutritional problems did they
encounter? Who advised them on how to feed their dogs?

The answers are all quite simple. Dogs were fed fresh meat, bones, and

left
over table scraps. The nutritional problems encountered were very few, and
simple to correct (calcium deficiency, rickets, hypervitaminosis A).
Veterinary advice was limited to suggesting additional calcium in the diet
for growing puppies. A majority of dogs were kept for specific purposes,
i.e. working dogs, guard dogs, hunting dog's etc., and had access to a

wide
range of different food sources via scavenging on the job. Dogs were, in

no
way, as strictly limited to the confines of the back yard, as they are
today. Some breeders and working dog trainers used various supplements in
their dog's diets, like yeast, cod liver oil, raw eggs and garlic, to
improve their dogs' fertility and performance. But on the whole, homemade
diets were basic, uncomplicated, and perfectly adequate. The dogs of
yesteryear enjoyed long, active, healthy lives, with few degenerative
diseases.



It might very well be that the old homemade diets were better for the dogs
health, but I think it is very hard to know for sure as there aren't any
statistics about how many dogs had what diseases or problems before dogs
were fed commercial pet food.

The majority of the "dogs of the yesteryears" were not treated as
familymembers. To know for sure how many dogs back then "enjoyed long,
active, healthy lives, with few degenerative diseases." is impossible. If I
have understood correctly dogs were euthanized much easier before. If a dog
wasn't a good working dog, why would someone keep it, no matter if the
reason was physical or in the dogs head, why keep a dog you couldn't use?
Purebred pet puppies that showed faults were also euthanized. The runts of
big litters were euthanized or you let them die. So I think it is just
natural that the remaining dog population would indeed seem healthier than
todays population.

Rosa


  #6  
Old March 4th 04, 01:00 AM
diddy
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

"Rosa Palmén" wrote in
:


"Alpha" wrote in message
...
A BRIEF HISTORY OF CANINE NUTRITION

snip information designed to promote diets that are commercially provided
by, the biased and interested OP
It might very well be that the old homemade diets were better for the
dogs health, but I think it is very hard to know for sure as there
aren't any statistics about how many dogs had what diseases or
problems before dogs were fed commercial pet food.

The majority of the "dogs of the yesteryears" were not treated as
familymembers. To know for sure how many dogs back then "enjoyed long,
active, healthy lives, with few degenerative diseases." is impossible.
If I have understood correctly dogs were euthanized much easier
before. If a dog wasn't a good working dog, why would someone keep it,
no matter if the reason was physical or in the dogs head, why keep a
dog you couldn't use? Purebred pet puppies that showed faults were
also euthanized. The runts of big litters were euthanized or you let
them die. So I think it is just natural that the remaining dog
population would indeed seem healthier than todays population.

Rosa


Good points Rosa. And long healthier lives, how so? In comparison to what?
Todays dogs enjoy longer average lives than those of yesteryears.




  #7  
Old March 4th 04, 01:00 AM
diddy
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

"Rosa Palmén" wrote in
:


"Alpha" wrote in message
...
A BRIEF HISTORY OF CANINE NUTRITION

snip information designed to promote diets that are commercially provided
by, the biased and interested OP
It might very well be that the old homemade diets were better for the
dogs health, but I think it is very hard to know for sure as there
aren't any statistics about how many dogs had what diseases or
problems before dogs were fed commercial pet food.

The majority of the "dogs of the yesteryears" were not treated as
familymembers. To know for sure how many dogs back then "enjoyed long,
active, healthy lives, with few degenerative diseases." is impossible.
If I have understood correctly dogs were euthanized much easier
before. If a dog wasn't a good working dog, why would someone keep it,
no matter if the reason was physical or in the dogs head, why keep a
dog you couldn't use? Purebred pet puppies that showed faults were
also euthanized. The runts of big litters were euthanized or you let
them die. So I think it is just natural that the remaining dog
population would indeed seem healthier than todays population.

Rosa


Good points Rosa. And long healthier lives, how so? In comparison to what?
Todays dogs enjoy longer average lives than those of yesteryears.




  #8  
Old March 4th 04, 01:00 AM
diddy
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

"Rosa Palmén" wrote in
:


"Alpha" wrote in message
...
A BRIEF HISTORY OF CANINE NUTRITION

snip information designed to promote diets that are commercially provided
by, the biased and interested OP
It might very well be that the old homemade diets were better for the
dogs health, but I think it is very hard to know for sure as there
aren't any statistics about how many dogs had what diseases or
problems before dogs were fed commercial pet food.

The majority of the "dogs of the yesteryears" were not treated as
familymembers. To know for sure how many dogs back then "enjoyed long,
active, healthy lives, with few degenerative diseases." is impossible.
If I have understood correctly dogs were euthanized much easier
before. If a dog wasn't a good working dog, why would someone keep it,
no matter if the reason was physical or in the dogs head, why keep a
dog you couldn't use? Purebred pet puppies that showed faults were
also euthanized. The runts of big litters were euthanized or you let
them die. So I think it is just natural that the remaining dog
population would indeed seem healthier than todays population.

Rosa


Good points Rosa. And long healthier lives, how so? In comparison to what?
Todays dogs enjoy longer average lives than those of yesteryears.




  #9  
Old March 4th 04, 01:00 AM
diddy
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

"Rosa Palmén" wrote in
:


"Alpha" wrote in message
...
A BRIEF HISTORY OF CANINE NUTRITION

snip information designed to promote diets that are commercially provided
by, the biased and interested OP
It might very well be that the old homemade diets were better for the
dogs health, but I think it is very hard to know for sure as there
aren't any statistics about how many dogs had what diseases or
problems before dogs were fed commercial pet food.

The majority of the "dogs of the yesteryears" were not treated as
familymembers. To know for sure how many dogs back then "enjoyed long,
active, healthy lives, with few degenerative diseases." is impossible.
If I have understood correctly dogs were euthanized much easier
before. If a dog wasn't a good working dog, why would someone keep it,
no matter if the reason was physical or in the dogs head, why keep a
dog you couldn't use? Purebred pet puppies that showed faults were
also euthanized. The runts of big litters were euthanized or you let
them die. So I think it is just natural that the remaining dog
population would indeed seem healthier than todays population.

Rosa


Good points Rosa. And long healthier lives, how so? In comparison to what?
Todays dogs enjoy longer average lives than those of yesteryears.




  #10  
Old March 4th 04, 01:46 AM
Julia Altshuler
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Alpha wrote:

The process of evolution is designed to "fine tune" every living species to
best survive and reproduce in its given environment. Every structure of the
living organism is affected by this process, right down to the cellular
level.



giggle You really have to read this whole thing to get to the funny bits.


--Lia

 




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