Our dogs, cats, and ferrets are carnivores, regardless of what you’ve heard! If your vet or other animal health care professional tells you otherwise, refer them to the textbook they were all required to study, most likely, “Anatomy of Domestic Animals”, by Sisson & Grossman. Our beloved pets, cats, dogs, and ferrets are meat-eaters. Will they eat other types of foods? Yes, especially if they are tainted with synthetic excito-toxins including MSG, Aspartame, and a whole host of artificial “natural” flavor additives that are never listed on any label.
As you may already know, the law states the label needs to list the ingredients in this food. That is correct, however they only need to list what that manufacturer adds. If the general consumer buys a meat product called “meat meal, chicken meal, fish meal, salmon meal, etc., most people have no idea what that is!!!! This is not fresh meat! It is usually everything from plasma, tumors, spoiled, old and rotting, not-fit-for-human-consumption products that are treated with all kinds of preservatives, including odor-control, anti-bacterial products, colors and flavors including those excito-toxins with MSG!
You all need to understand that these products are sold to you through slick marketing and advertising for supermarkets, pet specialty stores and veterinarians. We are literally killing our pets while believing that we are providing them with the best!
A sad truth…. Veterinarians are NOT required to study ANY nutrition! Because of this, they really should be the last professional that we would ever ask for advice on feeding our beloved pets! All veterinarians’ “expertise” in food is acquired from the sales representatives of various food and drug manufacturers. Let’s use a little common sense here… what does a candy company, a cleaning products company and a toothpaste company know about nutrition for dogs, cats or any of our other pets?
These companies may state that they hire specialists in nutrition to formulate these special diets. I ask you a simple question… they all sell “veterinary only” diets for everything from cancer, diabetes, liver support, kidney support, weight control, etc. These manufacturers are all the same companies that also produce “ready-to-eat” meals for humans. If their expertise is as good as they profess and these products could really do what they say can be done, “why just waste it on the pets and also do it for us??!!”
True Facts – this is all marketing! It’s the power of advertising. If we could do a “marketable” product for cancer, a million people would buy it in a heartbeat!
Did you know that diabetes can be cured in most dogs & cats with just a change of diet? Did you know it can be totally avoided by the correct diet? The same is true of cancer and most disease. Does this work with humans and animals alike?
Above everything else, you must understand that every creature on this planet has a very specific requirement when it comes to nutrition. It’s called species specific. Cows cannot digest meat because they are an herbivore. Deviating from their species specific diet was actually the cause of “Mad Cow” disease. Chickens only eat corn in the fall when it’s ripe. Carnivores on the other hand, get very little benefit from corn, sweet potatoes, pea protein. Where did rabbits and mice get pellets in nature?!
We are trying to point out that in order to ensure a healthy pet, we need to look at what they would eat and drink naturally. Wolves, lions, fox and panthers eat mostly meat. Do they cook it? Do they get sick from eating it raw? What about your parakeet? Are seeds available year round? No, they eat seasonal foods such as fruit, veggies, bugs and yes, dead animals which are meat! Another favorite is eggs! Think of the fox in the henhouse…
The true and scientific guidelines require that we look to Mother Nature for the perfect diet. First there is the physiology, in which carnivores need animal-based foods, herbivores need vegetation-based foods, and omnivores need a balance of the two. You will notice that none of these groups eat grain as a primary part of their diet as grains would only be available in the late summer and fall. Nature has always allowed certain animals to gain stored fat in order to survive the long winter season when food is scarce.
Another forgotten fact, animals in nature never drank naturally purified or filtered water. They drank from puddles and ponds. Puddles in the sun are usually covered in algae that provides natural “super greens” such as Spirulina, Chlorella, and others. In the shade, within the forest or even in grasses, leaves and roots are soaked in puddles that create an “herbal tea”. Our pets need these herbs as well because they are essential tonics that cleanse the body. If you’ve ever used a holistic or homeopathic treatment, look at the active ingredients. In them, you will find many herbs. Unfortunately they are usually combined with secret, patented or trademarked additives that are highly processed.
In addition to that, we must ask ourselves why we choose to add toxic chemicals to our pets as well. Heartworm, flea and tick, vaccines, antibiotics, synthetic vitamins and preservatives all have toxins that require warnings on the labels. How does the body handle them?
As the title says, “what is the ultimate diet for our dog or cat”? Here is a simple breakdown.
First and foremost, let me state that diets are comprised of many different and varying foods. A rotational diet of these formats shown below is ideal for your pet.
Best…. A large variety of natural, hormone and antibiotic free raw meats. It’s true….they digest raw meat just fine! These are available usually in a frozen format but some of you may be more fortunate to find it fresh as well. While vets may warn you about salmonella, this is a component found in all normal stool. We cannot digest our food properly without it. Carnivores don’t contract natural salmonellosis or most of the other common Salmonella related challenges such as typhoid. All good quality USDA inspected and approved meats for human consumption are routinely tested for contamination thereby minimizing any risk.
2nd Best…. Real meat cooked foods. These include lightly home-cooked, commercially cooked meat diets and canned meat entrees. Canned foods should be labeled as all-meat, 100% or 95% meat and free of all grains and added carbohydrates. The best quality foods are cooked at low temperatures to retain the vitamins and enzymes that your pet requires. Wet foods are needed to ensure proper hydration of your pet’s body.
3rd Best… A new generation for freeze dried & jerky style diets which are in the same range in content of the best raw diets, either all meat or meat with a minimal amount of fruits and vegetable. The only drawback is you must moisten to ensure good hydration. It is a real plus if you are travelling.
4th Best… All-meat treats. Yes, you read this right… treats. The best treats are always a real food that your pet really loves. Pets love liver treats because they need liver! Other goodies such as dried salmon, assorted jerky, dried animal parts are all natural for your pet. They should be fresh and derived from a single ingredient.
At this point, I want to stress that any good feeding program may include all of these formats above and should be varied to fit your pet’s lifestyle. It is also important to vary the protein… for carnivores there are three food groups… red meat (large prey), poultry (birds and rodents) and fish (including shellfish).
You probably feel that something is missing here and it is most likely something included in the regimen that you are currently feeding your pets.
Let us explain here…the reason that we do not include KIBBLE, PELLETED, or MEAL TYPE FOODS is very simple. It’s not natural! I don’t care what the argument, dogs and cats cannot find any form of these foods in nature! By the sources of the ingredients and the results of ALL the processing, they are mostly devoid of any natural benefit. While it is convenient to pour that dry cereal into our loving pets’ dish, we are actually killing them!
While the marketing is impressive, ask yourself a simple question, “Could you live a healthy, active life eating one flavor and brand of cereal for your entire existence?”
As a child in the 1950’s and 60’s my pets rarely saw a veterinarian in their entire 15 to 25 year life span. So why today, with pets seeing the vet every six months and being on a “scientifically formulated, recommended diet” do our pets die of cancer, diabetes, liver and kidney failure at a much shorter lifespan from 5 to 10 years of age?
The AVMA states that 85% of all health challenges for our pets are rooted in poor nutrition. This is a fact but unfortunately the “poor nutrition” also includes all the special diets that they have endorsed.
We need to take charge the situation and apply the same principles for our pets that we do for ourselves when faced with a major health challenge. We need to eliminate processed, unnatural foods and eat the cleanest, most naturally raised foods with a solid base of natural herbs to supplement those nutritional needs. Let’s apply the same common sense approach in diets and health for our pets. This is instinctive.
Our pets are a source of unconditional love and joy in our lives. These precious animals cannot tell us what they require so it is our ultimate responsibility to do the research and to offer them the VERY BEST!
