Why feeding a Raw Diet?

Jeff Baker, Founder, President and CEO of Canine Caviar Pet Foods is providing his answer to that question:

“In the last few years, there’s been a lot of interest in feeding raw meat diets to our pets. With the introduction of these new diets comes a lot of questions and confusion. Why should I feed my pet a raw meat diet? Is it safe? What makes raw meat better than cooked kibble? Raw meat diets are recommended for the following reasons:

• Nutrition – all nutrients remain intact. Cooking breaks down nutrients
• Digestibility – raw meat help eliminate digestive upsets
• Allergies – proper nutrition helps alleviate allergic reactions
• Weight Control – proper digestibility helps control obesity

The most important thing to remember when feeding your pet is that they are almost identical to their wild ancestors. "A wild wolf is genetically little more distant from the domesticated dog than a wild mustang is to a quarter horse. In actuality, a poodle, like any purebred dog, already has innumerable wolf genes since they share a close common ancestry. " Dr. Michael W. Fox, D.V.M., Ph.D., D.Sc., Vice President, Bioethics, Humane Society of the United States. Affidavit. If we want to feed our pets naturally, we need to mimic what would occur in nature.Wild dogs and cats such as wolves, coyotes, bobcats and mountain lions eat raw meat. Their digestive systems are perfectly suited for that purpose. Domestic dogs and cats possess the same digestive system. In fact, cooking meat makes it harder to digest. Raw meat also contains a high level of natural bacteria that helps the digestion process. These bacteria are called probiotics. Chronic digestive upsets can be associated with the pet’s inability to break down cooked meats and the lack of viable probiotic bacteria. When we provide meat in its natural form for our pets, their bodies are able to get all of the nutrients necessary for better health. That’s why allergies disappear, along with obesity, lethargy and a significant amount of waste. Since the meat is easier to digest, your pet’s body will use more. Therefore, there’s less waste to clean up. In addition to raw meat, wild dogs have a carbohydrate requirement. Dogs are classified as carnivores since they hunt for meat in the wild. However, wild dogs do consume vegetables, fruits and beneficial grains. When a dog consumes a wild animal, such as a rabbit, it also eats the rabbit’s stomach and contents. These stomach contents have been predigested by the rabbit and provide the perfect carbohydrate balance for the dog. It is extremely important that we duplicate this need in our domestic pets. Corn, wheat and soy do not provide the proper carbohydrate balance for dogs. These poor grains contribute to hot spots, itching, scratching, shedding, digestive upsets, and many other common problems. Beneficial grains, such as Pearl Millet, should be used to provide the proper nutritional balance for domestic dogs. Pearl Millet helps settle upset stomach issues, lowers the glycemic index, and provides an unparalleled energy supply for your pet. Its very high in protein and amino acids. It is also completely resistant to Aflatoxins which are common cancer causing fungi found in problematic corn.

Why Doesn’t Everyone Feed Raw Meat?
Most raw meat diets are available in frozen form. Frozen diets require thawing, special handling, freezer space for storage, and usually have an additional cost to the consumer. Sometimes these inconveniences prevent people from trying a raw meat diet with their pets. However, the word “Raw” should never be confused with the word “Frozen”. The definition of the word “Raw” simply means “not cooked”. We freeze raw meat in order to preserve it for shipping and storage. However, there are other ways to preserve and store meat in its raw form. Dehydration is a process that removes all of the moisture from meat without cooking it. Dehydrated meats can mimic the nutritional benefits of frozen meats because the nutritional value of the meat is preserved. Dehydration only removes water. It’s the reason foods dried foods are used by NASA. It’s a convenient storage method that doesn’t sacrifice nutritional value.

Is it Safe?
When we talk about the safety of raw meat diets, the most common concern is salmonella. Dogs and cats are extremely resistant to Salmonella infections, therefore, there is little risk that your pet could be affected by salmonella bacteria in raw meat. However, as with any raw meat product, you must take precautions when handling this product. Always clean preparation and feeding areas and utensils immediately after handling a raw frozen diet. Raw dehydrated diets are safer from the standpoint that the salmonella bacteria cannot propagate itself the same way in the raw dehydrated meat that it would in a raw frozen meat. No special handling or cleaning is required.”

Some manufacturers, including Canine Caviar, use dehydrated meat to provide all of the benefits of a raw diet without the special handling or storage concerns of a frozen diet. No freezing, no fussing, no preparation. Just dinner.”

Contribution by Jeff Baker, Founder, President and CEO of Canine Caviar

Pet obesity - a pet owners' problem

Reading the Veterinary Practice News the I came across the following article written by Jessica Tremayne, titled “Pet Obesity – A Huge Problem”. While I kind of agree with her, I look at the problem a little different and, be forewarned, not quite as polite and forgiving as she did. But let’s first see what she had to say:
“Two-thirds of clients say nothing about their overweight pet unless the veterinarian speaks first, experts say. Initiating the conversation is the first obstacle that veterinarians face when helping patients reduce weight.
The U.S. has the fattest pets in the world, and the social and psychological pressure to ignore weight problems is huge.
A February 2009 report from the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention shows that more than 44 percent of dogs and 57 percent of cats are overweight or obese. The figures represent an increase of 1 percentage point in dogs and 4 percentage points in cats compared with a 2007 study.
“Pet obesity continues to emerge as a leading cause of preventable disease and death in dogs and cats,” says Ernie Ward, DVM, the association’s founder and chief-of-staff. “Pets are in real danger of not living as long as previous generations and developing serious and costly diseases such as diabetes, arthritis and other largely avoidable conditions.
“We are afraid to offend our clients or make them feel uncomfortable about their own weight if we discuss their overweight pet, but staying quiet is risking the patients health.”
One tactic is to use the body assessment rating for canines (BARC) or another scoring scale, experts say. This takes the focus away from the fat and onto the medical condition.
“You wouldn’t avoid discussing a diabetic cat’s condition with a diabetic pet owner, so don’t avoid the weight issue with owners that may have the same problem,” says Dottie LaFlamme, DVM, Ph.D., Dipl. ACVN, of Nestle Purina PetCare Co. “Give the owner something to work off of. Use a scale of 1 to 9 or 1 to 5 so they have an opportunity to realize the severity of the problem. The biggest problem is getting the owner to accept their pet is in fact overweight.”
Excuses
Owner excuses for overweight pets include a misperception of the amount eaten daily, stories of constant hunger, passing blame onto others, disinterest in exercise and thoughts of complacency with being “fat and happy.”
“You have to write clients a prescription for weight loss or else they will forget everything you talked about in the exam room when they walk out your door,” says Veterinary Practice News columnist Patty Khuly, VMD, founder of the veterinary blog Dolittler.com. “You want to tell clients, ‘This dog is fat and you are going to kill her,’ but you really have to approach it on an individual client basis–know what they can and can’t handle. Tread lightly and get past the fat and talk strictly about the weight, even though some clients need to be hit over the head with the shocking facts.”
Some experts suggest giving clients a free measuring scoop provided by a pet food manufacturer. Many clients want to be told what to do step by step, often the only way to help them manage their pet’s weight loss.
“We come from a food is love society and getting pets to lose weight or stay at a good weight means breaking habits,” says Dr. Khuly, who practices at Sunset Animal Clinic in Miami. “Calories really should be listed on the side of all dog food bags since many owners are accustomed to counting calories for themselves, but unfortunately, most manufacturers do not have that information listed.
“The amount designated on the side of the animals’ food bags calls for more than needed as well. The only way pets would burn off those calories is if they were athletes. Society is working against successful weight loss because owners with trim dogs are often looked at as if they are starving their pets.”
By the NumbersThe Association for Pet Obesity Prevention found feline obesity rates of 17.8 percent, or 15.7 million animals, and an additional 35 million overweight cats. Dogs did better, with 9.6 percent, or 7.2 million, classified as obese and 26 million considered overweight.
“These numbers, 33 million dogs and 51 million cats that are overweight, represent a huge problem for everyone,” says Dr. Ward, who practices at Seaside Animal Care in Calabash, N.C. “Excess weight causes or contributes to many painful and debilitating conditions. Just as we’ve become a nation of couch potatoes, our pets have become a nation of lap potatoes, and that’s not good for anyone.”
Older animals had a higher incidence of being overweight: 52 percent of dogs and 55 percent of cats older than age 7.
“This is a particularly concerning discovery for veterinarians,” Ward says. “Extra pounds in older pets amplify any pre-existing conditions and complicate treatment. We’re seeing more and more diabetes, respiratory and arthritic conditions in older pets as a direct result of obesity. These are often chronic, incurable and generally preventable diseases. Pet owners need to understand that a few extra pounds on a dog or cat is similar to a person being 30 to 50 pounds overweight.”
Veterinarians need to recommend solutions beyond just prescribing diet food, experts say. Click here for information that can be passed to owners in tactful ways. The website shows safe and correct ways to cut calories and how to exercise a dog. It also discusses praising a dog with affection as opposed to confection, which puts on unneeded calories.
“Clients tend to never get their pets into aerobic exercise. They simply walk them, which isn’t very effective,” Ward says. “Veterinarians need to help clients get their pet back to a healthy weight and not by simply saying the animal needs to eat less and exercise more. We’ve gone down that road and it’s about as effective for animals as it is people.”
Suggestions“Giving clients a list of treats you are comfortable with is a good start,” Ward says. “You must give specific examples of treats and a number to give at once.”
Other tips include individualizing weight-loss plans. If Plan A isn’t working after three months, try something different to adjust to each patient’s unique needs. Tell the client what excess weight does to a pet’s body.
“New research shows that fat tissue is biologically active,” Ward says. “Scores of hormones are produced by this tissue and that affects the heart, brain, liver, pancreas and entire endocrine system.”
Prevention is the best approach, which means discussing proper nutrition and exercise when the animal is young. Considering that many animals are considered adults at 1 year old, they shouldn’t put on many more pounds at that point.
“Animals aren’t babies as owners often view them,” Ward says. “Just like in people, you should weigh the same as you did when you were 18 or 19 – when you stopped growing.”
Getting the clinic staff involved is a great tactic. Employees who use recommended weight-loss techniques on their pets can discuss the obstacles and accomplishments with clients.
“When the staff is on board, they can sincerely attest to clients the benefits of maintaining a healthy weight for pets,” Ward says. “It can be as simple as figuring the calories in food. You can help you clients calculate the proper amount of food for their pets based on the type of food and animal’s size.”
Medicine and ResourcesPfizer Inc.’s Slentrol, as well as other emerging and developing drugs, can be used after more traditional methods have been explored, Ward says.
“I am all for anything that helps fight obesity,” he says. “There are some weight-loss drugs that will hopefully be getting Food and Drug Administration approval soon. With 50 percent of animals having a weight problem, action must be taken. These are big numbers and they hold up across the board. It’s really frightening.” “
Great job, Jessica. Now my opinion on the subject matter:
First I like the idea that the article clearly shows who is to blame for the problem: Sorry, but yes it’s you, the owner of the obese cat or dog. This time it’s not a pet food manufacturer or the entire pet food industry. Whether they make good or not so good food, they tell you how much you have to feed, all you have to do is follow their instructions. It’s not your pet. If your pet wants to eat all day long, simply don’t let it happen. You are in control. Jessica says, I should follow the expert’s advice of being tactful about telling you the truth? What is so tactful on your part, you are killing your pet. Now what does that have to do with love? This reminds me of the show I followed the other night on TV where they talked about this 685 lbs person and the entire family keeps providing junk food by the truckload every day in and out. They love this family member? I am sorry, but I can’t help it: I cannot see any love in the idea that they are killing a loved one.
Jessica says: “The U.S. has the fattest pets in the world, and the social and psychological pressure to ignore weight problems is huge.” Don’t we also have the same problem with our humans? Is that where the problem originates? Because we don’t care too much about ourselves, we don’t have to care too much about others, including our pets?
“Owner excuses for overweight pets include a misperception of the amount eaten daily, stories of constant hunger, passing blame onto others, disinterest in exercise and thoughts of complacency with being “fat and happy.””
Misperception of amount eaten daily? What’s to misunderstand here? Feeding instructions are very clear. If the instructions say feed 2 cups then simply do that and don’t think you have to override the manufacturer’s instructions because to you it looks like it’s not enough. Unfortunately some of our animals can’t tell by themselves when they have enough. They will eat whatever and as much as you put in front of them. Let me remind you, on top of it you have to consider that most feeding instructions are already on the upper limit. By providing even more you are not just wasting your money (the animal will only utilize what it’s body requires, everything above and beyond that kind of “blows” straight through the system without any beneficial utilization), you also are paving the road to disease and early death.
Granted, and this part I do understand, it happens often when pet owners switch from a low grade to a higher quality food. All the sudden they have to feed less because there is a higher nutritional utilization in the pet’s body taking place. Then these owners often wonder, “… but is that enough?” You bet it is. And listen to me and the manufacturers. Don’t think we don’t know what we are talking about and you know better. My goal is to keep your pet alive and disease free for the longest possible time, that’s the only way I can make money off you and your pet. So why would I recommend a feeding strategy accomplishing quite the opposite? Think about it.
Quit feeding unhealthy table scraps on top of the regular food rations. The portion your pet got is enough for a certain period of time, it does not need any more food. Period. It is as simple as that. You may think you do your cat or dog a favor, you don’t, you are contributing to a preventable disease.
Also, keep in mind, another problem area are treats. Some pet owners think they have to provide treats on a 24 hour basis. Let me remind you, most of them are calories too. A treat should be a reward for doing something right and good. Or a treat can be given to keep an animal busy and occupied. It should not be a habit and for sure not part of the feeding plan. Just like you shouldn’t eat too much deserts, chocolate, junk food or whatever you get pleasure out of eating besides your regular meals, neither should your pet. Trust me, a meaty raw bone to chew on is much more appreciated by your pet that any snausages or other junk from the super market. Plus, they are way healthier and don’t pile on those calories.
I don’t quite get where “blame can be passed onto others”. There is only one pet owner, he’s in charge. Period, it is that simple. If the pet like in most cases belongs to a family and it is a matter of every family member feeding the animal, simply put someone in charge and tell everybody to stay away from feeding. Do that by explaining that it will ultimately kill the animal. What’s so difficult about that?
What happened to our common sense? Does that no longer exist for most of us? Like Dr. Ward says in the article: “it’s a preventable disease.” To prevent it is the pet owners job.
Owning a pet comes with responsibilities. Keeping the pet at regular weight is one of them. Can’t exercise the animal because you have no time or are simply too lazy to walk the dog? Make sure you have someone else take care of the walking. Can’t afford it? Don’t have a pet. I am sorry, but to me it is that simple. By the way, the money you spend on a dog walker is probably way less than what you end up spending with having your obese pet later on treated at your vet.
And what finally really made me upset about the article is Dr. Ward’s announcement that there are drugs to fight obesity on the horizon. Great, first we mess up, then we come up with a fix. This fix for sure will have a negative impact on the pet’s overall health and well being and guaranteed will be the cause for more problems. Why don’t we do the right thing to begin with?
You know that I am always on the pet owner’s side. Not so in this case. Because pet obesity has absolutely nothing to do with healthy or unhealthy food. This one we can’t blame on the mass marketed pet foods. For this one we have to blame ourselves. Is that why it is so difficult for pet owners to understand? Because they can’t blame nobody else?
Sorry, I didn’t follow Jessica’s advice of being very tactful about it. But I think it is about time that someone speaks the truth and puts the facts on the table. I couldn’t help it but to take Dr. Khuly’s advice very serious: “some clients need to be hit over the head with the shocking facts.” I think Dr. Ward is right: "... staying quiet is risking the patient's health". That is why I was a little more agressive today.

Browsing today’s pet column in the local news paper: Elderly cat loosing weight

I haven’t done that for quite a while: Contributing to this blog nutrition related comments I find in the pet column of my local newspaper, The Palm Beach Post. Some while ago now they changed from a weekly frequency to publishing the column twice a week and by now a quite sizeable pile of news paper sections with a note to my wife “Pl. save” has accumulated on my already cluttered desk. This pile along with many other reference materials I am using here at this blog and on our website is just getting out of control, so I decided to just dive into it starting right now. And I like the idea because they should make for short comments, something my blog visitors here are not used to too much. I know, my and my contributors’ comments often are quite lengthy and also do not always make for the “lite” reading material you’d pick to relax.
One issue really makes me wonder: Why are pet owners using the pet column to find out about health issues they are having with their pets and how to address them? I understand, there may be a number of them who don’t want to or cannot for whatever reason afford to see their vet. ‘k they need help. But quite often I get the feeling that the pet owners inquiring are most definitely frequenting their vets. Do they not trust them? Could well be, and sort of does not come as a surprise to me when I read some of those cases. However, I want to make one thing very clear here: As you will see, many of these cases most definitely require veterinarian assistance, some of them I would even consider emergencies. I plead to those pet owners: Don’t experiment on your own by trying to figure out what’s going on with your pet by studying and discussing in pet columns, blogs, Internet forums and similar places. A precise diagnosis cannot be made via a pet column by you describing the problem. That would be like you e-mailing me stating you have some pain in your chest and I diagnose you having a lung infection while in the meantime you are on the verge of experiencing a heart attack. A correct diagnosis only can be found through a physical examination performed by a vet. I also do not understand why some vets in these columns even offer advice rather than referring the inquiring owner to one of their colleagues. Get your pet to the vet now before it is too late. If you cannot afford a “regular” vet, seek help at your local animal shelter. While they are not always providing free services, they often are less costly and chances are they will not turn you away and the financials can be worked out later in a mutually acceptable manner. As you go on there still will be plenty of time left for you to discuss things via the media listed above. And at that point I encourage you to do so, because there is sure a lot to be learned out there and all these sources can provide an incredible wealth of information for you.
If you already see a vet and have the feeling he is of no help, go see another one. Especially in more complicated cases, just as you handle it with your own body, it is good and advisable to seek a second opinion. I recommend that quite frequently to my customers when they come telling me that they are trying to get a problem resolved through their vet and just don’t make any progress. Don’t waste any more time than necessary, move on and most important, get your pet the help it needs and at a bare minimum deserves. But that is all general stuff I would ask anybody to keep in mind. Let’s get to today’s case:
This lady has an elderly male cat at home, approximately 15 years old. The cat was a rescue and when they found him obviously nobody was able to tell how old he was, so they estimated him being 5 back then. That’s all secondary. The owner is concerned. The cat’s entire spine and hip bones are starting to show. The owner says: “you can’t really see them, but when you pet him, you can feel every bone in his back. He still has great appetite. He has dry food available all day and he gets one can of Fancy Feast at night. He still has normal bathroom habits and he hasn’t been vomiting. Should I be concerned or is this the “normal” aging process?”
Let me quick throw in before I forget: Good: Cat has appetite and eats, normal bathroom habits, no vomiting. Not so good: Fancy Feast and I would assume the dry food provided falls in the same quality range.
The pet column vet recommends that the cat needs a good comprehensive physical exam. Really, why hasn’t the owner’s vet figured that out yet? I assume she has one, she definitely sounds to me as if she does. Then the paper’s vet continues: “Older cats are often in a delicate balance that needs to be monitored to keep them in good health. Their bodies are not as forgiving as when they were young, but with a little extra care they can live longer and more comfortably than ever before. First ask your veterinarian to select a senior diet for your cat to optimize his nutrition. Some older cats have sensitive digestive systems and need food that is easy to digest, others have decreased kidney function and need specialized food to help the kidneys. Some have tooth pain and need soft food. A blood profile may help your veterinarian determine your cat’s needs.”
Here are my questions to the column vet: Rather than confusing the pet owner I would have definitely sent her to see her vet. Granted, this does not seem to be an emergency since it sounds like the cat appears to be feeling fine despite the weight loss. But what was done here was just making the owner’s life difficult. She now is going to look for the right food. Good luck with that, that’s going to take for ever and she will end up with a million opinions and still not know what to do about that. Why do vets always right away push for a change in diet? Granted, it is the food what causes the diseases we are fighting and our animals are plagued with. However, switching the animal over to a “scientific” wonder food, which after all typically is not so much of a wonder healing miracle, is not the answer. And let’s face it, there is only a very few vets who will recommend any other food than their favorite prescription diets.
Then you bring up a possible kidney problem? Granted, yes there is a possibility of that, but again, it just confuses the owner. Let a vet determine that by doing a physical exam and don’t put that in the poor owner’s head needlessly increasing her worries.
My next question to the vet is: You wrote a great article on the paper’s website titled “Do you know when to see your vet? Here are guidelines about taking your pet to see a doctor.” In it you say: “Question: When should I take my pet to see my vet? Answer: These question/answer columns are extremely helpful, but there are certain situations with pets where no time should be wasted in getting your pet to a veterinarian. Everyone needs to understand that, just as in humans, problems can not be diagnosed without examining the pet and/or lab work. A good rule of thumb is: Emergencies (need a vet immediately) are: seizures, Bufo toad, collapsed, problem breathing, hit by car, bleeding, in labor, ate poison, eye injury/problem, and vomiting blood. If your vet is not open at the time these happen, be sure you know where the nearest emergency clinic is located. Get to a vet today: not eating, diarrhea, vomiting, weak/lethargic, in pain, cat that can't urinate /defecate, and ANY sick bird. These are the standards we give our new receptionists and staff to use as guidelines when making appointments.”
See what I am saying, I think that would have been the appropriate and only way that cat owner’s inquiry should have been answered.

And if anybody is interested in hearing what I would have recommended: Go see your vet and have a physical done. Then based on the results come back and if the vet recommends a change in diet let’s figure out what we’re going to do. It all depends on the results of the vet’s exam.
Assuming the outcome of the exam is that except for some weight loss there is nothing wrong with your cat, let’s look at two possibilities: Is the cat “underweight”? If so let’s try an increase of the amounts to be fed daily (probably by 50%) and also lets possibly consider a diet with higher fat and protein content. If we are dealing with a “lean” cat, I would suggest an increase of the food ration by 25%. Let’s start weighing the animal at least once a week, this way we can monitor our progress.
In the past I have been very successful by using Dr. Wysongs Recommendations for Specific Health Conditions. He recommends for “Underweight cats”: A dry or canned growth formula, a raw variety combined with all meat canned or raw meat, a supplemental nutrition enhancement for animals that are undernourished. A supplement designed to reflect this understanding and can be mixed with water to form a paste for force feeding if necessary. It is made of a base of gently processed, concentrated meats and organs from various sources to provide the major natural proteins, fats, and calories. Vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and probiotic cultures are naturally derived, and provide nutrients to the animal in the form that its system was designed to recognize and utilize, and the Wysong Supplement Mother’s Milk.