To expound a bit deeper into an earlier blog,
Diet & Exercise, I'd like to write a bit about
food.
The FIRST STEP to good grooming is good food. I'm not talking about tasty-good, I'm talking about nutritionally good.
The FIRST ISSUE I address with my clients who report any problem with their pets whatsoever is FOOD.
There are debates..... of course there are.
But there are also some basic truths that many today are completely oblivious to, because most of the only ones available to teach them, don't know the full story either. This includes veterinarians.... yes! Yes it does! Ignorance proliferates like bunnies. Not to worry, not to blame. Let's learn.
The "packaged", "processed"
dog or
cat food I always recommend is
Nature's Variety. The reasons are 1) they are NOT a bandwagon company. They're one of the first independent companies to do
real nutrition for pets. 2) They have consistently produced a very high quality product, including thru the years of recalls because of bad meat. They raise their own...! 3) And I hope this remains the case forever... At this writing, they are
still independent! Even Dick Van Patton's beloved Natural Balance was bought out by Del Monte - maker of more crap than a heard of buffalo! 4) Their recipe is raw, minimally processed.
My second choice is
Halo Purely for Pets. The reasons are basically the same.... 1) Not a bandwagon company. Another of the very first to do
real, natural food for pets. 2) Consistent quality and no recalls. 3)
Still independently owned! A few years back Ellen DeGeneres bought into the company because she was so impressed with the results it produced for one of her pets. Amen sister! The stuff is good food! 4) Minimally processed. 5) Beautiful story of origin from a local Tampa area resident (
Halo History)!!
And........... That's it. Those are the only one's I really recommend anymore.
My family has used both on and off for over 10 years.
The only other option for feeding your pets is to make it yourself at home. This is challenging. So many different opinions on what you
can and
can't feed a dog or cat...! All the things they say are dangerous and NEVER feed your dog.... Well they put the word out
much too late! Sorry but I already fed my dogs all that stuff....! Oops! And guess what...? Didn't hurt them at all. Not one bit. Not one hair. Not one ounce. Not one iota. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Grapes, raisins, chocolate, avocado, onion......
But that does NOT mean that "dangerous" foods will not hurt
your animals! Everyone is different. Everyone pet parent is responsible. Do your own due diligence. Do some research. Hear all sides of the discussion. Open your heart to the truth regardless of cost, recipes, ingredients..... just desire the truth and you'll find it!
I was a firm believer in the concept that dogs aren't meant to eat grains, they're made to eat meat! Well of course this has gotten more confusing for me on a spiritual level over the past several years as I am a vegetarian. Again.... I've done
new research just this past week into vegetarian diets for dogs and cats! It can be done! And very, very successfully. NO, you shouldn't go into it blindly and ignorantly.
For that matter, you may find it interesting to know that all vegetarians are
not healthy! Just because vegers don't eat meat doesn't mean they eat healthy.
The point is
complete, healthy nutrition!I was convinced that
grains were the cause of much of the epidemic
skin allergy problem that most dogs suffer with these days. But grains are not the whole story.
Grains are good! For all animals, humans included. What's horrible is how most commercial food producers - animal and human -
process the grains. The
process totally destroys anything that was ever nutritious about the grain. Its processing that is the cause of allergies. Whole natural foods such as grains are INSANE in their nutritional profiles. The key is that they remain whole and complete.
Another issue, portion size. Many believe that pets, in particular cats, should be allowed to free-feed. This is not good. As a reference, think of wild animals.... What do they do? Of course they free-feed.... after they hunt the food down. This is true of carnivores, herbivores and omnivores alike. So they only eat what they work off. Pets rarely work these days. Its a shame but its the current reality. So they don't need much to eat! What they need is high quality. The more active they are, the more fuel (food) they require.
Quality over quantity.
You save money in the long run because you just don't need the vet anymore!
Money and cost is the biggest deterrent to eating healthy, again - for pets and humans. But I'm here to tell you that it can be done! Regardless of what anyone may have ever told you, your pets
can eat what you eat
IF you eat healthy. No processed foods, frozen foods, canned foods...
Whole, natural, organic foods.... Foods from the Earth. Foods that God made to be eaten. Same for beverages. Filtered water is a must. Tap water is not good. Teas are good for people and pets on occasion. Herbs and spices... all very medicinal. Again, you should not feed ignorantly. Do some research. There are local farmers, co-ops, farmers markets popping up all over!!! Use them!
Don't buy corporate. Buy small local organic and get healthy along with your pets!
