The impact of diet on pet health

This great book was recommended to me by my friend and mentor Penelope Smith. I’ve been reading and studying it because many of my clients report that their animal friends are sluggish or suffering from undiagnosed illnesses.

Lead, Mercury and Fluoride Contaminants

1. One survey showed that canned pet foods contain high amounts of lead from 0.9 to 7 parts per million. A daily intake of six ounces of these foods could give as much as 4 times the amount of lead considered potentially toxic for children.

2. Pet food containing fish (not fish in a can but pet food) may contain high levels of mercury which can damage the nervous system, causing tremors, irritability, anxiety, loss of appetite, lack of response, and difficulty sleeping, while also damaging the kidneys.

3. Fluoride in public water can be a problem.

Good Pet Diet Tips that Helps

4. Extra calcium protects against heavy metals.

5. Vitamin E combats smog pollution.

6. Raw eggs, cottage cheese and plain yogurt are good sources of protein.

7. Cats do better with milk and milk products that are not pasteurized.

8. And don’t forget the bone meal and the bone broth which are excellent supplements!

Introducing New Foods

9. Introduction of New Foods:

-First, make sure you serve the food in an appealing manner…not cold, but room temp or warmed up.

-Serve food in a safe, protected place where people are not moving around the bowl.

-Let your animal go without eating until he/she is hungry. Don’t feed in anticipation of hunger.

-Try a combination of the old diet and the new to start with. Temporary diarrhea is normal but after a day or two, make the change more gradual.

-If the gradual method doesn’t work your cats may be addicted to tuna…. don’t feed tuna every day.

-Vary the kind of meat they get and wait until they are hungry to feed them. It’s perfectly fine for cats to fast for a day or even two.

Lean Meats for Carnivores

10. Feed lean meats:

Turkey, giblets, liver (10 % maximum), mackerel, chicken, chicken giblets,tuna, salmon, heart, lean hamburger, duck, chuck, rabbit, various fishes, beef heart, brain, (last two are fatty so 10%). Feed a variety in each meal. Turkey, duck and sheep have lower cancer rates and are better meats generally speaking.

Many vets are concerned with raw meat diets due to concern about diseases like salmonella and E-coli. But Dr. Pitcairn (Dr Pitcairn’s Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats) has rarely seen a problem with these diseases. Instead, he has seen an increase in vitality for animal eating raw meat diets.