I may have finally caught a break

I started feeding Uno raw in October of 2011 and the first couple weeks, I got about 200 lbs of free meat off craigslist. That's pretty much what he's mostly been eating this whole time, but were are running low. I repost on craigslist as well as freecycle on regular basis, but I dont know whether its the economy or what, but nobody has replied to me in few weeks.

There are only 2 Asian markets in Asheville and both sell gifts and snack type food. There is one very overpriced butcher that sells organic/free range meat. Couple local stores that I found that sell turkey necks, liver, kidney and heart are all very expensive. I couldn't believe it when I saw that turkey necks were over $3 per lb! crazyness.

So I've expanded my search quite a bit and found a meat mart in nearby city, about 25 mins away that seems to have a good variety for a great price. I called today and they have turkey necks for $.99 per lb and beef liver for $1.39 per lb, so I plan on going there in couple weeks and stocking up for sure.

I even organized yahoo raw feeding group and few people joined, but nobody actually posted anyting.. sigh.. oh well, maybe things will perk up with time and I can organize a co-op.

Weight loss foods, yay or nay?

This is a topic that comes up very frequently across dog message boards, which leaves some dog lovers dazed and confused.

Pet obesity is on the rise, with over 55% of all pets being overweight or obese. This isn't a joking matter, especially considering all the risks that excess weight poses. Whats even more startling is that 22% of dog owners with overweight animals do not see a problem and think that their dogs are in shape. So there's a huge issue of ignorance on the part of general population.

Being overweight carries the same risks in animals as it does in humans which include:

1) Diabetes

2)Cancer

3)High Blood pressure

4)Arthritis and other joint issues

5)Heart and respiratory problems

6)Liver and kidney disease

7) Heat intolerance

8)Digestive disorders

9)Decreased immune function

10)Decreased quality and quantity of life

Some think its cute to see a chubby dog waddle around, but the implications of such a lifestyle as far from a laughing matter. We are their primary caretakers and they are our responsibility, its up to us to keep them healthy.

I've had someone tell me once that their poodle would eat when he was anxious or depressed. Yes, you should have seen the look on my face, it was something between disbelief and smirk. I dont know how to say it otherwise, but dogs (and cats for that matter) are not emotional eaters. They do not eat for the same reasons we do, so as much as we'd like to attribute human qualities to our pets, when it comes to diet, Snoopy isn't going to reach in the freezer and grab a pint of rocky road ice cream just because a season of desperate housewives has ended.

Yes, we all are probably familiar with sad pleading eyes, begging for table scraps at every meal, but again, dogs will almost always beg, and they would probably keep on eating until they explode. That's just the ancestral woolfy habit. Since canids are opportunistic carnivores, they'll consume as much food as possible in one sitting because they simply don't know when or even if their next meal will come.

Modern dogs don't travel 50 miles a day tracking their prey or live in harsh climates which requires more calories to stay warm. So, we have to be considerate of our and their lifestyle when deciding on feeding options.

So back to the original topic, What do feed your pet if he's overweight or obese?

Just like in human industry, pet food industry if filled with fad diets, portion packs, calorie restricted snacks, etc. As a whole, our society is very lazy and it makes sense to market these things which appeal to people who are looking for an easy fix. But just like in human nutrition, there is no magic pill for weight loss if you want lasting results without compromising your health.

Majority of weight loss foods for pets work on the premise of calorie restriction/fat reduction. The main problem is that its pretty darn hard to reduce fat without reducing meat protein.

Lets take a look at one of the mainstream foods: Science diet adult light

Whole Grain Corn, Soybean Mill Run, Chicken By-Product Meal, Powdered Cellulose, Corn Gluten Meal, Soybean Meal, Chicken Liver Flavor, Soybean Oil, Lactic Acid, Flaxseed, Caramel Color, Iodized Salt, L-Lysine, Choline Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, vitamins (L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Taurine, L-Carnitine, preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid, Phosphoric Acid, Beta-Carotene, Rosemary Extract.

Terrible ingredients aside, this food is 24% protein, 8.9% fat, and 12.4% fiber. Which makes it nearly 50% carbohydrates.

24% protein vs 50% carbs? see a problem there? Not to mention with this food majority of the protein comes from corn, which is a low quality, GMO, low biological value plant protein and is absolutely inferior to meat.

Biologically dogs have zero requirements for carbs, with that said, I have no problem if someone feeds a food that is meat based with small inclusion of grain. When processed, grains offer a source of energy. Granted, its not as good as meat, but it helps to keep pet food affordable to the general public.

Grains(along with potatoes and some legumes) are a high glycemic foods which create spikes in blood sugar levels and can lead to diabetes which incidentally is the result of obesity and feeding poor quality food.

Another main ingredient is weight loss food is fiber. It acts as a filler and fools the body into thinking that its satisfied which in return slowly starves the animal into weight loss. Not only is this counter-productive, but it can be downright dangerous since the body will try to use up any source of energy, and after consuming the fat, muscles are next in line. Last thing you want is a dog or cat with muscle dystrophy or weakness. They need those muscles for exercising and keeping weight at bay.

Feeding high protein will keep them full and happy without the need for high fiber content.

According to Dr. Ernie Ward

The biggest cause of the pet obesity epidemic? “Carbs. Today’s pets consume high carbohydrate and sugar treats and foods that create changes in their brain chemistry, causing them to crave these foods even more. I call it ‘kibble crack’ because we’re literally creating an addiction to these high-calorie carbohydrate foods.” replies Ward.
What’s the cure? “Everyone wants a magic pill for losing weight when the safest, cheapest and easiest cure already exists: eat less, eat healthier and exercise. Put down the biscuit and pick up a carrot; instead of feeding your cat a carbohydrate-based diet, look for a high-protein alternative. Take your dog for a walk each day. Small steps go a long way toward big weight losses.”

http://www.petobesityprevention.com/half-pets-overweight

What happens with carbohydrates is that in small quantities they can be used up for energy prior to protein/fat, but in excess amount such as pet food, they are stored as fat.

http://rawfed.com/myths/carbs.html

Another issue is the source of protein. Plant protein is inferior to meat protein because it does not have a complete amino acid profile, meaning that a lot of key nutrients that are responsive for normal bodily functions are absent. The way that pet food companies make up for the lack of those amino acids is by including low quality meat by-products. Since there's no way of knowing what exactly goes into byproducts, it could include anything even diseased animals.

Many of the amino acids are necessary for proper metabolism as well as building and retaining muscle mass, with plant protein missing those key nutrients, its evident why so many animals in less then stellar shape.

So what should I be feeding you may ask?

First of all, I would take your pet to the vet to make sure there isn't an underlying medical condition which can result in weight gain. I would also run a complete blood panel and check thyroid, liver and kidney function. With elderly pets that have compromised kidneys, feeding high protein food can be detrimental.

If you dog or cat is overweight:

1) strive for a higher protein, meat based, low carb food. If there are carb sources present, look for low glycemic carbs such as chickpeas or even barley. Feed at least 28% protein and 15% fat.

I personally prefer to feed anywhere from 28-36% protein, my dog didnt do too well on super high protein, but every animal is different. So who's to say it wont work for you.

2) Use a measuring cup when feeding, not just a random plastic cup that you got from a convenience store. Be careful of the guidelines listed on the bag, in my experience, they tend to be over exaggerated, but adjust based on your pets individual metabolism and energy use.

3) Exercise, exercise, exercise! Having a backyard does not equate to exercise, even if you have more then one dog. Most dogs do not spend a whole day playing and running around the yard, they get bored of it. If you want to see results, you need to include some form of aerobic exercise, whether its speed walking, running, swimming, playing fetch, biking, hiking, etc. The possibilities are endless. Start out by committing to at least 25 mins of walking a day, then slowly increase the time and intensity(this will vary on individual pet, age, health issues, etc)

Combining those 3 factors, you should be able to see positive results as the time progresses. If you get into the rut or you get to a point where the weight wont budge. Adjust accordingly whether it means reducing the food or increasing exercise (or both) and go from there.

For more information please check out dogaware.com

http://www.dogaware.com/articles/wdjweightloss.html as well as

http://www.petobesityprevention.com/

Good luck!

If you like pet deals as much as I do, you'll love this

Aside from pet nutrition my second favorite thing is pet supply bargain shopping, its the best! I actually haven't shopped at a pet store in years because I can find much much better deals online through deal websites, promo codes and sales/clearance.

Anyways, today's deal , 6 jute toys for $5.99+ 3.99 shipping, you can add up to 10 and shipping with still remain $3.99.

These toys normally sell $10-15 each on average, so this is a steal!

ABO gear is an Australian company that makes eco-friendly, safe and very durable pet toys. I have purchased several of their products in the past and they always last a long time.

So here's the deal, get it while it lasts!

http://thatdailydeal.com/home.php?id=22415&past_deal=1

So, what do you feed?

I started my pet nutrition jorney in December of '06 when I adopted my first and only dog Uno. He came in eating Iams and would have bouts of random vomiting every other night. At the time, I knew very little about nutrition. In fact the first night I got him, I stopped by wal-mart and picked up a bag of pedigree. Just because I recall seeing those commercials growing up and the fact that they sponsored dog shows. I figured, wow, this must be a stellar food, and cheap too!

He probably ate that for a week or so, and then refused. Then I went to petsmart, hoping to find something that would agree with him and my pocketbook and ran into Nutro sales rep. Of course, she couldnt help by brag about the food like it was the most amazing thing on planet earth. I decided to give it a try, and even though he ate it ok, he continued to vomit. Soon after the big pet food recall of 2007 ensued. Animals were dying left and right and I was terrified. I began researching everything to death and stumbled upon a plethora of information regarding pet food industry, lack of regulation and disease correlation in companion animals. I threw away the rest of Nutro and purchases couple natural brands, merrick and eagle pack. As the time past and with increase in grain-free popularity. I decided to switch Uno to Orijen, then acana and began to rotate between various grain free brands.

After switching to grain-free, he stopped vomiting and I noticed an increase in energy, better muscle tone and healthier coat. About a year ago, I began reading about raw diet. My biggest reservation was cost and causing nutrient deficiency from feeding improperly balanced food. The more I've read about it, the more confident I became and for about a year, I began to feed him a rotation of grain free kibble and raw. Once I had little more space for a freezer and found some sources of free and inexpensive meat, I decided to take the final plunge in October of 2011.

You may ask, why did you switch to raw if he did well on kibble?

I believe that no matter how you look at it, nothing can ever substitute real food in its natural form. By the time kibble is at the end of its production, it does not resemble meat or veggies in any form. Its heated at high temperatures which destroys natural enzymes and vitamin/minerals present in whole food.

Its an equivalent of us living our whole lives eating nothing by total cereal or nutrition bars. Even though its supplemented and offers acceptable levels of nutrients to ensure our survival, it can never be compared to eating real food.

With that said, I do not paint all commercial food with the same brush, the quality varies quite drastically and its up to us to put the necessary time and effort into researching what we think is best.

For me there were couple things that I simply could not dismiss:

1) Plaque buildup on teeth- I pretty much had to brush Uno's teeth on weekly basis to keep the tartar at bay

2) Big and smelly poo- well, enough said, I dont think anyone enjoys picking this up after their dog.

Since the switch, I dont brush Uno's teeth (I'll occasionally have to wipe the canines with cotton ball and baking soda), and his poop is very small and firm which is a big bonus.

I'm still in the research mode and have been tweaking his diet to figure out what works best for him. He gets variety of meats: chicken, turkey, pork, beef, fish, venison, rabbit including bones and organs. He also gets salmon oil, coconut oil, eggs and I just started him on solid gold seameal.

So far he's been doing well, so unless something changes, I'm sticking with it :)

Here are few pics I took last night of the prep process, basically it involves thawing out a bunch of meat, then I use a scale to weigh out everything and portion it out into zip lock bags, then store in the freezer. This way I can make enough food for 3-4 weeks and just get a bag and serve immediately instead of making new batch every day.

1) Thawed out venison

2) Green tripe, beef kidney and liver

3) Portioned out meals

4) Supplements I use (solid gold seameal, wild salmon oil, organic coconut oil)

Dinner time!

Good deal on Dublin Dog Collars

These are great collars, super durable, dont stink or harbor bacteria, great for pups that like to get in the water or roll around in gross things. They last quite a while too.

40% off- today and tomorrow only (2/16-2/17)

Coupon code: facebook

http://www.dublindog.com/

Dog treats, what are your favorites?

I'm fairly selective when it comes to buying treats for my dog, its cannot contain any byproducts, corn or soy. I will occasionally natural biscuits which are mostly made of wheat, since he doesent have wheat allergy, I think its fine in moderation.

I ordered some new Innova grain free prime treats, these are pretty cool. They are 36% protein, grain free and contain good quality ingredients:

beef, peas, lamb meal, sunflower oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a source of vitamin E), pea fiber, alfalfa sprouts, apples, carrots, cottage cheese, flaxseed, calcium carbonate, pumpkin, betaine hydrochloride, vitamin A supplement, niacin supplement, calcium pantothenate, beta carotene, vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, riboflavin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamine mononitrate, biotin, folic acid, zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, calcium iodate, vitamin E supplement and rosemary extract

One of the biggest challenges when it comes to grain free treats is finding something that's not potato based. So I'm fairly happy with these treats and so Uno.

Some of our other favorites include:

1) Dehydrated liver and lung

2) Lakse Kronch

3) Blue Dog Bakery

4) Zukes

5) Sittin' pretty

6) 3 dog bakery

What are your favorite treats??

Hairballs and diet, is there a connection?

While doing some researching I came across this wonderful blog post, and from personal experience I can tell you that its very much true. My parents cats have always had almost weekly hairball puke fests which seemed like an uncomfortable state for cats and lots of cleanup of us.

I never even considered that diet could be the culprit until I switched them to grain free foods. My parents called me up couple weeks later and told me that the cats stopped vomiting. Its been 2 years and I have yet to see a hairball from either one of them. So if youre a cat owner, this is definitely worth a read.

http://consciouscat.net/2010/04/28/some-startling-new-thoughts-on-cats-and-hairballs/

Guest post by Fern Crist, DVM

It is always the case that we vets deal with the same problems at home that we counsel our clients about. And not always terribly well. I’m certainly no exception. Years ago, I had a long-haired cat who threw up hairballs frequently, but unlike most hairball-barfing cats, she did not just hack up the offending wad and then go about her business as though nothing had happened. Nope, she would obviously feel ill for minutes to hours afterward. And probably beforehand, too, had I had the vision to see it.

I tried all the time-honored remedies that I prescribed every day for my patients. I dosed her with various brands of flavored petroleum jelly. I fed her diets purporting to help with hairballs by the inclusion of extra fiber. I brushed her constantly, which fortunately she loved. None of these things helped. Eventually I shaved her, leaving the adorable puffs on her legs and tail that made her look like a fat little old lady in tight leotard and legwarmers. As long as I did this three or four times a year, there were no more hairballs. Oddly enough, however, she continued to have vomiting episodes, albeit less frequently, and minus the hair. Diagnostics revealed inflammatory bowel disease, and eventually my poor sweet girl succumbed to intestinal lymphoma.

While rooming with a brilliant feline practitioner at a medical conference shortly after, still grieving, I confessed my frustration with the seemingly insignificant problem of hairballs. Her answer blew me away. There is no such thing as “just a hairball,” she says to me. Think about it. Cats developed stringent grooming behaviors in the course of evolution because grooming is a positive survival factor, probably through controlling parasitism and other diseases. So they are going to ingest a lot of hair. Does vomiting as a daily method for expelling this hair seem evolutionarily sound? Stomach acid hurts the esophagus and teeth, and frequent vomiting upsets the electrolyte balance. While vomiting as an emergency mechanism to rid oneself of the occasional nastiness seems reasonable, it seems unlikely that the daily vomiting of hairballs is the “normal” thing that the medical community has assumed it to be.

I’m hooked. Go on, I say. She continues.

Why would we think that “lubrication” of the gut with petroleum products would help? A cat is not a car. And in no way could a cat have naturally evolved to require the dosing with “lubricants” to survive or to thrive. Likewise, cats in the wild would never eat a “high-fiber” diet, and so would seem unlikely to benefit from one. On the contrary, it would appear logical that a cat would thrive better on what a cat has been evolved to eat – namely a mouse or a reasonable facsimile thereof – and that feeding a cat something wildly different from the diet it has evolved on is more likely to result in harm than in good.

No, she says, I think it likely that a “hairball,” far from normal, is probably a common early symptom of Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Impaired motility of the gut would account for the balling up of hair that should pass right through, if stomach-emptying time is the 0.2 – 2 hours it is reported to be in a normal cat. A cat shouldn’t be able to swallow enough hair fast enough to outrace normal stomach emptying time.

This is making sense to me. Particularly as I just lost my own cat to this. And as I think back, I realize that “hairballs” have been in the histories of a disproportionate number of the patients I’ve treated with IBD and lymphoma.

She tells me that she’s been changing her patients over to low-fiber diets (grain-free and low carbohydrate) for a while now, and she’s seeing a precipitous drop in the whole “hairball” thing. I can see the long-term implications of this line of reasoning: if cat food containing an unnaturally high level of fiber and carbohydrates is associated with an increased incidence of impaired GI motility and vomiting, and if cats fed this way are at higher risk to develop IBD and lymphoma, then a drop in hairball vomiting might mean that a cat has a lower risk of these two nasty diseases. Sounds as though a grain-free diet might be a better way to go.

This all made sense to me. No science to it back then, but neither was there any to support the idea that hairballs are normal. No one had at that time asked if a carbohydrate-based diet could possibly have long-term negative consequences for cats.

Well, they have now. Every day, there’s more scientific evidence that these “mere” hairballs we see so often may respond, not to grease and not to fiber, not to brushing and not to shaving, but to feeding a diet that looks like what a cat was evolved to eat.

In the intervening years, I’ve changed my own cats over to grain-free, low-carb canned foods, and I’ve seen nary a hairball from anyone for a very long time. In my esteemed colleague’s footsteps, I’ve been changing my patients over to these same diets. I hear about fewer hairballs, and my patients are slimmer, fitter, and healthier in many ways. Is this a panacea? Of course not. There’s no one cure for everything. But I now have serious trouble believing that a feline diet in which the calories are derived primarily from carbohydrates, which are much cheaper than proteins, is beneficial to anything other than the manufacturer’s bottom line.

So next time someone tells you that malt-flavored grease, fiber additives, brushing or shaving are the only ways to help with those annoying hairballs, think again. Hairballs may be more than just a stinky mess for you to clean up. They might well be a sign that your cat has a real health problem, and should see the veterinarian. And your cat might be telling you that her gut would be happier with “mouse” than with breakfast cereal.

Denaturing, what its all about

If you feed your pet commercial pet food, here's something to consider. When you look at the ingredients, you'll generally see either byproducts or hopefully named meat meals listed on the bag. Out of the 2, I favor named meat meals (chicken meal, lamb meal) over byproducts, both of those are technically leftovers from human food manufacturing and therefore unfit for human consumption. Prior to the meals being rendered, as per USDA regulations they must be denatured, or basically doused with various chemicals so they dont end up back into human food chain.

All meat products must be denatured by law, no exceptions.

Carcasses, parts thereof, meat and meat food products (other than rendered animal fats) that have been treated in accordance with the provisions of this paragraph shall be considered denatured for the purposes of the regulations in this part, except as otherwise provided in part 314 of this subchapter for articles condemned at official establishments.

(1) The following agents are prescribed for denaturing carcasses, parts thereof, meat or meat food products which are affected with any condition that would result in their condemnation and disposal under part 314 of this subchapter if they were at an official establishment: Crude carbolic acid; cresylic disinfectant; a formula consisting of 1 part FD&C green No. 3 coloring, 40 parts water, 40 parts liquid detergent, and 40 parts oil of citronella, or other proprietary substance approved by the Administrator in specific cases.3

"In my time as a veterinary meat inspector, we denatured with carbolic acid (phenol, a potentially corrosive disinfectant) and/or creosote (used to preserve wood or as a disinfectant). Phenol is derived from the distillation of coal tar, creosote from the distillation of wood. Both substances are very toxic. Creosote was used for many years as a preservative for wood power poles. Its effect on the environment proved to be so negative that it is no longer used for that purpose. According to federal meat inspection regulations, fuel oil, kerosene, crude carbolic acid, and citronella (an insect repellent made from lemon grass) are the approved denaturing materials""

http://www.belfield.com/pet_health_art3.php

So unless the food is produced at a human manufacturing facility, it cannot be deemed human grade and therefore chances are the meals used to make it, are denatured.

You'd think this practice would be illegal, but very few people know about this practice so little is done to address the problem. On the positive note, not all companies used harsh chemicals like the ones mentioned. I know that Champion pet foods does not denature their meals.

Better holistic oriented companies still denature, but they use human grade edible charcoal to do so.

If you feed your pet commercial pet food, I would urge you to contact the manufacturer and ask exactly what they use to denature their meals, if they tell you that they dont, then its most likely they are lying, its its required by law.

Another way to ensure that pet food is safe to consume is to make sure thats its APHIS EU certified. Basically its a strict regulation process that a food has to go through in order to be exported to Europe. Since Europeans have much stricter pet food regulations and cannot contain any diseased animals or even byproducts. It must be certified fit for human consumption. Also, it can not contain any GMO ingredients.

Again, contact your pet food company and ask them if they are certified, legally, you can also request a copy of this certificate.

Please be conscious of what you feed your pet and remember that you are their guardian and care taker, its up to you to be their health advocate as well.