Dogs for the past 80 to 100 years have been eating dead, rotten, devitalized foods from rendering plants…junk food in pretty cans and bags.

About 20 to 30 years ago it started to become fashionable to feed the BARF/RMB diet…feeding raw bones.

Then to add insult to injury, when dogs get sick on these diets, veterinarians give drugs, chemicals and poisons to “cure” their ailments which were caused by the improper food in the first place. Quite a vicious circle. Antibiotics, steroids, vaccines, frontline, advantage, program, heartguard, antihistamines, flea dips, deworming poisons and synthetic drugs which not only don’t cure…they cause more harm, illness and disease.

Food in cans and bags don’t provide nutrition…it’s junk food. Raw bones are not the answer. Dogs need real, live, raw meat and vegetables…a food program that is complete and balanced with organic supplements.

Here is the answer…

*Reduce or eliminate expensive visits to the veterinarian’s office.

*Peace of mind that your beloved companions are getting the very best of care and will soon gain and maintain excellent health and well-being.

* Clear eyes

* Healthy, shiny coat

* Healthy skin

* Clean teeth

* Eliminates fleas

* Eliminate bad breath

* Eliminate body odor

* Less volume and smell of stools

* Increased energy—good, healthy energy

* Hyper and/or aggressive dogs become calm

* Increased endurance

* Increased alertness, attention

* Enhance overall health and well-being

* Rejuvenate organs and immune system

* Increased coat growth

* Increased confidence

* Extreme reduction of: * allergies * underweight * overweight * parasites * temperament problems * phobic behaviors * hip/joint problems * arthritis * ear/eye ailments * kidney/bladder dysfunction * incontinence * irritable bowel syndrome * constipation * diarrhea * indigestion * pancreatitis * dermatitis, to mention a few.

Chapter Two

Dogs were designed by Mother Nature to eat everything RAW. In the wild canines eat mice, birds, lizards and other prey animals raw…no one is cooking in the wild.

The prey is raw, fresh and alive. The bones are still soft, supple, hydrated and full of nutrients. Our own domestic dogs must eat live food just as they do in the wild to be at their optimum health.

Choices for our dogs include beef, chicken, lamb, turkey, eggs, venison, buffalo, emu, ostrich, elk or whatever is available in your area.

The reason you cannot feed the bones of these farm animals is because they are not fresh kill. They have been dead for days, weeks or months. Rigor mortis sets in right after death and the bones become hard, brittle, dehydrated; the nutrients are dead and gone. What is left is a gritty substance that causes severe pancreatitis, leaky-gut, irritable bowel, impacted bowel, chalky and bloody stools, diarrhea, constipation, all of which are devastating to the gastrointestinal system.

Yes, you can occasionally give some dogs bones for dessert; however, people often take things to the extreme, give them as a meal and give them too often.

After what I have seen in the past several years, I am now opposed to feeding bone…ground or whole…except an occasional bone for dessert to chew on for pleasure. And even that needs to be evaluated depending on the individual dog, how voraciously s/he goes after the bone, whether that particular dog can digest it, and what it looks like when it comes out the other end.

If there are any digestive problems, do not give bones. If there are any chalky or bloody stools, diarrhea or constipation, do not give bones.

The three main ways we know dogs are carnivores has to do with their teeth, their small intestines and their acidic digestive system.

1) Their teeth are sharp for ripping and tearing, not masticating.

2) The small intestines are short to enable the meat to go through the system quickly before it putrefies.

3) Their pH must be kept on the acidic end of the spectrum in order for a carnivore to be healthy.

Raw, live foods have enzymes, little protein molecules, which are essential for digesting food, for stimulating the brain, for providing cellular energy, for repairing all tissues, organs and cells, and functions so diverse that it is impossible to name them all. Animals and people cannot exist without enzymes. Supplemental enzymes can be very helpful, but they do not make up for natural enzymes in RAW food.

Live food is essential for health. It is the ultimate source of life. There is no other way to be disease free. No matter who tells you that a certain brand of commercial food, home-cooked food or an imbalanced diet is healthy for your dog, it is not. Commercial foods and home-cooked foods are dead – no enzymes, no friendly bacteria. Raw meaty bones cause harm and are not a balanced diet. Animal nutritionists, pet store owners, store clerks, veterinarians, authors of nutrition books or anyone else suggesting these options must not be familiar with what carnivores need for optimum health. If they were, they would not be prescribing, suggesting and/or selling cooked foods or improperly balanced diets for dogs.

BARF and RMB foods are not balanced; they are not complete; and they are harmful because dogs cannot tolerate that much dead, brittle, dehydrated bone that no longer has any nutrients. It is not the same as the whole, fresh-kill prey that the canine in the wild kills and eats.

The meat from the prey in the wild is raw, fresh and alive. The bones are still soft, supple, hydrated and full of nutrients. That is not the case with the bones from the meat market that has been dead for days, weeks and months.

In addition there is not a balance of carbohydrates and organic supplements that are necessary for a complete and balanced food program.

The list of raw and cooked materials that go into commercial pet food is horrendous: decayed animals from slaughterhouses classified as 4-D (dead, diseased, dying and disabled); animals filled with antibiotics, steroids, hormones, drugs, radiation, formaldehyde, charcoal; road-kill; dead and diseased animals from zoos; dogs, cats and other companion animals that died or were euthanized at veterinary clinics; including sweaters, blankets, plastic body bags, decorative collars, flea collars, ID tags or anything else that was on the body; spoiled meat from meat markets, including the plastic wrap; rancid grease and spoiled food from restaurants; donuts/breads from bakeries; hair, feathers, egg shells, hooves, stomach, bowels, feces, cancerous tissues and organs; all of these animals full of bacteria, viruses, fungi, worms and parasites.

In addition there is black paint which is a term used in the meat industry to cover any number of chemicals from carbolic acid to fuel oil. All left-over meat, poultry, bones and offal from production of food for human consumption is put into barrels with black paint added to every layer to indicate that this food is not for human consumption. This is the basis of the meat that most pet food companies use.

All of this material is ground up and cooked for approximately an hour at 250 degrees. The fat separates during the process and is removed. Actually there exists a videotape of a show narrated by Martin Sheen that shows the processing at a rendering plant. It is stated in this program that these fats are not only used for animal food, but for people foods and cosmetics. The left-over, after the fats are removed, is then pressed to remove all moisture and crushed into what is called bone meal and meat meal.

If the label says chicken meal, for instance, that means that there are more chicken products in this batch than any other one ingredient. However, if there are nineteen other ingredients in this batch, then there has to be only 6 percent chicken products, including feathers, offal, feces, etc, to qualify to call it chicken meal.

The manufacturing process destroys whatever minimal nutritional content there might have been. Then the commercial pet food companies put in sodium benzoate, sodium nitrite, BHA, BHT, MSG, red dye #40, blue dye #2, propylene glycol, formalin, ethoxyquin or other potential carcinogenic additives, not to mention the rancid grease, salt and sugar.

No one is looking out for your animal’s nutrition anymore than they are looking out for our children’s. Cold breakfast cereals, hot dogs, canned spaghetti, etc, are not nourishing foods for children. Commercial food companies are out to please your pallet and their wallet with lots of sugar and salt and tempt the appetite with pretty, colorful labels to catch your eye. The bottom line for the majority of commercial food companies is profit, not healthy foods for your animals or your children. 

Chapter Four

Canines in the wild eat mice, birds, rabbits, deer, reptiles, insects, to name a few. These animals are not that easily available nor are some of them culturally acceptable for human consumption. Our cultures does, however, accept eating beef, lamb, chicken, turkey and fish, (unless you hunt buffalo, venison, duck and a few others, they are usually too expensive) so we will discuss what is culturally acceptable, even though my preference is to feed what Mother Nature intended.

Naturally raised meats, poultry and fish and organic vegetables are preferred, of course. If not naturally grown, you have to find the best you can. What is important is that it is fresh or fresh-frozen and labeled for human consumption…not labeled for animals.

Of course it is better to feed meat and poultry that does not contain antibiotics, hormones and steroids; however, if you cannot find naturally grown meats, then go to the busiest market and at least you will be getting fresh meat.

The key words here are human consumption. Most foods that are labeled for animals are not fit to eat. Why would anyone feed their animals anything less than they would eat themselves?

Because dogs are carnivores and raw meat is their natural food, their digestive juices take care of salmonella, Escherichia coli and other unfriendly bacteria that cause food poisoning. Many veterinarians oppose the feeding of raw meat and tend to unjustly blame salmonella, E coli and parasites when actually the problems come from a weakened digestive system and/or an autoimmune condition caused by feeding cooked foods and/or raw bones. Enlightened veterinary practitioners realize this and encourage their clients to feed raw meat, raw vegetables and organic supplements.

In 25 years of working professionally with people and their dogs, I have never heard of a case of salmonella or E coli from raw food fit for human consumption. I have heard of salmonella from dogs eating cooked food. The worst salmonella problem in the country in 1998 was several thousand pounds of cooked baby cereal that was contaminated and had to be recalled. So don’t think because you are cooking the food you are necessarily killing the unfriendly bacteria.

Chapter Five

THE BASIC RECIPE

My basic recipe is 75 percent raw meat, poultry or fish and 25 percent raw vegetables. The recommended breakdown of the meat and vegetables is 40 percent muscle meat, 20 percent organ meat, 15 percent fat and 25 percent vegetable.

If you feed more meat one day and less vegetables because that is what you have on hand, don’t worry. The body remembers. The above percentages are a guideline to what carnivores need. Don’t be a purist and feel you have to give the exact proportions every day. As people we don’t do that for ourselves, so don’t go overboard for your dogs either.

What is important is that you feed a variety of foods. Each meat and each vegetable has their own set of specific nutrients, so variety is vital. Do not feed the same food more than two days in a row. Rotate the meats and the vegetables daily just as you would for yourself.

Unfortunately at the present time I know of no company making 75% raw meat and 25% raw vegetables commercially that doesn’t either contain ground bone or fruit or grain…none of which are acceptable for dogs.

Preparing the food yourself should take approximately 10 minutes a day and/or you can prepare several meals at a time and freeze them. Preparation of 1 cup of food: 6 ounces (3/4 cup) of raw ground meat and 2 ounces (1/4 cup) of raw ground vegetables. Preparation of 4 cups of food: 3 cups of raw ground meat and 1 cup of raw ground vegetables. The ratio is always 3 meat to 1 vegetables.

Buy the least expensive meat because that will be higher in fat content. Use dark meat and all the skin from chicken and turkey, because that’s where the highest fat and nutrient content is.

Proteins that are best for dogs are beef, lamb, chicken, turkey, organ meats (liver, heart, kidney, spleen and gizzards), and wild fish and egg yolks. Proteins that are great if you are a hunter or fisher or can afford to buy them are venison, elk, buffalo, ostrich, emu, and in some areas and fresh/salt water fish.

Other proteins, which are sometimes questionable because of pollutants, diseases or indigestibility, are pork, rabbit, fish and many dairy products. Probably the only fish that is safe anymore is wild fish fit for human consumption which, unfortunately, is very expensive, unless you catch them yourself.

First let’s talk about the ones that are the best. Farm animals naturally range fed provide the very best quality of meats. Next would be the meats that are found in meat markets and supermarkets.

I would like to say that organic meats are the best, but there are too many companies out there saying their meats are organically raised that must not be, because we’ve had too many reports of animals not doing well on what are referred to as organic meats. So I can only believe that they really aren’t organically raised.

To find meats that are chemically free—no steroids or hormones—presents a challenge. Your health food store or independent meat market is the best source. They will either carry chemically free meats or maybe they can tell you where you can find them. (If you are a meat eater, this same information is vitally important to your own health as well.)

Many of you may not even be aware that the farm animals in this country are fed and injected with growth hormones, steroids, antibiotics, vaccines and preservatives during their lifetime. All of these chemicals and drugs are supposed to make the farm animals grow unnaturally large, do so quickly, and make the meat tender.

Our health pays a high price for this “tender” meat, because each one of these chemicals has side effects on both the farm animals and the one who eats the farm animal.

Pork should not be fed to domestic animals because of the possibility of trichinosis, an organism which to be destroyed requires cooking. Because only raw meat can be properly assimilated by carnivores, pork would not be a good choice. It is also the most difficult meat to digest.

Fish is an excellent source of protein, fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. But…are our fish healthy and edible anymore? Therein lies the question. First of all, there is a strong possibility that much of our fish is polluted with heavy metals, such as mercury and cadmium. Secondly, fish should not remain at room temperature for longer than an hour. Thirdly, you must be very knowledgeable about the condition, color and odor of fish to know that it is fresh and free of disease.

If you feel you have a good source of healthy fish, by all means, feed them to your animals. Of course, no fins and no bones.

The dairy industry has destroyed itself with all the growth hormones, antibiotics, sterilization and pasteurization.

The only two dairy products that I believe should be fed are colostrum and butter. Colostrum is actually a food that the mother produces before the milk comes in and butter is fat; neither of them have lactose which is the real culprit that causes allergies for most animals.

Some carnivores can deal with white cheese as a treat occasionally; however, if your dog has any signs of yeast infections, do not feed any cheese.

Raw butter is an excellent source of vitamins A and D and fatty acids. It is best if it is not pasteurized; however, it’s almost impossible to find raw butter, so you will have to settle for pasteurized.

Eggs are a great source of complete protein and are easily digested. They contain all the essential amino acids and the following nutrients: vitamins A, B2, D and E, niacin, biotin, copper, iron, sulfur, phosphorus and unsaturated fatty acids. The egg yolk is the richest known source of choline, which is necessary for emulsifying or dispersing cholesterol throughout the system.

Hard-boiled eggs should be fed very seldom, perhaps not at all, because cooking makes them very hard to digest.

Do not feed eggs in the shell under any circumstances. When animals eat eggs or eggshells in the wild, the shell is still very fresh and soft. After the egg is a few hours old or has been cooked, the shell hardens. The edges of the broken shell become very sharp, which can cause internal bleeding.

Organic eggs are much higher in nutritional value than regular commercial eggs. If the eggs are fertile as well, they will contain beneficial growth hormones, as well as they will lower cholesterol.

Keep eggs in a covered container because they will stay fresh longer. Try to use the eggs within one week of purchase.

One to eight eggs at a meal, depending on the size of your dog is about right. For tiny dogs, one egg per meal will be sufficient. For small dogs that weight from 10 to 20 pounds, two eggs; dogs from 20 to 35 pounds, three eggs; 35 to 50 pounds, four eggs; 50 to 65 pounds, five eggs; 65-80 pounds six eggs; 80 to 100 pounds, seven eggs; 100 pounds and over, eight eggs.

If you are traveling with your dog, eggs are one of the easiest fresh proteins to find. Eggs make a very economical meal.

It is best to feed one protein at a time, because each protein has its own special set of enzymes. Feeding several proteins at one meal makes it difficult for the digestive system. For instance, if you have some chicken left over from yesterday and today you are feeding beef, let your dog finish the chicken first, and then give him/her the beef meal.

What I am saying is don’t purposely mix any two proteins together; however, eating one protein and then eating another right after that is okay…just don’t mix them. And you certainly don’t want to waste food and throw out the chicken just because there isn’t enough for one meal.

If dogs are eating raw meat, they very seldom have cholesterol problems; it is cooked meat that causes cholesterol problems for carnivores. If your dog is having a cholesterol problem, it is either because s/he is eating cooked proteins or grains, or because the liver, which regulates cholesterol, is not currently functioning properly.

The opposite is true of vegetables. They work synergistically; the greater the variety, the more effective they are. My suggestion for the top vegetables are: broccoli, celery, zucchini, Romaine lettuce, kale, chard, sweet potatoes, carrots, cabbage, squash, cauliflower and parsley. Other vegetables can be used if your animals like their taste; there are others that are very beneficial, but might be more expensive or seasonal, such as asparagus.

Raw vegetables must be processed into very tiny pieces, the size of sand, salt and/or add water during the blending so the vegetables are the consistency of baby food. Carnivores don’t digest vegetables as easily as they do meat, so make it as easy as possible for them to digest and utilize the vegetables.

In nature, dogs would get predigested vegetation in the gastrointestinal system of their prey. That is why we must provide raw ground vegetables, as well as raw meat, to have a properly balanced program.

Steamed or baked vegetables can be used instead of raw if you choose on occasion because that is not the main source of a carnivore’s diet. It is the meat that is so important to be kept in its raw form. So if you have steamed/baked vegetables left over from your own meals, be sure to put them to good use and give them to your dogs.

Vegetables that are not recommended are ones from the nightshade family: white potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and eggplant, which can cause inflammation. Iceberg lettuce, radishes, cucumbers, spinach, onions and fresh garlic are all difficult to digest, and for other various reasons are best not to be given.

Each enzyme has a specific duty. For example, an enzyme capable of breaking down fats cannot break down vegetables. Dogs, because they are carnivores, make very little amylase, the enzyme needed to break down grains, which leads to the belief that grains are not a necessary part of a carnivore’s diet.

Carnivores cannot maintain long-term production of the quantity of amylase enzyme necessary to properly digest and utilize grains. As a result, the immune system becomes irritated and weakened by the invasion of foreign, non-nutritive protein and carbohydrate particles. Grains, as well as cooked food, are probably the greatest cause of pancreatitis, irritable bowel syndrome, impacted anal glands, overweight, and plaque buildup on teeth, allergies, skin disorders, yeast infections and other chronic immune problems.

In the wild, canines do eat the offal (digested food in the stomach, small intestines and bowels) of their prey; however, cooked grains cannot compare to predigested grains, so there is no way that predigested grains can be provided domestically.

Grains, such as oats, wheat, rice, barley, etc, are composed mostly of complex carbohydrates. They are not part of a dog’s natural diet. In the true natural setting, grains hardly exist at all. Even a mouse or other prey animal is not going to find much of its nutrition from grains. Herbivores eat vegetation: plants, seedlings, leaves, grasses, fruits, blossoms, flowers, etc. Therefore, the

argument that dogs eat animals that have grains in their digestive tracts doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. Prey animals that live near farms or other civilized areas are likely to have access to grains, but that is not a truly wild diet.

Do not use commercial puppy milk that you buy in the pet food store! One of my client’s came to me because while she was feeding a commercial puppy milk some of it dripped onto another puppy’s coat. She didn’t think anything of it until a few minutes later when she went to wipe it off. The “milk” had dried like cement and was stuck to the coat. She tried to soften it with water and couldn’t; she then tried to pull it off and the hair came with it, leaving a bald spot. So obviously there are other ingredients in these products other than food. Even if you read the label it cannot be truthful, because what food what take off the hair? And what food would be the consistency of cement?

Raw goat’s milk (if you can find it) is the best puppy milk if the mother is not able to provide enough milk or if you have an orphan. Powdered goat’s milk would be my second choice. One of the reasons goat’s milk is so beneficial for puppies is because it is higher in fat than cow’s milk, and it comes out of the goat already homogenized (the fat is emulsified in the milk) and puppies need that fat.

Puppies should always nurse until mom finally gives them the boot and says enough is enough. She will do the weaning just fine.

Mother’s milk of each species is totally different from one another. There is no resemblance between the mother’s milk of canines, felines, bovines and humans.

You will have to massage the underbelly of the puppy after each meal to help with digestion and elimination. When mom is doing all her licking and nudging she is stimulating the system. You will need to simulate that process.

The puppy should have several bowel movements a day, about one for every meal. If s/he isn’t going often enough you may have to add additional raw, unheated honey or unrefined molasses to the puppy milk mixture.

Some of the signs of calcium deficiency are arthritis; skin and coat problems; splayed feet; broken and/or bent pasterns; hip dysplasia; weak, easily injured ligaments and tendons; broken bones; patella luxation, severe pain, most often in feet, legs, hips, and heart; digestive ailments; hyperactivity; aggression; lethargy; constipation; diarrhea; incontinence; kidney, bladder, liver and heart problems. Because veterinarians don’t understand healing through nutrition, the only procedures they can come up with are drugs, casts and surgery. None of this would be necessary if your vet talked to you about nutrition the first time you came into the office.

Raw meat, raw vegetables, Calcium+Plus, AnimaLife and C+Plus will solve 95% of all your problems.

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body. The majority of calcium in the body is utilized by the bones and teeth; however, it is also involved in the blood-clotting process, in nerve and muscle stimulation, parathyroid hormone functions and the metabolism of vitamin D. To function properly along with the high phosphorus content in meat, calcium must be accompanied by magnesium, boron, copper, molybdenum, potassium, sulphur, zinc and vitamins A, B6, D and E.

Magnesium is an essential mineral that must be present in a calcium formula for the body to properly absorb the calcium. In addition, it plays an important role in utilizing vitamins B, C and E. Studies point out that the balance between calcium and magnesium is especially important. The consensus now is that magnesium should be two-thirds of the amount of calcium in any formula.

We don’t hear enough about boron. It is needed for the metabolism of calcium, phosphorus and magnesium. It also enhances brain function and promotes alertness. Older dogs are often boron deficient.

Copper is of particular importance to dogs. They need more than people. Copper is essential for the formation of collagen and connective tissue, which relates directly to hip dysplasia. Copper is also very important for hair growth and healthy skin.

Potassium works with sodium (yes, sodium is necessary) and calcium to control the body’s water balance. It is essential for a healthy nervous system, normalizes the heartbeat, nourishes the muscular system and unites with phosphorus (which is in the raw meat) to send oxygen to the brain. Sometimes just the lack of raw meat can be the cause of seizures.

As always, we could go on and on about the necessity of vitamins and minerals and the roles they play for ourselves and our dogs.

From veterinarians and from authors of articles you hear about home-prepared meals for animals not being balanced. More often than not, that is true; not because people don’t want to balance their dogs’ meals, but because even the professionals who warn you that the meals are not balanced, don’t take the time to tell you what IS balanced. In most cases that’s because they either don’t know or they are selling a commercial pet food that they want you to buy from them, and they want you to believe that preparing your own is too complicated.

There’s nothing complicated about knowing that dogs need raw meat and that meat is high in phosphorus, so you must balance it with an organic calcium plus the necessary nutrients for the body to utilize the calcium—it is mandatory.

In the wild, carnivores eat their entire prey: flesh, bones, blood, entrails, organs, glands, digested and undigested food in the stomach and intestines, hair, head, feet and tail. The only parts they do not digest and utilize are teeth and nails. To provide a comparable meal domestically is impossible, but we can come close to Mother Nature’s design with a balance of all raw muscle meat, organs, fat, vegetables and Calcium+Plus. Calcium must be supplemented in a domestic diet unless you are feeding live mice, birds and lizards and other live prey.

Chicken necks and backs, turkey necks, beef and lamb marrowbones, knucklebones and rib bones.

Do not feed chicken wings, legs and thighs. These are long bones that can splinter causing them to be sharp with the possibility of puncturing the intestinal system. Necks and backs are flat bones that mush up rather than splinter.

Be aware after your dog has eaten to note whether their appears to be any discomfort, gas, vomiting, anything that would indicate that s/he cannot digest and utilize the bone.

You must check your dog’s stool after eating bones and see if there is any blood, chalkiness, diarrhea, constipation, undigested bone, sharp shards or anything that would indicate they cannot handle eating bones.

If you feel your dog can eat or chew on a bone after a meal, then be sure to only give raw bones. Cooking bones can cause serious problems because the bones become even more brittle, chip off, possibly puncturing the esophagus, stomach or intestines, which can cause internal bleeding and infection; constipation, rectal bleeding and blockages in the gastrointestinal system.

Too much of the WRONG calcium can cause deposits. Calcium must be from a food source or an organic fossilized source with the proper vitamins and minerals necessary to digest, absorb, assimilate and utilize the calcium. The body must be able to digest it just as it does food. When professionals warn dog guardians about feeding too much calcium, they are referring to traditional calciums: bone meal, calcium gluconate, calcium carbonate, calcium lactate and calcium citrate are only able to be absorbed and utilized by the system at approximately 20% or less. That’s why you have the possibility of the other 80% being left as deposits.

Calcium+Plus can be absorbed at 90 to 95 percent. Not only does it not leave deposits, it will facilitate in clearing up present deposits.

Asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, collards, dandelion greens, turnip greens, kale, and actually any leafy greens are vegetables high in calcium. This natural calcium will also be beneficial; however, no matter how many, how often or how much you feed of these vegetables, they will not provide enough calcium for your dog. You will still need to add Calcium+Plus.

I don’t like dairy sources of calcium mostly because we have ruined our dairy industry with all the antibiotics, hormones, pasteurization and sterilization.

Milk for carnivores after they are adults creates all kinds of problems such as mucus, indigestion, allergies, yeast infections, to name a few.

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body, vital to the formation of strong bones and teeth and for the maintenance of healthy gums. It is also important to the health of the heart. Almost everyone I talk to says their dog has some form of heart problem, often heart murmurs. Lack of digestible calcium is one of the main culprits. Please note: if your animal has unhealthy gums and/or teeth, s/he probably has heart problems as well and is in desperate need of organic calcium.

Calcium is also important in the transmission of nerve impulses; it lowers cholesterol levels; is needed for muscular growth, contraction and prevention of muscle cramps. It is also involved in the activation of enzymes, including lipase, necessary to break down fats for utilization by the body; thus, tied in with skin, coat and flea problems. How many dogs (and people) do you know with those problems!

Calcium deficiency can lead to the following additional problems: aching joints, arthritis, brittle or soft nails, eczema, hip dysplasia, hyperactivity, hypertension, panosteitis (growing pains, usually in the front legs) seizures (also magnesium deficiency which goes along with calcium) and tooth decay.

Calcium protects the bones and teeth from lead by inhibiting absorption of this toxic metal. If there is a calcium deficiency, lead can be absorbed by the body and deposited in the teeth and bones.

The key to nutrition for healthy, happy dogs is RAW food with organic calcium.

If you live in an area where you know the water is safe that’s great. Otherwise providing yourself and your animals with purified water is essential.

Water is not only the most abundant nutrient found in the body (approximately two-thirds of a dog’s body weight); it is also by far the most important nutrient.

Water is responsible for and involved in nearly every body process, including digestion, absorption, circulation and excretion. It is the primary transporter of nutrients throughout the body and is necessary for all building functions. Water helps maintain a normal body temperature and is essential for carrying waste material out of the body.

Studies indicate many of our city water supplies are liberally laced with asbestos, pesticides, heavy metals like lead and cadmium, arsenic, nitrates, sodium and a variety of chemicals that are known carcinogens. Then additives like chlorine and fluoride with all the good intentions of the water departments causes its whole set of problems.

Is it any wonder our animals have arthritis, upper respiratory diseases, allergies, cancer, heart, liver and kidney disorders, urinary infections, poor teeth and gums, ear and eye infections and chronic skin problems?

Boiling tap water only makes it worse because the purest water will be lost in the form of steam and any heavy metals or nitrates will be even more concentrated.

Even rainwater these days collects atmospheric pollutants as it descends. If you continue to give tap water, the contaminants in the water can defeat your other nutritional efforts.

Purified water has a high degree of oxygen, which not only makes it healthier but makes it taste better as well. All drinking water and water used to prepare their food should be pure.

If you are not sure about the condition of your water have it tested. Most water purification companies will come to your house and test your water free of charge. Hoping you will buy their water, of course.

It is true that most of the minerals are depleted from purified or distilled water. However, minerals will be in the fresh food and, if you are giving your animals Calcium+Plus, AnimaLife and C+Plus they are getting the necessary minerals in their supplements.

Do not get your purified water from vending machines. Bacteria build up on the filters and the water is again contaminated. Otherwise they use chlorine to control the bacteria and you are back to chemically treated water. A reverse osmosis unit or other purification systems in your home are presently the most effective and inexpensive way to provide purified water for your animals and you.

Or you can buy bottled water in a food store or have it delivered, depending on the amount of water you consume. However, be careful, because some of bottled-water companies are adding chlorine as well. Be sure to ask.

Every puppy and every dog needs a different amount of food each time they eat, just as people do. It is how the body metabolizes the food that decides how much is necessary.

Commercial pet food companies who put on their labels the amount a certain size dog should eat each day is ludicrous. How much are you going to eat at your next meal? People aren’t even sure what they themselves are going to eat during any given day, so how can they possibly guess what amount of food their dog is going to eat?

No one prepares food based on how many pounds they weigh? Most people put more food on the table than is expected that everyone will eat and usually there are leftovers. That’s how it should be for your animals.

Adult dogs should be offered food once a day and allowed to eat all they want at that time. Each time you put the food down, put so much on the plate or in the bowl that they cannot possibly finish it. When they walk away with food in the bowl you know they have had all they want to eat.

When you first change over, offer your dog the same volume of raw food as compared to the canned or dry food s/he has been used to eating. Just eyeball it to decide how much. Then, every day keep increasing a small amount of the raw food until finally your dog walks away with food in the bowl.

If your dog has been eating dry or canned foods, s/he may eat a huge amount of raw food at first to reach his/her nutrition satiation level or s/he may go to the other extreme and not eat at all, because the food smells foreign. Whichever the situation, be patient and understanding and in most cases your dogs will soon work things out for themselves. There is always the exception that refuses to eat.

For some animals, you may have to hand feed for a while or maybe mix the raw food with some canned food or with some dry food that has been soaked in water first. Never feed dry food dry. Dry food is the worst garbage that has ever been perpetrated upon our animals. Dry food destroys the kidneys, pancreas, and liver; causes gastric torsion (bloat), to name a few of the serious ailments. All this devastation is caused by 1) it is cooked; 2) it contains mostly grains; 3) it has only 2% moisture. All food must have water, blood or some kind of fluid in order to be processed by the body.

This program of allowing them to eat as much as they want at each meal can only be used if you are feeding healthy raw food. This method with canned and dry food won’t work, because they never reach the point of being nutritionally satisfied. I repeat: nutritionally satisfied. Being stuffed full of junk food does not provide nutrients; it’s just empty calories. The body is not interested in quantity; it is interested in quality.

Fat dogs are starving. (This is true of people as well.) In other words, because their bodies cannot reach their nutrition satiation point when eating commercial pet foods, they continue to eat, hoping that they will finally be satisfied, but they can’t be, so the struggle goes on, and they get fatter and fatter and eat more and more.

Finally you go to your vet or a pet nutrition “expert” at a pet store who says, “Feed him a ‘lite’ formula and give him one cup a day,” or whatever. Of course, your dog loses weight. S/he is being starved. What are they to do? They can’t open the refrigerator or the cupboard. They can’t tell you in people words the pain of suffering from starvation. All you see is that your dog is losing weight, and you think everything is okay. It is not! Dogs feel the pains of starvation just as much as people do.

Three reasons why dieting doesn’t work:

You must give them healthy, raw food and let them eat all they want. They will lose weight while feeling comfortably full, and they will be getting all their nutrients as well.

It is amazing the number of people who come to me with obese dogs and say, “I can’t get him to eat.” “I have to add something he likes to his food to get him to eat.” Don’t encourage fat dogs to eat. If you put the food down and they aren’t interested, whisk it away till another day.

Healthy adult dogs don’t necessarily eat every day. If your overweight dog does not want to eat, do not encourage him/her!

Wolves and coyotes eat once or twice a week in the wild.

Not only will each dog in your family eat a different amount, they will eat a different amount every day just like we do. No one eats the same amount of food each meal, each day. You can have two dogs that both weigh 50 pounds and one will be a big eater and one will hardly touch the food. It has much more to do with metabolism than it does size. That is why it is important to let your dog decide how much.

If your are training your dog or working your dog, s/he will eat a different amount depending on the energy needed.

If you feed their favorites they will eat more just like we people do, so don’t feed favorites every day. Variety is vital.

The main three differences between carnivores and omnivores are:

You decide what, where and when. Your dog decides how much. When I see and hear all the different scenarios of the eating habits of people’s dogs from my clients, I know that the dogs themselves must be the ones to decide how much.

Let’s take another look at what Mother Nature does. Coyotes and wolves decide how much to eat on their own. Nobody is out there portioning their food. You never see a fat coyote or fat wolf. In fact, most people comment that they appear to be too thin. That’s because people are comparing their overweight companion dogs to the sleek and slender wild animal.

The best time to feed is in the morning one-half to one hour after exercising. The body has its own clock: times to eat, sleep, cleanse, repair, heal, et cetera. The best time to eat is between 7am and 9am. If that works into your schedule that is my suggestion. If it doesn’t, do your best to make sure your dog has the opportunity to play, exercise and eliminate completely before eating.

During the evening hours the body does its best sleeping, cleansing repairing and healing. So the emptier the stomach is at that time the better.

Feeding your dog the natural way is easy and fun, especially when you realize the true benefits of raw food and organic supplements. Keep it simple. 75% raw meat, 25% raw vegetables, Calcium+Plus, AnimaLife and C+Plus. Organic supplements are as close as you can get to what Mother Nature had in mind and now you have a complete and balanced meal. Both you and your dog will be happier, and maybe this program will inspire you to start eating better food, too.

Many commercial pet companies, veterinarians and nutritionists are suggesting kelp, alfalfa and sea meal as supplements that are to be added to a dog’s food every day. These supplements stimulate the thyroid and the appetite. If you have a healthy dog, you don’t want to do either. Constantly stimulating the thyroid will cause shaking, nervous disorders and finally cause hyperthyroid. And you certainly don’t want to continuously stimulate the appetite so that your animal feels hungry all the time and becomes overweight.

I would advise staying completely away from both of these herbs under any circumstances, because I have not seen any of these supplements being beneficial even when a dog is hypothyroid or underweight.

I’ve seen much greater success with the basic raw food program, Calcium+Plus, AnimaLife, C+Plus and, if necessary, the Colostrum Cocktail.

No rawhide, pigs ears, plastic or nylon bones, pressed treats, dogs biscuits.

No vaccines, frontline, advantage, program, heartguard, flagyl, antibiotics, steroids, antihistamines. The exception would be an extreme emergency…a life and death situation…where you must give anesthesia for surgery, steroids to breathe until you can find out what’s going on, etc, but there are very few times you will ever run into these types of emergencies.

When you feed canned, dry, dead, cooked food or bone (cooked or raw) you put a burden on one of the most important organs in the body, the pancreas. If there are no enzymes to stimulate the digestive processes, the pancreas has to come into action and produce extra enzymes, burdening it with yet another job. It already has enough to do producing insulin and pancreatic enzymes.

An hour and a half of running, walking on the shore and swimming in the lake every morning doesn’t hurt the dogs (or Pat) either.

Author of:

REIGNING CATS & DOGS, A Holistic Approach to Royal Treatment for Healthy, Happy Carnivores.

and

NATURAL IMMUNITY, Why You Should NOT Vaccinate!