Today is National Pet Obesity Awareness Day. Unfortunately, pet obesity is a quickly growing epidemic. The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention estimates that over 54% of cats and dogs in the United States are overweight or obese. According to a large study conducted in 2011 by Banfield Pet Hospital, the rates of obesity have increased over the last five years, 37% in dogs and 90% in cats. These are staggering figures! Yet a whopping 76% of dog owners and 69% of cat owners believe that their pet is at an ideal weight! Carrying extra weight increases the risk for a whole host of health problems. In 2009, VPI Pet Insurance policyholders filed more than $17 million in claims for conditions and diseases that can be caused by excess weight. You should be able to feel your pet’s ribs without exerting much pressure. You should see a noticeable “waist” on your pet, between the back of the ribs and the hips, when viewing your pet from above.
If your pet is overweight making an effort to increase their daily exercise while reducing their volume of food will help them to shed some pounds. Maintaining an ideal weight will go a long way to keeping your pet healthy.
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Anyone who has gone onto a raw feeding forum or read articles on the subject will undoubtedly have come across the topic of poop. Raw feeders do love to talk poop! You might think it's kind of gross to be discussing your pet's feces. But what is really gross is dealing with large volumes of stinky soft kibble poop! Let's face it, it's not fun trying to get that out of your lawn. Scooping and scraping as quick as you can because you have to hold your breath the entire time due to the stench. Your entire yard stinks, the neighbors make comments about the odor (they must think you never scoop the poop) and it attracts flies making your yard a no go zone. Oh, and there's always the experience of stepping on one of those landmines, and of course it will be at the most inopportune time possible. If your pet is a cat you know the fun of dealing with the smell of a litter box in the house. Do you have anxiety about your pet pooping in a public place and it causing people to hold their noses and look in disgust? Dealing with our pet's feces does not have to be a traumatic experience!
Fortunately the quality of the stool is only one of the many, many benefits to feeding your pet a raw diet. If you want to get back the use and enjoyment of your yard, eliminate litter box odor, and not worry about what kind of a disaster will come out of your dogs rear end at your next adventure at the dog park, think about switching to a raw diet.
A smelly, poorly formed stool is not normal or healthy. It is a sign of illness and needs to be addressed. When we feed inappropriate packaged foods the effects will be seen in the health of our animals. The stool is a direct reflection of the health of the gastrointestinal system and tells us a lot about our pet's state of health/illness. If you need some guidance getting your pet started on a raw diet please check out my nutritional services. Canine species in the wild fast often. Even when food is readily available wild canines will abstain from eating if they are ill. Our first reaction might be "shouldn't they eat to keep their strength up?" No, quite the opposite actually. The process of digesting food uses up a lot of energy from the body. When illness or injury strikes, fasting is a way to allow the body to concentrate on the healing process rather than on digestion. Fasting can be employed to improve health in the following ways:
Your dog will not withhold their love for you if you withhold their food occasionally! It is not a cruel punishment, but a very health promoting practice. In most cases dogs can safely be fasted one day a week. Be sure to have plenty of fresh clean water available to help with the clearing of waste from the body. Puppies should not be fasted, and if your dog is ill please consult with a professional before fasting them. Cats should never be fasted. No inappropriate grains, more meat, and still convenient. Sound good? Let’s take a closer look. Grain free kibble came about once consumers realized that the high amounts of corn, wheat and soy in pet foods weren’t really appropriate for their pets and were being used as cheap fillers. Pet owners began purchasing kibble or other foods that contained fewer grains. Trying to keep hold of their market share, many pet food companies came out with grain free products. This type of kibble is often marketed as a biologically appropriate and a comparable alternative to a raw diet. But is that the truth or just marketing hype? Instead of corn, wheat, barley, oats and rice now we have the option of “grain free” kibble with potato, peas, and tapioca but these are all still carbohydrates, they just aren’t derived from grains. When processing kibble, carbohydrates are needed in order to get the ingredients to stick together into a pellet. Carbohydrates in one form or another is here to stay in kibble foods. Early in September of 2012 the American Veterinary Medical Association announced a policy about raw/undercooked animal source protien diets for companion animals (aka a raw diet). In this policy the AVMA discourages feeding raw animal products because of "the risk of illness to cats and dogs as well as humans".
The policy names several pathogenic organisms that can be found on raw animal-source protien: Salmonella, Campylobacter, Clostridium, E. coli, etc. However, the policy fails to mention some other key information. Both cats and dogs have an enzyme present in their saliva called lysozyme which neutralizes bacteria and pathogens that is found on raw meat. The digestive tract is also highly acidic taking care of any pathogens that manage to make it that far. What about the recent outbreak of Salmonella due to contaminated dry pet food? 49 people across North America were reported as becoming ill from exposure to their pet's packaged dry kibble. I don't recall every hearing about any humans being affected by salmonella due to feeding their pet raw food. Common sense would indicate using safe cleaning procedures when preparing raw food for pets, similar to handling raw meat in preparation for our own meals. The AVMA mission as stated on its website "is to improve animal and human health and advance the veterinary medical profession". How does this policy support their mission statement when they do not include the risks associated with dry pet foods? Recall after recall continues to be issued for kibble. Does the AVMA truly have the best interests of animals in mind or is it a case of wanting to maintain the funding that comes to them by way of the corporate pet food companies? All in all this policy will have little impact on pet owners who are feeding their pets raw food. It does appear that the AVMA is compromising the integrity and value of their organization for the continued support of their coprorate sponsorships. Not a move that is going to gain them any credibility with consumers. |
Author - Jennifer Lee
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