At the recent American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association Conference, I discovered that I am not the only one questioning the use of grains in commercial and home-prepared pet foods. Grains, such as oats, wheat, rice, barley, etc, are composed mostly of complex carbohydrates. They also contain some protein, fiber, B-vitamins …
Revised December 2011. Continued from Part 2 OTHER DISORDERS Intussusception — In very young pups (and other animals including humans) the intestine can invaginate (one part slips inside another). The condition, also referred to as “telescoping intestines,” also occurs in adults, but not as frequently. Most common immediate causes include worms and other parasites, and …
Revised December 2011. Continued from PART 1 Torsion Commonly called bloat, sometimes described as gastric dilation/volvulus (GDV), this is a terrifying and usually fatal emergency disorder that German Shepherds and many other deep chested dogs experience. A twisting of the entrance and exit to the stomach traps the food and gas. As the stomach swells, …
Revised December 2011. (This is PART 1 of a series on canine digestive-tract disorders in several breeds, including megaesophagus, polyps, pancreatic Insufficiency, and torsion/bloat (volvulus). Megaesophagus (Gastric Dilation) After skin problems, the next most common and next most frustrating set of disorders to the dog owner and the diagnostician are those of the alimentary canal, …
Report on the risk from pentobarbital in dog food The low levels of exposure to sodium pentobarbital (pentobarbital) that dogs might receive through food is unlikely to cause them any adverse health effects, Food and Drug Administration scientists concluded after conducting a risk assessment. During the 1990s, FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) received reports …
Rendering has been called “the silent industry”. Each year in the US, 286 rendering plants quietly dispose of more than 12.5 million tons of dead animals, fat and meat wastes. As the public relations watchdog newsletter PR Watch observes, renderers “are thankful that most people remain blissfully unaware of their existence”. When City Paper reporter …
I believe cats & dogs should be fed 75% meat and 25% vegetables. The following article is one of the reasons I no longer feed grains. The following is a reprint from HEALTHY PETS-NATURALLY by Russell Swift, DVM: To Feed or Not To Feed…Grains. At the recent American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association Conference, I discovered …
Anti-Oxidants: Anti-oxidants are added to pet foods to protect fats from rancidity. Fat becomes rancid especially when exposed to air, heat and perhaps bacteria. Fat breaks down in two steps. Hydrolysis yields fatty acids that may improve the flavor up to a point (no more than 10%). Oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids yields ketones and …
I would like to tell you about a wonderful herb and a must for every pet owner’s natural medicine chest. Milk thistle, known in Latin as Silybum marianum, is one of the most effective herbs for detoxifying and regenerating the liver. I have used this herb in virtually any type of …
Modified from an article by Philip W. Toll, DVM, M.S. and Arleigh J. Reynolds, DVM, Ph.D., The Winter 1998 issue of Sports Medicine Program Newsletter. Athletic performance depends on genetics, training and nutrition. A deficiency in any one of these factors limits performance: therefore, each factor must be assessed in light of the type of …