July/August 2010 - Dogs Naturally Magazine

More documents

Recommendations

Info

y: Lucy Postins Part II: Embarking On A Home- Made Diet For Your Dog If you’ve fed a kibble diet for a long pe- riod of time, it can be a daunting prospect to make the switch to fresh fare. Some animal guardians are especially intimidated by switching to 100% raw foods and there are some concerns about combining kibble and raw food together since they digest at different rates and this can increase the risk of illness from bacterial contamination. One option is to begin combining some fresh vegetables and fruits plus lightly cooked meats, organs and fish as well as plain yogurt or cottage cheese, with your dog’s regular food. Several companies provide premixes or ‘base diets’ or supplements to be used as the base of a homemade diet and these can be helpful in making the transition as well as ensuring an adequate array of nutritional components to the diet. Following is a list of suggested ingredients to include in your dog’s homemade meals, or to combine with a premix as you gradually make the move away from kibble, to a varied healthy diet: Ground meat such as chicken, turkey, beef, and buffalo, which can be served raw or cooked depending on what you’re comfortable with. Raw Meaty Bones such as chicken necks or backs. It’s a good idea to grind bones to begin with, to allow your dog to get used to them. Your butcher may be able to do this for you, or you could invest in a good quality meat-grinder capable of grinding bone. Never feed cooked bones! Raw (or lightly cooked) organs and other muscle meats. Raw or lightly cooked white fish such as cod, sole and haddock as well as oily fish like salmon, sardines and herring (salmon should be cooked because of the possible risk of parasitic infestation in raw salmon) as well as low sodium canned fish. Root vegetables such as sweet potatoes, yams, pumpkin, parsnips (these vegetables should be lightly steamed or pulped to aid digestibility), plus other fresh vegetables such as zucchini, green beans, kale and celery. Plain yogurt, cottage cheese, kefir and eggs – these can be lightly scrambled if preferred but are perfectly acceptable raw for most dogs. Some raw feeders also include the finely ground shell as a great natural source of calcium. Fresh or dried fruits like melon, blueberries, cranberries & pitted peaches. Fresh herbs such as parsley, nettles, watercress and dandelion leaves. Ground nuts such as almonds and seeds like shelled sunflower, pumpkin or ground flax, also make an interesting addition. Ingredients to Avoid Chocolate Grapes Raisins Macadamia Nuts Onions What are the challenges of preparing your pet’s food, yourself? It takes some homework to prepare balanced, nutritional meals but it's not much more difficult than providing ourselves or our human children with wholesome & healthy nutrition, when a broad array of foods is offered throughout the week. Homemade meals can be time consuming to prepare, and messy as well. Some regimens for homemade food re Dogs...Naturally! July/August 2010
quire the acquisition of a meat grinder capable or pulverizing bones, which can add to the initial start-up costs. Some vets advise against homemade meals and if this causes a conflict, it may be necessary to locate an alternative or holistic vet who will support and assist you with your decision. If you have larger animals or a multi-pet household, the ingredients storage can become an issue – a dedicated chest freezer might be a wise investment, so you can store raw ingredients and finished meals. Here are two tasty recipes you might like to prepare at home and offer as a treat or accompaniment to your dog’s regular food – and a first step in getting off the kibble bandwagon: Liver Loaf Treats This delicious recipe is nutritious and delicious, and can be sliced up into any size to make training treats suitable for your individual pet. The added bonus is that this treat is completely wheat-free. Ingredients 1 lb fresh raw organic beef liver 3 free range eggs ¼ cup canola or other vegetable oil 1 clove fresh garlic, crushed 2 cups instant oats 1 tbsp applesauce 2 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional) 3 tbsp powdered kelp (optional) Filtered water sufficient to make a batter What To Do Process the liver in a blender or food processor, until completely pureed. Beat the eggs in a bowl and pour in the oil. Add the liver. Mix in the dry ingredients slowly, so they are thoroughly combined. Add water gradually, until you have a ‘batter’ consistency. Pour into a loaf tin. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Cool in the tin then gently turn the loaf out onto a rack and refrigerate to cool completely. Slice with a sharp knife and dice into bite sized pieces appropriate for your pet. Salmon & Peach Cooler This recipe is super-simple to prepare makes a refreshing recipe to beat the summer heat. Be sure to use cooked boneless salmon only. Ingredients 1 cup very lightly cooked boneless salmon fillet with skin. 2 diced fresh peaches, stones removed 1 cup roughly chopped watercress ¼ cup diced cucumber ¼ cup flaked almonds ½ cup plain yogurt 3 tbsp honey (optional) 2 tbsp olive oil 1 sprig fresh basil to garnish What To Do Combine the first seven ingredients in a bowl so they are thoroughly mixed. Spoon into a serving dish or use to top your dog's regular food. Add the mango on top and finish with the fresh basil. Serve for your dog in moderate portions, once cooled. Store in a refrigerator and serve a little each day, or freeze in individual portions for later use. Once you understand and witness the benefits of serving fresh, healthy, home prepared food that’s been created with your own hands – and infused with love and good intent – the habit will likely become a part of your routine. Even if it’s just a more occasional treat, the fun of making (and sometimes actually sharing) the food that your dog eats, is novel and rewarding for everyone! Lucy Postins is a companion animal nutritionist and founder of The Honest Kitchen, a natural pet food company in San Diego, CA. More nutritional resources are available on www.thehonestkitchen.com or (866) 437 9729. www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com July/August 2010 | 29
Page 1 and 2: For Dogs Without Boundaries www.dog
Page 3 and 4: Dogs...Naturally! On the Cover: Vol
Page 5 and 6: www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com July/
Page 7 and 8: y: Erika Phillips Juniper Common Ju
Page 9 and 10: Susan with Caleb I realize a lot of
Page 11 and 12: the PULSATILLA ~ Wind Flower or Pra
Page 13 and 14: scraps of food, the street dogs wer
Page 15 and 16: y: Laura Boston This article appear
Page 17 and 18: ‘Intelligence’, ‘enthusiasm
Page 20 and 21: y: Jean Donaldson Dear Jean, I just
Page 22 and 23: By: Michael W. Fox BVetMed, PhD, DS
Page 24 and 25: This may help veterinarians and pet
Page 26 and 27: Part 3 Getting Behavior Dogs are al
Page 30 and 31: Victor neumann DOGS, PARKS AND POLI
Page 32 and 33: y: Erika Phillips We are what we ea
Page 34 and 35: y: Chris Adams Staff Reporter The W
Page 36 and 37: Clear Benefits Meanwhile, dog owner
Page 38 and 39: with this kind of inner peace, ever
Page 40 and 41: y: Jan Rasmussen TRUTHS, OMISSIONS
Page 42 and 43: Take a look at the map above, court
Page 44 and 45: Specializing in Homeopathy Herbs
Page 46 and 47: y: Lynne Parker Monetary interests
Page 48 and 49: DN: How did you discover that pets
Page 50 and 51: Bordatella or Kennel Cough is commo
Page 52 and 53: y: Tim O’Shea DC Without further
Page 54 and 55: increase the white blood cell count
Page 56 and 57: HOLISTIC HEALING AND SPIRIT TO SPIR
Page 58 and 59: These findings were corroborated tw
Page 60 and 61: y: Leonard Cecil Two of the questio
Page 62 and 63: Teacher Dogs Teacher Dogs is dedica

July/August 2010 - Dogs Naturally Magazine

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?