A growing number of veterinarians agree that processed pet food is the main cause of illness and premature death in the modern dog and cat. In December 1995, the British Journal of Small Animal Practice published a paper contending that processed pet food suppresses the immune system and leads to liver, kidney, heart and other diseases. This research, initially conducted by Dr Tom Lonsdale D.V.M., was researched further by the Australian Veterinary Association and proven to be correct. If you study the physical condition of animals in the wild, you will find that so-called degenerative or old age diseases are relatively unknown to them. Except for the danger from natural predators, wild animals generally live quite long and healthy lives. Now, what happens when we domesticate animals and make them into house pets? Are you aware that they quickly develop the same diseases as their human “owners”? We must be making the same mistake with them that we’re making with ourselves. Some years ago, Dr. Francis Pottenger tried an experiment on several hundred cats. He divided them into two groups and fed one group their natural diet of raw meat and the other group a man-made diet of cooked pet food. He carried on this experiment through three generations. The cats that were fed their normal uncooked diet thrived. The cats that were fed a cooked diet developed the same diseases, and required the same medical treatment, as we humans.
Dr. Kollath, of the Karolinska Hospital in Stockholm, headed a study done on animals. When young animals were fed cooked and processed foods they initially appeared to be healthy. However, as the animals reached adulthood, they began to age more quickly than normal and also developed chronic degenerative disease symptoms. A control group of animals raised on raw foods aged less quickly and were free of degenerative disease. In nature, we see another example of wild animals eating entirely enzyme rich raw foods being free of the degenerative diseases that afflict humans.
Dr. William Pollak D.V.M concurs as he refers to the results of a clinical trial which suggests that 74.7% of common diseases in dogs and 63% of common diseases in cats can be eliminated without medical intervention over a period of one year with proper diet modifications and an understanding of the healing process as exhibited through healing episodes. Approaching disease from the perspective of health is the most powerful means of eliminating disease
Processed foods and drugs have seriously depleted the natural vitality and immune systems of many pets. Dogs and cats are anatomically very different to humans. Their intestinal tract, for example is only about half as long as a human’s, and food is therefore processed and assimilated very differently. Whereas large amounts of red meat can cause cancer in humans, a lack of raw red meat in an animal’s diet can lead to serious health problems.
Dr. Donald Ogden D.V.M. writes that commercial pet food (even the best known and most expensive brands) have had their nutrients altered, adulterated, devitalized and destroyed by heat, processing, coloring, preservatives and other chemicals. Feeding your animal such food on a regular basis causes waste-toxins to accumulate in the blood, lymphs and tissue which contributes to a weak immune system and renders our pet susceptible to chronic diseases.
Tom Lonsdale D.V.M., a graduate of the Royal Veterinary College in London, admits he was slow to recognize problems associated with feeding canned and dry pet foods. ‘The truth is rarely pure, and never simple’ said Oscar Wilde, but this book lets the truth speak for itself as it lifts the lid on the pet food industry/veterinary profession alliance. You owe it to your pet to read this book to find out what happens to dogs and cats if their diet is inadequate.
Many skin and coat problems are a direct result of a lack of raw animal fat in the diet – fat which humans often believe is bad for their pet. Animals need at least 30% raw fat, and their systems are not designed to handle cooked meat or cooked fat. In the wild, a panther or jackal does not barbecue, grill or smoke its prey. It definitely does not walk to the local supermarket to buy dry food either. Yet most pet owners recoil at the thought of feeding raw meat to their dog or cat, concerned about bacteria or parasites. However, dogs and cats don’t get salmonella poisoning because their digestive system is so acidic (or at least it should be) that it kills everything. This is why a dog can bury a bone and dig it up two weeks later and eat the rotting meat.
Dr. Ian Billinghurst D.V.M. has spent 18 years as a practicing veterinarian in Australia. “Most of the disease problems we vets see are caused by only one thing – Poor Nutrition. Most modern dog owners are taught to believe that feeding dogs is such a difficult task. Nothing could be further from the truth. If you can get hold of a regular supply of raw meaty bones, you will have no problems whatsoever.”
Animals, like humans, require enzymes, minerals, trace elements, amino acids and other nutrients in their diet in order to stay healthy. For a return to health, pets require a diet which strengthens the immune system and most closely resembles that which they would get in the wild. It’s really easy to do. Essentially, you feed your pet a combination of raw meats (including organ meats), raw bones, raw eggs, and select from a host of raw vegetables.
A success story:
For years, raw food enthusiasts have touted the health benefits of uncooked food for humans. Now, some veterinarians and pet owners believe that a raw meat diet is best for pets.
Sharon Misik, an actress who adopted two Siberian huskies in 2008 from a pet rescue organization, is a believer. After adopting the animals, Ms. Misik and her husband, who live in Bradbury, Calif., spent thousands of dollars on specialized diets and trips to veterinarians to treat a mysterious illness that plagued their dogs, which had trouble eating and severe diarrhea and seemed perpetually sick.
Continue reading here.
