âI have observed that the degenerative disease process takes 5 to 6 years to surface when consuming a heat processed food and when they do, it is assumed that they are part of the “normal” aging process. Such diseases are rarely linked to the pet food that caused them. Bottom line is that heavily denatured food does not support good health.â
– Robert Mueller, R. Pharm., author of âLiving Enzymes: The Worldâs Best Kept Pet Food Secretâ and co-formulator of the BARF DietÂź natural diet for dogs.
As the novelist, Agnes Sligh Turnbull so eloquently put it, âDogsâ lives are too short. Their only fault, really.â This is so true – we canât find many âfaultsâ with our wonderful dogs…and the average lifespan of dogs is only 8 and 11 years of age.
If youâre reading this you are obviously a dog lover and probably have a dog in the family. Maybe your dog is a âseniorâ now or just getting along in age – remember that 8-11 year old lifespan statistic? If so, youâre no doubt concerned about making the right nutritional choices for you pet…and for yourself. Since dogs are âlike our kidsâ, itâs not uncommon to compare how we use supplements to maintain our own good health and also consider how we they can help our pets live happier and healthier and longer lives!
(The 8-11 year lifespan statistic really does scare me)!
The first thing of course that I recommend is to get your dog on the BARF diet – biologically appropriate raw food…along with a few recommended supplements. After feeding and promoting raw food diets for the last 38 years, I can attest to the amazing power of a few specific natural supplements for your pet. Believe me, Iâve seen firsthand the increased success that has been achieved by adding them to the BARF diet.
You might ask, âWhy does my pet need additional supplementation? Isnât the BARF DietÂź complete and balanced already?â The answer is simple: the diet itself, while wonderfully healthful indeed, cannot immediately reverse the malnourishment resulting from years of feeding commercial âcookedâ pet food…and thatâs where the natural supplements I recommend come in.
Probiotic Powder for Dogs
Probiotics supply your dogâs gut with a helpful dose of âfriendlyâ bacteria, which is essential for optimum bowel health and a strong immune system. Dogs and cats fed cooked food and processed diets for years desperately require probiotics in their diet to get back to proper health. Good quality, low fat yogurt or kefir contain an abundance of probiotics but, because they are dairy-based, may not be suitable for all pets.
Alternatively, E-BARF Plus, a non-dairy probiotic powder for dogs can be used to supply your pet with the necessary levels of probiotics as well as provide a combination of essential vitamins and minerals. E-BARF Plus natural probiotics for dogs gives your petâs immune system a âjump-startâ which helps kick it into repair mode. This is critical for setting the stage for a seamless conversion to raw meat dog food.
Fatty Acid Supplements for Dogs
Fatty acids support a variety of the bodyâs functions. They help the body absorb certain vitamins, reduce inflammation caused by allergies and arthritis, and provide great immune-supporting properties. There are two main types of fatty acids, which are important to the health of your dog: omega-3s and omega-6s. Feeding dogs raw meat provide them with the omega-6s, but what about the omega-3s?
I always recommend the use of a fatty acid supplement, rich in omega-3s, like those found in Wild Alaskan Salmon oil. This gives your pet the fatty acid support needed to improve the condition of the skin and coat and promote rapid renewal of health.
Be sure to join me next week to learn what vitamins are good for your pet and why over-supplementation can be dangerous! Weâll look at homemade barf diets…and the importance of nutritional analysis.
For pet owners that are new to feeding their dog a raw food diet, it is advised that they begin with a commercially-prepared raw diet. Make sure to call the manufacturer and ask them what steps are taken to ensure that their diets are âcomplete and balancedâ. At BARF Would, we send each BARF DietÂź formula to a third-party testing facility for regular nutritional analysis.
About Robert Mueller
Robert Mueller, BSc, Pharm. is a registered pharmacist, author of “Living Enzymes: The World’s Best Kept Pet Food Secret”, and co-developer of BARF World’s BARF diets patties, nuggets and supplements – the first company to make the Biologically Appropriate Raw Foods (BARF) diet conveniently available to animals everywhere.
