At a used book store last week I picked up a copy of Current Veterinary Therapy, Volume 5, published in 1974. I checked to see what the vaccine recommendations were back then, and found this tidbit in the chapter "Minimal Disease Prevention for Cats":
"During the third part of the initial examination, the veterinarian should discuss diet and general health programs with the owner. The owner should be advised of the importance of adding raw meat to the diet and of offering a variety of foods not only to promote a well balanced diet but also to guard against the feline tendency to become addicted to certain meats. A daily vitamin program should be established....."
Thank you Nancy Kowall, DVM, from Pasadena, who wrote these sage words! Where had all this gone by the time I was in vet school, in the mid-90's? By then we had become corporatized, and our cat and dog nutrition lectures were taught by employees of Hill's Science Diet. What had been learned from Pottenger's cats had been unlearned, and was presented as fact.
Interestingly, the previous chapter, Minimal Disease Prevention for Dogs, has eight authors and only discusses the benefits of vaccines. There is no mention of other things that help prevent disease, like diet, vitamins, and a healthy lifestyle.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Intestinal Fortitude
Yesterday my dogs ate three large bags of brown rice. I can't blame them. My theory is that just the same way it's a prisoner's job to try to escape, it's the dogs' job to hunt for food.
The first clue was that when I got home, my kitchen floor was like that scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark....crunchy. The second clue was the open cabinet door. The third clue was the as yet uneaten (but gutted) remaining bag of rice on the living room carpet.
I didn't know what to expect. Would the rice really expand in their stomachs and kill them? Nothing else has, yet. Would they bloat and die?
The four of them seemed pretty happy....and hungry. I fed them dinner. They ate like normal. It's a speed sport, at our house.
This morning they seemed fine. No vomiting, no emergency trips to the yard.
This afternoon they were fine when I got home, but were a little desperate to get outside. They all pooped. A lot. Rice. Lots and lots of rice. Then they ate dinner like their normal fiendish selves.
This is why Katie K9 and I constantly tell people to create strong stomachs in their dogs. For just this occasion and purpose. I can't express how worthwhile it is to have built intestinal fortitude into my dogs. The value is in the peace of mind.
The first clue was that when I got home, my kitchen floor was like that scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark....crunchy. The second clue was the open cabinet door. The third clue was the as yet uneaten (but gutted) remaining bag of rice on the living room carpet.
I didn't know what to expect. Would the rice really expand in their stomachs and kill them? Nothing else has, yet. Would they bloat and die?
The four of them seemed pretty happy....and hungry. I fed them dinner. They ate like normal. It's a speed sport, at our house.
This morning they seemed fine. No vomiting, no emergency trips to the yard.
This afternoon they were fine when I got home, but were a little desperate to get outside. They all pooped. A lot. Rice. Lots and lots of rice. Then they ate dinner like their normal fiendish selves.
This is why Katie K9 and I constantly tell people to create strong stomachs in their dogs. For just this occasion and purpose. I can't express how worthwhile it is to have built intestinal fortitude into my dogs. The value is in the peace of mind.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)