Today I saw a bag of dry dog food that purported to be smaller pieces, to encourage the dog to chew its food. On the bag is the claim, "Remember, digestion starts in the mouth!"
Yes - if you're HUMAN, but NOT if you're a dog! Our salivary glands produce amylase, which is the enzyme necessary for digesting starches, which is why we are supposed to chew our food 100 times before swallowing.
Dogs' salivary glands do NOT produce amylase. They don't do any digestion in their mouth. Dogs are made to bolt their food and swallow it whole - big chunks of meat, bones, horse manure, dead things, etc. Dogs are not supposed to chew. Their teeth are not built for it, and their jaws only move up and down (perfect for chomping), not side to side like our jaws, or like a horse's or cow's jaw.
It's time to stop making ridiculous comparisons between dogs and humans that aren't supported by simple facts, like anatomy and physiology. Unfortunately it is all too easy for us to fall into this trap based on what we know about our own bodies, and extrapolating this information to our pets.
Monday, January 13, 2014
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Refining the raw food diet
I wanted to write a short piece about a mistake I see a lot of pet owners making when feeding raw: Too many vegetables!
Let's review: Dogs and cats are carnivores, or meat-eaters. Dogs are primarily carnivorous; although they can eat other things, they do best on a meat-based diet. Cats are obligate carnivores, and need meat if they are going to live and be healthy.
This also means that the bulk of their diet must be meat. Dogs need at least 3/4 of their diet to be meat, cats need a little more.
Correspondingly, this means that your pet doesn't need that much vegetable matter.
Many people are trying to cut back on the meat bill by adding grains or increasing the proportion of vegetables compared to meat. Unfortunately, you can't do this and come out ahead in the long run. Even though you are technically feeding "raw," your pets might experience lingering health issues - especially those who are being fed grains. And, remember, "grains" include rice, pasta, oatmeal, barley, millet, quinoa, etc. Watch your treats as well. Even a small amount of grains in the diet in the form of treats can prevent your pet's symptoms from clearing up.
When it comes to vegetables, variety is important (you can't always feed carrots, no matter how much Fluffy loves them), and NOT TOO MANY. If you are feeding your dog 1 cup of meat, you need 1-2 tablespoons of vegetables...at SOME meals. For a cat, this means a teaspoon of veggies...sometimes.
You don't have to feed veggies all the time. If it's easier for you, fine. If not, don't worry about it. Some weeks my dogs get no vegetables in their food, but I'll steam some Brussels sprouts during the day and they'll eat them right out of the pot. Or I might give them some vegetable soup when I'm putting the leftovers into containers. My cats are still eating some processed (canned and dry) grain-free foods. They are already getting more carbohydrates than they need, so when I put out raw food for them I don't add veggies to it. The raw food that I use is just meat and bone, by the way, no veggies or supplements in it.
I think it actually makes our lives easier. Make sure you are feeding a variety of meat sources (not always chicken), and if you feed your dog some table scraps and leftovers, the vegetables will likely take care of themselves....depending on your diet, of course!
Let's review: Dogs and cats are carnivores, or meat-eaters. Dogs are primarily carnivorous; although they can eat other things, they do best on a meat-based diet. Cats are obligate carnivores, and need meat if they are going to live and be healthy.
This also means that the bulk of their diet must be meat. Dogs need at least 3/4 of their diet to be meat, cats need a little more.
Correspondingly, this means that your pet doesn't need that much vegetable matter.
Many people are trying to cut back on the meat bill by adding grains or increasing the proportion of vegetables compared to meat. Unfortunately, you can't do this and come out ahead in the long run. Even though you are technically feeding "raw," your pets might experience lingering health issues - especially those who are being fed grains. And, remember, "grains" include rice, pasta, oatmeal, barley, millet, quinoa, etc. Watch your treats as well. Even a small amount of grains in the diet in the form of treats can prevent your pet's symptoms from clearing up.
When it comes to vegetables, variety is important (you can't always feed carrots, no matter how much Fluffy loves them), and NOT TOO MANY. If you are feeding your dog 1 cup of meat, you need 1-2 tablespoons of vegetables...at SOME meals. For a cat, this means a teaspoon of veggies...sometimes.
You don't have to feed veggies all the time. If it's easier for you, fine. If not, don't worry about it. Some weeks my dogs get no vegetables in their food, but I'll steam some Brussels sprouts during the day and they'll eat them right out of the pot. Or I might give them some vegetable soup when I'm putting the leftovers into containers. My cats are still eating some processed (canned and dry) grain-free foods. They are already getting more carbohydrates than they need, so when I put out raw food for them I don't add veggies to it. The raw food that I use is just meat and bone, by the way, no veggies or supplements in it.
I think it actually makes our lives easier. Make sure you are feeding a variety of meat sources (not always chicken), and if you feed your dog some table scraps and leftovers, the vegetables will likely take care of themselves....depending on your diet, of course!
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
What to do?
A few days ago I ran into one of my clients while out shopping. He told me that his doctor had put him on a drug for a health issue. He said he didn't want to take it, he knew the drug has serious side effects, but he didn't know what else to do.
Here's what to do:
Find alternative health care. Go online. Facebook your friends. Talk to people about what has worked for them, and think about what has and hasn't worked for you. Then find people to help you.
I see a homeopath, a naturopath, a chiropractor, two Rolfers, and a massage therapist. Not all the time, just depending on what's going on with me. The goal is to keep myself healthy, to deal with my issues using natural means, and to live a long, unmedicated life.
So find your people. Talk to practitioners on the phone. I know that prospective clients often want to talk to me before booking an appointment, so I'm happy to talk to them. That way they can hear my voice, ask me how I feel about vaccines or heartworm preventive or whatever, and get an idea about whether they want to work with me.
Even if you don't have the opportunity to talk to the practitioner first, go with your gut feeling. If your inclination is to book an appointment, do it. Even if you decide to try a different kind of therapy, or to continue with a different person, you will likely still benefit from that first session and treatment. There are practices where you can find several different types of practitioners working together, or you can assemble your own health care team.
There is so much alternative and complementary health care available, most of which has some merit, that it's worth researching and pursuing rather than resigning yourself to a life on drugs. There is no such thing as a drug without side effects, so it really behooves us to scope out other options.
Here's what to do:
Find alternative health care. Go online. Facebook your friends. Talk to people about what has worked for them, and think about what has and hasn't worked for you. Then find people to help you.
I see a homeopath, a naturopath, a chiropractor, two Rolfers, and a massage therapist. Not all the time, just depending on what's going on with me. The goal is to keep myself healthy, to deal with my issues using natural means, and to live a long, unmedicated life.
So find your people. Talk to practitioners on the phone. I know that prospective clients often want to talk to me before booking an appointment, so I'm happy to talk to them. That way they can hear my voice, ask me how I feel about vaccines or heartworm preventive or whatever, and get an idea about whether they want to work with me.
Even if you don't have the opportunity to talk to the practitioner first, go with your gut feeling. If your inclination is to book an appointment, do it. Even if you decide to try a different kind of therapy, or to continue with a different person, you will likely still benefit from that first session and treatment. There are practices where you can find several different types of practitioners working together, or you can assemble your own health care team.
There is so much alternative and complementary health care available, most of which has some merit, that it's worth researching and pursuing rather than resigning yourself to a life on drugs. There is no such thing as a drug without side effects, so it really behooves us to scope out other options.
Friday, May 10, 2013
Rolfing - the next frontier
As some of you may be aware, I am heading to Colorado this summer to study Rolfing. This is a three-part certification course. This first unit runs through June and July, so I'll be managing my practice from a distance. I can do a lot of work via email and phone, and I'll still be able to do consultations and send out remedies.
Everyone asks "What is Rolfing?" Well, it's another obscure healing method, kind of like homeopathy. No, seriously, in order to answer that question, I asked my Rolfer, Jennifer Eslinger. Her practice is called Structural Energy.
Here is what she had to say:
How did you hear about Rolfing?
I found out about Rolfing® Structural Integration in 2002, shortly
after graduating from college. My sister was seeing a Rolfer™ after
hearing about it through the Yoga Journal. She mentioned that her Rolfer
had a one year old son and that she needed someone to babysit him. I
ended up babysitting in exchange for my first three sessions. I fell in
love with the work and proceeded to pay for the rest of the series.
What made you decide to go study it?
I was a Psychology major and was having doubts about further pursuing
Psychology. Both the commitment of years and years of schooling as well
as my lack of desire to be surrounded by negativity swayed my thinking.
About halfway through the ten-series, I could see myself doing this work.
I enjoy helping people and what I loved about Rolfing SI is that it not
only affects the physical body, it also affects the mental and the
emotional body. With Rolfing SI, there is an end in sight. This is
goal-oriented work that gets to the root of the problem. As I was
considering Rolfing SI as a career, my Rolfer told me of a saying, “If you
want to change, get Rolfing. If you really want to change, become a
Rolfer.”
Can you briefly explain what Rolfing is?
Rolfing® Structural Integration is a hands-on form of bodywork that
works by lengthening and freeing the wrappings around the muscles, known
as connective tissue. Rolfing SI systematically organizes the body
through a series of ten individual sessions, with each session focusing on
a different part of the body. With heat and pressure, Rolfing SI is able
to mold a body like plastic. When this tissue “hardens,” it takes on a
new form and the effects are long-lasting.
I sometimes describe Rolfing SI as a cross between deep tissue massage and
chiropractic, but it is really neither of these two. If anything, it
feels like deep tissue massage, but has the added benefit of structural
alignment. Chiropractic works on the bones, whereas Rolfing SI works on
the soft tissue that surrounds the bones.
What kinds of conditions have you seen benefit from Rolfing treatment?
Rolfing SI is great for helping people improve their posture. My
clients seek my work for this reason as well as to address some form of
chronic pain, be it neck pain, shoulder pain, back pain, and so forth. A
lot of my clients come to Rolfing SI after they have exhausted other
modalities and nothing has fully helped them. The beauty of Rolfing SI is
that it works on the whole body, not just the point of pain and
discomfort. Rolfing SI recognizes that our body is connected and that
neck pain could actually begin with the feet.
Everyone asks "What is Rolfing?" Well, it's another obscure healing method, kind of like homeopathy. No, seriously, in order to answer that question, I asked my Rolfer, Jennifer Eslinger. Her practice is called Structural Energy.
Here is what she had to say:
How did you hear about Rolfing?
I found out about Rolfing® Structural Integration in 2002, shortly
after graduating from college. My sister was seeing a Rolfer™ after
hearing about it through the Yoga Journal. She mentioned that her Rolfer
had a one year old son and that she needed someone to babysit him. I
ended up babysitting in exchange for my first three sessions. I fell in
love with the work and proceeded to pay for the rest of the series.
What made you decide to go study it?
I was a Psychology major and was having doubts about further pursuing
Psychology. Both the commitment of years and years of schooling as well
as my lack of desire to be surrounded by negativity swayed my thinking.
About halfway through the ten-series, I could see myself doing this work.
I enjoy helping people and what I loved about Rolfing SI is that it not
only affects the physical body, it also affects the mental and the
emotional body. With Rolfing SI, there is an end in sight. This is
goal-oriented work that gets to the root of the problem. As I was
considering Rolfing SI as a career, my Rolfer told me of a saying, “If you
want to change, get Rolfing. If you really want to change, become a
Rolfer.”
Can you briefly explain what Rolfing is?
Rolfing® Structural Integration is a hands-on form of bodywork that
works by lengthening and freeing the wrappings around the muscles, known
as connective tissue. Rolfing SI systematically organizes the body
through a series of ten individual sessions, with each session focusing on
a different part of the body. With heat and pressure, Rolfing SI is able
to mold a body like plastic. When this tissue “hardens,” it takes on a
new form and the effects are long-lasting.
I sometimes describe Rolfing SI as a cross between deep tissue massage and
chiropractic, but it is really neither of these two. If anything, it
feels like deep tissue massage, but has the added benefit of structural
alignment. Chiropractic works on the bones, whereas Rolfing SI works on
the soft tissue that surrounds the bones.
What kinds of conditions have you seen benefit from Rolfing treatment?
Rolfing SI is great for helping people improve their posture. My
clients seek my work for this reason as well as to address some form of
chronic pain, be it neck pain, shoulder pain, back pain, and so forth. A
lot of my clients come to Rolfing SI after they have exhausted other
modalities and nothing has fully helped them. The beauty of Rolfing SI is
that it works on the whole body, not just the point of pain and
discomfort. Rolfing SI recognizes that our body is connected and that
neck pain could actually begin with the feet.
Monday, April 22, 2013
The Pain of Life
I often hear people say that they have considered euthanizing their pet because they are in such terrible pain. Of all the reasons to euthanize a pet, pain seems like an extreme. Severe trauma, yes. Cancer, okay. Untreatable debilitating illness, sure. But pain?
Pain can be treated. It can be dealt with. It is often temporary.
It is actually difficult for us to tell when an animal is in pain. They don't cry or whine, and still want to go for a walk or car ride. Sometimes the only way to know is to say, Well, if my eye looked like that, I'm pretty sure it would hurt. Or the relatively obvious, If it didn't hurt, he wouldn't be limping on it.
The human pharmacy is full of drugs that treat different kinds of pain. There might be many drugs in the same class, like Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatories (NSAIDs), because response to these drugs differs from one person to the next. Many of these drugs are not safe for use in dogs and cats, so it is not a good idea to treat your pet with things you find in your own medicine cabinet at home. We tend to use a smaller variety of drugs with animals, because we don't know how they feel in the first place. The current trend is towards polypharmacy, where drugs are used in combination in an attempt to mitigate the toxic side effects of each one. Using them together often allows lowered and safer doses.
Naturally, there are all kinds of options. Boswellia is the classic "arthritis herb." The herb Slippery Elm soothes digestive irritations. Homeopathy offers many remedies for various kinds of pain and discomfort; the most common one is probably Arnica montana for trauma and bruises. Massage, chiropractic, acupressure, and myofascial release all have their places in the natural medicine chest.
I suggest that if you think your pet is in pain, or if there is a diagnosis of a condition that would be painful for a human, check out all your options. All drugs have side effects, so it can be helpful to use the safer herbs and homeopathic remedies first, and only turn to the drugs as a last resort. In addition to the modern tendency to "take a pill for that," we should remember the healing benefits of the hands-on manual therapies like massage as well as the hands-off therapies like Reiki and Healing Touch.
Pain can be treated. It can be dealt with. It is often temporary.
It is actually difficult for us to tell when an animal is in pain. They don't cry or whine, and still want to go for a walk or car ride. Sometimes the only way to know is to say, Well, if my eye looked like that, I'm pretty sure it would hurt. Or the relatively obvious, If it didn't hurt, he wouldn't be limping on it.
The human pharmacy is full of drugs that treat different kinds of pain. There might be many drugs in the same class, like Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatories (NSAIDs), because response to these drugs differs from one person to the next. Many of these drugs are not safe for use in dogs and cats, so it is not a good idea to treat your pet with things you find in your own medicine cabinet at home. We tend to use a smaller variety of drugs with animals, because we don't know how they feel in the first place. The current trend is towards polypharmacy, where drugs are used in combination in an attempt to mitigate the toxic side effects of each one. Using them together often allows lowered and safer doses.
Naturally, there are all kinds of options. Boswellia is the classic "arthritis herb." The herb Slippery Elm soothes digestive irritations. Homeopathy offers many remedies for various kinds of pain and discomfort; the most common one is probably Arnica montana for trauma and bruises. Massage, chiropractic, acupressure, and myofascial release all have their places in the natural medicine chest.
I suggest that if you think your pet is in pain, or if there is a diagnosis of a condition that would be painful for a human, check out all your options. All drugs have side effects, so it can be helpful to use the safer herbs and homeopathic remedies first, and only turn to the drugs as a last resort. In addition to the modern tendency to "take a pill for that," we should remember the healing benefits of the hands-on manual therapies like massage as well as the hands-off therapies like Reiki and Healing Touch.
Friday, February 8, 2013
Welcome to the new year!
Wow, it's been a while since I've last written. Well, here I am getting back on track after the insanity that was last fall.
Last spring I started a seasonal detoxification program for my dogs. It was based on the Chinese calendar and organ affinities, and I came up with combinations of the Standard Process human supplements for detoxification of the various organs. Unfortunately, I never made it past the spring. One of my dogs, Alice the Aussie mix, couldn't tolerate one of the supplements that I had chosen. Then she developed other problems and ended up dying of mast cell tumor at home.
She was a great dog. I'd had her for years, since she was picked up as a stray in Elk River. She was bold, aggressive, and wise, a go-anywhere, do-anything kind of dog. Over the last couple of years of her life she struggled a little with the fallout from a bout of vestibular disease, but never lost her appetite or attitude.
So, anyhow, back to the detox idea. Since then I have reverted to using more of the veterinary line of Standard Process products in my practice. I have also read more and learned more. I lean more and more towards supporting the organ systems so that they can naturally detoxify themselves, rather than forcing detoxification on systems that may be weakened.
This means that before you try this program, make sure you have your basics in place. This means raw food diet and appropriate basic supplementation - essential fatty acids, probiotics, and digestive enzymes. I will be utilizing Standard Process veterinary products exclusively. These are available from my office (obviously), at many chiropractic offices, and you can even find some of them on Amazon.
The goal is to use the supplements for organ support for a limited period of time. All Standard Process products are whole food supplements, i.e. food sources of vitamins and minerals (as opposed to synthetic crap that your body can't easily utilize or absorb). In between the organ-specific seasons, I suggest that you go back to some other whole food supplement (which you are probably already using for your pets, if you have been to see me or taken any of my classes). This means something like Springtime's Fresh Factors, Dr. Harvey's E-Mune Blend, Missing Link, Udo's Essentials, Azmira's Daily Boost, etc.
I'll be recording my dogs' progress through the program, with a brief heads up as we start each season and the list of what you'll need. I encourage all pet owners to follow through the program with me, and let me know how your pets respond and any changes you see, and I'll do the same. As my dogs age, I am anxious to do whatever I can to help keep them healthy and functional, and I'm sure many pet owners feel the same. Come along on this journey with me!
Last spring I started a seasonal detoxification program for my dogs. It was based on the Chinese calendar and organ affinities, and I came up with combinations of the Standard Process human supplements for detoxification of the various organs. Unfortunately, I never made it past the spring. One of my dogs, Alice the Aussie mix, couldn't tolerate one of the supplements that I had chosen. Then she developed other problems and ended up dying of mast cell tumor at home.
She was a great dog. I'd had her for years, since she was picked up as a stray in Elk River. She was bold, aggressive, and wise, a go-anywhere, do-anything kind of dog. Over the last couple of years of her life she struggled a little with the fallout from a bout of vestibular disease, but never lost her appetite or attitude.
So, anyhow, back to the detox idea. Since then I have reverted to using more of the veterinary line of Standard Process products in my practice. I have also read more and learned more. I lean more and more towards supporting the organ systems so that they can naturally detoxify themselves, rather than forcing detoxification on systems that may be weakened.
This means that before you try this program, make sure you have your basics in place. This means raw food diet and appropriate basic supplementation - essential fatty acids, probiotics, and digestive enzymes. I will be utilizing Standard Process veterinary products exclusively. These are available from my office (obviously), at many chiropractic offices, and you can even find some of them on Amazon.
The goal is to use the supplements for organ support for a limited period of time. All Standard Process products are whole food supplements, i.e. food sources of vitamins and minerals (as opposed to synthetic crap that your body can't easily utilize or absorb). In between the organ-specific seasons, I suggest that you go back to some other whole food supplement (which you are probably already using for your pets, if you have been to see me or taken any of my classes). This means something like Springtime's Fresh Factors, Dr. Harvey's E-Mune Blend, Missing Link, Udo's Essentials, Azmira's Daily Boost, etc.
I'll be recording my dogs' progress through the program, with a brief heads up as we start each season and the list of what you'll need. I encourage all pet owners to follow through the program with me, and let me know how your pets respond and any changes you see, and I'll do the same. As my dogs age, I am anxious to do whatever I can to help keep them healthy and functional, and I'm sure many pet owners feel the same. Come along on this journey with me!
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
AVMA War Against Raw Food is Half Baked
To all friends and fans of holistic medicine, raw food, and common sense: Do not be alarmed by the AVMA's decision to pass a resolution warning people against feeding raw food to dogs and cats! This resolution was pushed through by the processed pet food companies in an economic assault on the raw food companies, and the AVMA are a bunch of idiots and cowards for passing it!
Supposedly, the purpose is
Supposedly, the purpose is
to protect the public from the horrible infections we could get from feeding our pets raw food. They are totally ignoring all the DRY food recalls - many more than raw foods have ever had - because of bacterial contamination! Just to let you know, I am writing the organization a goodbye letter and terminating my membership. I can't stand to be a part of this irresponsible idiocy any more.
If you're looking for more information, please check out this article on Dr. Fox Vet. It basically reinforces everything my colleagues and I have been talking about.
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