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by J.L. White-Bear (c)1999
If we are able to supply our
animal companions with a natural life (free of chemical exposures and unnecessary toxins), adequate exercise and fresh air,
and a diet of natural foods, they will thrive and have lasting health. Our vet bills will also be considerably lower, as our
friends will suffer less illness (if any at all).
For those who feel they don't "have time" to prepare natural foods
for their companions, this might be something to contemplate.
The components of a natural diet for dogs include protein,
carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, which can be supplied with fresh RAW meat, whole cereal grains, raw vegetables (including
sea vegetables), beans, some dairy foods and eggs, and bones, with the addition of some oils and herbs.
I like to
do things the easy way myself, and I also know that if I make things too compicated, I will tend to scrap a project entirely.
This seems to hold true with many of my clients, who often will claim that they "do not cook for themselves," therefore, how
can I expect them to cook for their animals?
The animals will do better on an uncooked diet, so what we are talking
about here is food PREPARATION, and I like to keep it as simple and easy as possible, so we can ALL have healthier pets, and
find ourselves able to keep up with it all. Otherwise we may well be tempted to go back to a convenience food (or dog kibble)
diet. And truly, our beloved pets deserve better than that.
MEAT DIET
Dogs in the wild state are carnivorous,
and therefore do best on a diet rich in meat. Raw is best, because cooking not only destroys the enzymes and "life force,"
but begins digestion by breaking down the tissues. This denies the digestive organs and juices their rightful job, and they
will begin to atrophy and become weak. (Some vegetarians do not like to give meat to their pets due to their own aversion
to it, and dogs have been successfully reared on vegetarian diets. These are not highly recommended; your animal friends will
do better on the food which is natural to them.)
Most of our pets today are merely surviving on their cooked denatured
convenience food diets. They become hosts to various parasites, have bad breath and body odor, and age more rapidly. Their
teeth may also have to be scraped regularly by a veterinarian.
Animals fed on a natural diet of raw foods are full
of life and energy, and being naturally healthy they are generally immune to the ravages of parasites. Their teeth will need
much less (if any) care from your veterinarian.
The intestinal tracts of dogs are much shorter than those of herbivores
like cattle, horses, and goats, and therefore they should be fed small amounts of foods at a time. Raw meat should be fed
in chunks, in order to exercise the muscles of the inestinal tract and stomach and utilize the digestive juices, as well as
to excercise the teeth and jaws.
There are many choices in terms of meat foods. These include chicken (whole legs
with bones included), turkey, beef, liver, mutton and lamb, rabbit, and venison. If you can get such things as sheep heads
and paunches (or tripe) of herbivorous animals, these are very healthful.
Fish is not usually recommended for dogs,
but mackerel and herring can be used, and always raw. In Alaska, many sled dogs thrive on a diet of indigenous fish, so be
creative.
Be sure to include the interal organs; discard (or place in a compost bin) only the heads. Or, better yet,
let your dog remove what he can from the heads first -- the eyes are very nutritious for him.
Meat should not be frozen
hard, or it will lose life force. The meat should also be warmed thoroughly (or at least taken out of refrigeration and brought
to room temperature) before feeding. Ice cold meats should never be given, as they can cause ulceration of the intestinal
organs.
I know for myself that cold foods do not digest well, simply because they slow digestion, and usually avoid
them in my own diet. Meats may be lightly or very slightly frozen to extend their "shelf life" in your refrigerator. But if
you have kept some meat for a while and it becomes gamey or smelly, even to the point where a greyish mold forms on it, this
can be fed to dogs with complete safety. Keep in mind that canines are natural SCAVENGERS, and delight in digging up long-buried
foods.
Cooked meats, on the other hand, will turn greenish and become toxic after a few days in the refrigerator.
Please do NOT think that cooking will extend the shelf life of meats in your refrigerator! I personally have chosen to eat
a vegetarian diet for most of my life, and do have to hold my nose when preparing meat for the dogs after it has been around
a few days. It may be strong smelling to me, but inside it is nice and tender, and the dogs love it. Also I am encouraged
to do this for them, knowing it will keep them healthy and energetic.
Organ meats such as liver are extremely high
in vitamins and minerals, and thus are craved by dogs. But they are best avoided unless you are CERTAIN of your sources. The
liver is the detoxifying organ of the body, and modern drugged and injected meat animals have toxic livers. The liver may
also house parasites such as liver flukes.
For that matter, all meats should be naturally raised if possible, or game
meat, which has not been injected with growth stimulants and antibiotics. We have to do the best that we can, and if such
meats are unavailable, look for turkey and especially turkey necks. Turkey tends to be less "processed" (or factory farmed)
than chicken.
Personally I do not use pork at all, because pigs are scavengers and will and do eat almost anything.
Their meat may be considered "unclean" -- a reason perhaps for the biblical laws against its use.
GRAINS, BEANS, and
SEEDS
If cereal grains are used in their whole form (wheat berries, whole rice grains, whole oat groats and so on) they
must be well and thoroughly cooked. Dogs chew their foods very little, and grains, if not thoroughly cooked or prepared by
flaking or rolling, will pass through almost completely undigested.
Rice, barley, wheat, corn (the young cobs may
be fed raw), oats, and rye may be used. Breads can be handy, but be sure to get only stoneground whole grain breads.
Flaked
cereal grains, such as barley, oats, and rye are perhaps the most economical and speedy form of grains to prepare for dogs.
These grain flakes may be used uncooked, if they are soaked overnight.
Beans may be sprouted and fed raw, minced finely,
or thorougly cooked (preferably after soaking).
Sesame seeds in the form of tahini are good for dogs, and may be added
to their grain by mixing with liquid and making a "gravy."
MILK, CHEESE AND EGGS
Milk is not a natural food for
dogs, but cottage cheese or white "farmer" cheeses may be given.
Eggs are a natural food for dogs, as they will seek
out bird eggs along the seashore and in the woods. A very small amount of ground eggshell sprinkled on the food (use a saltshaker)
is helpful as a calcium source. Though rather insoluble, eggshell is digestible when the dog has HEALTHY digestion. Eggs should
be fed as fresh as possible and raw.
For years raw egg white has been a "no-no" because of the enzyme, avidin, which
is said to destroy biotin. Biotin is very important in the development of nervous tissue. As far as I'm concerned, the nervous
tissue doesn't seem to have been harmed in wild foxes, cats, rats, and other predators who steal bird eggs regularly as a
part of their diets. Feed no more than 2 or 3 eggs per week per dog.
VEGETABLES
Vegetables for dogs must be shredded
or grated, as they swallow their food with very little chewing. Canines in the wild get their vegetable food predigested in
the intestines of their prey animals. Herbivores also chew much more thoroughly, so the vegetable matter in their intestines
is ground up well before it is predigested.
Organically grown vegetables are the best ones to get, if that is possible.
If not, pesticides may be removed (at least somewhat) by soaking in a white vinegar solution (about a quarter cup in a gallon
of water) for about 10 minutes and then rinsing thoroughly.
The best vegetables to use are the ones you know are healthful
for you, like carrots, brocolli, orange squashes, kale, chard, sweet potatoes, parsnips and so on. I find that if I am
preparing a salad for myself, it is so easy to grate or shred some extra for the dogs. (Lettuce is mostly water, and I wouldn't
use much of it, unless your dog likes it as a snack.)
Use what you have on hand, and if you don't have it on hand,
perhaps you could START tao do so. Then you will be eating more healthful foods yourself as well.
Vegetables must
be grated finely for ease of digestion. If that is not possible they may be baked or thoroughly cooked by steaming or saute
steaming. They may then be mashed and added to a meal. Keep in mind that however beautiful and full of enzymes, chlorophyll,
and life the raw vegetables are when fed, if they pass through almost unchanged, their nutrition will be lost on your dog.
Sea vegetables are extremely nutritious, being high in minerals, including iodine, which promotes healthy hair and
skin. Seaweeds such as dulse and nori may be fed raw if soaked, but thicker heavier ones like kelp (alaria), wakame, and kombu
must be thoroughly cooked. Seaweeds may also be obtained in a powdered form.
If you forage for your own sea vegetables,
be sure they are not polluted and that you know which species are safe and not poisonous. Many varieties of seaweeds are now
available in stores, especially Oriental stores, but I have seen them even in the supermarket.
BONES
Bones scrub
the teeth clean, and are therefore extremely important. The exercise obtained through chewing them improves the structure
and strength of the jaw. The salivary glands are also exercised in this way. Soft bones or flat bones (like ribs) are best.
The harder ones may be used occasionally, but only every few days, as they may wear the teeth down.
Bones must never
be cooked, as they can then splinter and by puncturing the intestines, cause death. Raw bones will not splinter. But be sure
that if you are feeding chicken bones that the chicken was never FROZEN either, as the bones must then be treated as if they
had been cooked. Frozen poultry bones will splinter. Shin bones cut up by the butcher are very good for dogs.
Unless
you are feeding a meal of turkey neck bones, feed bones only after a meal, when they will be well mixed with other foods.
That way there will be no danger of a bone piece damaging the intestine. Intestinal gas is also minimized this way.
OILS
Oils should be fed additionally, balanced with oily foods which may be given (such as sesame tahini, whole mashed olives,
almond butter, and so on). Feed the equivalent of one teaspoon to two and a half tablespoons daily (depending on the size
of the dog).
FOOD HERBS
Greens such as dandelion, clover, mint, parsley, watercress and so on are wonderful additions
to the diet. These must be chopped or minced very finely (even to a pulp) to be properly digested as they contain cellulose.
Green foods are extremely important for health, and can be considered the "vitamin supplements" of the natural diet.
A
WORD ABOUT VITAMINS
A balanced and adequate diet will provide the needed vitamins. If you desire to add a vitamin supplement
anyway, they are available in health food stores. Powder mixes may also be made up, but why feed a mix based on bone meal
when you can feed whole bones?
Vitamin C powder is one vitamin that is important to add to the diet, for it can be
so helpful in stress reduction and immune boosting. Between 250 and 750 mg. per day may be given (depending on the size of
the dog), by sprinkling on the food.
Vitamin E may also be added to the diet, by squeezing a drop from a capsule onto
the food. Wheat germ is a good natural source of vitamin E.
FOOD COMBINING
Food combining laws hold true for our
animal companions as well as for us. Therefore, starch foods should be fed separately from protein foods. It is simple to
feed a cereal grain meal and a meat meal. Each of these may have vegetable food added to them.
MISCELLANEOUS
One
meatless day per week is highly recommended by Juliette de Baircli Levy, well known animal herbalist and author, in her Natural
Rearing diet, followed by a fasting day. [Fasting is a subject for a future article.]
Experimentation is the key to
the natural diet for dogs. Try different things to see what your dog will eat, keeping in mind of course that his appetite
is most likely depraved through being fed a convenience food diet. What he craves is not necessarily what is best for him.
Vary the diet and continue to offer and try different things, until his tastes return to the natural state. Believe me, he
will LOVE a raw natural diet, if not immediately, at least in time.
SAMPLE MENUS
NOTES
Two meals per day
should be given to adult dogs. [The subject of puppy feeding will be dealt with in a future article.] Midday and evening are
the best times to feed your dog, because his system needs time to eliminate and it is best to "fast" him during the morning.
(Free choice feeding of convenience foods is therefore a very harmful practice, as it allows him to munch a mouthful here
and there anytime he wants one.) Dogs in the wild do not munch on small meals all day. Thus a meal should be offered for about
half an hour, and then removed. It may be refrigerated and then used again the next day. The exact times of feeding should
be adjusted and worked out for your personal situation.
FIRST MEAL
Flaked cereal grains, i.e. barley, oats, rye,
soaked with warm water (or fresh vegetable juice if available).
OR
Well cooked whole grain brown rice or oats.
Sesame tahini, olive oil, or canola oil. Unless a dog's appetite is extremely depraved, he will not overeat a purely grain
meal. In fact, you may have trouble getting him to eat it at all at first, if he is used to dry dog kibble (which is meat
flavored). He may have to be enticed into eating his grain meal with a bit of ground meat or meat juices. Try to use the tahini,
almond butter, and so on as an enticement.
SECOND MEAL
This is the protein meal, and here you will offer a set
amount, depending on the size of the dog, so that he doesn't overeat.
Meat, raw, in large pieces, including a small
amount of fat. (Do not use ground meat, as it deprives the intestinal tract of needed exercise and usually contains too much
fat.)
Finely chopped raw green food herbs, such as watercress, dandelion greens, and so on. (Approximately 1 teaspoon
to 1 tablespoon, depending on the size of the dog.)
Powdered blue-green algae is a good food supplement to add here
as well, as well as other green foods such as barley green or alfalfa powder.
Grated carrot or other root vegetables
(or these may be baked and mashed).
Seaweed powder (or soaked or cooked seaweed).
Raw bones should follow
the meal.
NOTE
This program may be adapted for your cat as well.
For cats, fish may be fed, but their
appetites have often become depraved with cooked food diets that are excessively high in tuna. Better to give them choices
of meat foods from the above list, and additionally even rodents if they are available. This is the closest thing to a natural
diet for them.
For cats, raw unpasteurized milk is recommended mixed with their cereal gruels.
(Also see article
on Natural Raw Food Diet for the Cat.)
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White-Bear lives in Chugiak, Alaska, and does interspecies communication
(animal telepathy) and energy healing for companion animals. She can be reached at 907-566-3400.
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