Canine diet
Nature has developed a diet for dogs that has kept them on the planet for millions of years. Processed pet food, on the other hand, has only been around for just over a hundred years: and it’s now that we’re experiencing chronic illness in our dogs. More accurately, they’re not actually ill: they’re malnourished.
If you want healthy dogs, you absolutely must get the diet right. It’s the foundation of good health.
What Dogs Eat
In the natural state, dogs eat small to medium sized prey. This would include rabbits, birds, fish, rats, mice, and lamb. They would frequently eat the whole carcass, including stomach, intestines, organs, meat and bones.
Dogs also forage for other foodstuffs, such as eggs and fruit. Vegetable matter and grains are provided in the stomach and intestines of prey.
To mimic the natural diet for your dogs (since they can’t go out and catch their own food in this modern world), you can feed:
Raw meaty bones
Raw organ meats such as tripe, liver, heart
Raw fresh eggs
Fresh raw fish
Steamed vegetables
Fruit
Table scraps
Our own dogs are given raw meaty bones for breakfast, including chicken wings, rabbit chunks (with bone), oxtail, and pheasant. Also, because we live in the country, they often catch their own meals. In the evening, they are given meat such as rabbit, chicken, tripe, beef and lamb, and offal such as liver. To this we add steamed vegetables six evenings a week. They are fasted one morning a week. Occasionally they have table scraps, including porridge, cooked meats, vegetables and fish. They also love the occasional dog biscuit treat.
Why Supplements Might Be Necessary
In the wild, dogs are obviously not given supplements. However, they do have the ability to supplement their own diets by foraging for herbs – which they do regularly by using their own inner wisdom.
It is wrong to believe that the needs of every dog are the same. There is no ‘one size fits all’ diet for dogs, just as there is no such thing for humans. We are all unique. Nutritional needs vary according to the age and health status of the dog.
It’s also worth bearing in mind that modern dogs have been fed processed pet food for generations: they’ve been malnourished for generations. This means that the dog in front of you is not the same as a dog in the wild.
In a famous feeding study of 900 cats conducted by Dr Francis Pottenger, raw-fed cats were found to be healthy in each successive generation. Processed food cats fared less well.
The first generation of processed food groups developed diseases and illnesses near the end of their lives. The second generation of processed food groups developed diseases and illnesses in the middle of their lives. The third generation of processed food groups developed diseases and illnesses in the beginning of their lives and many died before six months of age. There was no fourth generation in any of the three processed food groups. Either the third generation parents were sterile or the fourth generation cats died before birth!
This indicates that the errors of faulty feeding are passed on down the line.
Since nutrients can heal disease, and can be used therapeutically, you should use your dog’s body as a guide, and supplement as your dog himself indicates.
For example:
Vitamin C should always be added if there is a history of hip dysplasia in your dog’s breed or line – since research shows that HD is probably scurvy, also known as vitamin C deficiency. There are several types of vitamin C, and you should choose the type most suited to your dog. For example, Ascorbic Acid is good for alleviating cystitis, whereas Ester C has been proven in trials to alleviate mobility problems in dogs. So if your dog has stiff joints, a vitamin C supplement could well solve that problem.
Although it’s true that dogs manufacture their own vitamin C in the body, individual needs differ. Larger dogs, for example, frequently need more C than small dogs, and dogs under stress also need more vitamin C (since vitamin C feeds anti-stress hormones and can become depleted).
Essential fatty acids such as linseed/flax seed, coconut oil or hemp seed should always be added, unless the diet itself is supplying EFAs – which is unlikely due to modern farming and diet practices.
EFAs support the cardiovascular, reproductive, immune, and nervous systems. The body needs EFAs to manufacture and repair cell membranes, enabling the cells to obtain optimum nutrition and expel harmful waste products.
A primary function of EFAs is the production of prostaglandins, which regulate body functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, blood clotting, fertility, conception, and play a role in immune function by regulating inflammation and encouraging the body to fight infection. Essential Fatty Acids are also needed for proper growth, particularly for neural development and maturation of sensory systems. Foetuses and breast-fed new-borns also require an adequate supply of EFAs through the mother's dietary intake – and if a dog’s mother didn’t get enough EFAs, puppies won’t have either.
If a dog is in the wild, and feeding himself, then he can catch fish and eat vegetation that contains EFAs. However, if your dog is being given a diet concocted by man (including yourself) it’s possible that you will need to add EFAs.
Supplements can also be given to treat specific conditions. There are many natural solutions for arthritis, for example. Dogs have unique responses to these, so if one doesn’t appear to work, try another.
Alfalfa is particularly good for thin nervy dogs, often with digestive problems as well. Give up to one to six teaspoons of the dried herb with the daily ration for long periods depending on size.
Devils Claw has potent anti-inflammatory properties and is found in many of the herbal combinations used to ease the pain of arthritis. It is especially effective for problems in the hips and back.
Yarrow is found in many herbal combination remedies used to control the discomfort of arthritis.
Burdock will help remove the toxins produced by the arthritic joints.
Feverfew is a natural painkiller especially good for hot swollen joints and back pain.
Garlic: This is particularly good for the heavier pet with pain in the back end.
Chondroitin and Glucosamine: These two supplements are often combined in products. The response in some dogs is good, others as with a lot of arthritis remedies seem to show little response. Try them for a while either separately or in conjunction with each other.
MSM, another food supplement, has been very successful in treating arthritis in some dogs and humans. Highly worth a try.
Green Lipped Mussel Extract, a shell fish, is rich in nutrients that can help in many cases of arthritis.
Potters Tabritis – a herbal mix found in most health shops – is used specifically for gout in humans. It helps to rebalance uric acid in the body, and many arthritic dogs respond well to it.
Vitamin C – a must for arthritic dogs.
Essential fatty acids (such as linseed, hemp or coconut oil) – another must for arthritic dogs.
Urinary infections can often respond well to dietary supplements:
Cranberry juice is very useful; or you can buy cranberry tablets and capsules.
Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) can also clear up urinary infections.
Propolis (bee pollen), alongside ascorbic acid, should resolve the problem.
Allergies, too, respond well to supplements.
Vitamin C is nature’s anti-inflammatory.
Aloe Vera juice reduces inflammation.
Essential fatty acids reduce inflammation.
Transfer Factor (colostrum/mother’s milk) balances and supports the immune system, thus reducing inflammation.
So… you see …. it is wrong to rule out supplements altogether. On the other hand, it is wrong to throw supplements at your pet without knowing why you are adding them. Nutrients can be toxic if over-used – so research before you use.
Having said this, don’t be discouraged or lose confidence in yourself. A mountain is moved a stone at a time, and you will become an expert one piece of knowledge at a time.
Nutritional Support for your canine friend
The vast majority of dogs show health improvements when you mimic the diet they would eat in the wild. This means, of course, raw meaty bones or whole carcasses, vegetables, fish, fruit and a small amount of grains.
Some dogs, though, need special treatment. Elderly dogs, for example, might need less protein than they used to have, or they might need their food cooked. Some breeds need less protein than others. Some individual even fare better on commercial pet food. I believe much of this is to do with what their ancestors ate, and what the breed has become used to. German Shepherds, for example, usually respond well to a natural diet, but I have come across a few who can't tolerate the energy in real food. Collies, also, can occasionally suit processed food better.
As with any discipline, Canine Nutrition information is given in accordance with the veterinary surgeons act and supplied to enable you to make an informed decision regarding your animal's diet and nutritional requirements, in conjunction with any diagnosis made by a veterinary professional where appropriate and relevant.
You can have a private consult with Catherine, in person, or by telephone/email. For details click here: Consultations
Books: We recommend Give Your Dog a Bone by Dr Ian Billinghurst, Raw Meaty Bones by Tom Lonsdale, A Holistic Guide to a Healthy Dog by Wendy Volhard (check out Crosskeys for the UK and Dogwise outside the UK), and What Vets Don't Tell You About Vaccines & Shock to the System by Catherine O'Driscoll. Click here for links to resources and books about canine nutrition.
Nature has developed a diet for dogs that has kept them on the planet for millions of years. Processed pet food, on the other hand, has only been around for just over a hundred years: and it’s now that we’re experiencing chronic illness in our dogs. More accurately, they’re not actually ill: they’re malnourished.
If you want healthy dogs, you absolutely must get the diet right. It’s the foundation of good health.
What Dogs Eat
In the natural state, dogs eat small to medium sized prey. This would include rabbits, birds, fish, rats, mice, and lamb. They would frequently eat the whole carcass, including stomach, intestines, organs, meat and bones.
Dogs also forage for other foodstuffs, such as eggs and fruit. Vegetable matter and grains are provided in the stomach and intestines of prey.
To mimic the natural diet for your dogs (since they can’t go out and catch their own food in this modern world), you can feed:
Raw meaty bones
Raw organ meats such as tripe, liver, heart
Raw fresh eggs
Fresh raw fish
Steamed vegetables
Fruit
Table scraps
Our own dogs are given raw meaty bones for breakfast, including chicken wings, rabbit chunks (with bone), oxtail, and pheasant. Also, because we live in the country, they often catch their own meals. In the evening, they are given meat such as rabbit, chicken, tripe, beef and lamb, and offal such as liver. To this we add steamed vegetables six evenings a week. They are fasted one morning a week. Occasionally they have table scraps, including porridge, cooked meats, vegetables and fish. They also love the occasional dog biscuit treat.
Why Supplements Might Be Necessary
In the wild, dogs are obviously not given supplements. However, they do have the ability to supplement their own diets by foraging for herbs – which they do regularly by using their own inner wisdom.
It is wrong to believe that the needs of every dog are the same. There is no ‘one size fits all’ diet for dogs, just as there is no such thing for humans. We are all unique. Nutritional needs vary according to the age and health status of the dog.
It’s also worth bearing in mind that modern dogs have been fed processed pet food for generations: they’ve been malnourished for generations. This means that the dog in front of you is not the same as a dog in the wild.
In a famous feeding study of 900 cats conducted by Dr Francis Pottenger, raw-fed cats were found to be healthy in each successive generation. Processed food cats fared less well.
The first generation of processed food groups developed diseases and illnesses near the end of their lives. The second generation of processed food groups developed diseases and illnesses in the middle of their lives. The third generation of processed food groups developed diseases and illnesses in the beginning of their lives and many died before six months of age. There was no fourth generation in any of the three processed food groups. Either the third generation parents were sterile or the fourth generation cats died before birth!
This indicates that the errors of faulty feeding are passed on down the line.
Since nutrients can heal disease, and can be used therapeutically, you should use your dog’s body as a guide, and supplement as your dog himself indicates.
For example:
Vitamin C should always be added if there is a history of hip dysplasia in your dog’s breed or line – since research shows that HD is probably scurvy, also known as vitamin C deficiency. There are several types of vitamin C, and you should choose the type most suited to your dog. For example, Ascorbic Acid is good for alleviating cystitis, whereas Ester C has been proven in trials to alleviate mobility problems in dogs. So if your dog has stiff joints, a vitamin C supplement could well solve that problem.
Although it’s true that dogs manufacture their own vitamin C in the body, individual needs differ. Larger dogs, for example, frequently need more C than small dogs, and dogs under stress also need more vitamin C (since vitamin C feeds anti-stress hormones and can become depleted).
Essential fatty acids such as linseed/flax seed, coconut oil or hemp seed should always be added, unless the diet itself is supplying EFAs – which is unlikely due to modern farming and diet practices.
EFAs support the cardiovascular, reproductive, immune, and nervous systems. The body needs EFAs to manufacture and repair cell membranes, enabling the cells to obtain optimum nutrition and expel harmful waste products.
A primary function of EFAs is the production of prostaglandins, which regulate body functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, blood clotting, fertility, conception, and play a role in immune function by regulating inflammation and encouraging the body to fight infection. Essential Fatty Acids are also needed for proper growth, particularly for neural development and maturation of sensory systems. Foetuses and breast-fed new-borns also require an adequate supply of EFAs through the mother's dietary intake – and if a dog’s mother didn’t get enough EFAs, puppies won’t have either.
If a dog is in the wild, and feeding himself, then he can catch fish and eat vegetation that contains EFAs. However, if your dog is being given a diet concocted by man (including yourself) it’s possible that you will need to add EFAs.
Supplements can also be given to treat specific conditions. There are many natural solutions for arthritis, for example. Dogs have unique responses to these, so if one doesn’t appear to work, try another.
Alfalfa is particularly good for thin nervy dogs, often with digestive problems as well. Give up to one to six teaspoons of the dried herb with the daily ration for long periods depending on size.
Devils Claw has potent anti-inflammatory properties and is found in many of the herbal combinations used to ease the pain of arthritis. It is especially effective for problems in the hips and back.
Yarrow is found in many herbal combination remedies used to control the discomfort of arthritis.
Burdock will help remove the toxins produced by the arthritic joints.
Feverfew is a natural painkiller especially good for hot swollen joints and back pain.
Garlic: This is particularly good for the heavier pet with pain in the back end.
Chondroitin and Glucosamine: These two supplements are often combined in products. The response in some dogs is good, others as with a lot of arthritis remedies seem to show little response. Try them for a while either separately or in conjunction with each other.
MSM, another food supplement, has been very successful in treating arthritis in some dogs and humans. Highly worth a try.
Green Lipped Mussel Extract, a shell fish, is rich in nutrients that can help in many cases of arthritis.
Potters Tabritis – a herbal mix found in most health shops – is used specifically for gout in humans. It helps to rebalance uric acid in the body, and many arthritic dogs respond well to it.
Vitamin C – a must for arthritic dogs.
Essential fatty acids (such as linseed, hemp or coconut oil) – another must for arthritic dogs.
Urinary infections can often respond well to dietary supplements:
Cranberry juice is very useful; or you can buy cranberry tablets and capsules.
Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) can also clear up urinary infections.
Propolis (bee pollen), alongside ascorbic acid, should resolve the problem.
Allergies, too, respond well to supplements.
Vitamin C is nature’s anti-inflammatory.
Aloe Vera juice reduces inflammation.
Essential fatty acids reduce inflammation.
Transfer Factor (colostrum/mother’s milk) balances and supports the immune system, thus reducing inflammation.
So… you see …. it is wrong to rule out supplements altogether. On the other hand, it is wrong to throw supplements at your pet without knowing why you are adding them. Nutrients can be toxic if over-used – so research before you use.
Having said this, don’t be discouraged or lose confidence in yourself. A mountain is moved a stone at a time, and you will become an expert one piece of knowledge at a time.
Nutritional Support for your canine friend
The vast majority of dogs show health improvements when you mimic the diet they would eat in the wild. This means, of course, raw meaty bones or whole carcasses, vegetables, fish, fruit and a small amount of grains.
Some dogs, though, need special treatment. Elderly dogs, for example, might need less protein than they used to have, or they might need their food cooked. Some breeds need less protein than others. Some individual even fare better on commercial pet food. I believe much of this is to do with what their ancestors ate, and what the breed has become used to. German Shepherds, for example, usually respond well to a natural diet, but I have come across a few who can't tolerate the energy in real food. Collies, also, can occasionally suit processed food better.
As with any discipline, Canine Nutrition information is given in accordance with the veterinary surgeons act and supplied to enable you to make an informed decision regarding your animal's diet and nutritional requirements, in conjunction with any diagnosis made by a veterinary professional where appropriate and relevant.
You can have a private consult with Catherine, in person, or by telephone/email. For details click here: Consultations
Books: We recommend Give Your Dog a Bone by Dr Ian Billinghurst, Raw Meaty Bones by Tom Lonsdale, A Holistic Guide to a Healthy Dog by Wendy Volhard (check out Crosskeys for the UK and Dogwise outside the UK), and What Vets Don't Tell You About Vaccines & Shock to the System by Catherine O'Driscoll. Click here for links to resources and books about canine nutrition.