Vitamin D (the sunshine vitamin) is a critical nutrient. It regulates the absorption of calcium and phosphorus from the bowel and is involved with its mobilization from bone. It works with other hormones to balance the calcium levels in the body. Too little vitamin D is associated with many problems discussed below. Too much Vitamin […]
Did you ever wonder what’s really in your pet’s processed kibble or canned food? Most pet caregivers really do not want to know – but I’m going to spill the beans anyway. Just as you can’t judge a book by its cover, there is no way to know what’s in pet food by reading the […]
Vitamin D is just one more way your cat’s food may be killing her. Recently Rachael Ray Nourish wet cat food was recalled over elevated Vitamin D levels. This coincided with a conversation I just had with a veterinary nutritionist about study regarding Vitamin D in cats. A study published May 13, 2015 found that […]
Processed pet foods are touted as nutritious and healthful for dogs and cats. The truth is that commercial diets are made from unnatural ingredients of questionable origin. The high-temperature processing destroys vital nutrients and creates toxins. Then some synthetic vitamins are sprinkled in to make them “complete and balanced.” The sins of the pet food […]
I am all for natural care for the body, mind, and spirit. Unfortunately the word “natural,” especially when applied to all things related to pet diet and health, has become a bit of a meaningless buzzword. We have natural pet foods with natural ingredients like natural flavors. There are also natural supplements, natural shampoos, and […]
Nutritional supplements can be very beneficial to our pets because most pet foods are deficient in certain nutritional factors. Conventional pet foods are especially devoid of nutrients because the high-heat processing destroys most of the vitamins, enzymes, and phytochemicals foods naturally contain. The synthetic vitamin/mineral mix that pet food manufacturers add back is a poor […]
On February 22, I gave a day of lectures on traditional Chinese veterinary medicine and food therapy at the Midwest Veterinary Conference in Columbus, Ohio. While I was at the conference I went to a lecture on “Unconventional Diets” given by one of the nutritionists at the OSU vet school. The term unconventional diets refers […]
In a previous post I mentioned my encounter with a veterinarian (Dr. EBM) who argued with me all though a presentation on holistic medicine I gave at a veterinary conference. He loudly found fault with just about everything I said. For instance, as a case example of the tendency of veterinarians to over-vaccinate our patients, […]
The importance of a diet’s macronutrient balance cannot be over stated. Studies show that the percentages of protein, fat, and carbohydrate in an animal’s diet affects their grow rate and size, level of obesity, longevity, and disease resistance. In fact, research shows that predators select food on the basis of the macronutrient balance that enhances […]
One important way of looking at the quality and appropriateness of a particular diet is to analyze the percentages of macronutrients. The term “macronutrient” refers to the main components of any diet and includes protein, fat, and carbohydrates. Looking at the macronutrient content of a pet food is invaluable but does not tell the whole […]