Evolution-based nutrition in other words, what pets were meant to eat.
A few years ago I went to a nutrition program at the Hills headquarters in Topeka, Kansas. At this “educational” (read “promotional”) conference I had the opportunity to speak directly to one of Hills’ lead nutritionists. I phrased the burning question on my mind at the time like this, “I understand that there is no […]
Yes, you read that correctly; I am not in favor of any raw meat diet! I know this may sound like a big change coming from me, but it is not. Anyone who has been reading this blog or who has brought their pet to me knows that I am a huge promoter of balanced […]
There is a lot of overlap between nutritional concepts for people and those for pets. David Perlmutter, MD is a board certified neurologist as well as a Fellow of the American College of Nutrition. He combined his knowledge in both areas of expertise in his 2013 book, Grain Brain. Grain Brain is a brilliant, science-based […]
“Don’t give your dog people food.” That was the refrain I told pet caregivers day in and day out. That was what I was trained to tell people. This is the same line many people still hear from their vet. The message has surely gotten through. I have had clients ask me why there was […]
Cats tend to be very finicky about their foods. In fact, cats become imprinted on the food they are first fed. They can even become addicted to the shape of the kibble. That’s why each pet food company makes their kitty kibble in distinct shapes. The companies also spray the surface of the kibble with […]
Cancer is a terrible disease that is all too common in our beloved four-legged friends. Studies show that 1/3 of all dogs will die of cancer and half of all dogs that make it to 10 years of age will get cancer. For some specific breeds the odds are even worse. A staggering 3/4 of […]
The most common conventional treatment for any allergy includes either antihistamines or cortisone. Antihistamines tend to have fewer serious side effects (mostly drowsiness) but they are also less effective than cortisone. While almost always great at stopping the allergy symptoms, cortisone also suppresses the immune system, stresses the liver and increases the animal’s thirst and […]
Conventional, veterinary nutrition is based on modern-day research. This sounds well and fine except for the fact that the vast majority of the research is sponsored by pet food companies. Many studies have shown that industry-sponsored research often results in biased findings. Let’s face it; if every pet food company has research indicating that their […]
I am not a big fan of veterinary nutritionists and I have not been shy about my feelings. Here are a few of my reasons for criticizing board certified veterinary nutritionists. In my personal conversations with most veterinary nutritionists I have found that they do not share my passion for how proper nutrition can lead […]
According to modern medical dogma, our genes rule our lives. Genes code for the proteins that determine just about everything about us. The thing we are just discovering is that it is not the genes we are born with that are important but rather which genes are turned off or on. We are often told […]