I totally agree with Rob about commercial pet food, and also the well-informed comments from Janet Vernon (I will definitely buy the book you recommend!). We have an 8 year old terrier who was a rescue dog, and although not abused, has some increasingly bad abandonment and anxiety issues. Almost from the start, he had all the symptoms of IBS, maybe even leaky gut, and we quickly discovered that giving him cooked food, even the organic variety, was a complete disaster. So we switched to Honeys Real dog food which is minced raw meat (a large variety on offer) with added vegetables and chopped bone. As long as we stick to that, plus daily probiotics, we can at least manage Freddie’s condition (although I wish I could say the same about his anxiety, which seems to worsen year by year). He has never had injections or vaccinations and we use a herbal tick and flea deterrent in summer (Biospotix) plus daily foot baths in water with 2.5% iodine mixed in to stop him chewing his paws. It’s not perfect but we are doing our best, which is all we can do!
Excellent information. I’ve found homeopathy to be very effective for my dogs and have worked with some amazing homeopathic vets in the past but can’t find one anywhere in the area I’m now living. I’d love to know more about the remedies you use?
Never mind dog food! Have you looked Into cat food? I've tried getting my two cats to eat actual food but they are addicted to the rubbish stuff (no idea whats in it) from the pouches. They wouldn't dream of eating real meat.
Commercial dog and cat food is almost worthless in terms of nourishment. Dry food is super heated to destroy bacteria which also destroys most vitamins and minerals, then it is extruded to remove moisture which effectively destroys the remaining vitamins, then they add synthetic vitamins and minerals. Cooked food is little better, I have never seen a dog or cat cook ..... Dogs and cats need a species-appropriate diet - raw meat with a little added veg and fruit for dogs. Please read Catherine O'Driscoll's 'The Tip of the Needle' a jaw-dropping book telling the truth about the horrors of commercial pet food, over vaccination and chemical flea treatments. She has spent 20 odd years of her life researching the above after losing several of her beloved retrievers to ill health, this book is fully referenced and an absolute MUST for every pet owner, please buy it and share the knowledge.
We have a Bengal cat which has a life expectancy of just 12 years but our is still doing fine at 21! I'm sure it's because of the offal and chicken and (human) tinned fish that have always got mixed into his 'normal' cat food!
Thanks Rob - a great read as usual. Spot on. Having said that, our (over-bred) dog did develop pancreatitis and protein allergy aged 9 after having been raised purely on home cooked offal, sardines, rice and probiotics, so one can’t always side step illness unfortunately, even though in my profession as an NT it’s what I most believe in.
I totally agree with Rob about commercial pet food, and also the well-informed comments from Janet Vernon (I will definitely buy the book you recommend!). We have an 8 year old terrier who was a rescue dog, and although not abused, has some increasingly bad abandonment and anxiety issues. Almost from the start, he had all the symptoms of IBS, maybe even leaky gut, and we quickly discovered that giving him cooked food, even the organic variety, was a complete disaster. So we switched to Honeys Real dog food which is minced raw meat (a large variety on offer) with added vegetables and chopped bone. As long as we stick to that, plus daily probiotics, we can at least manage Freddie’s condition (although I wish I could say the same about his anxiety, which seems to worsen year by year). He has never had injections or vaccinations and we use a herbal tick and flea deterrent in summer (Biospotix) plus daily foot baths in water with 2.5% iodine mixed in to stop him chewing his paws. It’s not perfect but we are doing our best, which is all we can do!
Excellent information. I’ve found homeopathy to be very effective for my dogs and have worked with some amazing homeopathic vets in the past but can’t find one anywhere in the area I’m now living. I’d love to know more about the remedies you use?
Never mind dog food! Have you looked Into cat food? I've tried getting my two cats to eat actual food but they are addicted to the rubbish stuff (no idea whats in it) from the pouches. They wouldn't dream of eating real meat.
Commercial dog and cat food is almost worthless in terms of nourishment. Dry food is super heated to destroy bacteria which also destroys most vitamins and minerals, then it is extruded to remove moisture which effectively destroys the remaining vitamins, then they add synthetic vitamins and minerals. Cooked food is little better, I have never seen a dog or cat cook ..... Dogs and cats need a species-appropriate diet - raw meat with a little added veg and fruit for dogs. Please read Catherine O'Driscoll's 'The Tip of the Needle' a jaw-dropping book telling the truth about the horrors of commercial pet food, over vaccination and chemical flea treatments. She has spent 20 odd years of her life researching the above after losing several of her beloved retrievers to ill health, this book is fully referenced and an absolute MUST for every pet owner, please buy it and share the knowledge.
We have a Bengal cat which has a life expectancy of just 12 years but our is still doing fine at 21! I'm sure it's because of the offal and chicken and (human) tinned fish that have always got mixed into his 'normal' cat food!
Thanks Rob - a great read as usual. Spot on. Having said that, our (over-bred) dog did develop pancreatitis and protein allergy aged 9 after having been raised purely on home cooked offal, sardines, rice and probiotics, so one can’t always side step illness unfortunately, even though in my profession as an NT it’s what I most believe in.