Holistic Hounds
Health food isn’t just for humans anymore. The pet food industry has become ripe with organic and natural dog foods, and a host of healthy treat industries have sprung up to provide Fido with the best nature has to offer.
While many whole food enthusiasts are buying the natural products, others are bypassing processed foods altogether.
“Eating unprocessed, natural, organic food is profoundly important for overall health,” said Jaison Golojuh of Oakland Township. “Eating this way should also apply to your pets.”
Golojuh, a chiropractor who also is certified to treat animals, has fed his 5-year-old Doberman and 13-year-old terrier an all-organic or natural diet all their lives.“The domestic dog is very closely related to the wolf,” Golojuh said.“DNA evidence supports this. Logic then dictates domestic dogs should eat as naturally as possible.”To provide a balanced diet, Golojuh makes meals using livers, oatmeal, chicken, bison, beef, cottage cheese, honey and eggs. The average meal is cottage cheese, eggs and a meat added to about a cup of high quality kibble.Golojuh said he lightly cooks the food, as one of the dogs won’t eat it cold.Unlike Golojuh, Corinne Thieleman of Adams Township feeds only raw foods to her black Lab.Although her dog, Toby, has reached old age, Thieleman began feeding a raw diet only recently.She learned about raw feeding about three years ago, but didn’t make the switch because Toby had fared well on kibble for 14 years.Although Toby began having small seizures a few years ago, a major seizure occurred last February.
“The effects of the seizure lasted several hours,” she said. “He was also in a lot of arthritis pain all last winter and spring and was regularly having ear infections.”Thieleman began to do some research, learning a dog’s digestive system is not made for digesting carbohydrates very effectively and that kibble is largely made of corn, wheat or rice.“I also learned that so many nutrients were removed from the kibble by the cooking and processing that it requires vitamins and nutrients to be added back in,” she said.“Toby, being a Lab, is a food hound, and I knew that he would love to eat raw meat. I thought last May, after another small seizure, that he was probably going to die soon and that he might as well die happy — so I made the switch,” Thieleman said.She now feeds Toby what is known as a prey model raw diet, which includes only raw meat, bones and organs of animals. Toby currently is eating mostly venison, which Thieleman has collected from road-killed deer.“I give him the hearts and livers and lungs as well,” she said. “He ... does not need to eat as much bone as a younger dog, so mostly he just gnaws the leg bones of the deer,” she said.
“I have also fed him bone-in chicken parts and also bone-in fish.”Although bones can be a big part of the raw diet, Joan Fiser of Pet Wellness and Dog Training in Butler said bones, like meats, should always be served raw.“I would never ever feed a cooked chicken bone or a cooked bone of any type to a dog. That hardens the bones and they will splinter and cause damage,” Fiser said.“But the theory behind all of this raw feeding is that the wolves, the wild dogs, never ate a cooked meal. They ate hide, meat, bone.”Having seen a fatality that stemmed from a dog owner feeding a raw bone, Golojuh advocates taking great care.“You need to be experienced in raw food feeding to use bones,” he warned.“I think if you are just getting into the raw food diet you should stay away from bones. ... People could use a food processor to break the bones down.”
After feeding bones and other raw foods to Toby, Thieleman said his improved health prompted her to wean Toby from the aspirin he was ingesting each day for arthritis.“He now sleeps peacefully at night. He doesn’t limp to the park, and he occasionally plays with his toys again,” she said.Thieleman also noted her dog’s weight is down, dandruff is gone and his coat is shiny and healthy.Thieleman’s vet was neither for nor against her decision to go with a raw diet, she said.But according to Dr. Hisham Ibrahim of the Good Shepherd Veterinary Hospital in Mars, the subject can evoke a variety of responses from the veterinary community.Although processed foods are formulated to deliver a balanced diet, Ibrahim said consumers should educate themselves, buy reputable products and keep abreast of product recalls.They also should read and understand labels. Although board-certified veterinarians formulate processed dog food with nutrition in mind, many labels don’t identify raw ingredients. Protein might come from chicken feathers or beaks or cow skin, for instance.“Protein coming filet mignon and a McDonald’s burger: It makes a difference,” Ibrahim said.Since a dog or cat’s natural diet wouldn’t feature a lot of carbohydrates, consumers also should avoid items like corn or wheat among the primary ingredients.
“There is a wealth of information online,” he advised. “Go and investigate.”For those who choose to feed raw, Ibrahim advises being careful.As well as the chance of unbalanced nutrition for dogs at their given stages of life, studies cite raw food as a source for salmonella. Those creating their own raw mixtures should consult with a veterinarian, he said. Raw, frozen mixtures also are available commercially.A demand for commercial holistic dog food led Lois Kearns of Renfrew’ to start her own business to fill that niche.Kearns, who owns the Beggin’ Barkery, sells sweet potato chips and other baked dog treats.Kearns makes the baked goods without wheat to accommodate pets with allergies.“We can skip the sugars for diabetic dogs and have vegetarian and low-fat treats for dogs watching their weight,” Kearns said.Kearns also uses peanut butter in many of her treats because of its protein content and digestibility.“It is also a great source of Vitamin E — a strong antioxidant — plus a super source of biotin, also known as vitamin H, which is good for the coat and helpful for thin, splitting nails,” she added.Fiser, of Fairview Township, also caters to dogs with allergies at her business.A change in diet can help dogs who are itchy, have bad ears, sore feet or chew at themselves, she said.“When these dogs are put on good wheat- and corn-free diets and are free of beef, they become different dogs,” she said.
When she began feeding raw food years ago, Fiser would grind up raw meats and veggies, adding yogurt or cottage cheese.“I have five Irish setters. The eldest is 15 years old. The youngest is 8 months. The others are 7 and 11 years.“That is very expensive when you have big dogs, and with the five dogs that I have I could not afford it.”She now combines raw chicken and meaty bones with a commercial holistic food base, adding apples and carrots for snacks.Deb Godfrey of Penn Township has been feeding her pets a natural food diet for 40 years and agrees it is not easy or cheap.Godfrey encourages busy people to take some simple steps to improve their pet’s diet and health.“When you are cooking for your family, cook a little extra and add to your dog’s meal. Instead of throwing out the good leftover meats and veggies, give them to your dog,” she said. “If you are cooking eggs for breakfast, then cook one for the dog. Find a high quality, top-of-the-line kibble, canned or freeze-fried food and switch to it.”“It is essential that you take the time to educate yourself on the topic and to learn how to do it properly. It may seem overwhelming in the beginning, but it is a lot of fun, and your pets will thank you in many ways,” she said.
