NATURAL PET EXPO - June 10, 2007

This years NATURAL PET EXPO will take place in Philadelphia, PA from 10am to 4pm at 1040 N 2nd Street in the courtyard of the Liberties Walk complex in Northern Liberties.

The theme this year is PET FOOD & NUTRITION.

Starting at NOON - hear LIVE MUSIC from acoustic and folk/blues artists Pete Tramo and Williamzboy. Check out their musical offerings at www.myspace.com/octobertreeproject and www.myspace.com/folkabilly


At 1pm, Veterinarian Jennifer Forsyth, V.M.D from Bethel Mill Animal Hospital will give a talk on the Pet Food Recall -- Making the Right Choices for Your Pet. Find out exactly what to look for and what to avoid on pet food labels and how to pick the best food for your pet. Is raw food the best alternative? Dr. Forsyth will talk about the benefits, weigh the costs versus the time and give you THE answers you need to make informed and -safe- decisions for your pet. You won't want to miss this. NEXT, Dr. Karen Hoffman, from Mt. Laurel Animal Hospital will give a talk on "Safe Alternatives to NSAIDS/Aspirin" and "The Importance of Animal Dentistry"

See what else you'll find at the Natural Pet Expo!

+ PET FOOD AND NUTRITION Find out what food is BEST (and worst) for your pet!
+ ARE VACCINATIONS DANGEROUS? Evaluate true risk of exposure – get informed.
+ HOMEOPATHIC & HOLISTIC CARE What is it and what are the benefits for your pet?
+ ALTERNATIVE CARE Learn about Reiki, Pet Massage, Acupuncture, Chiropractics, Flower Essences, Young Living Oils, Amazon Herbs and other all-natural care and health options.
+ ALL- NATURAL FLEA REMEDIES, BEST SELLING BOOKS, TREATS, TOYS AND MUCH MORE!
BE PROACTIVE AND RESPONSIBLE -- Talk to the experts and get the REAL scoop on the safety of commercial pet foods, learn about alternative health care and how to recognize the benefits & limitations of conventional and holistic options for your animal companion.

Our Sponsors this year are Chic Petique pet stores, dedicated to the natural care and wellness of your pet and serving you in two convenient locations, 3rd & South Streets and 1040 N. 2nd Street in the Liberties Walk retail Courtyard in Northern Liberties.

Coming back for a 2nd year is NATURE'S VARIETY The Nature's Variety line of natural pet products was developed by families who have been engaged in sustainable production agriculture for over 140 years - raising quality livestock and growing crops in America's heartland. They are passionate about improving the health of your pet through better nutrition. With better ingredients and better nutrition, you can help your pet maintain proper body weight, reduce the risk of allergies, and enjoy a longer, healthier life by maintaining a healthy diet. They select the highest quality ingredients for the production of nutritionally dense and bio-available diets anhttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifd treats. Their natural, nutritious products are produced with integrity and care for the health of your companion animal.

And joining us in 2007 as a new sponsor is WHOLE FOODS!

Whole Foods believe in a virtuous circle entwining the food chain, human beings and Mother Earth: each is reliant upon the others through a beautiful and delicate symbiosis.

Whole Foods obtains products locally and from all over the world, often from small, uniquely dedicated food artisans. They strive to offer the highest quality, least processed, most flavorful and naturally preserved foods. Why? Because food in its purest state — unadulterated by artificial additives, sweeteners, colorings and preservatives — is the best tasting and most nutritious food available. Whole Foods also believe companies, like individuals, must assume their share of responsibility as tenants of Planet Earth.

The Natural Pet Expo team offers infinite gratitude & thanks our sponsors for all their generous support of our cause!

NATURAL PET EXPO - JUNE 10, Philadelphia, PA

ANIMAL LOVERS, ADVOCATES AND ENTHUSIASTS DEDICATED TO THE HEALTH & WELFARE OF PETS -- PLEASE JOIN US FOR THE 4th ANNUAL NATURAL PET EXPO – SUNDAY, JUNE 10, 2007 at Liberties Walk in Philadelphia, PA. from 10am to 4pm. RAIN OR SHINE.

As an animal enthusiast, you may or may not be shocked by the recent Pet Food Recall. Our sympathies are with the pet parents who are dealing with the heartache of this situation and our hearts go out to any and all who may have suffered as a result. While the media played it's part in getting out the message, it has not done enough in covering the full and true story out...

Four years ago, Chic Petique joined with Bette Hanson to help educate others on natural pet care, founding the Natural Pet Expo with their primary topic ‘the dangers of feeding commercial grade pet food’. With the plight of thousands, and thousands of pets affected by tainted pet food recently in the news, it is more important than ever to get the word out about healthier choices in the care and welfare of our animal companions. Please join us for the NEXT Natural Pet Expo on Sunday, June 10, in Northern Liberties, Philadelphia, PA

Excerpt from Ann Martin’s “Foods Pet Die For” 1997 Sage Press "There are several reasons you really do not want to feed your dog or cat commercial foods. Perhaps the most compelling moral reason is that there are rendered, euthanized pets in much of this food. These pets have been mixed with other materials, including some condemned for human consumption: "rotten meat from supermarket shelves, restaurant grease..'4-D' (dead, diseased, dying and disabled) animals and roadkill."

In addition, two thirds of the pet food manufactured in the United States contains added preservatives, according to the Animal Protection Institute. There are also coloring agents, emulsifiers, lubricants, flavoring agents, pH control agents, synergists and solvents. "Of the more than 8,600 recognized food additives today, no toxicity information is available for 46% of them," the institute says.

EQ (ethoxyquin) is the most common antioxidant preservative in pet foods. It has been found in some dogs' livers and tissues months after the animal stopped ingesting it. Ethoxyquin is manufactured by Monsanto Chemical, the largest manufacturer of
bioengineered foods. EQ is listed as a hazardous chemical by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and is considered a pesticide by the USDA. It is used in most US dog food, but is banned in Europe. The FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine requested that pet food manufacturers voluntarily reduce the maximum level for ethoxyquin by half to 75 parts per million. Courtesy of 'New Living' Newspaper March 2001

NONE of this is good for your pets, help us continue our mission to get the word out! Our last big event was extremely successful and generated quite a buzz. Both Lindsay and I heard feedback from many attendees who were inspired, influenced, intrigued and informed by the strength of the content. Many have approached us all year asking again and again - "when is the next one?"

At the 4th annual Natural Pet Expo you can learn from the experts about what food is SAFE to feed your pet, holistic and homeopathic remedies, complete nutrition, commercial raw food vs making your own, alternative care modalities like Reiki and acupuncture, natural flea & tick remedies, the latest pet books and more!

Founded in 2004, the Natural Pet Expo’s goal is to gather together leading pet experts, veterinarians, animal advocates, nutritionists, alternative care specialists and animal lovers of all kinds to help educate and inform YOU the pet owner. By providing a friendly and open forum -- you are welcome to explore, gather facts, ask questions and get one-on-one advice. In this way, common myths are debunked, valuable information is shared and you can make responsible decisions and actively participate in your pet’s well being.

Our mission is simple:

• We aspire to follow, gather and provide the latest information and data on natural health choices, alternative care and nutrition for pets and provide access to this information in a practical, clear and easy to understand friendly forum.

• Our goal is to educate, inform, debunk myths and increase awareness, inspiring health conscious individuals to take responsibility for their pets’ well being, strengthening and allowing that special bond to grow between human and animal.

Run by volunteers, the first Natural Pet Expo took place in November, 2004 and involved over a dozen wellness-related animal health care providers, advocates and businesses relates to natural and organic pet care.

In 2005 and 2006, the Natural Pet Expo continued our quest to increase awareness about healthy pet care, health and nutrition. We added an informative Resource Booklet loaded with articles and information.

Our mission is a big one. Just one company, Ralston Purina makes more than 4 billion dollars in profit off of dog owners a year! Much time, effort and advertising dollars are spent misinforming the consumer. The pet food recall has brought to light the dangers carried in commercial pet food to the public eye. Now is the time to act when interest and a search for knowledge is at the forefront. Please join us in helping spread the word about our grassroots effort to bring even more awareness on more natural choices to the pet consumer.

Please join us at the 4th annual event on Sunday, June 10 from 10-4pm at the Liberties Walk location of pet store Chic Petique in Northern Liberties, Philadelphia. Call 215.238.0981 or email me here for more information!

Bigger than you think: The story behind the pet food recall

YOUR WHOLE PET
Bigger than you think: The story behind the pet food recall

By Christie Keith, Special to SF Gate

The March 16 recall of 91 pet food products manufactured by Menu Foods wasn't big news at first. Early coverage reported only 10-15 cats and dogs dying after eating canned and pouched foods manufactured by Menu. The foods were recalled -- among them some of the country's best-known and biggest-selling brands -- and while it was certainly a sad story, and maybe even a bit of a wake-up call about some aspects of pet food manufacturing, that was about it.

At first, that was it for me, too. But I'm a contributing editor for a nationally syndicated pet feature, Universal Press Syndicate's Pet Connection, and all of us there have close ties to the veterinary profession. Two of our contributors are vets themselves, including Dr. Marty Becker, the vet on "Good Morning America." And what we were hearing from veterinarians wasn't matching what we were hearing on the news.

When we started digging into the story, it quickly became clear that the implications of the recall were much larger than they first appeared. Most critically, it turned out that the initially reported tally of dead animals only included the cats and dogs who died in Menu's test lab and not the much larger number of affected pets.

Second, the timeline of the recall raised a number of concerns. Although there have been some media reports that Menu Foods started getting complaints as early as December 2006, FDA records state the company received their first report of a food-related pet death on February 20.

One week later, on February 27, Menu started testing the suspect foods. Three days later, on March 3, the first cat in the trial died of acute kidney failure. Three days after that, Menu switched wheat gluten suppliers, and 10 days later, on March 16, recalled the 91 products that contained gluten from their previous source.

Nearly one month passed from the date Menu got its first report of a death to the date it issued the recall. During that time, no veterinarians were warned to be on the lookout for unusual numbers of kidney failure in their patients. No pet owners were warned to watch their pets for its symptoms. And thousands and thousands of pet owners kept buying those foods and giving them to their dogs and cats.

At that point, Menu had seen a 35 percent death rate in their test-lab cats, with another 45 percent suffering kidney damage. The overall death rate for animals in Menu's tests was around 20 percent. How many pets, eating those recalled foods, had died, become ill or suffered kidney damage in the time leading up to the recall and in the days since? The answer to that hasn't changed since the day the recall was issued: We don't know.

We at Pet Connection knew the 10-15 deaths being reported by the media did not reflect an accurate count. We wanted to get an idea of the real scope of the problem, so we started a database for people to report their dead or sick pets. On March 21, two days after opening the database, we had over 600 reported cases and more than 200 reported deaths. As of March 31, the number of deaths alone was at 2,797.

READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE HERE...

Christie Keith is a contributing editor for Universal Press Syndicate's Pet Connection and past director of the Pet Care Forum on America Online. She lives in San Francisco.

Do You REALLY Know What is in Your Pets Food?

ANIMAL HEALTH & WELFARE:

Although you may think all pet food manufacturers have your pet’s best interests in mind, this is not always the case. Current pet food regulations allow manufacturers to use ingredients that you would never knowingly give to your pet. In fact, you may be shocked to learn what some brands of pet food really contain. For example: the use of by-products (feet, bones and intestines, etc.), chemical preservatives (BHA and BHT) and grains that are often difficult to digest (corn, wheat, gluten and soy), which are often used as a protein source instead of meat.

Mini Natural Pet Expo - May 13, 2006

Philadelphia residents and those interested in the best care for your animal companions. Join us Saturday, May 13th from 12-3 at Head House Books located at 619 S 2nd Street (just S of South Street) for a Mini Pet Expo. We'll have pet authors with info on where to go andhow to entertain YOUR pet this summer; tons of books on animal welfare and experts on hand with valuable information to help you take care of your pet. Join us!

MEET FAST EDDIE!

Meet Fast Eddie, who's face is on most of our merchandise. He's a 2 yr old bulldog that I fell in love with instantly. He has an undiagnosed neurological problem that we have been treating since January of 2005. He is NOT up for adoption, but we are looking for help with his medical needs. He goes weekly for aqua therapy at Pet PT and has acupuncture treatments every Sunday.

Eddie is a VERY SPECIAL dog, and deserves the best out of life. We feel the more people that become part of his life, the better off he is...if you'd like to meet him, please feel free to stop by The Chic Petique, 1040 N 2nd St Phila, Pa 19123.

NATURAL PET EXPO 2005

The Natural Pet Expo is a non-profit, grass roots organization dedicated to helping educate pet owners and enthusiasts on the health and welfare of their animal companions -- strengthening and allowing that special bond to grow between human and animal and extend each other's quality of life .

Education is key to taking control of your pet's health and well being.

The Natural Pet Expo’s goal is to use education as a tool for understanding the many choices we make in the health of our pets. As caretakers, we are in charge of food, water, medical care, exercise and happiness. With the most current information we can make informed decisions about our pets care and actively participate in the their well being. The NPE mission is to introduce valuable information and holistic approaches that help and inspire health conscious individuals to take responsibility for their pets health and well being.

Why do we believe holistic approaches to animal care are so important?

Since these methods address the whole organism and support the body’s own abilities to heal itself, many holistic methods focus on prevention and cure of disease, not just treatment. Proper nutrition is the foundation upon which many holistic practices build our pet's (and our own) quality of life and wellness. Poor nutrition is one of the major contributors to our pet's lower life expectancy. By feeding our pets most commercially available pet foods, we are unintentionally depriving these animals of important nutrients needed for sustaining the states of greater wellness.

As lovers of companion animals, we want to take an active role in the care of our pets. We must assume responsibility for their quality of life and their “Wellness.” Statistics show that the average life expectancies of companion animals have rapidly dropped in the last 40 years despite improvements in the medical model, veterinary diagnosis, and treatment modalities. Poor nutrition, inbred genetic defects, and over-vaccination have led to an epidemic of allergic reactions that challenge our pets’ bodily defenses. Their shortened lives are further complicated by symptoms ranging from skin rashes to epilepsy, kidney and liver ailments as well as other chronic disease processes. Our pets have grown hypersensitive to many common environmental allergens their ancestors casually threw off.

The pet food industry is a strong force. According to the December 2004 issue of "The Pet Food Industry", Americans spend about 34 billion dollars on their 61.4 million dogs. That is $554/year/dog on average. Kibble counts 40% of this, or $222/year/dog - averaging all sizes of dogs. The remaining 60% do not include veterinary services, but encompass all kinds of pet products and paraphanelia, like beds, toys, leashes, crates, and so on.

Not all seekers are looking for this kind of enhanced wellness. Most people in fact are satisfied with their dog or cat “looking” normal on the current commercial food; they assume the animal is just fine. It is not our wish to tell them otherwise. It is our hope that encouraging or inspiring even a small change by switching your pet to a more natural diet, will enhance the quality of life of not just your pet, but your entire household.

Some concerns about Commercial Pet Food:
Pet labels mislead and distort nutritional facts.
Some animal by-products make regularly consumed pet food poisonous and toxic.
Food additives, like coloring, are for the human purchaser, not the animal consumer.
Product deficiencies lead to overeating, the buying of more products, and the creation of greater malnutrition.
Our companion animals’ life expectancies are growing shorter every generation.
Chronic allergic reactions are primarily food based; cause suffering; and require additional treatments that often exacerbates underlying disease.
Nutritional issues receive little publicity because the subject matter is technical and usually leads to the “naming of names”. Pet food advertising revenue is huge and consequently, the advertisers are very powerful. Common editorial policy must balance “news-worthiness” with business; this usually results in avoiding negative references to advertisers’ products.

This situation is neither political nor, by contemporary standards, even sensational. It is however, something we deal with everyday. It is lack of information. Food manufacturers are silent; they sell pet food in a highly competitive market at prices that haven’t changed in many years. Have you ever asked yourself, why not? The raw materials these food manufacturers mix together to produce typical pet foods you find along the supermarket aisles come from highly questionable, and in some cases, unbelievable sources unfit for either person or beast. Compounding this situation is the fact that pet food labels give only vague ideas of a pet food’s content. The listed items are essentially “catch-all terms” for more specific, and often less desirable, substances. Protein, fat, carbohydrate, and crude fiber are general food categories; they have no functional meaning in terms of nutritional source, quality, or digestibility.

Our biggest concern as consumers of commercially available pet foods is that this food:
Contains ingredients, chemicals, toxins, and poisons that should not be consumed.
Lacks ingredients that should be part of our pet’s daily food diet.

We invite pet owners and enthusiasts interested in learning MORE to join us at the 2005 NATURAL PET EXPO! 10am – 3pm, Sunday, October 2nd - at Liberties Walk 1040 North 2nd Street in Northern Liberties, PA. For more information call 215.238.0981

Along with Christine Matturro McLaughlin, the author of "The Dog Lover's Companion to Philadelphia", the Natural Pet Expo will have on hand veterinarians practicing homeopathic and holistic medicine, certified specialists in Pet Massage, Acupressure Reiki and Acupuncture, an Animal Behaviorist and representatives offering natural pet foods.

Some of the things you will learn will include the following:

TIPS FOR ANIMAL HEALTH & WELLNESS:

* FEED THE BEST DIET POSSIBLE – Find out what diet is BEST (and worst) for your pet.

* VACCINATE THE LEAST - Evaluate true risk of exposure – get informed.

* REDUCE TOXINS - Offer quality filtered water & LIMIT EXPOSURE of possible sources.

* BUILD UP OVERALL HEALTH AND LET THE ANIMAL HEAL ITSELF

* PROVIDE THE BEST ENVIRONMENT POSSIBLE FOR THE INDIVIDUAL ANIMAL.

* BE PROACTIVE AND RESPONSIBLE – Educate yourself, find a healthcare provider and recognize BENEFITS and LIMITATIONS of conventional and holistic medicine.

Foods Pets Die For

Foods Pets Die For by Ann Martin

This is very important. Processed foods, no matter how high the quality, are still cooked foods. Cooking destroys essential enzymes that aid the dog in digesting foods. If you feed any kind of processed or cooked food, ALWAYS add a digestive enzyme supplement before you feed. One quality brand is Prozyme® that can be ordered through Drs. Foster and Smith catalog (1-800-826-7206). In many cases, replacing the enzymes can make a big difference, but feeding a higher quality food is necessary, too.

Raw Food Diets Include Raw Meats and Raw Meaty Bones

Quite an eye opener-feeding dogs raw meats and raw meaty bones. Aren't we told those are bad for dogs? Would you believe it if I said that was untrue? Those of us who believe our dogs should be fed what nature intended for them to eat, understand that our dogs, even though domesticated, are still mainly carnivores, just like their cousins the wolf and their ancestors going back millions of years. In fact, in 1993, scientists designated the wolf and dog as the same species. Therefore, our dogs are "domesticated wolves." I believe our dogs should be fed the way nature intended for them to be fed, before the invention and convenience of processed dog food came onto the market. Dogs have a short digestive system, which is perfect for digesting raw meat and bones. They are designed by nature, over the millions of years, to eat and stay healthy on a species-appropriate raw food diet or ARF for short. There is great evidence linking processed dog food products (and other things) to the epidemic of cancer and disease seen in dogs today, as well as digestive problems.

So what then are my options?

http://www.naturapet.com/display.php?d=comp-wiz&naturaid=1
Click on this link to compare ingredients in dog foods


If you choose to continue to feed processed dog food products, it is important to try to feed a food with higher quality ingredients to start off with. Sometimes, switching to another quality kibble can make the difference. Big advertised brands do not guarantee they are better or of top quality ingredients. The top 10 dry dog foods according to The Whole Dog Journal (March 2000) are:
• Wellness Super5Mix (hormone free lamb) [1-800-225-0904]
• Best in Show (Solutions) [1-800-364-4287]
• Canidae [1-800-398-1600]
• California Natural (Chicken & Rice) [1-800-532-7261]
• Flint River Ranch (Dry Water) [1-909-682-5048]
• Innova [1-800-532-7261]

These companies are producing good, high-quality foods by using clean, fresh meat and whole ground grains and vegetables. They shun the chemical preservatives and poor quality ingredients that the majority of the larger dog food companies use. Avoid foods of any caliber that list any of these on their label:
• by-products (chicken by-products, beef by-products, etc.)
• fats or proteins named generically (animal fat, poultry fat, meat meal as opposed to beef fat, chicken fat or lamb meal)
• food fragments (brewer's rice, corn gluten)
• animal digest
• artificial sweeteners (corn syrup, sucrose, and ammoniated glycyrrhizin (added to attract dogs to unappealing food)
• propylene glycol
• artificial preservatives (BHT, BHA and Ethoxyquin)
• artificial colors
• sodium nitrate
• flavors

Canine Nutrition

Feeding Your Dog for Optimum Health and Longevity

Canine digestive system anatomy and physiology is, mainly, that of a carnivore, the most distinct characteristic being the voluminous stomach and shorter intestinal length indicative of a carnivore to aid in rapid digestion of raw meat. The entire anatomy of the dog is adapted for a raw meat diet. A natural diet (raw meat and predigested plant material) are the foods best suited to the dog. Although domestication has changed their external appearance, their nutritional needs have not changed from those of their wild ancestors.

This brings us to the undisputable conclusion that there are many undesirable aspects of the commercial pet food industry. Among the many reasons to avoid feeding commercial pet food, two predominate: All commercial pet foods are heat processed, thereby effectively destroying the natural enzymes present in the ingredients and the fact that the vast majority of pet foods are made with animal parts that have been determined unfit for human consumption and have been treated with chemicals to ensure they do not get back into the human food chain. Enzymes are an essential aid in proper digestion of foods and supply the body with the energy needed for such activities as the formation and elimination of urea and carbon dioxide and other toxins from the kidneys, lungs, colon, liver, spleen, and skin created during the process of metabolism. Ingesting quantities of contaminated and indigestible animal parts and plant material (and usually combined with chemical preservatives and other additives) on a daily basis cannot be considered conducive to good health. Studying carnivore anatomy, physiology, and eating habits shows us that we are doing our domestic friends a great disservice by not feeding them the way nature intended.

Carnivore Anatomy and Physiology

Carnivores have a simple hinge jaw that works in a scissoring/slicing fashion rather than the rotational fashion of the herbivore and therefore do not chew and cannot grind grains, vegetables and fruit. Their saliva is acidic, of which they produce large amounts to lubricate the food bolus and the esophagus for transport to the stomach, but do not produce the carbohydrate digesting salivary enzymes herbivores do – it is not necessary for the food to remain in the mouth and be well-mixed with saliva as it is with the herbivore.

The carnivore stomach has a voluminous capacity and plays the largest role in the digestive process (it makes up 60-70 percent of the total volume of the digestive tract, the herbivore less than 30 percent) and is where the majority of protein, i.e., meat, digestion takes place. Food stays in the stomach for up to eight hours, as opposed to the herbivore's 2-3 hours. This ensures the meat is well broken down before entering the intestinal tract where toxins released by putrefying meat could be absorbed; it secretes large amounts of hydrochloric acid (ten times more than the herbivore) creating the highly acidic stomach environment necessary for digesting meat protein and killing any dangerous bacteria that may have been ingested. The carnivore small intestine is short (3-6 times body length) compared to the herbivore at 10-12 times the body length.

Carnivores have a poorly developed sense of taste – smell is much more important to them (the dog has 1,700 taste buds to people's 9,000)

The carnivore liver is large (the dog has the largest liver of all animals) and produces uricase, an enzyme that breaks down uric acid. The carnivore liver is capable of eliminating 10-15 times more uric acid than the liver of the herbivore (meat digestion releases large amounts of uric acid).

The carnivore, in nature, sleeps an average of 18-21 out of 24 hours in a day. The herbivore sleeps from 1-3 hours a day, eating (grazing) on a continuous basis for the other 21-23 hours.

Carnivore Eating Habits

Carnivores, including dogs, gorge themselves on their prey, swallowing large chunks of food that we, as humans, would choke on; usually the organs are eaten first, followed by the stomach and intestines. This is nature's way of ensuring a balanced diet by supplying a source of semi-digested carbohydrates and plant material for intestinal flora and important nutrients and unsaturated fats needed by the carnivore, as well as the nutrients stored in the organs that are not found in the bones and muscle tissue. They will eat the whole carcass – skin, hair and bones included – the extremely acidic stomach environment can digest bones and skin, the hair acts as a natural fiber, bulks up the stool and protects the intestinal walls from sharp objects such as fragments of bone. (Note: commercial foods do NOT promote an acidic stomach environment). After gorging they will then sleep off and on for an extended period of time while digesting their meal. Gorging ensures that the stomach gets fully exercised, strengthened and toned the way it is meant for proper functioning.

Fasting is an important part of carnivore behavior, allowing for complete digestion of the raw meat protein while allowing the stomach to be cleaned and completely emptied regularly.

The Importance of a Raw Meat Diet

Raw meat helps to maintain the acidic environment necessary for its digestion and absorption of calcium from bones; the acidic environment simulates the pancreas to produce its digestive enzymes – this maintains pancreatic health and prevents atrophy of this important organ; the strong digestive secretions allow very few parasites to get past the stomach. It is important to note that cereals, i.e., grains, are alkaline forming – this means that commercial pet foods, which are cereal based, do not nurture an acidic stomach environment.

Cooking meat artificially semi-digests it instead of allowing the stomach, intestines, and digestive enzymes being allowed to do so. This leaves these organs improperly exercised and over a period of time their ability to function naturally and to cope with the work they were meant to do is compromised, opening the door for the development of chronic health concerns.

Cooking destroys many important nutrients and also the enzymes necessary for all of the body's physiological functions. The body does manufacture enzymes, but in the absence of the enzymes obtained from raw food, the body overworks its natural supply. This creates a strain on its enzyme reserve which can impair and stress the functioning of all the major organ systems of the body – leading to a state if disharmony and disease. Cooking causes the amino acid chain found in meat protein to coagulate and become useless and/or toxic to the body, increasing its burden to detoxify.

Cooking also depletes the vital high water content of natural foods. Heating extracts the natural water and dries and concentrates the food; water is critical for all functions, as well as storing the water-soluble vitamins required by the body.

Cooked food passes through the digestive trace more slowly than raw food, tending to putrefy and throw toxins back into the bloodstream; prolonged intestinal toxemia may manifest itself in a myriad of disease symptoms, including allergies and arthritis.

A raw meat diet prevents the formation of plaque on the teeth and the high acidity of the oral cavity destroys any harmful bacteria before they have a chance to contribute to periodontal disease. Periodontal disease has become almost epidemic in our dogs today and plays a major role in the creation of ill health in our pets. Note: carnivores need predominantly a raw meat diet, but also require some raw plant material in a predigested form (as found in the stomach and intestines of their herbivore prey).

Conclusion

The complex metabolic processes of the body must be fueled in a supporting and vitalizing fashion, the way nature intended, in order for good health and a disease-free state to be maintained. A natural, chemical-free diet nurtures optimum health, and as concerned and loving pet guardians we owe it to them to take a serious look at what and how we are currently feeding them.

Copyright © 2001-2007 Know Better Dog Food Ltd.