2013 PNS 12 Week Pet Health Challenge

THE TWELVE WEEK PET HEALTH CHALLENGE PROGRAM Pet Nutrition Systems Twelve Week Nutrition Challenge was carefully developed to introduce the elements of a holistic pet nutrition, whole food diets with support to family farming, green living all while creating a healthy pet companion. The basic principles of veterinary biology, the science of nutrition combine with the culinary arts skills to bring you the best pet companion diet service available. Our Challenge is designed to transform your pet health and wellness step-by-step. It’s important to follow the program as it is written and also keep detailed notes about the changes in your pets outward appearance, energy, behavior and what you experience during the whole process.

These easy reference tools will guide you and your pet through the eight weeks (with ease), providing tips and insight every step of the way, along with easy-to-make recipes and remedies. Each of these chapters begins with a small, thoughtful project that will help broaden and deepen your understanding of whole pet health.

In addition to food fundamentals, we’ll cover the importance of essential fatty acids, choosing the healthiest treats, the benefits of sunlight and regular exercise, the power of green foods, boosting the immune system, and the glorious art of the spa.

Throughout the book, we’ll share our methods with you and explain the changes and challenges that are likely to occur as you follow these guidelines. More important, I’ll help you understand the reasons behind the practices and provide you with insights to assist you on your journey.

Throughout, I’ll share with you heartwarming, true pet stories, so you can see for yourself, what other healing artists have experienced with their own cats and dogs. You’re never alone with my book.

After you complete the Whole Pet Diet twelve-week program, you’ll be able to use your journal as a handy reference tool. It’s my hope that many a useful page will be dog-eared so that you can easily find the recipes and remedies you’ll need. Chances are you already know your pet could benefit

from a better diet and this twelve week challenge will show you how to properly evaluate where you are physically and nutritionally, learn a holistic approach to pet companion diet and have a journal which will document any and all changes.

The History of Domesticated Pet Diets Canines have been domesticated for at least 15,000 years. Up until the 1950s the majority of all domesticated pets were not fed processed food (kibble or canned), nor did they hunt for prey in packs like wolves. Dogs were fed meats, vegetables and grains that were grown and hunted in the regional area in which each breed was developed. This food was normally leftovers from their human family members. For thousands of years domesticated dogs ate real food and they thrived. Many small and medium size breeds lived past 20 years of age.

Commercially made kibble was not introduced as a food source until the 1930s. In the 1950’s the grain and vegetable segment of the agriculture industry needed a market for their waste and rejected products. Wheat, oats, potato and corn that failed USDA inspection due to mold and rancidity became commonly used cheap ingredients in most kibble. The result made these corporations millions of dollars in profits by turning their waste product into a food source for the pet food industry. Facing the same dilemma, the large agricultural corporations providing meat to a rapidly expanding global population fell in line turning their waste product into profit. Meat that failed to pass USDA inspection could be sold for use in pet food.

In the 60’s, modern society fell in love with convenience food and processed meals, as well as fast food chains. It took little time for these same corporations to convince people to feed their pets in the same way.

The rise of highly profitable commercial pet food manufacturing had come of age. In a marketing effort to shift the mindset of consumers and sell more commercially processed food, the pet food industry convinced most of the pet owning public that feeding real food to their pet was bad and feeding their food was healthier and better.

Today commercially produced pet food is promoted and funded by powerful, multi-billion dollar food manufacturing corporations and the veterinary industry, both of whom have a huge financial stake in getting you to feed their products to your pets.

What Do the Leading Veterinarians Say Dr. Richard Pitcairn and Marty Goldstein, two of the most respected veterinarians of their time, have publicly said there are direct ties between the poor health of our pet population and the non-species specific food most are being fed. Dr Pitcairn states, "Since I graduated from veterinary school in 1965, I've noticed a general deterioration in pet health. We now see very young animals with diseases that we used to see only in older animals. Without the perspective of several decades, vets just coming out of veterinary school think these degenerative conditions in younger animals are ‘normal.’” He went on to say that “the veterinarians who graduated beyond the late 1960’s do not realize what has happened over the passage of time…I believe, along with poor quality nutrients, the chemical additives in pet food play a major part in that decline. Pet foods contain slaughterhouse wastes, toxic products from spoiled foodstuffs, non-nutritive fillers, heavy-metal contaminants, pesticides, herbicides, drug residues, sugar, and artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives."

Dr. Marty Goldstein, D.V.M. said, "When I tell pet owners that a change to whole food diet can affect their pet's health in a matter of days, the first reaction is usually delight, sometimes even exhilaration." Like Dr. Goldstein, many veterinarians attribute the cause of many of the illnesses they see to processed food and strongly recommend feeding a real food diet.

What Are You Waiting For? Changing your pet companion’s food to a whole food diet shouldn’t be just a temporary measure to help them through an illness, but rather a prescription for lifetime optimum health.

Here is an example of a common situation we at Pet Nutrition Systems see all too often. A pet’s immune system is compromised and they become ill.

As part of the overall treatment plan, the veterinarian prescribes a diet of home- cooked chicken and rice, or beef and potatoes; or, the vet sells the pet owner one of the prescriptive pet foods from their shelf. The worried pet owner continues this newly prescribed feeding for a few weeks or till the illness appears to be managed. Most owners go back to the original diet and food that may have triggered the problem. Feeding an unbalanced processed food diet will only perpetuate a downward health cycle that could result in the pet companion needing to be retreated or to revisit the vet for a different illness.

For a long time many pet owners feeding a processed kibble or processed canned food diet have been lead to believe that when they read “meets the AAFCO’s MINIMUM requirements” or “balanced and complete” on pet food labels that it means the food is healthy and safe for all dogs. Many pet food manufacturers, veterinarians and pet bloggers equate employing these simple standards with achieving an optimal healthy state absent of illness, disease or pathology. This is simply not true!

Feeding your pet real, naturally farmed, wholesome, healing foods as their steady daily diet is the best way for them to maintain a healthy life. Why should they eat real, whole food only during times of sickness, illness or disease? Shouldn’t a diet that promotes health, vitality and wellness be the one you choose to feed your pet companion every day?

PNS Pet Nutrition Challenge There is a simple, easy way to see for yourself the benefits of feeding a real whole food diet to your pet companion. Enroll in the Pet Nutrition System’s Pet Nutrition Challenge. This twelve-week program was carefully developed to introduce you to the foundation of a Holistic Diet Plan for the improved health of your pet. You will learn about the principles of proper pet nutrition, and become keenly aware of your pets nutrient requirements, how each nutrient is used and how they work together to achieve optimum health. By following this program, you can transform your pet step-by-step, each week seeing outward signs of a healthier body while continuing your program designed to lend support to all the genetic systems in your pet’s body.

About Reoccurring Health Problems Many pet companions have seasonal allergy symptoms, bouts of digestive problems, joint soreness and/or ear infections. With the understanding of the sub-clinical, and the disturbances within the blood chemistry many of the root causes of impending serious illness and disease (even those that are stress induced) can be identified. Then, metabolic unbalanced nutritional deficiencies, toxic conditions, as well as those triggered by environmental conditions can be neurologically managed. If the cause of the pet’s health problem, unbalanced blood chemistry, or food intolerance can be identified and removed, then the pet’s body can accomplish homeostasis, the condition in which the body’s internal environment remains relatively constant and balanced. If you have current blood work from your veterinarian we can use these test results to create an individualized diet plan that meets your pet’s unique health requirements, and helps the healing process. If need be, we can provide your veterinarian with sources for advanced Allergy, Nutritional and Bio-Medical Blood Tests that can identify hard to detect issues and known deficiencies that may cause future illness or disease if left unchecked.

Pet Nutrition Systems does not advocate self-diagnosis or treatment, but encourages you to incorporate a holistic approach. Take charge of educating and empowering yourself with the right information. Pay attention and make choices that will provide your pet companion with the best opportunity for optimum health and wellness.

Holistic pet nutrition focuses on improving and correcting the total physiological and biochemical functioning of the body. By correcting deviations in the blood chemistry at the sub-clinical level, the veterinarian and pet owner is able to assist in achieving the optimum state of a pet’s health.

In a Holistic approach to pet nutrition, sub-clinical deviations in blood chemistry are related to physiological, metabolic and biochemical malfunctions. These malfunctions have been found to indicate specific

nutritional deficiencies. This provides the basis for making appropriate nutritional adjustments in the formulation of your pet’s diet.

We often tend to forget, or never knew, that food can have either a healing influence or a slow acting, poisoning effect on our pets. We have all seen evidence of the damage caused by eating foods our pets can’t tolerate or are allergic to. The wrong foods can trigger and/or aggravate ailments such as irritable bowel syndrome, skin & coat problems, auto-immune diseases and organ disease.

What is Food Intolerance?

Food intolerance, also known as non-allergic food hypersensitivity, is an adverse reaction to a food or an ingredient that occurs every time the food is eaten, particularly if consumed in large quantities. Food intolerance is not a true food allergy. Food allergy requires the presence of Immunoglobin E (IgE) antibodies against the food, whereas food intolerance does not.

Intolerance can result from the absence of specific chemicals or enzymes needed to digest a food substance.

Food intolerance is much more common than food allergy. The onset of symptoms is usually slower and may be delayed by many hours after eating the offending food. The symptoms may also last for several hours or several days.

Signs and symptoms of food intolerance Food intolerance is more chronic, less acute and often more difficult to diagnose than a food allergy. Symptoms vary greatly. They can include: *General symptoms - fatigue, joint pains, eye leaking, elevated body temperature. *Gastrointestinal symptoms – mouth ulcers, bloating, nausea, vomiting, intermittent diarrhea and/or constipation, irritable bowel syndrome. *Skin symptoms - rashes, hair loss

Food intolerance and weight gain Your pet can gain up to 30% of its normal body weight due to food intolerance. Some processed foods containing dairy, poor quality wheat, or poor quality meat, can cause unhealthy bacteria overgrowth and produce toxins that trigger inflammation and swelling of the intestines. When this occurs, normal digestive function is disrupted and weight gain occurs.

Diagnosis of food intolerance You can eliminate chronic symptoms and the suffering they cause by identifying and eliminating offending foods and ingredients from the diet. It is not always easy to identify the offending food because the effects of food intolerance are usually delayed. You may remove the food from your diet, see if symptoms improve, and then reintroduce the food. If symptoms return, intolerance is likely. You should seek holistic professional help when trying to identify an allergy, food intolerance, and the creation of a new diet for the management of your pet’s health. This will ensure they are at optimal nutritional health.

Holistic pet care encourages proper diet and lifestyle. As a holistic pet nutrition provider we suggest feeding your pet whole food diet developed to fit your pet’s unique nutritional requirements rather than processed, commercial. A commitment to this philosophy will ensure your pet will enjoy the highest quality of living.

Select the Proper Protein In the National Research Council's 1985 report there are hundreds of research studies cited from schools of veterinary medicine, dog food companies, and independent laboratories. Each of these studies pertains to a single nutrient, ie; vitamin A, calcium, copper, etc. With each research study, when two or more breeds were used, it showed their nutritional differences. Very noteworthy is the following fact: In the entire 1985 report not one research study cited showed two breeds to have the same nutritional requirements for any one nutrient.

Samples of specific research that further confirms breed specific nutritional differences can be found in the National Research Council's “1985 Revised Nutrient Requirements of Dogs� report. Breed Specific testing showed the following: Food energy requirements of Beagles are different from Huskies per Kilogram of body weight.

Golden Retriever requires a higher amount of the essential amino acid Methionine than the Beagle per Kilogram of body weight.

The copper requirement for Irish Water Spaniel was unique when compared to the other breeds.

English Springer Spaniel showed a different requirement for zinc than the amount required by a Beagle per Kilogram of body weight.

Testing to establish the requirements for vitamin A showed that the Chihuahua puppy, English Foxhound puppy, and Chesapeake Bay Retriever puppy all had different reactions to the same dosage of this one nutrient.

Vitamin D requirements of the Pug and the Great Dane are nine to ten times higher than that of the Irish Terrier per Kilogram of body weight.

The test results cited support the obvious conclusion that each breed has unique nutritional requirements. When selecting a new diet or food for your pet it is important to ensure that the breed is considered and all critical ancestral nutrients are satisfied and in balance.

Once you identify what region or combination of regions your pet is from you will be better able to choose the correct formulation. Most food allergies and intolerance are to non-ancestral foods and processed food.

Avoiding these foods and food processes will give your pet a much better chance at optimum health.

Herein, we have narrowed it down to eight Regional Breed Groups to establish an evolutionary basis for diets appropriate for a variety of breeds.

Each group on the next few pages has it’s own unique list of foods native to the region. These foods would have been the original nutrition sources and make up the base for the nutrient requirements of the breeds developed in that region. Suggested protein sources are also listed to help you choose the best Pet Nutrition System’s whole food retail formulation to match your pet’s general nutrient needs. Bottom line is: when canines are fed a whole food diet made up of regional foods specific to their breeds ancestral development, they are less likely to develop food allergies, digestive disorders and auto-immune issues.

HOW TO SELECT THE RIGHT MEAT FOR YOUR PET COMPANION NEW DIET

When selecting a new diet or food for your pet you need to ensure that all critical ancestral nutrients are satisfied and in balance. Switching to our species specific whole food diet will provide a balanced dietary plan specific to your pet’s needs.

Once you have indentified which region or combination of regions your pet is from you will be better able to select the correct formulation for them to eat. Remember, most food allergies and food intolerances come from feeding non-ancestral processed food. Avoiding these foods and certain types of processed food will give your pet a much better chance at achieving a long and healthy life.

These regional specific guidelines provide an evolutionary basis for diets appropriate for a variety of dogs.

Asian Breeds: The Asian cultures eat foods that are a blend of pork, Fresh Water Fish, Chicken, turkey, poultry, beet pulp, wheat, oats and rice. Dogs from this regional group should be fed a diet high in fiber and carbohydrate content. Fish, poultry, pork and lamb, along with steamed tubular vegetables, including beans and whole grains such as brown or wild rice, carrots and leafy greens should form the base of a sound diet for breeds from this regional group. Avoid foods containing potato, avocado, ocean fish, beef or lamb. (Salmon, Turkey, Chicken, Boar) Euro-coastal Breeds: The primary food sources were elk, caribou, fish, whale fats, wheat, and dairy products. The combined effect of the foods from this geographical area resulted in the development of a breeds which require a diet low in carbohydrates yet high in fats. Like the Labrador Retriever, many of these breeds have a difficult time assimilating beef fat but thrives on poultry fat, fish oil, or vegetable fat These breeds should eat whole foods that contain fish, poultry, lamb, turkey, broccoli, carrots, peas, sweet potatoes, blueberry, cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, garlic, cinnamon and extra virgin oil.. Avoid beef, beets, corn, and soy. (Chicken, Turkey & Salmon) Field Hunting Breeds: one of the oldest pure-bred regional groups known, with a written history that dates from a time before the 1012. This is a time when field hunting was how men living in the plains fed their families. these individual dogs requires high carbohydrate diet. They tend to burn calories at an exceptional rate during times of stress or work. The primary food sources would have been beets, potatoes, yams, wheat, corn, rabbit, deer and poultry. Thus a blend of these foods, which are high in carbohydrates and have a high fat to protein ratio, would be the ideal base diet for the Beagle. Avoid foods containing fish, rice, beef, beef by-products, horse meat, or soy. (Chicken, Turkey & Bison) Non Coastal European Region: The nutritional environment of 12th Century Constantinople would have provided meats of beef, poultry, goat, and fish. The fruits would have included the fig, orange, and olive. The predominant grains of the area were barley, a wild rice and wheat. This nutritional combination played a major role in determining the dietary

requirements of these regional breeds. One result is the requirement for a high fat and oil content in their food from vegetable oils. Another is its need for proteins that are high in methionine and leucine and lysine (from the fish and poultry meat sources).

These regional breeds should eat food that contains a blend of poultry, fish, lamb, avocado, and wheat for this breed. Avoid blends that contain beef byproducts, soy, yellow corn, and beet pulp. Many breeds from this region have shorter colons than other regional breeds which require . The right blend of all three types of ingredients is essential to prevent bloat and adequate nutrient absorption. (Beef, Chicken, Boar & Salmon) North American Coastal: These breeds, developed in close association with water, not surprisingly thrive when fed a diet rich in water foul and fish.

Duck, salmon (which are very high in their fat to meat ratio),and other aquatic proteins rich in fatty acids provide vital nutrients for these breeds.

They should eat food blend that is high in poultry fats. Its protein should be from poultry as well. The food should contain brown, not white rice, potato, yam, kale and wheat. It is best to avoid foods that contain beef or bison, lamb, beet pulp, or soy. (Turkey, Chicken & Salmon) South/Latin America Breeds: Rain forests and jungles of Mexico and South America provided the native food supplies for this breed. Tropical fruits such as mango and avocado were plentiful in this environment and would have been a staple of the dietary intake. Meats were rodents or wild boar and poultry. Today's dogs from this geographical region should eat a diet that contain a blended with poultry, wild rice, broccoli, tomato and mango. Avoid feeding beef, or beet pulp to these breeds. (Chicken, Turkey & Bison)

Sight Hounds: The history of these breed can be traced for centuries with a set of breed standards first established in the 1500's. A sight hound hunts by running down and holding the prey until its human hunting partner arrived. The prey they hunt ranged from the Russian wolf, which is a large ferocious beast in its own right, to deer and small game animals such as rabbit. To hunt this range of prey these breeds need to be strong and courageous, yet also possess extreme speed and agility.

Native or ancestral food supplies for this breed would have been wolf, deer, boar and other small game animals. This area also provided the high fiber grains of wheat and alfalfa.

The Sight hounds should eat foods that blend beef and boar meat with wheat, broccoli, yellow squash and green leafy vegetables. Avoid feeding white rice, soy, beet pulp, or fish. (Beef, Bison, Chicken & Turkey) Use you common sense when evaluating which region or vocation your pet’s ancestors may have come from. Certain breed herded cattle, different guided sheep and knowing which will go a long way in being able to create a diet plan for your pet.

If you need help in selecting the proper recipe or to find out what region it originated from feel free to call 570.266.1224 or email us at info@petnutritionsystems.com.

CHOOSE NON-GMO PET FOOD As responsible pet caretakers, we have the right to know what we are feeding our pet companions. One of the most important choices anyone can make is whether or not to feed pet food containing GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms, also referred to as genetically engineered ingredients). Because GMO’s are pervasive in our pet food supply most familiar processed pet foods sold contain them. Pet food manufacturers are not required to label them. Many Americans are not even aware that most of the cheap grains are GMO and it is highly likely that they are in your pet’s favorite food and snacks.

Being the most progressive retailer of natural, organic, holistic pet food, Pet Nutrition Systems is proud to support GMO choice and transparency, such as supporting labeling efforts like Proposition 37 in California and also by providing our clients with the only NON-GMO and organic handmade products available. We are excited to announce that all Pet Nutrition Systems® partnership retailers in the U.S. will have the first and only NONGMO Pet Food products available starting in 2013.

Pet Nutrition Systems thinks its time for pet health providers and industry professionals to start offering their customers a catered, fresh, clean, NONGMO whole food choice. We have supported mandatory product labeling measures for both human and pet foods over the years, namely California’s Proposition 37 and Washington State’s Initiative Measure 522, with the hope that these grass roots efforts will lead to new FDA & AAFCO standards for all food.

Home-Prepared Foods Some owners like to prepare at least some of their pet's meals themselves.

Home-prepared diets require a thorough understanding of the specific nutritional needs of your pet and of the nutrient value of each ingredient used in the formulation. It is essential to understand nutrient-gene interaction, which is how the dietary nutrients interact with each other to perform their function. Additionally, knowing how different methods of preparation and storage affect the bio-availability of individual nutrients is critical. We are available for consultation on the formulation of customized recipes for those who wish to prepare their own pet food.

Pet Nutrition Systems Once you see the remarkable changes that take place when you feed your pets real, wholesome, healthy, natural human-grade quality foods, you’ll never want to go back to anything else. Whether you opt to make your own foods from a recipe bought from us, or buy one of our made to order formulations – we promise your pet will enjoy a much happier, healthier life!

Radiant Health is unmistakable! You’ll see it in every aspect of your pet’s being- in their skin, coats, eyes, ears, energy levels, mobility and disposition. You hold in your hands the ability to improve your pet companion’s quality of life, longevity and beauty.

Always remember that food is the foundation of life!

To request a holistic pet nutrition consultation contact Pet Nutrition Systems by emailing .

Our consultations include: evaluation of current blood work evaluations, health history, goal setting and budget planning. You’ll learn the secret of making better choices to enhance your pet’s life and tap into their own natural healing powers.

Pet Nutrition Systems wants to help you improve your pet companions life by providing giving you the best education that modern science based nutrition has to offer, as well as providing the best diet plans and the freshest whole food pet meals available today.

visit Pet Nutrition Systems at http://www.petnutritionsystems.com or LIKE US on Facebook to leatn more about the nutrition services we provide and see how other people like you are making positive changes to transform the health and wellness of their pet companions!