February/March2017
RAWPETDIGEST
Merlin, an American Pit Bull Terrier. Photo credit: Bre Altherr
Raw Pet Digest Editor-in-chief: Kristin Clark
To get an annual subscription (6 issues): -Go to the Store at Canine Health Promotion: www.caninehealthpromotion.com -Using PayPal: send $20.00 USD to kristin@rawpetdigest.com -Using Square: go to mkt.com/ rawpetdigest -Email kristin@rawpetdigest.com for alternate forms of payment
All emails and letters become the property of Raw Pet Digest and may be reprinted in future issues.
Our mission at Raw Pet Digest is to share information that supports natural health with a broad audience to help improve the lives of our carnivore pets. We believe that only the body is capable of achieving and maintaining true health, but we also believe that there are many things that we can do to help support the body in its quest to maintain balance (health). Raw Pet Digest aims to help educate and inform you about those things so that you can help your pet live a long life and thrive naturally.
DISCLAIMER: All information contained in Raw Pet Digest is intended for educational purposes only. It is not provided in order to diagnose, prevent, or treat any disease, illness, or injured condition of the body or pets, and the author(s), publisher, and contributors accept no responsibility for such use. Anyone or their pets suffering from any disease, illness, or injury should consult with their physician or veterinarian. The statements herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Additionally, all views expressed herein by those being interviewed or featured are their own views and do not necessarily represent the views of Raw Pet Digest. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the author(s) and Editor-in-Chief. The articles herein are for educational purposes only. The decision to use, or not to use, any information is the sole responsibility of the reader.
Lycan, Merlin, Midge, and Pansy. Photo credit: Bre Altherr
FEATURES ANDCOLUMNS Letter from the Editor - 4 The Tipping Point - 5 Kidney Disease in Dogs - 9 The Beginner's Corner - 14
Teddy, an Anatolian Shepherd mix. Photo credit: Jen Thackery
The Blessings of the Day - 22 The Man Behind the Curtain - 25 The Diet of the Pet Food Industry - 31 Cold Laser Therapy - 35 Let Food Be Their Medicine - 37
Dexter and Daisy, two Bengal cats. Photo credit: Jamie and Allen Reitz
Letter fromtheEditor What a whirlwind the last few months have been! The hustle and bustle of the holidays finally gave way to a brand new year, which of course brought with it the chance to make a fresh start. So often, people make New Year?s resolutions to lose weight, or go to the gym every day, or take up a hobby, or declutter their home and their life. While all of these are great resolutions, you may find, as I have, that sometimes what?s needed is to focus on what you have now, and only then ask yourself what you can do, right in the moment, to make what you have a little better. And of course, resolutions don?t just affect you. They also affect your pets? those wonderful, beloved, bright-eyed furry companions that share your home, your life, your heart. Each decision we make, whether it is a split-second micro-decision or a sweeping conclusion based on hours, days, weeks, or even months of thought, shapes our lives. And, I believe, each of our decisions, from the smallest to the grandest, can also shape the lives of our pets. They are subject to our choices, our routines. We control so many aspects of their lives? where and how they play and exercise; whether they get to feel the grass under their paws and the sunshine on their backs; whether they get to interact with other animals and people; how much social time they get with us; what, how much, and how frequently they eat; whether they are given clean, pure water; where they can go to the bathroom; how clean their living quarters are; whether they are confined in a crate or have ample space to run around; and a myriad of other details about their lives.
Kristin with Cleo, Motley, Elle, and Barkley. Photo credit: Adam Gilbert
When you really think about it, our animals have hardly any autonomy and barely any control over any aspect of their lives. So, ask yourself? what choices are you making and how are they affecting your pet? Do you find yourself regularly making choices that lead to a decrease in your own health and vitality? Do those choices? choosing to sit and watch TV instead of going outside for a walk, for example? impact your pet? In this example, by making the choice not to be active, are you also preventing your pet from getting the exercise he or she needs? I find it worthwhile every so often to reflect on what choices I?m making and what outcomes those choices lead to, both for myself and for my pets. If you take the time to reflect and find that there are some areas in your life where you can improve, commit to making the choice to do things differently? to do things better. If you do, I think you?ll find that this might be the best year yet? for yourself and for your pets. Enjoy the issue! -Kristin 4
THETIPPINGPOINT
Teddy, an An at olian Sh eph er d m ix. Ph ot o cr edit : Jen Th acker y
5
In his 2000 book The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell talks about ?that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire.? Everything I do is to support the tipping point that I know will eventually arrive when it comes to changing how we feed our dogs and cats. This magazine? my book Let Food Be Their Medicine: Using Nature?s Principles to Help Your Dog Thrive? the conversations and consultations I have both with pet owners and people who are working to bring about awareness and change? all of these things are to contribute to the tipping point when raw feeding will cross a threshold, tip, and spread like wildfire. When I watched the documentary Pet Fooled (available to rent or buy through several different platforms, including Amazon), I was blown away. Here was a full-length feature documentary about pet food, or perhaps more accurately, about how the pet food industry fails. The information is accessible, understandable, and incredibly timely. I was so excited that a documentary like this has been put out, partly because I live and breathe this stuff and could happily discuss pet nutrition and health all day long, but maybe even more importantly because it showed that the issue is gaining steam. More and more people are realizing that the so-called pet foods manufactured by the pet food industry are inadequate at best and dangerous at worst, and this documentary is proof of that. It?s a clear demonstration of the trend that we are getting to a point where we will no longer accept substandard and even toxic food for our pets. And I can say, without any hesitation at all, that seeing that message symbolized in a film available to everyone is one of the most exciting things I?ve ever seen.
Pet Fooled?s strength is not just that it discusses this very important topic (and I can?t stress enough how important this topic is. Diet is the foundation of health, so if you don?t provide nutritious food to your pets, they will never thrive, leading to a loss of vitality for them and loss of time and money, not to mention massive heartache, for you, as a result of visits to the vet because your dog or cat is sick.). It is also strong in how clearly it presents the information. After watching it, you can?t help but question all that you might think you knew about pet food and its manufacturers. The tipping point doesn?t come from one person or one movie, of course. Every single person that takes up this issue, in whatever form works for them, contributes to the tipping point. I recently had a conversation with someone who was trying to find a way to share the message about species-appropriate raw food diets with other people. I reminded her that each of us contributes in whatever way makes the most sense. I am a writer, so it came naturally to me to start this magazine and write a book. Other people focus on spreading the word by talking to their friends about raw diets (truthfully, I find that once someone switches their dog or cat to a raw diet and sees the incredible difference it makes, they often become ardent supporters of the diet and will discuss it with anyone who is interested). Still other people support the movement simply by choosing, day in and day out, to feed their dogs and cats a raw, species-appropriate diet. There are as many ways to support the paradigm shift that must occur as there are dog and cat owners in the world. The drive to improve our pet?s vitality comes, I believe, from a deep-seated belief that we owe it to our pets, when we take them into our homes and hearts, to give them the best life 6
Thedrivetoimproveour pet?svitalitycomes,I believe,froma deep-seatedbelief that weoweit toour pets,whenwetakethem intoour homesandhearts,togivethemthebest lifepossible. -KristinClark Smoke, a Greyhound, eating a raw meaty bone. Photo credit: Jen Thackery
7
possible. I fundamentally believe that when people truly understand that there is a better way to do something, and not only that, but that the old way is harmful, the vast majority will change. It is part of human nature that most us are more comfortable doing something if those around us are also doing it. Because of that, the more people who embrace a raw, species-appropriate diet for their cats and dogs, the more people who will be willing to try it for their own pets. Eventually, the tipping point is reached, and our dogs and cats? lives are vastly improved as a result.
If you haven?t watched Pet Fooled, I highly recommend it. Whether you already feed a raw diet or not, watch it. You may learn something that will help you do better by your own pets. Or, maybe you will learn something that you can pass on to a friend or a family member who is still feeding processed pet food. This documentary supported my belief that we are moving in the right direction, and when you watch it, you will be contributing to moving us towards the tipping point. None of us can know when we might reach that tipping point, but that doesn?t make the striving towards it any less important. -By Kristin Clark
Photo credit: Jen Thackery
8
KIDNEYDISEASEINDOGS Recently, I was digging through some research to figure out the most common reasons people take their dogs to the vet. Almost everything I read indicated that chronic kidney disease is one of the top 10 reasons for owners to seek help for their dogs (and their cats!). Based on the data I reviewed, it was also clear that kidney disease in dogs is on the rise, so in this article we take the opportunity to discuss kidney disease in dogs. Types of kidney f ail ure Before we really dive into the discussion, I should point out that kidney failure in dogs can take one of two forms: acute kidney (or renal) failure, and chronic kidney failure. Acute kidney failure is often triggered by a particular event, such as a severe bacterial infection or a urinary obstruction. It may also come about as a result of the dog ingesting a toxic substance, such as antifreeze or a poisonous plant. Dogs that are severely dehydrated can also develop acute kidney failure. Acut e kidney f ail ure If your dog develops acute kidney failure, he or she will probably exhibit severe vomiting, be very lethargic, and show no interest in food at all. Less frequently, your dog may also appear disoriented, stumble and/ or show a lack of coordination, and/ or strain to urinate. If you suspect that your dog is experiencing acute kidney failure, you should seek medical help immediately.
Elle, a Lhasa Apso mix. Photo credit: Kristin Clark
Chronic kidney f ail ure In this article, we are going to discuss chronic kidney failure. Unlike acute kidney failure, chronic kidney failure in dogs often takes months or years to develop. In general, dogs don?t even begin to show symptoms of chronic kidney failure until 70-75% of kidney function has been lost. While not every dog will show the same symptoms, common symptoms of chronic kidney failure include: -
Vomiting Diarrhea Constipation Depression Lethargy Increased thirst 9
-
Lack of appetite Acute blindness Seizures Bloody urine Weight loss Increased urination (both in frequency and amount)
These symptoms will often come on slowly over a period of time. If you suspect that your dog has chronic kidney failure, your vet can do a blood test and urinalysis. Once it has been diagnosed, though, what should you do? While there isn?t a cure for chronic kidney disease, there are things you can do to help support your dog?s body so that he or she can live as optimal a life as possible. To help you understand what your options are, it is important to understand a little bit about the kidneys themselves.
Underst anding t he kidneys The kidneys are part of the body?s filtration system. They help the body filter out waste products (such as glucose, salts, urea, and uric acid) and extra water from the blood. The waste products and extra water become urine, which then goes to the bladder and is excreted. While the kidneys are capable of filtering an extraordinary amount of waste, if there is a build-up of toxins in the body, they may not be able to filter it out quickly enough; if this happens, the kidneys may become clogged. Over time, this can compromise kidney function and lead to them being extremely over-worked or even damaged. In these instances, chronic kidney failure often results. When the kidneys are supported and aren?t subjected to more toxins than they can handle, they are much less likely to become clogged or damaged.
King, an American Bully, enjoying a raw meaty bone. Photo credit: Kim Bloomer
10
Addressing kidney f ail ure So, what do you do if your dog has chronic kidney failure? The answer often depends on how far gone the kidneys are, but no matter what, it is important that you aim to reduce the toxin load on the kidneys. This means ensuring that your pet isn't subjected to or comes into contact with toxic substances (over-the-counter preventives, herbicides, pesticides, and so on) and that you follow the eight laws of health (more about this in a minute).
systems? are designed to handle a raw meaty bones diet. The key is to feed them high quality, raw protein; this ensures that their bodies can assimilate the nutrients with a minimum of effort, and that they don?t end up taking in more toxins with their food. Studies are being done that support the fact that restricting protein intake in dogs with chronic kidney failure does not actually aid in renal function; based on these studies, even some conventional vets are beginning to understand that restricting protein is not useful.
Many people also recommend diets low in sodium for dogs with kidney failure. While a While most treatments for chronic kidney species-appropriate raw food diet does not have disease include dietary changes, conventional an excessive amount of sodium, many practice advises us to feed dogs with kidney processed dog foods do. Again, high quality, raw failure a low-protein diet. However, this belief meat, bones, and glands will be easily and appears to be a result of research that was readily assimilated by your dog's body; in other done on kidney disease in rats. Unlike dogs, words, the kidneys won?t be further taxed when rats are omnivores, and they are not equipped your dog eats this way, because more toxins to handle high amounts of protein. Our dogs, aren?t being introduced. on the other hand, are carnivores, and they? from their dentition to their digestive Diet ary considerat ions
Knox, an English Mastiff, eating a raw meaty bone in the snow. The proper diet is vital to the health of the kidneys. Photo credit: Jennifer Lee
11