RAWPETDIGEST
June/July2018
Empowering you to help your pet thrive!
10AwesomeSummertime ActivitiesToDoWithYour Dog! How to easily activate your pet's "good" genes and switch off the bad ones
HowtoProtect Your Cat FromAGrowingEpidemic A natur al new way to deal with your pet's digestive woes
CalmingYour DogThrough thePower of Sound 5 Simple ACV Hacks to Make Your Pet's Life Better
DoesNatural Rearing ReallyMakeaDifference? How to Easily Make A Pet Ramp...For Cheap
Raw Pet Digest Editor-in-chief: Kristin Clark
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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.
On our cover: Enjoying a game of cat ch in t he l ake. Copyright Madrabot hair On t h e back : A cat en joyin g t h e f r esh air , gr een gr ass, an d su n sh in e. Copyr igh t Geor g Weber
FEATURES 6 Awesome Summertime Activities to Do with Your Dog 14 How to Prevent Diabetes in Your Cat
COLUMNS 4 Letter from the Editor 5 Contributors
17 A Simple Guide to Natural, Effective Litter
19 Sound Bites
29 How to Activate Your Pet's "Good" Genes
21 Raw Pet Digest Puzzle
37 Calming Dogs Through Sound
24 The Beginner's Corner
40 How to Easily Build a DIY Pet Ramp
60 Spotlight on Health
42 A Novel New Way to Overcome Digestive Problems in Your Pet 52 Does Natural Rearing Really Make a Difference?
68 The Raw-Pawthecary 70 Raw Pet Digest Puzzle Answer Key
Letter fromtheEditor Happy Summertime to you and your family, 2-legged and 4! This is a time of huge change for me: my husband and I are in the process of selling our house in Southern California (first open house is this weekend, and I?m feeling excited and anxious) and moving to North Carolina. We want a place with some land, so the dogs can run around, and we can have horses, alpaca, goats, ducks, chickens, and more. About 8 years ago, a friend of mine moved to North Carolina from California because her son had asthma, and the air was better out there. Now, 8 years later, I?m making the same move, and part of it is because I know that my dogs will be happier and healthier for it. My husband and I don?t have human children? our pets are our family. And just like anyone responsible for the well-being of their family, we make a lot of decisions based on how they?ll impact our dogs and cat. And you know what we?ve found? Often, when we make a decision that will have a positive impact on our pets, it has a positive impact on us too. I would love to hear from you about what decisions you?ve made for your pets, and whether or not those decisions had a positive impact on you as well. Send me a note at kristin@rawpetdigest.com, and let me know! In the meantime, I think you?ll really love this issue. W ith topics as diverse as learning how to prevent diabetes in your cat, to using the science of
Kristin with the gang. Photo credit Adam Gilbert
epigenetics to switch on your pet?s good genes and keep them thriving, to fun summertime activities you can do with your dog, to learning 5 ways apple cider vinegar can help improve your dog?s life, and so much more, there?s something for every pet owner that wants to help their pet thrive naturally. Finally, let me take a moment to share an exciting announcement with you! We are only a few weeks away from launching the Raw K9s Thrive app! The app, which will be available for iPhone and Android, allows you to enter specific information about your dog and then get sample meal plans based on that information. It has a social component where you can share pictures of your dog, ask questions, and connect with other pet parents all over the world. It also has a robust Resources section and information about dealing with common doggy health issues naturally, and it gives you the ability to set reminders for yourself (no more forgetting to defrost your dog?s raw food!), save notes (handy to track progress), and email me your questions directly. If you haven?t already, I hope you?ll Like our Facebook page, so you can see updates about the app, and that you?ll download the app when it?s available and try it out! The goal is to make raw feeding and caring for your dog naturally fun, easy, and accessible! Happy Summertime, friends. Enjoy the issue!
Kristin 4
CONTRIBUTORS Jennifer Lee is a certified Carnivore Nutrition Consultant and NR breeder of English Mastiffs. Her mastiffs are fed a raw diet, receive minimal vaccines, and are not subjected to chemicals or pesticides. She also screens her Mastiffs for genetic health conditions before breeding. In addition to mastiffs, Jennifer and her husband also have llamas, goats, chickens, and a cat. Jennifer is a member in good standing with the Canadian Kennel Club, the Canadian Mastiff Club, and the Natural Rearing Breeders Association. She is also active in the Mastiff community, including Mastiff rescue. Jennifer contributed to our article "Does Natural Rearing Really Make a Difference?" starting on page 52 in this issue. You can visit Jennifer and her Mastiffs at www.tailcreekmastiffs.com.
Paula Vandervoort, a Veteran Dog Breeder of show, service, and performance Boxers for over 40 years, is an AKC Breeder of Merit, a mentor to numerous breeders, and a member in good standing of the Houston Boxer Club, the American Boxer Club, the Natural Rearing Breeders Association, the Vital Animals Breeder Director, and the Natural Rearing Breeders Director. Paula is also the founder and owner of The Dog Breeder Store/Holistic Healing Store. She blogs and educates breeders and pet owners about essential oils, green living, and epigenetics, as well as carnivore nutrition. Additionally, Paula holds many certifications related to natural healing modalities. Paula contributed significantly to our article about epigenetics, beginning on page 29. You can find her at www.gentryboxers.com/.
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AWESOME SUMMERTIME
ACTIVITIES TO DO WITH YOUR DOG
Summer, and all the things that go with it, is finally here: warmer temperatures, lazy days, and (best of all!) more time to spend with your dog. But now that summer is here, you might be wondering what activities you can actually do with your best furry friend. Well, wonder no more? I?m going to share with you some of the awesome activities that are waiting for you and your dog this summer. Before we dive in, one caveat: use common sense when you?re taking your dog outside for summertime fun. If the weather is really hot, it?s probably safer and more comfortable for your dog to stay home. Remember never to leave your dog in a vehicle (it can heat up to a dangerous temperature in just a few minutes), and test the pavement with the
back of your hand to make sure it?s not too hot for your dog?s paws. By following these tips and using common sense, you can help make sure your dog stays safe and happy through all your summertime fun. If you live close to water, there are some activities to consider: 1. Canoeing: Taking your dog out with you for a day of canoeing can be a fun and rewarding experience for both of you. It?s best to take them where the water is clear and shallow so you can make sure the conditions are optimal for your canine pal. If your dog enjoys swimming, they can take a dip in the water with you to beat the heat. Make sure your dog wears a doggie life vest at all times when they?re on the water. 2. Beach days: If you?re lucky enough to live close to a dog beach (we live relatively close to the dog beach in Huntington Beach, California), you and your pal might have a blast soaking up the rays and frolicking in the ocean. Make sure you keep an eye on your dog, and make sure to bring fresh water for your pal. Dog beaches can get crowded, so pay close attention to your friend and make sure they don?t get stressed or overwhelmed. 3. Taking your dog for a swim: If you have a pool or a place that allows dogs to swim, it?s worth seeing if they love taking a dip. One of our dogs, Motley, 7
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Raw Feeding Made Simple! New to raw feeding? Have a dog with chronic health issues, and you don't know how to handle it? Then these books are for you! Both Let Food Be Their Medicine and Raw and Thriving are easy-to-read, informative books that cover all things raw. W ith a focus on DIY raw, Let Food Be Their Medicine is a great choice for anyone who wants an easy primer on how to make homemade raw meals for their dog. Raw and Thriving discusses DIY diets, but it also talks about commercial raw diets, provides some sample recipes, and even gives you a sample meal plan. Plus, it devotes an entire section to some of the most common chronic health problems in pet dogs today, and how to address them using a holistic, natural, but still effective approach.
Both books are available now from Amazon!
absolutely loves swimming, and he?ll happily paddle in lakes, the ocean, and anywhere else there?s a natural body of water (he isn?t a fan of our pool). The other dogs don?t enjoy it as much, but they do like to wade out in shallow stretches of water. Some dogs really love to swim, and some don?t. If you decide to take your buddy swimming, watch them to make sure they?re having fun and staying safe? you should never force your dog to swim if they?re scared or reluctant. 4. Playing in the Kiddie Pool: If your dog loves to splash around but doesn?t like the idea of a full-on swim, bringing out a Kiddie Pool might be the perfect afternoon activity for them. The Kiddie Pool provides a safe, non-intimidating place where they can get wet and cool off, stress-free.
Keep in mind that, while water activities can be a lot of fun for you and your dog, you should keep a close eye on your dog and make sure they aren?t taking in more water than their body can handle. This can lead to water intoxication, which can be fatal. In particular, water intoxication can happen when dogs swallow too much water while swimming, playing in the ocean, or playing with a hose or sprinkler. 5. Going camping: A few weeks ago, we took our 3 dogs camping in Anza-Borrego in Southern California. We had a blast, and the dogs loved being out with us (hearing the coyotes howling was especially exciting for them). There are lots of campsites that allow dogs. Be sure to check the regulations before you go (for instance, some campsites allow dogs in the campsite, but not on the trails), and obey all leash laws.
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6. Going for a walk or a hike: Going for walks or hikes can be really fun for you and your dog, particularly if it?s a normal part of your routine. Aim to walk or hike early in the morning or later in the evening when temperatures are cooler so nobody gets too hot. 7. Taking your dog to the drive-in: There?s nothing better than a drive-in movie, unless it?s a drive-in movie with your dog. Make sure to bring species-appropriate snacks for your dog, along with fresh water. You can go to www.driveintheater.com to find drive-in movies close to you. 8. Going wine tasting: One of my favorite things to do in the summer (or anytime of year) is go to wineries. There are a lot of wineries that allow dogs? call ahead to see if you can bring your pooch with you. I have some amazing memories of taking my
English Shepherd with me when I went wine tasting with friends. Just remember to pack fresh water and speciesappropriate snacks for your dog, then hop in the car and go sip delicious wine in the company of your best friend. 9. PupScouts all the way!: Here?s one I haven?t tried yet, but I?m going to! Like kids with Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, your dog can earn badges as a Pup Scout (PupScouts are only for dogs and their parents). Dogs can earn badges for hiking, beach clean-up, arts and crafts, swimming, and more. Check it out at www.pupscouts.org. 10. Taking your dog to a baseball game: Lots of baseball franchises are sponsoring Bark in the Park. Go to www.gopetfriendly.com to check out dogfriendly baseball games. So there you have it: 10 awesome activities you and your dog can both enjoy this summer! Now that the weather is getting warm, what are you waiting for? Get your pup and head out for summertime adventures! -By Kristin Clark
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Ch eck ou t ou r f u n i n f ogr ap h i c (on th e n ex t 2 p ages) f or an easy r ef er en ce gu i d e of aw esom e th i n gs y ou can d o w i th y ou r d og!
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HOWTOPREVENT DIABETES IN YOUR CAT
My beautiful Maine Coon cat, Dexter, died almost 8 years ago from diabetes. He was 9. The hole he left in my heart will probably never be filled, and even now, 8 years later, I?m still tearing up a little as I write this and think about him. He was amazing? friendly, playful, smart, and funny, he was one of those souls that got along with everybody and that everybody gravitated to. He was also, like so many cats out there, a victim of his diet. I free-fed Dexter and my other 2 cats what I thought was a ?high-quality? kibble diet. But what I didn?t know was that the diet I was feeding was loaded with carbohydrates and toxic fillers. Dexter, like every other cat (and dog) was a carnivore. His body wasn?t adapted to digesting carbs. And he was on the heavy side (again, because of his diet), and because he was overweight, his body was less sensitive to the effects of insulin. Just like us, when a cat eats starch, it converts to sugar, which results in an increase in blood sugars. Over time, given that he was eating a processed-food diet (which means, in most instances, a high-carb diet), he got diabetes. I took the vet?s recommendation and began feeding him a prescription kibble diet and giving him twice-daily insulin shots. This worked for a while, but about a year after being diagnosed, his body couldn?t hold out anymore, and I had to euthanize him. It was heartbreaking.
If I knew then what I know now, I would do things very differently. I would transition him to a wet food with less than 10% carbohydrates and low fat. I would also make sure he was being fed 3 or 4 times per day, instead of leaving down an ?all-you-can-eat? buffet of food. Even if it took weeks or months to transition him from the dry food to the wet, I would make that my focus. Once he was on a wet food diet, I would transition him to raw. I would choose a raw food that had no (or a very small percentage) of fruits and vegetables. I would continue to feed him 3 or 4 times per day. I would make sure he got exercise every day too. By ensuring that he was no longer being flooded with carbs, and by using portion control and scheduled meals to help him get to and maintain a healthy weight, there?s a very good chance that Dexter would have gone into remission from diabetes, and maybe he would still be around today.
Dexter and me about 2 weeks before he passed. He loved to grab people's faces with his paws and give them kisses.
Wondering how to figure out how many carbs are in your cat?s food? You can use a simple equation to find out (it?s not going to be listed on the bag, so you have to determine it for yourself). I t?s a two-step process to get the most accurate answer, so stay with me. First, add up the protein, fat, fiber, ash, and moisture from the nutrient profile on the bag or can. Subtract that total from 100. For example, say your cat?s food had the following numbers: -
Crude Protein (min): 37% Crude Fat (min): 8.5% Crude Fiber (max): 4.8% Moisture (max): 12% Ash (max): 6% (note that if there is no value listed for ash, it?s OK to estimate about 3% for canned foods and 6% for dry)
W hen you add these numbers up, they come to 68.3. Subtract that from 100, which gives you 31.7. T hat?s the carb content in your cat?s food (31.7%).
Next, you need to convert the result to a ?dry matter? result (this goes for canned food or kibble). To do so, subtract the percent moisture from 100. T he result is the percent dry matter of the kibble or wet food. T hen, divide the carbohydrate percentage by the percent dry matter for the food, then multiply by 100. T he number you get is the nutrient percentage on a dry matter basis. I f you're like me and math isn't your thing, it can help to see this done in an example. Using our example cat food numbers, we can see the moisture content is 12%, so subtract 12 from 100 and you get 88. T hen, divide the carbohydrate percentage (31.7) by the percent dry matter (88), and multiply by 100. T he answer? 36.02%? is the amount of carbohydrates in the food on a dry matter basis. W hen we realize that cats can handle, at most, about 2% of their food being carbs, we can see that 36.02%, day after day, meal after meal, is way too high, and will (sooner or later) lead to a whole host of health problems.
ASIMPLEGUIDETONATURAL, EFFECTIVECATLITTER Dealing with kitty litter is, in my opinion, the biggest downside to having a cat. The dust, the smell, the mess? it?s really just unpleasant, don't you think? And, if it?s that unpleasant for a human, imagine how much worse it is for the cat! Because of how much shorter they are than us, they?re much closer to the litterbox and dust. They have to go in and around it more frequently (every time they have to use the bathroom, actually). The litter often sticks to their paws, and to get rid of it, they have to lick it off. Ugh. It?s gross. So, to make this whole affair a bit more pleasant, we want to share some thoughts with you about alternatives to conventional kitty litter. If you have just one cat, you might want to try the Tidy Cats Breeze System. It?s what I use with my cat, Gryphon. Instead of clumping, there are pellets, which means there?s no dust. Poop stays in the litterbox with the pellets, and the pee falls down through little slats in the box onto an absorbent pad beneath. You scoop the poop as necessary, and change out the pad once per week. It controls odors really well, in my opinion, and I didn?t have any trouble transitioning my cat to it. The only downside is that sometimes, if there?s a little bit of poop in his box that I haven?t scooped yet, he might poop just outside the litterbox, but that?s easily dealt with by putting a mat down. I?ve never had an issue with him peeing outside the box. And, for just one cat, this system is more affordable (and less gross) than buying conventional litter. 17
If you have more than one cat, or the Tidy Cats Breeze System isn't your cup of tea, I have another solution for you. Buy one of the natural cat litters out there (W orld?s Best Cat Litter, Swheat Scoop, Feline Pine, BLUE Naturally Fresh, and Yesterday?s News are all options to try? each of them is made from a different product and has different pros and cons) to reduce the dust and the chemicals. If you find that the natural litter doesn?t control the odor as effectively as you?d like, you can make a natural odor control to add to the litter. There are lots of recipes on the internet for this: I adapted this one from the amazing blog Zeelemons (http:/ / www.zeelemons.com).
So, to make a natural odor control, get a mason jar, 1 cup of baking soda, and 15 drops of Young Living?s Lavender essential oil. Combine the baking soda and the essential oils in the mason jar, screw the cap on, and shake the whole mixture. Every time you scoop the litter, sprinkle some of the baking soda mixture on the top after you add the new litter. W hen your cat uses the box, they?ll mix the baking soda mixture in. There you have it! Some easy and effective ways to make dealing with the litterbox a pleasant (or at least much-less unpleasant) task for you and your cat. -By Kristin Clark
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SOUNDBITES Welcome to our new column, Sound Bites. This column will feature simple advice from experts in the industry about raw feeding. There are so many conflicting pieces of information about raw feeding out there, and sometimes it can seem so, well, complicated. Sound Bites will help cut through some of that confusion by offering a short piece of advice from a raw feeding expert that either helped them when they first started raw feeding, or that they wish they had known when they first started. We?ll share that advice here with you, to help makeyour journey simpler. We?d love to hear from you too! Send us your favorite piece of advice about raw feeding: it may be published in a future issue. Email us at kristin@rawpetdigest.com. This issue?s Sound Bite comes from yours truly. I started feeding my dogs a commercial raw diet about 4 ½ years ago, and switched them to a prey model/ whole prey diet almost 4 years ago. I live and breathe keeping them healthy, happy, and thriving, and diet is of course a huge part of that. In addition to publishing this magazine, I?ve written two books (Let Food Be Their Medicine: Using Nature?s Principles to Help Your Dog Thrive and Raw and Thriving:
Barkley, my English Shepherd, out on a hike. Photo credit Milton Clark
The Ultimate Guide to Getting (and Keeping!) Your Dog Healthy) and am close to releasing a raw-feeding app. Given all that, raw feeding a DIY diet to my dogs feels very easy to me now, but I remember when it didn?t. Everywhere I turned, it seemed like I was getting conflicting advice. Some people said that I had to feed X to keep my dogs healthy. Others said if I fed X, I?d put my dogs at risk. I was particularly nervous about feeding bones; I didn?t know what would happen if my dogs ate a raw bone, but I remember feeling anxious about it. W ould they choke? W ould it cause a blockage? My questions about everything related to DIY raw were rampant, and the answers I found were confusing and overwhelming. 19
Looking back, I think the best thing I did was go on YouTube and watch some videos of dogs eating raw meaty bones. My husband pointed out that, if I was truly nervous about it (which I was), that I could watch some videos and see what it was really all about. There are lots of videos out there. Stay away from the ones that seem like they?re going to sensationalize it in any way, and instead go for the ones that were filmed by ordinary people just trying to show their dogs enjoying a meal. W atching those videos really helped me calm down about feeding raw meaty bones,
because they seemed so anti-climactic (in a good way). I was able to see how easily the dogs ate the bones, and it was obvious how much they seemed to enjoy them. After watching the videos, when I fed my own dogs, it didn't feel like I was flying blind. Geez, it?s hard to limit this to just one piece of advice? I have so many pieces of advice, after all. But that?s the problem, right? Too much advice and it just gets overwhelming. So that?s all I?ll say about it, for now. W atch videos and familiarize yourself with what it looks like when a dog is eating a raw meaty bone. And then, after you?ve watched a few videos, try feeding your own dog a raw meaty bone. Have fun!
Hanging out with Journey the Wolf. Photo credit Kristin Clark 20
RAWPETDIGESTPUZZLE
Siamese cat playing with a puzzle. Copyright Agata Kowalczyk
If you?re like me, the idea of testing your knowledge and solving fun puzzles and challenges can certainly pique your interest. We hope you enjoy the W ord Search on the following page. The words are printed forwards, backwards, diagonally, up, and down. Each of the words relates to something in this issue. To make it more fun, if you complete the puzzle correctly, you may get your name printed in a future puzzle. To participate, simply print out the page, fill in your answers legibly, then scan and email it to kristin@rawpetdigest.com. To enter, you must submit the puzzle by June 30, 2018. Make sure to use the subject line ?June/ July 2018 puzzle entry?. Include your name and, if you?d like, your pet?s name(s) in your email. Good luck, and have fun!
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