WHAT’S IN PET FOOD & industry doesn’t tell you !
ALL PET FOOD, unless it specifies on the label that is made from human grade meat, is made from dead, diseased, euthanized animals, or farm animals that are not fit for human consumption !!! Pet foods made from euthanized animals and rotting animal carcasses can kill your fur baby. Not to mention that cheap food brands use dies and preservatives that will make your animals sick in the long run.
In 2017, one of the top 5 food brands called Evanger was sued after a dog died from eating food that had traces of euthanasia drug ! That is a proof enough that pet industry, even the best brands, make pet food from sick, dead animals !
ADDITIVES, preservatives, coloring, thickeners are other ingredients that will cause many other diseases in your pet, including cancer from coloring and preservatives, or diabetes from thickener called carrageenan. Here are some guidelines as to what ingredients to avoid in pet food: Legumes, pea protein, potato protein, potato, tapioca, corn, soy, canola oil, carrageenan.
Keep in mind, that even if the food is sealed in air-tight container, MOLD starts to grow two weeks after opening the bag of kibble ! So if you think you are saving money by buying 50 lbs bag for a dog that weighs 5 lbs, think again ! Feeding your dog kibble that has been opened for more than 2-3 weeks maximum, will get your dog sick and you will have some serious vet bills as your vets are clueless about the chaos a mold can wreck in your pet’s health, or EVEN IN OUR OWN HUMAN’S HEALTH ! (Stinging Nettle herb is known for its ability to purify pets and human body from the mold and fungus !)
While earning my degree in Holistic Animal Nutrition, I learned that almost ALL DISEASES START WITH BAD NUTRITION & ALMOST ALL DISEASES CAN BE CURED and/or REVERSED WITH THE PROPER NUTRITION !
DR. GARY RICHTER’s VIDEO ABOUT FOOD & NUTRITION
With pets as in humans… “YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT!”
With so many food choices on the market, it is hard to make the right decision for your pet. With Dr. Karen Becker preaching “SPECIES APPROPRIATE DIET”, I tend to agree with that.
The best of the best kibble for dogs ranges from about $5-$7 pet pound (Orijen & Acana brand, made by the same manufacturer in Canada). With that in mind I would be in favor of home made food as it will be much more cost effective and better for both dogs & cats.
Homemade food would cost no more than about $1.50 to $2.50 per pound, depending on what meats you use. There are certain supplements that need to be added to home made food whether you are feeding raw or cook their meals. I talk about this later in the article. One thing you need to pay special attention to, is cats diet. Supplementing cats home made food is crucial, i.e., TAURINE is necessary for cats healthy eyes and vision.
Here are some of taurine deficiencies… Retinal degeneration, irreversible blindness if retinal degeneration is not addressed, weakening of the muscles of the heart leading dilated cardiomyopathy, death if cardiomyopathy is not addressed, digestive issues… In cats that are not spayed, taurine deficiency can cause fetal abnormalities, small litter sizes, low birth weights, delayed growth and development in kittens.
Read more at:
https://wagwalking.com/cat/condition/taurine-deficiency
IF YOU CAN AVOID FEEDING KIBBLE ALL TOGETHER YOU MAY PREVENT KIDNEY & URINARY ISSUES THAT COME FROM CATS EATING KIBBLE. Not enough moisture in kibble and it is harsh on their kidneys. Thus it is CRUCIAL that cats be fed at least a combination of wet and dry food daily and that is if you cannot feed all wet.
This is an excellent article…
What Happens When You Feed Your Cat Carbs
by Dr. Karen Becker
If you cannot read entire article…
“Bottom line: Unprocessed animal tissue (raw) is an essential and species-perfect source of protein, vitamins, and moisture for cats; no adequate substitute exists”
https://www.barkandwhiskers.com/cats-and-carbs/
My cats are no longer fed kibble, not even as a treat !
I am now transitioning them to homemade food which they love, and I feed some high quality wet food as well. Some of my cats eat raw beef and love it so we feed some raw daily as well.
HOMEMADE FOODS FOR DOGS & CATS
For some of you home made diet for your pets would be ideal and cost effective as well. You can make chicken for entire week and pre-freeze in daily portions. In Fresno, CA area and near by towns, chicken is always on sale at Smart & Final, R & N markets, Walmart, Costco.
Walmart sells chicken liver and chicken gizzards. The issue with feeding organ meat is that in order to have nutritional value you need to serve organ meats freshly cooked.
Chicken liver you can get at Walmart and freeze it in smaller portions for smaller animals. Then unfreeze, cook & blend with already pre made chicken. Chicken you can cook or bake. You can use any parts of chicken & whatever is on sale. Chicken broth is good for pets as well. Do not remove chicken skin as fat is super important in pet diet.
Chose veggies to add to both cat & dog homemade food… Information charts on safe food for dogs & cats are posted towards the end of this page.
CHICKEN, CHICKEN GIZZARDS/HEARTS & LIVER FOR MUTIPLE PETS
If you have one or two pets & want to chop meat manually, then you will need Kitchen Aid scissors
If you want to use the food processor type for 3 or less pets, you can get away with Ninja Express Chop Electric Food Chopper NJ100WM
If you have more than few pets you will need a larger ninja type of chopper or food processor. It will pay itself over time, saving you money with home made food.
FOR 20 lbs DOG
1 chicken thigh, 4 gizzards, 1/2 piece of liver
YOU CAN EITHER INCREASE THIS OR DIAL IT DOWN DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF THE DOG
Here is a video on how to feed ONLY edges of the chicken bones, cartilage & bone marrow to dogs
chicken bone & bone marrow – YouTube
FOR 10 lbs CAT
1/4 chicken thigh, 1 gizzard, 1/4 piece of liver
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AMOUNT OF MEAT:
1 PACK OF GIZZARDS (I buy the heaviest pack that costs about $2.00 – $3.00)
1 TUB OF CHICKEN LIVER (I buy the heaviest pack that costs about $2.50-$3.00)
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COOKING TIME FOR GIZZARDS – 1 hr
add CHICKEN LIVER & cook additional 30 minutes covered on MEDIUM heat
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Empty the tub of gizzards in a frying pan and add little water to immerse gizzards 1/2 way. Sprinkle Himalayan salt. Cook covered for about 1 hr.
Then empty the tub of chicken liver with all the contents & blood in the same pan. Then add little more, enough to rinse the remaining blood from the liver tub. All the meat should be almost immersed in water completely. Cover and cook for about 30 minutes more.
You can choose to leave chicken liver raw about 15% in which case cook shorter time after adding liver to gizzards. Once it is done and it cools off enough, chop gizzards first and leave them in small chunks about 1/4″ size. Then add chicken in the chopper, then a row of chicken liver then another row of chicken. Right before blending it all, add all the nutritional supplements in some chicken or beef broth. You can make your own or buy at Walmart from the glass jars. Use only chicken or beef broth! Blend at your desired texture. I make it shredded or little larger chunks to give cats something to chew on. Gizzards are gummy texture so it helps sort of clean their teeth. If you premade chicken and froze in portions, then you will unthaw chicken and warm it up little. The follow the process above always first chopping gizzards or chicken hearts, then adding chicken and liver and blending it all. REMEMBER: ALL ORGAN MEATS HAVE TO BE SERVED FRESHLY COOKED IN ORDER TO PROVIDE NUTRITIONAL VALUE.
In nature when wild animals kill their prey, the first thing they eat is organ meats. Then they return for the rest later.
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NOTE: Liver needs to be blended with chicken as liver enzymes often can give them diarrhea if served by itself. Use ratio 1/5 liver to 4/5 chicken & if animal has loose stool, then dial down on liver only.
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GUIDELINE AS TO AMOUNT OF FOOD TO MAKE (measured as 5.0 oz cans)
3 chicken thighs & hand full of gizzards & 1 piece of chicken liver makes 4 cans, each 5 oz of food
3 chicken quarters & a hand full of gizzards and 1-2 pieces of chicken liver makes 8 cans, each 5 oz of food
1/2 chicken deboned & 2 hand full of gizzards & 1 piece of chicken liver makes ABOUT 10-12 cans, each 5 oz of food
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IF FEEDING HOMEMADE YOU WILL NEED TO ADD SUPPLEMENTS TO GIVE ANIMALS ADEQUATE NUTRITION AS COOKED MEATS LOST SOME NUTRITION IN COOKING. READ THIS PAGE FURTHER FOR SUPPLEMENT INFORMATION.
FOR CATS: I USE THE MISSING LINK & ADD COLOSTRUM, TRANSFER FACTOR, TAURINE, PROBIOTICS, GLANDULARS & OMEGAS
FOR DOGS: I USE COLOSTRUM, TRANSFER FACTOR, PROBIOTICS, GLANDULARS, OMEGAS & EGG SHELL CALCIUM. I ALSO ADD SOMETHING CALLED CELLULAR PSP WHICH FEEDS EVERY CELL. THIS IS NOT REQUIRED BUT I DO IT CAUSE MY DOGS ARE NOW SENIORS & NEED THAT EXTRA HELP
Here is video on how to safely use the edges of the chicken bones for dogs…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6sEn3aEKlI&t=13s&list=PLY38O5mbrtkOzRlbFBL-_PPTZ3ZjnGaqm&index=65
Raw Egg Yolk
Yolk is also very nutritious for both cat & dog so if your budget allows, you can add it to their food a few times a week or even daily.
Goat Milk
Goat milk is also an excellent part of animal’s diet. Powdered milk is available at Walmart.
Bone Broth
Whether your animal is young, old, healthy, sick…. bone broth is always an excellent addition to any homemade food. If you do not have time to make it yourself, it is available at Walmart. Both chicken and beef bone broth have safe ingredients for animals.
Greens…
Through trial & error you can figure which veggies your pet(s) like and blend some of those in their food. You can use blender or chop it up for larger animals. You can lightly steam the veggies or give raw. Give cats or dog some mix green salad. The first time I did this I was amazed to see my cats eat it as if it was tuna ! Look at Jackie-Lina eating spring mix. I do this several times a week.
Because cats need certain supplements to be healthy as Taurine, if you are making home made food you need to find a god blend of nutrients to add to it. This is what I recommend be added to home made food for dogs & cats.
IF YOU ARE FEEDING HOME COOKED FOOD SOME TYPE OF PRE MIXED SUPPLEMENTS NEED TO BE ADDED TO DOG’S OR CAT’S FOOD
CATS
PUPPIES
OMEGA 3
DO NOT FAIL TO GIVE YOUR PETS OMEGA 3, THEIR BODY DOES NOT PRODUCE IT
As Dr. Karen Becker said: “Fail to give this to your pet & you are asking for trouble!”
FIRST IT WAS FISH OIL, THEN KRILL OIL & THE LATEST RECOMMENDATION IS
Phytoplankton = 100% Pure And Natural Nutrition
WATCH THE VIDEO…
DOSING
Exactly how much to supplement depends on the current health of your pet and the wellness goals you want to achieve. If your pet is currently in good health, I recommend supplementing as follows:
1/4 capsule daily for toy breeds and cats (1-14 lbs)
1/2 capsule daily for small dogs (15-30 lbs)
3/4 capsule daily for medium dogs (30-49 lbs)
1 capsule daily for large dogs (50-79 lbs)
1 1/2 capsule daily for dogs 80+ lbs
A GOOD PROBIOTIC & ENZYMES ARE NECESSARY
COLOSTRUM
COLOSTRUM IS GOOD FOR PETS ANY AGE, ANY HEALTH CONDITION AS PREVENTION OR AS SUPPORT FOR HEALING SICK PETS.
WET FOOD – CATS
As I am completely against dry kibble food, I will only talk about wet food.
Good quality canned food for cats is about $1.50-$2.00 for 5.5 oz. If you can afford, you can give this food 2 x a week or on days you are busy to do homemade. For cats it is ok to occasionally feed sardines or canned Mackerel, or even table scratch just not too fatty. Some fat is ok.
WET FOOD – CATS
Tiki cat velvet is also good food for kittens…
Chose chicken or turkey & avoid straight fish. All Fancy Feats flavors have some fish in it.
Petco store has their own brand of pet food for all stages… good ingredients & reasonable priced. Chose flavors that do not contain any fish in it. Whole Hearted has choice of chicken & beef or chicken & liver
WET & DRY FOOD – PUPPIES & DOGS
The best of the best in dog & cat food is Orijen & theri other brand Ocana which has less protein. I bought Orijen when my dogs were puppies and calculated it cost $4.50/lb back in 2010. It smelled horrible as it had kidney organs that smelled like urine. It was likely too high in protein and my dogs threw up ! I threw the Orijen 20 lbs bag of kibble sway and started making their food.
Another brand I consider very good as for the ingredients is Nulo. They have so many varieties and you will need to do some homework yourself. However since I am currently fostering puppies and have the need for kibble in addition to homemade, I will post Nulo brand here.
Nulo has a wide variety of wet food as well. However, I still believe that homemade is the best choice to feed animals as we control ingredients.
CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL is also a good brand of pet food…
INSTINCT is another excellent brand of dog food
The Unique Nutritional Needs of Active, Athletic Dogs
By Dr. Karen Becker
https://www.barkandwhiskers.com/nutrition-for-canine-athletes/
TREATS
Do not make mistake with treats as it may cost your dog their teeth !
The treats that are safe are dehydrated meats or jerky.
You can choose to make your own treats. For those who do not have time, Costco carries a duck jerky and that has been the only treat we have given our dogs over the years.
HUMAN FOODS APPROPRIATE FOR CATS
HUMAN FOODS APPROPRIATE FOR DOGS
If you are feeding your DOGS kibble, you must add human food to their diet…
DR. Martin Goldstein… talks about commercial pet food
Dr. Martin Goldstein is one of America’s most renowned holistic veterinarians, and the acclaimed author of “The Nature of Animal Healing: The Definitive Holistic Medicine Guide to Caring for Your Dog and Cat.” For two decades, Dr. Marty has combined elements of nutritional medicine with nutrition, immune support and alternative treatments that have yielded incredible results. 3 Dangerous Ingredients You’re Feeding Your Dog:
Are you harming your dog by feeding them the wrong food?
We all love our dogs and many consider them our best friends. Many of us even treat them better than our own family members.
There are 3 dangerous ingredients that no dog should ever eat, and if you are giving them to your dog then you might be slowly harming it.
https://dogfoodexposed.com/?n=db
SO AFTER LISTENING TO TE VIDEO PRESENTATION, I AM NOT SUGGESTING YOU BUY DR. GOLDSTEIN’S PET FOOD, HOWEVER, YOU CAN LEARN TO MAKE YOUR OWN FOOD AT HOME…
Here is the complete ingredient list for Dr. Goldstein’s pet food…Turkey, Beef, Duck, Salmon, Beef Liver, Turkey Heart, Turkey Liver, Sweet Potato, Eggs, Pea Flour, Carrots, Organic Apples, Organic Blueberries, Organic Cranberries, Pumpkin Seeds, Spinach, Ginger, Salt, Mixed Tocopherols.
DR KAREN BECKER 3 TIERS OF NUTRITION
This is a 2 hr video on food & nutrition
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ua75XUbdl3Q&t=2639s&list=PLY38O5mbrtkOzRlbFBL-_PPTZ3ZjnGaqm&index=4
FOOD FACTS FOR PETS By Dr. Karen Becker
HOME MADE RECIPES FOR DOGS & CATS
Two-Part System to Make Nutritionally Balanced, Fresh Homemade Food – Customized for Your Dog’s Needs
By Dr. Mercola
RAW FEEDING
For those of you who are interested in learning about RAW diets… here is a good start…
http://rawmeatybones.com/petowners.php
Ready to make your own dog food?
Here is the link where you can sign up for FREE recipes… https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/recipe-opt-in/
