Real Food for Pets

With the pet food recall that killed and sickened dogs and cats several months ago due to melamine (which is normally found in fertilizers and plastic,) I know people are confused about what to feed their pets. For the past two years, I have been feeding my 13 year old Pug, Toast, a special diet that has made her healthier.

I started the diet out of desperation. When she turned 8, Toast began to get crystals in her urine. Alkaline and acidic ones. We kept them from becoming kidney stones by switching her diet according to the type of crystals she had. She was fed Hill's Prescriptive Diet foods from the vet.

At the same time, Toast began to lose her eyesight. Two years ago, fully blind, her one eye swelled and we were afraid it would rupture. The vet gave us a prescription for glaucoma. It did help reduce the swelling in the beginning.

At this point, she was pretty sick and I decided to feed her real food. I would boil or bake free-range chicken (no antibiotics, preservatives, humane) and I added whole grain bread with chicken stock.

But, I would have to put the glaucoma pill in food to get her to eat it and she began to reject the food. First, no cream cheese, then peanut butter and so on. I stopped giving her the pill.

The eye has stabilized and Toast has had no crystals since I started her on her real food diet! She is now a healthy 13 year old.

I have since learned more about the proper feeding of dogs. They need about 85% meat in their diets. No salt. Some carbohydrates and vegetables.

I saw Vet Martin Goldstein on Oprah the other day and his diet guidelines make sense. He says that the conventional kibble has mostly grains in it--absolutely the wrong food for the carnivore! He also thinks raw meat is the best choice, but follow his guidelines if you go that route.

Now, Toast eats roasted chicken (I decided the boiling robs nutrients from chicken) and ultra premium canned food or meatloaf made with free-range buffalo, grated carrots and brown rice. I also feed her bits of food at dinner--meat and vegetables that don't have salt or much flavorings. (She's blind and basically deaf, she has the right to be pampered!)

You can purchase ultra premium canned food in a natural food store. This food will contain whole foods, with meat as first listing. It will NOT contain by-products, preservatives, artificial flavorings or color, sweeteners or sugar.

I believe that feeding our pets healthy food will allow them to live healthier and longer lives. If you are not convinced, or worried about how much more money feeding your pets will cost, just think of the vet bills you'll save!

2 Roast Chickens
I bake 1 13/4 hour at 350 degrees. Once cool, I remove chicken from bones and rip into bite-sized pieces. Then I place in 3 plastic containers, freezing two. Please make sure to remove all bones, as they can cause internal damage.

Meatloaf
2 pounds ground buffalo or beef
2 eggs
1 cup cooked brown rice (no salt)
3 shredded carrots
Mix ingredients and bake in a casserole for 1 hour at 350 degrees.
Then I place in 3 plastic containers, freezing two.

For recipes for people and much more, go to: Harmonious Environment.