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b-naturals dog nutrition newsIt is always difficult for us to see our dogs in pain! A very common form of pain is that from arthritis and joint issues. Sometimes arthritis and painful joint issues are caused by old age. Other causes may include conditions such as hip or elbow dysplasia or spondylosis of the spine. There are many causes of joint pain. This month we will discuss a few of the things you can do to ease arthritic pain and inflammation that causes pain in your dog. Please do not try to guess what is causing your dog pain! ALWAYS have your veterinarian perform a complete check up on your dog and get a diagnosis before starting any treatment plan. Inflammation, pain and lameness can mean many things and therefore, it is VERY IMPORTANT to have the right diagnosis so you can select the right treatment protocol! Nutrition Diet is important in helping control inflammation and pain. For dogs, sugar and starches in the diet can increase swelling and tenderness. The best diet for dogs with arthritis, those recovering from surgery, or dogs that are active athletic dogs, are either a raw diet with no carbohydrates or a low glycemic (sugar) home cooked diet. Switching a dog from a commercial dog food or a home-prepared diet with grains and starches can make a world of difference in just a few weeks. In addition, feeding a raw diet or a low glycemic diet from puppyhood or early age can help prevent early arthritis problems. You can find more information on the benefits of a raw natural diet in my book, 'Raw and Natural Nutrition for Dogs'. Supplements Adding supplements to your dog's diet is also very beneficial. There are supplements you can add to your dog's diet to reduce inflammation and help with pain. The supplements listed below are helpful in easing discomfort and reducing pain and swelling. These include: Omega 3 EPA Fish Oil Capsules: Omega 3 fatty acids found in animal-based fats can help reduce inflammation and pain. Omega 3 Fish Oil also helps support the immune system, the liver, heart and kidneys, and skin and coat. Give one capsule (180 EPA/120 DHA) per 10-20 lbs of body weight daily. Yucca Intensive is made from the juice of the yucca plant, which is only effective in the liquid form. Yucca is a precursor to saponins and acts as a natural non-steroidal. This is given at one drop per 10 pounds of body weight once or twice daily. This supplement MUST be given WITH food and should NOT be given with any of the prescription NSAIDs such as Rimadyl, Metacam or Deramaxx. Herbspirin is a natural form of aspirin that is much easier on the stomach; however, it also needs to be given WITH food. It can also be given with the Yucca Intensive for severe arthritis and pain. Herbspirin should also, NEVER be given with prescription NSAIDs! Flexile Plus is a blend of glucosamine and chondroitin, manganese, boswellia and bromelain. Glucosamine helps lubricate the joints and the chondroitin assists with healing damaged cartilage. The manganese acts as a mild muscle relaxant and the boswellia and bromelain are natural anti-inflammatories. These ingredients work together to alleviate arthritis pain. It is given at a loading dose the first 2 weeks, and then the amount can be reduced by one-third. The ingredients included in the Berte's Immune Blend include antioxidants, probiotics and digestive enzymes. The high amounts of vitamin C and E support joint health and the digestive aids help to fight inflammation and assist the immune system. Alternative Treatments Selection of an alternative treatment is an individualized choice. Some choices I have seen that show effectiveness for arthritis and inflammation include the following: Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine: This modality needs to be given by a veterinarian who is certified in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Combining acupuncture, which can treat pain, with the correct Chinese herbs can be very effective. Chiropractic Methods: This technique has been proven invaluable to dogs who have suffered sports injuries and in dogs that may need chiropractic adjustments to alleviate pain. Exercise: Exercise is very beneficial; however, the exercise chosen should fit the ability of the dog. Exercise has been found to help joint mobility, keep dogs healthier and slow down the progression of arthritis. Exercise can include a variety of things from moderate daily walks to rehabilitation treatments done at clinics using swimming and other low resistance exercise. Exercise also keeps the dog mentally active as well, which helps and supports their overall well-being. With help from a no-carbohydrate and no-sugar diet, supportive natural supplements that help combat pain and inflammation, and supportive alternative treatments and daily exercise, you can help play a large part in keeping your dog healthy and pain free! Always make sure to get regular veterinarian checkups to monitor your dog's health and to insure you have the right diagnosis so you can plan the best strategy for your dog's good health!
B-Natural's would like to wish All the Mom's A Very Happy Mother's Day!
b-naturals dog nutrition news
I am frequently asked, 'What supplements should I give my dog to maintain good health and which should I give to support a specific health issue?' So this month, I am going to suggest helpful vitamins and supplements you can offer your dogs that are safe for daily use and those that are beneficial for supporting specific health conditions.
Vitamins
Vitamins come in two categories. These are water-soluble vitamins and fat-soluble vitamins.
Water Soluble Vitamins
Water-soluble vitamins are easily flushed from the body and oftentimes need to be given twice daily for the best results. Water-soluble vitamins include vitamin C and B vitamins. It is hard to overdose on these vitamins, however, if you give too much vitamin C without building to bowel tolerance, it can cause diarrhea. B vitamins can cause the urine to be bright yellow in color. However, overall, they are very safe and can be given to your dog daily.
B Vitamins
B Vitamins help with nerve development, help maintain kidney function, support healthy muscle tone in the gastrointestinal tract and support the eyes and the skin. B vitamins include B-1 (thiamin), B-2 (riboflavin), B-3 (niacin and niacinamide), B-6 (pyridoxine), B-12 (cobalamin), folic acid, pantothenic acid, biotin, choline, inositol and PABA. These vitamins need to work together and therefore work best in the body if they are all given as a vitamin B complex as opposed to giving just one or two of the B group of vitamins separately. B vitamins are found in meat, poultry, fish, organ meat, eggs, and leafy green vegetables.
B Complex vitamins should be given in the following dosages:
0 – 25 lbs: 25 mg daily 25 – 50 lbs: 25 – 50 mg daily 50 – 75 lbs: 50 – 100 mg daily 75 – 100 lbs: 75 to 150 mg daily
Vitamin C
Offering Vitamin C with bioflavonoid is very important. Bioflavonoids help with the uptake of vitamin C and add to vitamin C's antioxidant value. Vitamin C is an essential antioxidant and immune builder, and it has many functions. It helps support the immune system, helps with collagen building (present in connective tissue), supports capillary repair and adrenal gland functioning. Additionally, it stimulates the production of lymphocytes, fights bacteria and viruses, enhances the ability of chemotherapy drugs, helps prevent high blood pressure and serum cholesterol, supports the production of anti-stress hormones and aids in the healing of wounds. Vitamin C also helps with allergy issues as it acts as a natural antihistamine.
While dogs produce some vitamin C, it is often not enough for dogs living with the daily stress of pollution, low physical activity, illness, and those involved in performance training. Higher doses have also been shown to help with pain relief and immunity.
Because Vitamin C is water soluble, it is flushed from the body quickly. Therefore, it is important to give this supplement with each meal or at least twice daily. Foods that are high in vitamin C include broccoli, brussel sprouts, kale, cabbage, parsley, pineapple, strawberries, spinach, turnip greens and collard greens.
There are several types of vitamin C, but the most common is the calcium ascorbate type, as it is buffered and easier on the digestive tract.
Bioflavonoids, which are not exactly a vitamin, are found in the rinds of citrus fruits and are an antioxidant. When taken with vitamin C, they help with the uptake and absorption of the vitamin. They help strengthen capillary walls, help with hemorrhages and prevent bruising. They are also shown to be helpful with inflammatory conditions and arthritis. Bioflavonoids may also be helpful in the treatment and prevention of cataracts. All forms of vitamin C are useful and beneficial, but make sure the type you use has bioflavonoids so you can offer the full benefit of the vitamin C.
Vitamin C should be given in the following minimum dosages:
0 – 25 lbs: 100 – 250 mg daily 25 – 50 lbs: 250 – 500 mg daily 50 – 75 lbs: 500 – 1,000 mg daily 75 – 100 lbs: 1,000 – 2,000 mg daily
Fat Soluble Vitamins
Fat-soluble vitamins are stored in the fat in the body and have a longer 'life' in the body. They are not easily flushed from the body like water-soluble vitamins are and the recommended dosages are generally smaller than water-soluble vitamins. Because these vitamins are stored in the body's fat, it is possible to overdose your dog on these vitamins, so the dosage given is very important. Fat-soluble vitamins include vitamin A, D and E.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is believed to help fight respiratory infections and keep the body's tissues healthy. It is considered to have antioxidant properties, helps maintain good eye function and promotes good reproduction and healthy skin. There are two types of vitamin A. The first type is found in animal sources and is called active vitamin A. An example of active vitamin A is cod liver oil. The second type is beta-carotene, which is found in plant sources. There has not been enough research done with dogs to show the value of beta-carotene, but both types are considered helpful. Good food sources of active vitamin A are found in beef, chicken liver, eggs and dairy products.
Generally, the food sources that contain vitamin A are rich enough that supplementation is not necessary; however, more may be added for immunity purposes, respiratory problems, ulcers, skin issues and cancer prevention. I would not exceed the recommended dosages, which are as follows:
Small dogs: 1,000 IUs daily Medium dogs: 2,500 IUs daily Large dogs: No more than 5,000 IUs daily
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is also considered a hormone. It is not only found in food, but also sunlight. It helps with the metabolism of calcium and phosphorus in the body by increasing absorption of these in the intestines. A deficiency of this vitamin in puppies can result in rickets, stunted growth, delayed tooth development and bone deformities. While sunlight provides some vitamin D, it isn't always enough. Some food sources that contain vitamin D include fatty saltwater fish, fish liver oils and fortified dairy products.
The daily intake for dogs is:
Small dogs: 100 IU daily Medium dogs: 200 IU daily Large dogs: 400 IU daily
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is an antioxidant and an anti-carcinogen. It helps protect vitamin C and vitamin A from oxidation. It helps circulation, arthritis, the healing of wounds, supports normal functioning of the nervous system, prevents cell damage, improves athletic performance and may prevent aging. It also works synergistically with omega 3 fatty acids (as found in fish oils), so you want to make sure vitamin E is given with omega 3 fish oils.
The minimum dosages for Vitamin E are:
0 – 25 lbs: 50 – 100 IUs daily 25 – 50 lbs: 100 – 200 IUs daily 50 – 75 lbs: 400 IUs daily 75 – 100 lbs: 400 – 800 IUs daily
CoQ10
CoQ10 is a fat soluble, 'vitamin-like' substance that is an antioxidant. It is found primarily in meat and fish. It helps protect the heart and protects against periodontal disease and cancer. Dogs have the ability to produce CoQ10, but as they age, this production lessens. Studies in rats have been shown to increase lifespan.
The dosage for CoQ10 is 2mgs per pound of pound of weight daily.
Supplements
Digestion Aids
Many dogs on dry or processed foods are missing two vital ingredients in their daily diet. These are probiotics and enzymes. Probiotics are the good, flora and fauna friendly bacteria needed for proper and healthy digestion. Enzymes are needed to help breakdown and process fats, proteins and carbohydrates. Heat over 110 degrees kills both probiotics and enzymes. During the process of making commercial kibble foods, the ingredients are subject to very high temperatures during the cooking and extrusion process. Therefore, if you feed dry or processed foods, it is important to add these supplements to your dog's daily diet. For those feeding a fresh food diet or a mixture of fresh and dry foods, probiotics and enzymes are in the uncooked foods.
Probiotics
Good bacteria include acidophilus (lactobacillus acidophilus) and lactobacillus bifidus. These are also contained naturally in buttermilk, yogurt, acidophilus milk, kefir and some cheeses. Acidophilus may be helpful in detoxifying harmful substances as it has an antibacterial effect and antifungal properties. It also aids digestion and helps with the absorption of nutrients. Berte's Ultra Probiotic Powder contains lactobacillus, streptococcus faecium, bacillus subtilis and amylase, protease and lipase.
Digestive Enzymes
Enzymes are needed for digesting food, aids in the repair of tissue and support all body functions. While the body can make its own enzymes, it must also get them from food. As stated above, heat destroys many enzymes, so they must be obtained from raw foods, and for dogs, particularly raw vegetables and raw meat. Enzymes help to construct new muscle tissue, nerve cells, bone and skin. They also promote oxidation and convert poisons and toxins in the body into harmless substances. The three types of enzymes in the body are amylase, protease and lipase. Amylase helps with breakdown of carbohydrates, protease with proteins and lipase with fat digestion. Unripe papayas and pineapples are high in proteolytic enzymes, which work on proteins. Other enzymes besides these for proteins are pepsin, trypsin, rennin, pancreatin and chymostrypsin. Proteolytic enzymes are good for reducing inflammation, helping with diseases of the respiratory tract, bronchitis, pneumonia, viral diseases, cancer and arthritis. Bromelain, the enzyme from pineapple, is also helpful for the proper uptake of other supplements.
L-Glutamine
L-Glutamine is an amino acid that has many wonderful properties. It helps heal the intestinal tract lining and increase muscle mass. Used daily, this amino acid can help stop inflammation and irritation in the gut due to IBD (Irritable Bowel Disease), IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and colitis.
The dosage for L-Glutamine is approximately 500 mg per 25 lbs of body weight one or twice daily.
Omega 3 Fatty Acids
Supplementing with omega 3 essential fatty acids is very important as it supports many different bodily functions. It helps regulate blood pressure and muscle contractions, supports reproductive health, the heart, and blood clotting. It also helps reduce inflammation and offers protection against some cancers, as cancer cells cannot feed on omega 3 fatty acids.
Supplements for Daily Use – Healthy Dogs
A good prevention supplement that you can feed daily can be found in the Berte's Daily Blend vitamins. It contains vitamin C, E, B vitamins, D and A, and it has kelp and alfalfa. Along with this supplement, offering EPA fish oil capsules at 1000 mg per 20 pounds of body weight daily is very beneficial. If your dog experiences some stress from traveling, dog shows, performance work, etc., the Berte's Immune Blend formula may be more beneficial in meeting your dog's needs. The Berte's Immune Blend has all the same ingredients as the Berte's Daily Blend, less the kelp and alfalfa, but is also contains both digestive enzymes and probiotics.
With the high processing protocol of commercial kibbles, many of the nutrients your dog needs are lost in the process. Adding the vitamins and omega 3 essential fatty acids assures your dog is getting the vitamins and omega 3 it needs to maintain good health. Even if you are feeding a fresh food diet, the boost of these supplements is beneficial.
Supplements for Specific to Health Conditions
Allergies
Berte's Zymes Digestive Enzymes
Arthritis and Joint Problems
Bladder and Kidney Infections
Berte's Ultra Probiotic Powder
Cancer
Cardiac
L-Taurine L-Carnitine
Dermatitis (flaking skin, itching and hair loss)
Berte's Ultra Probiotic Powder
Diarrhea
Berte's Zymes Digestive Enzymes Berte's Digestion Blend(probiotics, enzymes and l-glutamine)
Ear Infections (yeast)
Berte's Ultra Probiotic Powder
Epilepsy
L-Taurine (also found in meat) Magnesium Berte's Zyme Digestive Enzymes Berte's Ultra Probiotic Powder Herbs such as skullcap are also very beneficial, as found inEasy Does It
Hypothyroid
Kennel Cough
Vitamin C with bioflavonoid,given often throughout the day Echinacea and Goldenseal tincture, given three times a day
Motion Sickness
Tasha's Ginger Tummy(contains Ginger and more) Magnesium
Pancreatitis (See July 2004 Newsletter for more information on diet)
Berte's Zyme Digestive Enzymes Berte's Ultra Probiotic Powder
We hope you find this newsletter helpful. Adding vitamins and supplements to your dog's daily diet can be helpful in maintaining good health and supporting specific health issues.
Spring brings a new beginning. Now is a great time to get your dogs on a good solid healthy regiment. This includes a good diet with proper supplementation and lots of exercise and sunshine. B-Naturals carries just about anything you need to help keep your dogs healthy and get them through many of their common health issues.
Enjoy the warm air, spring flowers and all the new beginnings that Spring brings!
Happy Easter to everyone from all of us at B-Naturals!
 We're eating pork ribs for Easter dinner.
 What are you having for dinner?
b-naturals dog nutrition newsThe Raw Diet and Toy Breeds
I have written many articles on the raw diet for dogs, but it was not until I got a toy dog, that I realized some modifications might be necessary! My breed, a Brussels Griffon, is not only small, but also has an undershot bite. As a result, I had to take a new perspective on the ease of feeding the smaller dog!
My general information is to feed puppies four times a day and adult dogs twice a day. These meals are divided into one half raw meaty bones and the other half muscle meat with some organ meat, dairy (yogurt or cottage) and egg, if desired. When my puppy came to me at 9 weeks, he weighed 3 lbs. I realized it was not just about modifying the size of the raw meaty bones, but also figuring out meals in ounces, rather than pounds! Adult dogs generally eat 2% to 3% of their body weight in food daily and puppies 5% to 10% daily.
Toy breeds tend to have higher metabolisms than larger breeds, so they may need a bit more. AND they need more than two meals a day even when they are adults because of their higher metabolism. Therefore, a raw diet menu for a toy breed puppy might look like this:
Morning meal:
One ounce ground meat (beef, pork, chicken, turkey, lamb or tripe)
Afternoon meal:
One chicken neck, cut up into about 10 pieces
Evening meal:
1/2 to 1 ounce mixture of yogurt and goats milk or ground muscle meat
Late Night:
1 chicken neck, cut up into about 10 pieces OR one sardine (canned, water packed)
It is important to add as much variety to the diet as you can. I try to vary the diet over a week with at least four different protein types. These may include beef, pork, lamb, turkey, chicken or fish. I try to limit canned fish to twice a week. As with all puppies, they may eat all of this on some days and not so much on others. Growth spurts cause more vigorous eating!
Supplements for Puppies:
I add 1/2 fish oil capsule daily for the hair coat and to support the immune system and 1/8th of a teaspoon of the Bertes Daily Blend twice daily for added vitamins. The Bertes Daily Blend includes vitamins D, A, C, E and B complex. If you are switching to a raw diet, I also suggest using the Bertes Ultra Probiotic Powder through the transition period as probiotics help keep the beneficial bacteria in healthy amounts in the digestive tract and helps keep stools firm. Probiotics should be given at a 1/8 teaspoon with each meal.
Another good product, especially for show puppies or puppies under stress is Immediacare GI. This product supports gastrointestinal balance caused by micro flora imbalances caused by stress and traveling. It comes in a paste, which is easy to administer to small puppies and easy to carry when traveling. The suggested dosages for this supplement are .5cc twice daily for dogs up to 10 pounds and three times daily for dogs 11 to 20 pounds.
When the puppy reaches about four months of age, I reduce the meals to three times a day. Again, I make sure the meals are divided equally with half being raw meaty bones (cut up chicken necks, wings, backs, canned sardines, mackerel or salmon) and the other half being ground or cut up muscle meat with a small amount of organ meat (kidney or liver). You can purchase raw meaty bones pre-ground, but I have found that my puppy prefers the cut up raw meaty bones. As he grows, I cut them into larger pieces.
Depending on the breed, some preference may be made to keep the fur clean depending on if the breed is coated or not. However, most dogs eat their meals so quickly there is little mess! Small dogs can wear a 'snood' to keep the hair back, if needed.
Traveling is a snap too, as food can easily be taken in a cooler for road trips or dog shows. I am used to taking large amounts of food for several Rottweilers. Now that I have Nikko, my little Brussels Griffon, I have found that the food needed for him is so little it hardly takes up any room in the car or the hotel room!
What are the benefits of a raw diet?
- Clean teeth (never need cleaning) - Smaller, hard stools that generally turn white and blow away - Sweet breath - No more 'doggy' odor!
For dogs with light colored coats, raw is a great benefit, as no more tear staining or red staining of the feet will occur. This reddish colored stain is caused by yeast, which needs sugar to grow. Once you remove the bulk of the carbohydrates out of the diet, the staining slowly decreases. Adding Bertes Ultra Probiotic Powder to the diet also helps fight staining as the good bacteria in the probiotic powder helps fight and destroy yeast.
My Brussels Griffon, Nikko, is now six months old and thriving on the raw diet! We have traveled to some shows and there is such a difference packing for him versus a Rottweiler! A small cooler does the trick for several days and if I run out of food, I can always find more at any grocery store! His stools stay firm and it is rare he misses a meal. For more questions on feeding toy-sized dogs, please feel free to email me!
For more on raw diets, home cooked diets and supplement information, please check out my book, "Raw and Natural Nutrition for Dogs", available at amazon.com, b-naturals.com or any Barnes and Noble bookstore!
All of us at B-Naturals hope you have weathered the many major storms that spanned the nation this winter season. Hang in there. Spring is almost here!
b-naturals dog nutrition newsThis month's newsletter is written by Cathy B. She put together a great article from information recently published in 'Nature' on dogs and starch. Headlines stated that these studies show dogs have a greater ability to digest starches than wolves, but Cathy takes a careful look at the data presented to demonstrate what this really means, at least in explaining this gene and ability, and how much a starch digesting gene can affect carbohydrate digestion in a carnivore (dog).
Recently this item hit the news. Dogs have more starch digesting genes (AMY2B) than wolves, which means they can better utilize starch in their diets. They also produce longer copies of a maltase enzyme than the wolf, making it more efficient in starch digestion. This is interesting with respect to evolution and the journey of the wolf-to-dog, as they became man's campfollower, taking advantage of the refuse heap. However, I have to wonder how much food those early humans really threw away!
The original article was published in Nature. It is a pay-per-view article and the only items you may look at are some figures and the references.
The genomic signature of dog domestication reveals adaptation to a starch-rich diet http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature11837.html
A mere 20 hours after its publication on the web, there were articles and blog posts about this research. One screamed that dogs were designed to eat pizza and pasta. Let us look at three science-based articles reviewing the study.
This article does a good job of summarizing the gene differences in the dog vs. wolf. http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2013/01/dog-domestication-tied-to-starch.html
"Dogs had 4 to 30 copies of the gene for amylase, a protein that starts the breakdown of starch in the intestine. Wolves have only two copies, one on each chromosome."
There is also a comment by Robert Wayne, an evolutionary biologist: "… dogs are different from wolves and don't need a wolf like diet," he says. "They have coevolved with humans and their diet."
This article's title claims a starchy diet led in part to the wolf to dog conversion.
"Dogs, the team found, have more copies than wolves do of the AMY2B gene, which produces an enzyme that breaks starch into easily digestible sugars." "Both brain changes and dietary adaptations were probably necessary for some wolves to be domesticated Axelsson says. Wolves that were more tolerant to stress and that didn't run and hide at the first sign of a human would have been able to stick around garbage heaps longer and eat their fill. And those that could extract more nutrients from the plant material in early farmers' trash would have had an evolutionary advantage."
Robert Wayne is again quoted: "The changes that allow dogs to thrive on carbohydrates while wolves eat all meat probably started with the establishment of agriculture about 10,000 years ago, and represent late steps in the domestication process, …"
In addition, this one explains things a bit more, including quotes from the paper. http://www.johnhawks.net/weblog/reviews/genomics/dogs/dog-selection-starch-axelsson-2013.html
"Our results show that adaptations that allowed the early ancestors of modern dogs to thrive on a diet rich in starch, relative to the carnivorous diet of wolves, constituted a crucial step in early dog domestication." The author of the blog also makes this astounding statement: "So for those of you wondering why we feed dogs kibble instead of raw beef, here's the reason."
So what the heck does this all mean? Is starch necessary for a dog to thrive? And what the heck is an AMY2B gene?
Basically, it is a gene that causes the body to make pancreatic amylase. Humans also have a salivary version – AMY1. However, we chew and dogs do not, so I doubt dogs will be evolving to have salivary amylase anytime soon.
Is it news that dogs digest starch? Well, no, we have known for a long time that dogs can digest starch. There is a study from 1990 discussing the AMY2B gene, which mentions there are also copies of this gene in reproductive organs, the liver, lungs and GI tract. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC330360/
The 60 dogs (14 breeds) used in the research had a range of copies of the AMY2B gene – from 4 to 30. The interpretation in the Nature paper is that the more copies of these genes in the body, the easier starch are digested. If that is true, there appears to be a wide range of starch digestibility among individual dogs.
So are these genes always working – cranking out amylase? I do not know, but I assume so. There is certainly a wide range of triggers for the "more" switch. Production of amylase can be increased (upregulated) by starvation, cortisol and T3 in sea bass. Elevated levels in dogs could be due to numerous diseases, such as pancreatitis, intestinal issues and gallstones. There also appears to be an age-related ability for starch digestion, with puppies not producing as much amylase.
In reference to the comments by scientists, frankly, I think paleontologists and evolutionary biologists ought to stick to their topic. Starchy diet is different from diet with starch present. The diet was rich in carbs only relative to the amount in a wolf's diet, not rich in carbs period. Thriving on carbs is different from having the ability to digest them.
As for wolves only eating meat, let's remember that wolves do have two copies of the AMY2B genes also. In a pinch, they would get something out of starchy type food. It attests to the adaptability of the wolf genome to their environment.
So what is new from the Nature article? Wolves have fewer genes for starch digestion than dogs. That is it. It does not mean that dogs need starch and should not be eating meat. It does not mean that kibble is the best food as it is largely starch. Though I am sure we will be seeing new ads soon! Paleo diet with Peas, Pasta and Potatoes! And I am sure there will be pressure from some veterinarians not to feed a raw diet or declare than dogs require carbohydrates in their diets. It also does not mean your dog can digest starch easily. She may be one of those with only four copies of the gene, thus limiting starch digestibility. So what is best for your dog? The simple thing to do is to look at the dog, your dog. What does she thrive one? What fosters good health in your dog? That is what you should feed them.
As far as I am concerned, the dinner call around here is still Beef! It's What's for Dinner!
by Cathy B.
References:
AMY2B gene: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/280 Evolution of amylase genes in humans: http://cro.sagepub.com/content/4/3/503 Sea bass: http://lib.bioinfo.pl/paper:15242747 Interpreting blood tests: http://www.nwlabs.co.uk/testinterp2.htm and http://www.petplace.com/dogs/understanding-blood-work-the-biochemical-profile-for-dogs-2/page2.aspx Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats – on starch: http://tinyurl.com/bcw9t2c Function of amylase: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-function-of-amylase.htm Amylase production in dogs: http://ahdc.vet.cornell.edu/clinpath/modules/chem/amylase.htm The Canine Genome: http://genome.cshlp.org/content/15/12/1706.full
Cathy, thank you so much for writing this article and providing such a good explanation! Your work, time and effort is greatly appreciated!!
Happy Valentine's Day to everyone. Don't forget to give your furry friends a special treat for this occasion . . . no, not Chocolate! Preferably something with animal protein and fat!
b-naturals dog nutrition newsFor several years, the January B-Naturals newsletter has been a reference newsletter that contains compiled qualified and resourceful canine nutrition information by category. We consider this a great 'one-stop' resource when you need or want to find specific information on a health issue. As Lew writes to you each month about these common health issues and nutrition topics, we decided this year we would compile and group her most popular B-Natural's Newsletters to start out January 2013!
You will find articles under Allergies and Itching, Breeding and Nutrition, Diarrhea with Causes and Solutions, Enzymes and Probiotics, Fats and Omega 3, Home Cooked Diets, Kidney and Bladder with Crystal and Stones, Protein and Dogs, Raw Diets and Senior Dog Information.
Allergies and Itching
Skin Problems, Allergies or Food Intolerances, Part 1 http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/skin-problems-part-i-allergies-or-food-intolerances/
Skin Problems, Allergies or Food Intolerances, Part 2 http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/skin-problems-part-ii-allergies-or-food-intolerances/
Summertime Brings Skin and Ear Troubles
Hot Spot and Skin Irritation Treatment http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/hot-spots-and-skin-irritations-november-2010/
Allergies, Itching, Eye Staining and Yeast problems, plus Antibiotic Resistance http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/allergies-itching-eye-staining-yeast-and-antibiotic-resistance/
Skin Care Remedies and Tips http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/skin-care-remedies-and-tips-2/
Skin Problems http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/skin-problems/
Could It Be Yeast? http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/scratching-and-itching-could-it-be-yeast/
Breeding and Nutrition
As Natural As Possible Puppy Whelping and Rearing Part 1 http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/as-natural-as-possible-puppy-whelping-and-rearing/
As Natural As Possible Puppy Whelping and Rearing Part 2 http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/as-natural-as-possible-puppy-whelping-and-rearing-part-ii/
As Natural As Possible Puppy Whelping and Rearing Part 3 http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/as-natural-as-possible-puppy-whelping-and-rearing-part-iii/
Nutrition and the Brood Bitch http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/nutrition-and-the-brood-bitch-december-2010/
Diarrhea; Causes and Solutions
Dogs and Digestion Problems http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/dogs-and-digestion-problems/
Irritable Bowel Disease and Dogs http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/irritable-bowel-disease-in-dogs-its-about-the-diet/
The Diarrhea Dilemma in Dogs http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/the-diarrhea-dilemma/
Digestion and Gastric Problems in Dogs, Commonly Asked Questions http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/frequently-asked-questions-digestion-and-gastric-problems/
L-Glutamine http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/l-glutamine/
Enzymes and Probiotics
The Benefits Enzymes and Probiotics http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/benefits-of-enzymes-and-probiotics/
Probiotic Paste http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/two-new-products-dmg-and-paste-probiotics/
Fats and Omega 3 Fatty Acids, for Health and Immunity!
Why Your Dog Needs Omega 3 Fatty Acids! http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/why-your-dog-needs-omega-3-fatty-acids/
What Does High Cholesterol Mean for Dogs? http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/what-does-high-cholesterol-mean-for-dogs/
Fats and When to Reduce Fats in the Diet http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/october-2009-fats-and-when-to-reduce-fats-in-diet/
Fats and Fatty Acids http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/fats-fatty-acids/
Home Cooked Diets (Special Needs and for Normal Use)
Low Glycemic Home Cooked Diets http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/low-glycemic/
Home Cooked Diets http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/cooked-diet/
Kidney Issues, Kidney and Bladder Stones and Treatment
Kidney Diets and Treatment Options http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/kidney-diets-and-treatment-options/
Dogs and Incontinence http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/dogs-and-incontinence/
Struvite and Oxalate Crystals and Stones
Canine Cystinuria http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/canine-cystinuria/
Protein-How Much? Benefit in the Diet? What Kind?
Protein and Variety in the Diet http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/protein-and-variety-in-the-diet/
Dogs and Protein http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/dogs-and-protein/
Is It Necessary to Reduce Protein in the Diet? http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/is-it-necessary-to-reduce-protein-in-the-diet/
Puppy Diet
Puppy Raw Diet http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/puppy-raw-diet/
Feeding Puppies and Senior http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/feeding-puppies-seniors/
Puppies and Protein http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/puppy-protein/
Raw Diets
Feeding Raw is Easy and Safe! http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/feeding-raw-is-easy-and-safe/
Can Diet Cause Aggression in Dogs? http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/can-diet-cause-aggression-in-dogs/
Is A Raw Diet Dangerous for My Dog? http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/is-a-raw-diet-dangerous/
Raw Diet Recipes http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/raw-diet/
Senior Dogs
Age in Senior Dogs Does Not Cause Renal Failure http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/age-in-senior-dogs-does-not-cause-renal-failure/
Senior Dogs and Special Needs http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/senior-dogs-and-special-needs/
Feeding Puppies and Seniors http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/feeding-puppies-seniors/
We hope your Holidays were Bright, and we wish you Joy, Health and Happiness in 2013!
b-naturals dog nutrition newsSkin problems Part II – Allergies or Food Intolerances Last month we talked about allergies and food intolerances, their symptoms, tests that can be done by your veterinarian to determine the problem and the different ways your veterinarian might treat the symptoms. We also mentioned the importance of getting to the root cause of the problem or you could find yourself going around in circles just trying to treat the symptoms. A healthy immune system is your dog's first line of defense in fighting illness. If your dog's immune system is compromised and its defenses are down, it can lead to a variety of different health issues. Allergy issues and food intolerances are two of the potential health issues that can result when your dog's immune system is not in balance. We are going to talk about what can cause your dog's immune system to become over active or suppressed and what you can do to bring it back to a healthy balance. Over vaccinating your dog can create this problem. Vaccinations cause the immune system temporary suppression for 2-3 weeks post vaccination. Repeating vaccinations frequently can put a serious drain on the dog's system. Additionally, vaccinating too young (under 8 weeks) can also compromise the immune system. Most importantly, when you do vaccinate your dog, make sure it is perfectly healthy. When a dog is sick, their immune system is already vulnerable. Lastly, I avoid vaccinating any dog over 5 years old. Vaccinations can only work when a dog's immune system is working well and vaccinating when the immune system is down will create further problems. Stress can also cause immune system problems. Stress can be caused by change of ownership, traveling, weather changes, hormonal issues, anesthesia, and long-term use of certain medications such as antibiotics or steroids. If your dog developed allergy or food intolerance issues or any other illness, think back and try to remember when their symptoms first developed and what might have been going on in their lives in the months preceding when the symptoms. In order to combat the symptoms and get your dog back on the road to good health, a healthy immune system is needed. Let's look as some of the good ways you can achieve this. Quality nutrition Quality nutrition is the most valuable thing you can offer your dog and is the most important element in helping support its immune system! Feed a fresh and varied diet! Rotating protein sources keeps the dog from being on a 'fixed diet' of the same ingredients daily. This helps stop the body from becoming 'accustomed' to the same food source and developing antibodies to normal substances. It also offers more sources of amino acids (proteins) for better health. Additionally, fresh food, whether raw or lightly cooked, is much easier to digest and for the body to identify. Fresh food is less likely to contain 'toxins' or bacteria than packaged and factory prepared foods. A fresh food diet that consists primarily of one protein source, such as chicken, or maybe two protein sources, is not enough of a variety. You want to offer the widest variety of proteins that you can. These would include beef, pork, chicken, lamb, turkey, canned fish (mackerel, salmon or sardines) and wild game when it is available. Exercise Mental and physical health is very important for both keeping your dog's body strong and relieving any stress. While running, swimming and performance training, such as agility and herding, are great choices not all of us are able to do that. But exercise can also be accomplished by offering short, frequent walks, throwing a ball for your dog to chase, playing tug, doing short bouts of clicker training in the house, petting and paying attention to your dog and playing 'find the treat' by hiding favorite foods here and there. Clean Body and Environment Keep your dog's skin and coat clean by offering gentle baths weekly. Keep your dog's environment clean by washing their bedding weekly, keeping floors and rugs vacuumed. Keep their yard clear of debris and make sure piles of leaves are picked up and removed. Debris and leaves can contain mold spores that can be dangerous. Nutritional Supplements Supplements can also be useful in helping support the immune system. It is important to understand that no supplement or herb can "boost" the immune system, but it can provide support in helping it return to normal. Vitamins Vitamin C is an antioxidant, and in high doses works as an antihistamine. I will give this to 'bowel tolerance', which means I slowly increase the dosage daily, until diarrhea occurs and then I back down to the last dose. It is important to make sure the vitamin C also has bioflavonoids as these help increase the effectiveness. We offer Maximum Living Solu-C Power with Bioflavonoids. This high potency buffered vitamin C that contains biofalvonoids and rutin. Bioflavonoids help with the uptake of vitamin c and add to its antioxidant value. This helps support the immune system and fight allergies. Small dogs would get 1/8th teaspoon daily, medium dogs 1/4 teaspoon daily, and large dogs 1/4 teaspoon twice daily. Vitamin E is also an antioxidant, and helps heal the skin and grow a new coat. I generally give small dogs about 100 IU a day, a medium dog 200 IU and a large dog 400 IU daily. Vitamin D can help fight autoimmune problems, stop infections faster, and is thought to protect against cancer. I give small dogs about 100 mg, medium dogs 200 mg and large dogs 400 mg. You can also find vitamin D in eggs and canned mackerel, salmon and sardines. The Berte's Daily Blend contains vitamin D and A, as well as vitamin C and E, in a palatable liver flavored powder. Vitamin A helps heal wounds and support the immune system. Good food sources for Vitamin A include liver and other organ meats. Plant sources of vitamin A (beta-carotene) are not effective for dogs. Fatty Acids Omega 3 fatty acids are very effective in helping the skin, coat and the immune system. They also reduce inflammation and pain. Only use omega 3 fatty acids from animal based sources, such as fish (salmon, menhaden, sardine, etc). Dogs cannot convert the ALA source found in plant oils. Additionally, plant oils are high in Omega 6 fatty acids which INCREASE inflammation and most fresh foods are already high in this fat. Dogs need more Omega 3 fatty acids to offset the high amounts of Omega 6 already in the diet. Use fish oil capsules rather than bottled oil as oils lose their effectiveness when exposed to heat, light and oxygen. Give one 1000 mg capsule per 10-20 pounds of body weight daily. Herbs Tasha's Immune System Formula is an herbal tincture containing mushroom extract, Astragalus, Echinacea Root, Red Root, Red Clover, Yarrow, Dandelion Root, Boneset and Flower Essences. The combination of herbs helps strengthen a suppressed immune system. This tincture liquid is given in the gum line twice daily. Tasha's Skin and Hair Support is another herbal tincture that can be offered to help support the immune system until the change of diet helps resolve the immune system issue. Nettles is a key ingredient in this product that acts as a natural antihistamine to stop itching. Give twice daily. Probiotics Probioticscontain the healthy flora and fauna bacteria in the digestive system that act as a natural yeast fighter and help keep the immune system in balance. When antibiotics are taken, they kill off these healthy bacteria so it is very important to offer probiotics to your dog if they are taking antibiotics. Berte's Ultra Probiotic Powder is a wonderful probiotic that can be added to your dog's food twice daily. Di-Methylglycine Di-Methylglycine is an amino acid that helps support proper immune system response, skin health, glucose metabolism and proper nerve and brain functions. Immuno-DMGis given orally twice daily. We've talked about working on the outside of the dog, the inside of the dog, keeping the dog mentally and physically fit, nutritional supplements to support the immune system and a quality fresh diet with lots of protein variety. While all that we have talked about will produce a healthier dog over time, making these changes will not offer immediate relief. However, applying these changes will do a much better job at addressing the root cause of the allergy or food tolerance issue so healing from the inside out can begin. Antibiotics and steroids address the symptoms, not the cause. Addressing the root cause is important if you eventually want the symptoms to go away . . . for good! Diet The most important step in addressing your dog's health and immune system is to feed a diet that is easy to digest, has protein variety, contains bioavailable nutrients and has low plant fiber content. This would include either a raw diet with no carbohydrates added or a home cooked diet that consists of 75% animal protein and 25% low glycemic (low sugar), low fat carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are sugars, so we select either a 'no carb' or a low glycemic carbohydrate diet to put less labor on the dog's digestive tract and remove 'empty' calories. In a cooked diet, the carbohydrates act as fiber, which is why they are necessary. Carbohydrates are not needed in a raw diet as the bones act as the fiber. For the raw diet, I would suggest skinless chicken necks, turkey necks (cut up), low fat muscle meats (lean or excess fat trimmed), low fat or non-fat yogurt and no egg yolks. The bone in the raw meaty bones acts as the fiber in the diet. Avoid fatty meats such as lamb, duck and dark meat chicken. For both diets, start out with small, frequent meals. This puts less stress on the digestive tract to process the food. I would suggest instead of two meals a day, give your dog four smaller meals a day. It generally takes about 6 weeks for the digestive tract to get a good start on healing. Oftentimes, after healing has begun, you can work your way back to two meals per day and begin increasing the fat content. Your dog may show improvement and then back slide, and then show more improvement. This process can go up and down, but be patient. I do not look for the proof of good health in the dog's stool, but rather their attitude, coat, skin and weight gain. While they can 'back slide' temporarily, they will slowly improve both in health and stool formation over the weeks. There are some important supplements to add, for EACH meal. These include: Probiotics Berte's Ultra Probiotic Powder. These contain beneficial bacteria, which help restore the natural balance of good bacteria in the gut, and help with digestion and healing. Enzymes Animal Based Digestive Enzymes. Berte's Zymes contain pancreatin and pancrealipase. These help pre-digest fats in the stomach, before they hit the small intestine, which helps ease digestion and gives better stool formation. Amino Acids L-Glutamine is an amino acid that helps heal the digestive tract lining. When long-term use of commercial foods have created an inflamed digestive tract lining, l-Glutamine is very beneficial in reducing the inflammation, which is the most important factor to tackle. Give about 500 mg of l-glutamine per 20 lbs of body weight per meal. If you want to get probiotics, enzymes and amino acids all in one product that also includes GAGs (Glycosaminoglycan), which also help remove inflammation in the digestive tract, and ginger, which helps stop nausea, you can get all of this in Berte's Digestion Blend. This is a powder that is easy to mix with food and is liver flavored for palatability. Once the digestive tract lining has healed, you can cut back on the supplements, however, I continue to use them for several months until the healing is complete. As mentioned before, one healing begins, you can slowly move to less frequent meals and you can slowly increase the fat content over several weeks. At that point, I would start to add EPA fish oil capsules at one 1,000 mg capsule per 20 lbs of body weight, and add a good vitamin supplement, such as the Bertes Daily Blend. All of us at B-Naturals wish you a very, Merry Christmas and a Joyous Holiday Season. May you enjoy your Holidays with Family, Friends and all your Fur kids! Merry Christmas to all and we will see you in the New Year.
'Lil Nikko sends you Holiday wishes from his Toy Box to yours!
b-naturals dog nutrition news
Itchy skin, redness, weepy eyes, head shaking, foot licking and gunky ears! Sound familiar? These issues seem to plague our dogs and despite the fact the issues are so common, the problems are both difficult to diagnose and cure. Dog owners frequently search for solutions to these problems, yet they do not always know where to start. This two-part newsletter will hopefully provide you with a tips that to help you better approach these issues and steps and ideas on how to successfully resolve these problems. This is a large topic, so it will come to you in two parts. This month's newsletter helps define the differences between allergies and food tolerances, their symptoms and their effects on the immune system. Part II offers more information on the immune system and steps you can take to stabilize and maintain your dog's immune system health to ward off some of the effects of the allergy and food intolerance issues discussed this month. Once your dog starts itching and scratching, it can create irritation and sores. Continued scratching can cause both bacteria and yeast to grow. If this is happening to your dog, I encourage the technique of tests to not only rule out what the problem might be, but to also rule out what the problem is not! Therefore, the first step is to schedule a visit to see your veterinarian. A good rule of thumb with these issues is to start with a skin scraping and culture of the affected areas on the skin and a culture of the ears if they are affected. This means having your veterinarian take samples and send them off to a laboratory. These tests will determine if yeast and/or bacteria are present. If bacteria are present, the specific bacteria can be identified. Once identified, your veterinarian can determine which antibiotic will best treat the symptoms. A skin culture will eliminate any guessing and avoid the possibility of overusing antibiotics. Proper treatment of bacteria and/or yeast issues is the best place to start, however treating the symptoms does not determine the actual cause of the problem. However, treating the symptoms helps eliminate some of your dog's discomfort, pain and irritation. Bathing your dog weekly in a good oatmeal-based shampoo (or a special preparation for yeast conditions) can help keep the skin and coat clean to prevent further development. Rinsing with a solution of ¼ white vinegar and ¾ water can also help to kill yeast and cleanse any remaining shampoo from the skin and coat. There are some good ear washes for dogs, but you need to know if you are treating your dog's ears for yeast or bacteria, as each requires a different approach! Again, a visit to your veterinarian will determine this! Most importantly, when treating the ears, never flood them with liquid. This can cause deafness! Use a small amount and carefully wipe out any excess! Whether your dog's issue is yeast or bacteria related, you could either repeatedly treat the symptoms or choose to get to the root of the problem so you do not have to treat the symptoms any longer. When we read about skin and coat issues in books and magazines, and explore the different health conditions on the internet, we find a lot of information that defines the symptoms as allergy issues or food intolerance issues. In many cases, you will find information that discusses allergies vs. food intolerances. While you may find allergy vs. food intolerances on both human and canine sites, you will see there is a specific difference between the two. I find these ideas interesting, but they really do not quite describe the problems I have seen in dogs. Allergies are defined as allergens that cause the dog to itch and scratch, cause redness of the skin and may cause ear problems. Occasionally vomiting and diarrhea may occur, but these are less common side effects. While allergies indeed can cause redness, welts on the skin, redness in the eyes and more, food allergies are rare in dogs, and for the most part occur after the dog is over two years old. I see food allergies when dogs have been fed the same commercial food or fixed diet, day in and day out. When the body is repeatedly exposed to the same allergens (same proteins/ingredients) for prolonged periods of time, the body can develop an immune response where the body no longer recognizes these foods as 'normal. The allergic reaction is an autoimmune system response. Food intolerances are described as only affecting the digestive tract and the symptoms only include vomiting and/or diarrhea. These issues are NOT about the immune system as food intolerances are not immune mediated. They are a reaction to a substance or toxin in the food that the body reacts to. For example, some dogs, such as Miniature Schnauzers, commonly have lipid problems and therefore have trouble with high fat diets. Dogs that have gluten intolerance suffer from gas and diarrhea issues. Many dogs get diarrhea and intestinal discomfort when fed uncultured milk products because they are lactose intolerant. Additionally, foods contaminated with bacteria or other toxins can also cause diarrhea and vomiting. Prolonged use of these foods can eventually cause the digestive tract lining to become inflamed and a chronic digestive condition can develop. These problems can include Inflammatory Bowel Disease or Colitis. However, if these problems develop and go untreated, it can lead to a suppressed immune system, which can lead to other health issues. Based on what I've said, one might guess that if their dog is suffering from chronic itching and scratching and the diet is varied, they may be dealing with an environmental allergy issue as opposed to an allergy issue they thought might be food related. Allergy testing for environmental issues is more reliable than testing for food allergies and can be helpful in determining the root cause of your dog's condition. Of course, you can also get disheartening news like I did when I did allergy testing on my horse last summer. The test results showed that my horse was allergic to grass and pine trees! Disappointed, I opted for allergy shots. However, you may find that the allergy is caused by something you can easily remove from your home or yard and the issue can be cleared up in no time. If you are feeding a varied fresh food diet with at least four different proteins, which I hope you are, the chances of your dog having a food allergy is slim, especially if your dog is young. However, there are many different types of allergy issues. If you are dealing with allergies, it could be that the symptoms are the result of an autoimmune system issue. You can treat the symptoms and make your dog comfortable for a while, but if you don't find the root cause of the problem and work to fix it, you will end up treating the same problem over and over. When you know the root cause and work to fix the issue, you may find you no longer have to treat the symptoms! It is worth investigating the issue further to see if the problem is either causing an over-active or suppressed immune system, what you might be able to do to help regulate your dog's immune system, and determine what is 'normal' and what is not. If your dog is diagnosed as having food intolerance, your veterinarian may suggest a prescription diet or suggest trying a dog food with a different protein source. Oftentimes, trying these diet changes brings short-term results but within a few weeks, you may see the symptoms reappear. This oftentimes sends people on a frenzy trying different foods to see if they will fix the problem. What often happens is the dog seems to improve at the start of the food change, as switching the diet and the ingredients oftentimes helps. If the dog is suffering from diarrhea, the veterinarian may prescribe a high fiber diet, which may also make the dog's symptoms appear to improve. This is because the high fiber in the diet will absorb more moisture in the large intestine, which creates a firmer appearing stool. However, the intestinal lining continues to be irritated. This condition will eventually worsen and the problem will return. Further, if the dog remains on a 'fixed' diet without variety, there is a higher chance a real food allergy may occur. If the cycle persists, dog owners tend to change the food again and see a short-term improvement again. However, in no time at all, the diarrhea and vomiting start to occur again. At this point, the veterinarian may prescribe antibiotics and oftentimes prescribes steroids. As the months and years go by, the problem continues. What many do not realize is the issue actually worsens internally. An endoscopy is often done at this point and commonly, the dog is diagnosed with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and a lifetime of prescription foods and drugs. While much of this is labeled 'Food Intolerance', I see it as an irritated and inflamed digestive tract lining that is never given the chance to heal. Continued rounds of antibiotics continually strip the digestive tract of good flora and fauna intestinal bacteria that helps with digestion AND supports the immune system. Lacking this, the dog may show further symptoms, such as bad breath, thinning hair coat, weight loss, and anxiety or nervousness. Long-term use of steroids can also have harmful side effects, such as hair loss, behavioral changes, harsh effects on the liver and kidneys as well as increased appetite, increased thirst and can depleted the immune system. We will continue next month by looking at some of the things that can compromise and negatively affect your dog's immune system and steps you can take to help stabilize your dog's immune system and maintain good immune system health. We will have some good diet and supplement tips that address the issues we have talked about this month. We will see you again next month with more information on how to deal with the allergies and food intolerances. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!
Don't forget to save the turkey neck, gizzard and heart as a nice treat for your dog!
Bon Appetit & Happy Thanksgiving!
b-naturals dog nutrition newsDigestion issues are a common problem in dogs these days and a topic that arises when discussing dogs and diet. I often hear people tell me their dogs have a 'sensitive stomach' and react negatively to certain foods. This can mean a variety of things depending on the owner's perception and the history of the dog's health. The most common story is that the dog started out fine as puppy, but as they grew up diarrhea would occur, maybe with occasional vomiting; and over time the dog developed into a 'fussy eater'. If this sounds familiar to your dog's story, it is very important to look at both the history of the dog's diet and health. Some common questions I ask include: 1) What did this dog eat as a puppy? 2) When did the digestion problems begin? 3) What did you do to try to improve the situation? 4) What changed as time went on? 5) What did your veterinarian suggest and what methods were tried to help? It is important to know what the dog's diet consisted of as a puppy because nutrition in the early years can make a difference in the development of digestion health. While many dogs can appear to do well on dry commercial dog foods, it irritates the dog's digestive tract the most. Commercial dry foods are high in carbohydrates, which create bulk and fiber. The bulk and fiber irritates and stresses the digestive tract. This irritation creates inflammation in the small intestine. Long term feeding of commercial dog foods can lead to chronic digestive problems. Additionally, the high heat used to process the dog food kills off many of the nutrients necessary for maintaining your dog's good health, specifically l-taurine and l-carnitine. These amino acids are found in animal-based proteins and are essential for good organ health and maintaining your dog's immune system. Lastly, dogs can only utilize iron from animal-based foods and dogs that develop long-term diarrhea and inflammation of the digestive tract can develop anemia. As this inflammation continues, the dog may have trouble digesting fats. This causes mucus in the stool and gastric distress including gas, burping and stomachaches. Oftentimes, dogs who are in pain will rush to eat or chew grass or other materials to try to settle their stomach or promote vomiting. Veterinarians will oftentimes prescribe prescription gastric diets. These appear to work well on the surface as they contain reduced fat. These diets also contain increased fiber. And, why is that? High fiber diets will absorb moisture in the large intestine, which gives stools better form. However, while the symptoms seem to go away, these high fiber diets continue to increase the irritation and inflammation in the small intestine. Therefore, the condition continues. Over time, this affects the dog's immune system. As time goes by, dogs may lose their appetite and interest in food. One reason for this is dog owners frequently switch foods hoping to find a food their dog will like. Owners hover over their dogs and worry about whether they will eat or not. Dogs readily react to this behavior. They pick up on the fact that feeding time is an anxious time and one that upsets their owner. This coupled with the fact they have inflammation and pain going on inside, they are not that hungry and the food they are eating causes nausea and discomfort. Dogs do not quit eating to upset us or because they are stubborn. It generally means they do not feel well. And . . . our worrisome reactions and insistence that they eat may be prompting them not to eat! Veterinarians may also offer medications to help stop diarrhea and nausea. Like the low fat, high fiber diets prescribed, these medications may work in the beginning, however if the underlying condition of a chronically inflamed digestive tract lining is not addressed, they will quit working after a few weeks. The same occurs with changing diets from one dry food to another. One food may make it better for a while but within a few weeks or months, the problem returns. So what is the answer? The best answer is to fix the problem rather than mask the symptoms of the problem! When the symptoms are masked, the dog will exhibit other health issues because they are not getting the nutrients they need and their immune system is affected. Some of these conditions include poor skin, loss of hair and/or good condition of the coat, bad breath, brown discharge in ears, itchy skin, face and/or feet, weight loss and continued gas and reflux. (Reflux is burping or regurgitating bile). To address the problem head-on, I suggest an easily digestible diet and specific supplements that support the digestive system. Let's start with diet. Since many of these dogs appear to have difficulty digesting fat and labor with digesting carbohydrates, I suggest a natural diet that is low fat and low fiber. This can be a raw diet (ground or regular) or a home-cooked diet. For a raw diet, use low fat meats. This means no lamb, trimming excess fats from other meats, removing the skin from chicken, and rinsing and draining any canned fish that is used. For home-cooked meals, I suggest feeding my low glycemic, low fat diets. These diets and recipes can be found in my book, Raw and Natural Nutrition for Dogs! They can also be found in the newsletter section of the B-Naturals website. When feeding a dog with digestive issues, it is important to start by feeding 3 to 4 smaller meals per day. If your dog has reflux as well, then feed a small treat immediately upon rising in the morning and another small treat last thing at night. The smaller, more frequent, meals are to keep from overloading the digestive tract at any one time, which gives it a better chance to heal. Fresh food digests more easily than processed food and they offer better nutrition. Animal fat and animal protein are much easier for dogs to digest. The bone fed in the raw food meals is fiber and helps keep the stools firm. The low glycemic cooked diets have a small amount of easier to digest carbohydrates for fiber. There are good supplements that help with digestion and can help heal the digestive tract. These include: Probiotics: Probiotics help replenish the lost beneficial bacteria to the gut, which helps reduce gas, firm the stool and reduce their frequency. There are several types of probiotics, but the best are acidophilus, bacillis and Enterococcus Faecium. Probiotics can also help the immune system, as they keep these healthy bacteria in the gut and help keep yeast and unwanted bacteria in check. B-Natural's digestive products are ideal for dogs with digestive disorders. B-Naturals have the Berte's Ultra Probiotics, which is a blend of these good natural bacteria to help with issues of diarrhea and is a great product to have on hand after using antibiotics, traveling with your pet or during times of stress. Another product recommended for loose stools and to support rapid gastrointestinal balance associated with food sensitivities, garbage gut, microflora imbalances and stress is Immediacare GI. If you are dealing with some troublesome diarrhea, it is beneficial to use this product for the first two weeks. Digestive enzymes: Digestive enzymes include three classes of enzymes: proteolytic enzymes needed to digest protein, lipases needed to digest fat and amylases needed to digest carbohydrates. While many digestive enzyme products can be found in health food stores, most of them contain plant enzymes. Plant enzymes are helpful for omnivores and herbivores as they help break down carbohydrates for easier digestion. However, dogs are carnivores and they need animal enzymes such as pancreatin, pancrealipase, and ox bile. These enzymes help break down fats and animal-based proteins in the stomach. With the fats and proteins broken down, digestion is easier on the small intestinal lining and makes digestion easier on the liver and pancreas, which help digest and process fats. Berte's Zymes are capsules that contain these essential animal-based enzymes. They are very beneficial for dogs having issues digesting fat or having difficulty switching diets. These enzymes are also helpful for any dog with liver or pancreas issues. Plant enzymes can be helpful in reducing inflammation in the dog's digestive tract, if they are given separate and AWAY from food. The enzyme bromelain, which comes from the pineapple, is very beneficial in helping reduce intestinal inflammation. L-Glutamine: L-Glutamine is an amino acid found to be helpful in healing the lining of the small intestine. It is amino acid found in muscles and plasma. It assists in metabolizing proteins and sugars, helps heal inflammation in the digestive system and is very beneficial for cases of irritable bowel syndrome, colitis and ulcers. Research has shown its usefulness in infants and cases of malnourishment and starvation. I have found 500 mg to 1,000 mg per 25 lbs of body weight twice daily to be helpful. Give with meals as needed. B-Naturals carry a product, Berte's Digestion Blend, which is a blend of all three of these of these very important supplements: probiotics, enzymes and l-Glutamine. It comes in a powder form that can easily mix into any type of food. It is important to start your dog on half the recommended dose and slowly increase the amount to full dose over a period of 10 to 14 days. This product is designed to help heal the entire gastrointestinal system and is very beneficial for dogs suffering from Irritable Bowel Disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Colitis, GI disorders and chronic diarrhea. Yucca: Yucca is a plant that contains natural steroidal saponins, which are anti-inflammatory agents. Yucca Intensive is an herbal liquid tincture carried by B-Naturals and is beneficial in fighting inflammation associated with gastric problems. It also helps fight inflammation in dogs with arthritis. This product comes in a handy dropper top container. This product must ALWAYS BE GIVEN WITH FOOD!! Recovery from stomach problems, diarrhea and inflammation of the digestive tract can take time, but with the diet change and use of these supplements, improvement is often seen within a week or two. Digestion should start returning to normal and in a few weeks, the dog will show improvement in weight, skin, and coat and should start showing less anxiety! The cooler season has arrived and it is welcomed after the blazing summer heat. Be sure to take time out this Fall to walk and play with your dogs on these great cool and sunny days!
Meet Bill! He is owned by Diane Richardson and celebrating his 14th Birthday!
b-naturals dog nutrition newsLast month, in Part I of Carbohydrates and Low Glycemic Diets, we addressed many of the questions people ask about carbohydrates. We talked about the different types of carbohydrates, which ones are best to feed, which diets have and/or need carbohydrates and how the different carbohydrates can affect certain health conditions.
We continue this month with Part II, which includes several low glycemic recipes that benefit the health conditions we spoke about last month (epilepsy, diabetes, and hypothyroidism). Additionally, we discuss additional health issues including cancer, arthritis, allergies and yeast overgrowth and offer additional recipes for these.
A similar diet for epilepsy, diabetes and hypothyroidism can be fed. This diet includes low fat, as these conditions are prone to pancreatitis (in epilepsy due to medications), high protein and low carbohydrate (and thus fiber). It is also beneficial to add in fish oil for the Omega 3 fatty acids, B complex vitamins, vitamin E and digestive enzymes (for aid with fat digestion). Adding carnitine, chromium and vitamin A may help with diabetes.
Here are some web sites that list glycemic values of food: http://www.lowglycemicdiet.com/gifoodlist.html http://www.southbeach-diet-plan.com/glycemicfoodchart.htm http://www.diabetesnet.com/diabetes_food_diet/glycemic_index.php
The recipes listed below are reduced fat and low glycemic and are beneficial for dogs with Epilepsy (if on Phenobarbital or Potassium Bromide), hypothyroidism and diabetes.
The amount to feed is approximately 2% to 3% of the dog's body weight.* If you do not have a food scale to weigh out food, one pound of food equals approximately two cups.
100 lb dog = 2 lb to 3 lb daily, or two meals of 1 to 1-1/2 lbs each 75 lb dog = 1-1/2 lb to 2-3/4 lb daily or two meals of 12 oz to 18 oz each 50 lb dog = 1 lb to 1-1/2 lb daily, or two meals of 8 oz to 12 oz each 25 lb dog = 8 oz to 12 oz daily, or two meals of 4 oz to 6 oz each
*Smaller dogs often have higher metabolisms, and *may* (not always) need more than the 2% to
* Puppies under the age of six months require three to four meals per day and they need a bit more calcium; about 1500 mg per pound of food served while they are growing. Puppies will eat about 10% of their body weight at 8 weeks of age or 2% to 3% of their anticipated adult weight.
For all home cooked diets, you must add in Calcium at 900 mg per pound of food served. Other recommended supplements include EPA fish oil capsules at one capsule (180 EPA/120 DHA) per twenty to thirty pounds of body weight daily. Do not add minerals, as the variety in the diet will provide all the needed minerals. However, it is recommended to add in vitamins such as vitamin E,vitamin C and a B complex.
For diet changes, probiotics and digestive enzymes are helpful. Berte's Immune Blend contains vitamin C, vitamin E, B complex, enzymes and probiotics. For a daily vitamin blend without enzymes and probiotics, there is also Berte's Daily Blend. This vitamin blend contains kelp and alfalfa, which provide trace minerals. The sample diets below will feed one meal for a 100 lb dog, two meals for a 50 lb dog, or four meals for a 25 lb dog.
Sample Diet One:
- 1 lb low fat hamburger - 4 oz beef liver or kidney
Cook meat, eggs, vegetables, and mix. When cooled, add yogurt. To this, add: - 1600 mg of calcium , or one teaspoon of dried, ground eggshell
Sample Diet Two:
- 1 lb white meat chicken with no skin - 4 oz of chicken liver Cook meat, eggs and vegetables and mix. When cooled, add cottage cheese. To this, add:
Sample Diet Three:
- 1 lb beef heart, cut into small pieces - 4 oz of pork or beef liver Cook meat, eggs and vegetables and mix. When cooled, add yogurt. To this, add: - 1600 mg of calcium, or one teaspoon of dried, ground eggshell
Sample Diet Four:
- One 16 oz can of Mackerel or Salmon, drained and rinsed Cook vegetables and eggs (no need to cook the canned fish, it is already cooked) and mix together. No calcium is needed as mackerel, salmon or sardines already contain soft, steamed bones for calcium content. To this, add:
The following health conditions of cancer, arthritis and allergies can also use similar diets, but diets for these diseases can use higher fats.
Cancer
Arthritis A primary concern with dogs that have arthritis is managing their pain. Inflammation causes pain, so it is important to do what you can to reduce inflammation. Carbohydrates can aggravate inflammation, especially grains and vegetables from the nightshade family of vegetables. These include tomatoes, potatoes, peppers and eggplant.
By avoiding these foods, you can help keep your dog's inflammation down, which helps manage their pain. Another way to help reduce stress on the joints and the inflammation that accompanies this excess stress is to make sure your dog is lean and maintains a healthy weight. The sugar content in grains and starches are high in calories and can cause weight gain and aggravate inflammation. Avoiding grains and starchy vegetables helps with weight loss and maintaining a healthy weight, so additional stress on sore joints can be avoided.
Commercial dog foods can be very high in grains and starches. These foods can aggravate your dog's arthritic condition and cause your dog to gain weight.
Some supplements that are very beneficial for reducing inflammation and helping to manage pain are:
EPA fish oil: The Omega 3 fatty acids found in fish oil help control inflammation.
Aspen Flexile Plus: A formula made with human grade Glucosamine, Chondroitin and manganese. These ingredients help to both lubricate the joints and reduce inflammation.
Yucca Intensive: An herbal tincture made from fresh yucca that contains saponins. Saponins are a natural steroid that helps reduce inflammation and pain. Yucca should be given at one drop per ten pounds of body weight, twice daily WITH meals.
Allergies Allergies are very difficult to pinpoint. It is important to have your veterinarian determine if your dog is really suffering from allergies. If so, are the allergies environmental or rood related allergies?
It is easier to determine if the allergy is environmental. Frequent bathing can ease many of the symptoms of environmental allergies. Doing an inspection of your home to see if anything new was recently added or changed may help determine an environmental allergy. Items like new carpeting, bedding, household cleaners, yard sprays, etc., may be the culprit. Food allergies are more difficult to determine. Most commercial dog foods contain numerous ingredients. Therefore, it is nearly impossible to determine which ingredient in the food is causing the problem. A food elimination diet is effective in determining which particular food(s) are causing the allergic reaction in your dog. The ultimate goal of an elimination diet is to end up with a variety of foods your dog can eat. If you go forward with only one ingredient or one diet and do not provide for a variety of foods, it can lead to more food intolerances.
Home cooking provides a more nutritious way of controlling what your dog eats. With the recipe suggestions offered here, you have a basis for a balanced diet (calcium to phosphorus ratio and the amounts of animal protein and fat), but you can choose the ingredients that best suit your dog. Never forget about the importance of variety! Dogs require a balance of amino acids and nutrients. This can only come by offering the widest variety of proteins and foods your dog can tolerate. Feeding the same thing repeatedly can result in not only more allergy issues, but also nutrient deficiencies.
Omega 3 fatty acids found in fish oil can help with skin and coat and can help reduce inflammation in red, itchy skin.
DMG liquid (Dimethylglycine) can also help with skin and allergy conditions. It can help the immune system and helps 'regulate' the reactions to allergic substances.
Yeast Overgrowth Yeast infections oftentimes accompany allergy issues because of constant scratching and itching. Additionally, certain medications used to treat skin problems, such as steroids, encourage excess yeast growth. Antibiotic use can kill off and deplete the beneficial bacteria in the body. This beneficial bacterium naturally fights off yeast. When this bacterium is depleted, it provides an environment for yeast to grow. Some of the symptoms that arise with yeast overgrowth mimic allergy symptoms. As a result, the two issues can 'ping-pong' back and forth. A visit to your Veterinarian is the best way to determine if your dog has a yeast problem. A skin culture can be done to determine whether the problem is yeast or allergies. It is very important to know what the real issue is so it can be treated properly.
If it is determined your dog is suffering from yeast overgrowth, it is important to know that yeast grows and thrives on sugar. Eliminating high glycemic foods, such as grains and starches, from the diet can help get the yeast under control. Additionally, adding a probiotic powder to your dog's diet helps to fight any yeast overgrowth as it adds back in the healthy levels of good bacteria needed. Another way to fight yeast overgrowth is to offer frequent baths with an oatmeal based shampoo and rinse with a 50/50 solution of white vinegar and water. Olive leaf Extract and Yeast and Fungal tincture are also helpful in combating yeast issues.
For more reading on yeast problems, go here: http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/scratching-and-itching-could-it-be-yeast/
Incontinence Incontinence is the leaking of urine. Chronic conditions can lead to rashes, irritation and urinary tract infections. It is thought that grains and starches may aggravate incontinence in spayed females and senior dogs. Removing grains from the diet can alleviate the problem and sometimes completely stop the incontinence without having to resort to prescription medications. Also adding the herbal tincture blend, Kidni Care can help strengthen and tone urinary tract muscles. For more information on incontinence and diet, see Aunt Jeni's article: http://www.auntjeni.com/pdf%20files/Incontinence.pdf
A natural diet that offers variety is very helpful for all these conditions. Cooked diets can be made in large batches, packaged into meal-sized portions, and frozen for later use. Feeding amounts are the same as they were previously listed.
The amount to feed is approximately 2% to 3% of the dog's body weight.
100 lb dog = 2 lb to 3 lb daily, or two meals of 1 to 1-1/2 lbs each 75 lb dog = 1-1/2 lb to 2-3/4 lb daily or two meals of 12 oz to 18 oz each 50 lb dog = 1 lb to 1-1/2 lb daily, or two meals of 8 oz to 12 oz each 25 lb dog = 8 oz to 12 oz daily, or two meals of 4 oz to 6 oz each
One cup is approximately 8 ounces, or 1/2 pound. Some dogs will do well on two meals a day; others may need three or four smaller meals a day. Do not overcook the meat! It is best to lightly cook the meat so it retains more of the nutrients. Butter can be used for cooking to add flavor and palatability. If you are using butter, unsalted is best for dogs with kidney or heart problems.
The sample diets below will feed one meal for a 100 lb dog, two meals for a 50 lb dog, or four meals for a 25 lb dog.
Sample Diet One:
- 1 lb regular hamburger - 4 oz beef liver or kidney, cook with small amount of butter
Cook meat, eggs, vegetables, and mix. When cooled, add yogurt. To this, add:
- 1600 mg of calcium , or one teaspoon of dried, ground eggshell
Sample Diet Two:
- 1 lb ground chicken, four oz of chicken liver, cook with small amount of butter Cook meat, eggs and vegetables and mix. When cooled, add cottage cheese. To this, add:
Sample Diet Three:
- 1 lb ground pork - 4 oz of pork or beef liver, cook with small amount of butter Cook meat, eggs and vegetables and mix. When cooled, add yogurt. To this, add:
- 1600 mg of calcium, or one teaspoon of dried, ground eggshell
Sample Diet Four:
- 1 can 16 oz Mackerel or Salmon Cook vegetables and eggs (no need to cook the canned fish, it is already cooked) and mix together. No calcium is needed as mackerel, salmon or sardines already contain soft, steamed bones for calcium content. To this, add:
- 1 teaspoon Berte's Green Blend (for trace minerals)
Conclusion While carbohydrates are not necessary in a dog's diet, they can be useful when you are dealing with certain health conditions. Carbohydrates are used in home cooked diets for the sole purpose of adding fiber to the diet. In dogs with certain liver or renal issues, carbohydrates are needed to add calories, absorb ammonia and reduce phosphorus in the diet.
However, using too many carbohydrates can cause larger and smellier stools, produce gas, and cause unnecessary weight gain. Because carbohydrates convert to sugar, they can also adversely affect dogs with epilepsy, diabetes, and hypothyroid conditions, as well as dogs with cancer, arthritis, allergies, yeast issues and incontinence.
It is important to know these variables so you can make the best, most informed, decisions on whether carbohydrates can help or hinder your dog's health. It is not a question of whether carbohydrates are good or bad. It is about making the best decision for your dog based on their individual needs.
If you have found this two-part article helpful and would like more information, we recommend Lew Olson's recently published book, 'Raw and Natural Nutrition for Dogs'. This book is an easy read with more great information on diet and supplement recommendations for the various health conditions discussed in these two articles.
We hope you had a wonderful summer and are ready for the change of seasons. We wish you a Happy Labor Day and hope you have time to kick back, relax and have some fun!
b-naturals dog nutrition newsCarbohydrates and Low Glycemic Diets
Whether people feed a commercial dog food, a home cooked diet, a raw diet, or a special needs diet for a specific health condition, I am frequently asked questions regarding carbohydrates. The most common question asked is, 'Which carbohydrates are the best to add into my dog's diet?' While the question may appear to be a simple one, the answer is not! The subject is complex, so we are splitting this newsletter into two parts.
Part I addresses the many questions people ask about carbohydrates. We will look at the different types, which ones are best to feed, when carbohydrates are needed, and how different carbohydrates can affect various health conditions.
Part II, which we will bring to you in September's newsletter, addresses more health conditions, discusses the benefits of low glycemic diets, and includes several low glycemic recipes to benefit a wide variety of health conditions. Carbohydrates
There are two kinds of carbohydrates: simple and complex. All grains, vegetables and fruits are carbohydrates. All carbohydrates break down into chains of sugar. However, there are differences between the sugar chains of simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates. Examples of simple carbohydrates that break down into simple sugar chains include white refined sugar, honey, molasses, white flour and fruit juice. Examples of complex carbohydrates that break down into more complex sugar chains include grains such as oats, rice, barley, and vegetables such as beans, lentils, and potatoes. It is important to know how these sugars affect canines and to understand what the purpose of carbohydrates is in a canine's diet.
Commercial Pet Food
All commercial dog foods contain carbohydrates. The carbohydrates used in commercial pet foods are inexpensive ingredients that allow the dry food to maintain a longer shelf life. These carbohydrates are fiber, which help firm stools. Carbohydrates are a benefit in this regard; however, they are also a liability and can compromise the health and well-being of our dogs.
Carbohydrates offer less nutrition to dogs than animal proteins and fats. While the fiber firms stools, they also create larger, looser stools that have a much stronger odor. If you feed a commercial dog food, it is important to do your research. You want to select a food that contains a quality animal protein and offers the least amount of carbohydrates. Some commercial dog foods are 'grain free.' However, grain free foods are not carbohydrate free! Most grainless commercial foods use either potatoes or sweet potatoes. These grainless foods can be a benefit to dogs that have certain grain allergies or gluten intolerance, but these foods are no more nutritional for dogs, than commercial foods that contain grains.
Home Cooked Diets
Carbohydrates are used in home cooked diets solely to add a fiber source to the diet to keep the dog's stool firm. Bones are not used in home cooked diets and therefore, a fiber source is needed. When using carbohydrates in home cooked diets, I recommend using about 75% animal-based protein and 25% carbohydrates. When selecting vegetables for home cooked diets, I recommend low glycemic vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, yellow squash and zucchini. I avoid using potatoes, sweet potatoes, peas, carrots, winter squash and beans. I also avoid all vegetables from the nightshade family, such as tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant. When feeding vegetables, they must be fully cooked or pureed to breakdown the cell wall of the carbohydrates. Dogs cannot break down this cell wall or digest the vegetables in their short, simple digestive tract, unless they are fully cooked or completely pureed.
Raw Diets
If you feed a raw diet, it is not necessary to add carbohydrates to the diet! Raw diets contain bone and the bone offers the fiber needed to keep stools firm. Carbohydrates do not offer dogs a nutrient value, so they are not needed in a raw diet. Some people like to add vegetables to the diet for variety. When adding vegetables to a raw diet, I do not recommend feeding more than 10% of the total diet with carbohydrates. Adding more than 10% of the total diet in carbohydrates will increase stool size and can cause gas. Again, the vegetables must be completely cooked or pureed in order for the dogs to digest them.
For further information on carbohydrates and more references, see the following link:
http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/carbohydrates/
High Glycemic (Sugar Content) Vegetables
Dogs are carnivores and do not need carbohydrates. Their digestive system is not designed to digest carbohydrates and their bodies do not need, nor do they adapt well to the constant influx of high sugar foods. Dogs get their energy from animal protein and fat. These are the nutrients they need to survive and thrive. When a dog's diet consists of too many carbohydrates (more than 33% for example), there is a risk of 'protein starvation'. When you feed a diet that is 33% carbohydrates, it does not mean the rest of the diet is 66 1/3% protein! This is because there is fat and moisture in the protein, and in some cases bone and connective tissue. Dogs rely on, and depend on, the amino acids found in animal-based proteins. They are important for stamina, endurance, overall health and well-being and are necessary for healthy kidneys, heart and liver function.
Food spends less time in the human stomach, and a longer time in the intestines. The time food spends in the human intestinal tract allows foods to digest and ferment. Humans have a much longer and more complex digestive system than canines. Canines have a short, simple digestive tract and do not digest foods as humans do. Canines have more gastric juices in the stomach. As a result, food spends a longer time in the canine's stomach to break down nutrients and kill bacteria. As a result, food spends a much shorter time in the intestines. Canines are unable to ferment or break down carbohydrates as efficiently as humans (omnivores) or herbivores can. Because of this inability to break down the carbohydrates, when fed to high a percentage of carbohydrates, it causes gas, cramps, and creates large and smelly stools. Additionally, it can irritate the intestinal tract and create intestinal inflammation.
Carbohydrates may also contribute to health conditions such as diabetes, allergies, inflammatory bowel disease and yeast growth. They also have the propensity to promote urinary tract infections and may contribute to seizure activity in dogs with epilepsy. Additionally, high sugar foods contain more calories, which can result in unwanted weight gain. In the home cooked recipes I will bring you in next month's newsletter, I always suggest low glycemic carbohydrates be used. Low glycemic vegetables offer the lowest sugar content.
Low Glycemic Diets
While the diseases Epilepsy, Hypothyroidism, Diabetes, Allergies, Arthritis, Yeast Infections and Cancer are all very different, they share a common denominator. Diets that are high in sugar and starch can negatively affect these diseases. In my series on Canine Nutrition, published in the B-Naturals newsletters between August 2005 and June 2006, I explained that dogs are carnivores and their bodies are designed to best utilize and digest animal protein and fat. The advent of commercial diets in the last 60 years introduced large amounts of grains and starches. These foods are high in carbohydrates, which all convert to sugar. Besides adding unnecessary sugars to the diet, these foods also add more fiber and bulk to the dog's system.
Sugar directly affects the blood sugar in the body. Canines are designed to make glucose from amino acids (proteins), which keep the dog's blood sugar levels even. Feeding diets high in grains (wheat, corn, oatmeal, barley, amaranth and rice to name a few) and starches (potatoes, sweet potatoes, beets and carrots) cause blood sugar levels to rise and then fall. This type of action has a direct affect on diabetes, can trigger epileptic seizures, creates aggravation in the joints of dogs with arthritis, affects thyroid conditions and lastly, offers energy to cancer cells.
As stated in canine nutrition textbooks, no nutritional requirement is given for these types of
The Waltham Book of Companion Animal Nutrition states, "There is no known minimum dietary requirement for carbohydrates"
For more information on Carbohydrates in the Dog's Diet: http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/carbohydrates/
With each health condition discussed below, be sure to get a confirmed diagnosis and receive the advice and full treatment recommendation from your veterinarian. The correct diagnosis under proper veterinarian care is the best defense for treating any disease or ailment. Depending on the dog's condition, there are two different types of low glycemic diets. This month we are including the "LOW FAT, Low Glycemic" diets, which are suggested for dogs with epilepsy, diabetes, hypothyroidism and Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Next month, we will bring you a different low glycemic diet for a few other health conditions. Low Fat, Low Glycemic Diets Epilepsy
While research has been done on a low carbohydrate diet for dogs with epilepsy, the results showed that these diets did not help. However, the research does not indicate the type of protein used or the nature of the diet (dry, fresh, cooked); however, it contained an extreme amount of fat. Additionally, the diet was inconclusive due to the loss of some participants (owners not complying) and a subsequent low number of dogs that completed the study. 1
Other factors that may precipitate seizure activity by feeding carbohydrates could be related to food allergies, gluten intolerance (found in grains) and lack of certain amino acids such as taurine lost by processed or heavily cooked diets. For more information on this, go to the link below and read the section titled, "The Possible Connection between Grains and Seizures".
http://www.canine-epilepsy.com/healthydiet.html
While the connection between carbohydrates and seizures is uncertain, a fresh food diet, which is medium to low fat, high in animal protein, and low in carbohydrates is worth a try and may help in some instances. Again, removing grains from the diet reduces the chance of gluten intolerance and some allergies. The animal protein will help provide all the amino acids a dog needs and fresh food diets offer more nutrients.
An additional supplement that helps reduce seizure activity is DMG , or dimethlyglycine. Diethylglycine is a derivative of the amino acid, glycine. DMG helps the neurotransmitters in the body. It is also found to help control cholesterol; however, this is not an issue with dogs. It also helps boost endurance and stamina. It is thought to help oxidize the blood, which is not only useful for fighting fatigue, but may also be helpful in immune problems and with certain types of cancer treatment. It may also have some usefulness in controlling glucose metabolism and be helpful with brain function.
DMG for possible seizure control in dogs:
http://www.purinaone.com.au/article/articledetails.aspx?id=694
http://www.canine-epilepsy.com/Alternative.html
http://www.drschoen.com/articles_L1_15.html
Diabetes
This is a complex issue in small animals. The type of diabetes found between cats and dogs is
"Diet in the prevention of diabetes and obesity in companion animals"
"Conclusion – Consumption of diets with low carbohydrate, high protein, and moderate fat content may be advantageous for prevention and management of obesity, impaired glucose tolerance, and diabetes in cats and dogs. Use of low glycemic index carbohydrates and supplementation with carnitine, chromium, and vitamin A may also be advantageous."
http://www.vetcontact.com/en/art.php?a=1268&t While studies on cats discuss that cats are carnivores and need protein, dogs are carnivores as well and the same is true for them. Higher animal protein diets create a more even blood sugar level in the blood stream. Fresh food diets provide more optimum nutrition than processed foods by offering a more easily digestible food with bioavailable nutrients. In addition, DMG (see above) may also be useful for dogs with diabetes.
Dimethylglycine is also thought to be beneficial with both hypoglycemia and Diabetes.
Hypoglycemia, Diabetes and DMG:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0860/is_n10_v51/ai_7957277
Hypothyroidism
Dogs with low thyroid (hypothyroidism) can have issues with pancreatitis until treatment with proper medications can help bring thyroid levels back to normal ranges. Dogs with hypothyroidism tend to do better on homemade diets that are low glycemic, medium fat and contain higher protein levels. For dogs with hypothyroidism, avoid goitrogenic foods. Some goitrogenic foods include soybean and soy products, cabbage, broccoli, turnips, rutabaga, mustard greens, kale, spinach, Brussels sprouts, peaches, pears, strawberries, cauliflower, potatoes or corn. Fully cooking these foods will render them safe to consume for hypothyroid conditions; however, do not feed them as the majority of the diet.
"Some experts contend that as little as 30 mg of soy isoflavones will cause trouble by competing with hormones for the same receptor sites on cells. Because of that, they can cause endocrine disruptions. The endocrine system may mistake the isoflavones for a hormone and therefore may not send out signals that the hormone needs to be produced. This can be problematic if you already have lower than normal levels of thyroid hormone production."
To find more information on the warnings about soy, read this article:
http://www.suite101.com/lesson.cfm/18912/2313/3 Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) IBD is a problem that is becoming a more common health problem in dogs today. When a dog struggles to digest high fiber commercial foods, laden with carbohydrates, it sets up an inflammatory condition in the intestinal lining. Then, as the inflammation continues, the dog also has difficulty digesting fats. The dry food that consists of large amounts of carbohydrates and fiber aggravates this condition even further. As this occurs, dogs can also develop an intolerance to fat due to the inflamed intestinal lining. When this occurs, veterinarians will often prescribe dry dog food manufactured for this condition. Unfortunately, these foods are even higher in fiber and carbohydrates, are low fat and often carry a less bioavailable source of animal protein. These higher fiber diets achieve nothing more than additional absorption of the moisture from the dog's colon. This makes the stools 'firmer', however the irritation and inflammation continues in the dog's digestive tract. The low fat, low glycemic diet (or a raw diet, which is even more ideal), puts less strain on the digestive tract to handle and 'ferment' the fiber. At the same time, it offers the dog better nutrition to help heal this condition. Supplements that help heal IBD include probiotic powder (beneficial bacteria to aid digestion), l-glutamine (which helps heal the digestive lining) and animal based digestive enzymes (which help pre-digest fat and protein in the stomach, before reaching the small intestine). A product that contains a good combination of all of three ingredients of these ingredients is the Bertes Digestion Blend . Taken together, these three products help in cases of poor absorption, diarrhea, and nausea and help heal the intestinal lining. As you can see, the subject of carbohydrates is not a simple one! Please stay tuned for next month's newsletter when we will bring you information on cancer, arthritis, allergies, incontinence and yeast overgrowth conditions and several low glycemic recipes to benefit these health conditions. 1 Publication: Patterson EE. Results of a Ketogenic Food Trial for Dogs with Idiopathic Epilepsy. University of Minnesota PhD Thesis (Chapter 4). © Edward Earl Patterson 2004.
All of us at B-Natural's hope you have been enjoying your summer. As the temperatures have been hotter than normal all across the United States, be aware that your dog can suffer heat stroke and dehydration very quickly so make sure your dog has have plenty of water and shelter.
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