Raw Pet Digest February/March 2018

RAWPETDIGEST

February/ March2018

Easy w ays to k eep your i ndoor cat sl i m and tri m

Addressingyour dog'simpactedanal glandsnaturally Cannabi s and your cani ne: th e pros, th e cons, th e possi bi l i ti es

Fel i ne arth ri ti s: 3 essenti al th i ngs ev ery cat parent sh oul d k now

Using homeopathyto addressyour dog'sGIissues

Raw Pet Digest Editor-in-chief: Kristin Clark

Subscribe at www.rawpet digest .com For advert ising inf ormat ion, cont act krist in@rawpet digest .com All emails and letters become the property of Raw Pet Digest and may be reprinted in future issues.

Our mission at Raw Pet Digest is to share information that supports natural health with a broad audience to help improve the lives of our carnivore pets. We believe that only the body is capable of achieving and maintaining true health, but we also believe that there are many things that we can do to help support the body in its quest to maintain balance (health). Raw Pet Digest aims to help educate and inform you about those things so that you can help your pet live a long life and thrive naturally.

DISCLAIMER: All information contained in Raw Pet Digest is intended for educational purposes only. It is not provided in order to diagnose, prevent, or treat any disease, illness, or injured condition of the body or pets, and the author(s), publisher, and contributors accept no responsibility for such use. Anyone or their pets suffering from any disease, illness, or injury should consult with their physician or veterinarian. The statements herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Additionally, all views expressed herein by those being interviewed or featured are their own views and do not necessarily represent the views of Raw Pet Digest.

All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the author(s) and Editor-in-Chief. The articles herein are for educational purposes only. The decision to use, or not to use, any information is the sole responsibility of the reader.

On our cover: The beaut if ul raw-f ed Siberian show cat , Zuko. Phot o credit Jana Lembke On t h e back : A Dogu e de Bor deau x. Copyr igh t Jose M an u el Gelpi Diaz

FEATURES 5 Six Easy W ays to Get Your Indoor Cat

COLUMNS

Slim and Trim

4 Letter from the Editor

11Out for a Stroll

22 Raw Pets Thrive! Puzzle

12 Medical Marijuana for Dogs

24 The Beginner's Corner

17 Your Guide to Optimal Feline Nutrition

49 Spotlight on Health

31DIY Raw Feeding Made Easier 34 Poop, Poots, and General GI Ickies: A

63 The Raw-Pawthecary

Homeopathic Approach

65 Raw Pets Thrive!

38 Feline Arthritis

December 2017/January 2018 Puzzle Answer Key

42 Bacteria and Raw Diets: Should You be Concerned?

58 Overcoming Impacted Anal Glands

Letter fromtheEditor Welcome to the February/ March 2018 issue of Raw Pet Digest! I can?t believe it?s already been almost 3 years since we launched the magazine. We?ve grown, we?ve made some changes, but our core mission remains the same: to empower you with the information you need to keep your furry family members happy and healthy naturally. And along the way, we hope to be able to surprise you, to make you smile, and to help you understand your four-legged friends a little bit more.

Kristin with Cleo, Motley, Elle, and Barkley.

Photo credit Adam Gilbert

and share some videos of him out for a walk This issue has lots of great stuff in it for dog around the neighborhood, in ?Out for a Stroll? and cat parents alike. If you have an indoor on page 11. And there's stuff for dog parents cat who isn?t as sleek as they once were, check too: for example, our feature article ?Medical out our feature ?6 Easy W ays to Get Your Marijuana for Dogs? on page 12 discusses Indoor Cat Slim and Trim? on page 5. Ever essential things you should know if you?re thought about teaching your cat to walk on a considering giving your dog cannabis. We also leash?It?s not as hard as it looks: I share how I discuss how to prevent impacted anal glands in taught my 17-year-old cat to walk on a leash, your dog once and for all on page 58.

We don?t stop there, though: we take you to Vancouver Island, the home of Growlies pet store, for an interview with the owner. We talk about homeopathy for your pooch?s GI troubles, 3 essential things you need to know about arthritis in cats, we give you the facts about bacteria in raw diets, and much more.

Enjoy the issue, my fellow pet parent! And if there's anything I can do to help make your life with your pet better, drop me a line at kristin@rawpetdigest.com.

Until next time, Kristin Happy Valentine's Day from our family to yours!

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6 EA SY WA YS TO GET YOUR I NDOOR CA T

SLIM AND TRIM

Cats, especially if they?re indoor cats, are often a little thicker around the middle than they should be. Like us, our feline friends are suffering from an epidemic of obesity. And just like us, when our cats are obese or overweight, it can have lots of negative health effects. But there?s hope: with a few simple changes, you can help get your feline friend slim and trim. Doing so will help them feel better, could reduce the occurrence and/ or severity of many illnesses (such as fatty liver, diabetes, arthritis, and more), and could also help them live longer while improving their overall quality of life.

To decide whether your cat needs to lose a little weight, check their ribs and backbone. If you can?t feel them easily, your cat can probably stand to shed some ounces. Also, check to make sure they don?t have a big lower belly? that?s a prime place for many overweight cats to store excess fat.

If your cat needs to lose some weight, don?t despair! Even indoor cats can win the battle of the bulge. Read on for some tips you can implement easily to help them slim down and reveal the sleeker figure hiding beneath the chub.

1. Consider swit ching your cat from a highly processed commercial food diet (such as kibble or canned food) t o a speciesappropriat e raw food diet .

You may need to make the change gradually (for example, if you feed your cat kibble, you may want to switch to a canned wet food first, and then on to a raw diet). There are lots of resources available to help you learn how to switch your cat to a raw diet. Check out the August/ September 2015, the December/ January 2016,

Copyright Viktoria Kondysenko

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and the February/ March 2016 issues of Raw Pet Digest for tips.

2. If you current ly free-feed your cat , consider cut t ing off t hat all-youcan-eat buffet and feeding t hem t hree or four t imes per day inst ead.

W hile cats should eat more than once per day, leaving food down all the time can often lead to unnecessary weight gain (and make it harder to transition them to raw).

Remember, though, that cats need to eat daily, so don?t be tempted to cut off food for a few days. Fasting cats is not recommended, as it can have severe consequences, such as fatty liver syndrome, also known as hepatic lipidosis (which can be fatal).

3. Cat s are creat ures of rout ine, so use t hat t o your advant age, and get your cat in t he rout ine of exercise.

Spending 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes in the afternoon playing with your cat can do wonders for her health and her waistline! If your cat is out of the habit of moving around, it may take some time to entice her to play for 20 minutes per day, but be persistent. Eventually, she?ll get into the spirit of things!

4. Variet y is t he spice of life, and exercise is no except ion.

Try lots of different toys to entice your cat to play? some of my cat Gryphon?s particular favorites are ?Da Bird?and feathery wand toys.

He?s almost 18 now, but when he was younger, he also loved chasing toy mice. Lasers are a great option for lots of cats too (if you go the laser route, give them a ?real? toy at the end that they can actually ?catch,?so they don?t get frustrated. Also, don?t ever shine the laser into their eyes.). For maximum effect, rotate through toys and get creative about the toys you try (crinkly paper has always been a hit with my cats).

5. Get out side and get some fresh air.

W ith some time and practice, you can get your cat used to a harness and leash, and take her on walks with you. I introduced my cat Gryphon to a harness and leash a few years ago, and he loves going out on walks. Just remember to take it slowly? put the harness on them first when they?re in a safe, familiar place. W hen they?re used to the harness, you can attach the

Gryphon. Photo credit Kristin Clark

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Adver t isement s

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leash. Let them get used to the leash when you?re in safe place before taking them into an unfamiliar environment. It can take a few weeks to get your cat used to the harness and leash, but there?s no rush. Better to make it a pleasant experience, even if it takes a little longer, than an unpleasant one. W ith cats, it?s also a good idea to let them set the pace and the direction of the walk. Don?t drag them around, but instead, encourage them to walk with you. And remember they love routine, so try taking the same route every time you walk with them. Before you know it, they may be walking with you better than a dog would!

6. Agilit y? for cat s?

Yep, that?s right: agility courses can be a great way to help your cat get some fun

exercise! You can go online and see examples of agility courses you can set up for your cat right in your own home. Use your cat?s favorite toy to lure him over and through the different obstacles. It may take a little time to get your cat used to doing agility, but the physical and mental stimulation it can provide can be hugely beneficial for his overall wellbeing.

W ith cats, it?s best to approach weight loss gradually. Remember, slow and steady wins the race. Losing weight too rapidly can cause inflammation, particularly in their lungs and/ or joints, and it can also cause hypoglycemia. Implement the suggestions above in a moderate and mindful way to safely and easily get your cat on the road to good health.

-By Kristin Clark

Photo credit Tracy Dion

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OUTFORASTROLL I've had my cat, Gryphon, since he was about 5 months old. He's almost 18 now, but still spry and fit. He doesn't move around as much as he used to, but he still enjoys getting outside for fresh air and sunshine. We live in the suburbs though, with lots of dogs, cars, people, and even coyotes and bobcats, so I have to be careful about his outside time. We have a little enclosure for him where he can safely be outside by himself, but sometimes he likes to take a more active approach to his outside time. So, I decided to get him a harness and leash and start taking him for walks. These videos were taken when I first started walking with him when he was 17.

If you have a cat, consider walking with them. It At first, I just put the harness (a soft, doesn't take too long to get them used to a leash neoprene harness that doesn't impede his and harness, and the rewards can be huge for motion) on him for a few minutes at a time both of you. Just remember to keep your cat safe: to let him get used to it. Once he didn't pick him or her up if a loose dog or another cat mind it inside, I clipped the leash to it (still approaches, let them set the pace, don't drag them with him inside) and let him walk around around by the harness, and watch to make sure with no tension on the leash. Then, I took they're mentally and physically comfortable with him into the backyard and let him get used whatever's going on. to it there (he's comfortable and secure in The looks I get from people when I'm out the backyard, and I wanted him to get used walking Gryphon are priceless. It's great bonding to the harness and leash gradually in time for him and me. And, he comes home familiar environments before taking him to mentally and physically tired and happy. It's a unfamiliar ones). Once he was fine in the win-win all around! backyard, I took him to the front. It took a -By Kristin Clark few tries before we got down the driveway, and then it seemed like something clicked, 11 and he started walking like a pro!

MEDICALMARIJUANA FORDOGS

W hen our Canaan dog, Cleo, was in her super-golden years (18 and 19), she would sometimes get stiff and uncomfortable from arthritis. Her diet was optimal, she was getting plenty of quality rest, she got exercise appropriate to her age and ability, I was regularly using TTouch and massage to help ease her pain, and yet sometimes, she needed something more. And so I eventually turned to cannabis (specifically for dogs) to ease her discomfort.

W hen the 4th of July rolled around last year, I gave Barkley, our English Shepherd, cannabis (also specifically for dogs) to help reduce his anxiety over the fireworks. For both Cleo and Barkley, I noticed a tremendous improvement in their quality of life after giving them this canine cannabis. And I?m not the only one: In a study published in the Journal of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association (JAHVMA) in 2016, they found over half of dog owners surveyed said they currently use a hemp product for their dog. Over ž of the owners who give their dogs hemp use it for an illness or condition diagnosed by their dog?s veterinarian (most frequently for seizures, cancer, anxiety, and arthritis)[i].

According to the study, the most frequently cited reasons dog owners decided to use a cannabis product for their pet were: -

They liked the idea product came from natural sources

-

They thought the product would work as an adjunct to other therapies The cost of the product They preferred hemp products to conventional medicines

It?s really no surprise to me that so many pet parents have reported such great success with using cannabis products for their dogs.

Both marijuana and hemp contain plant-based chemicals known as cannabinoids, including THCA and CBDA (which become THC and CBD when processed appropriately). Dogs have the same natural cannabinoid receptors in their brains and peripheral nervous systems as people do. These receptors, which are part of the endocannabinoid system (side note: scientists have found that all vertebrates have an endocannabinoid system), are involved with various physiological processes, such as appetite, pain sensation, memory, and even mood. Not only that, but the endocannabinoid system and cannabinoids are part of how our dogs? bodies fight inflammation[ii]. As you may know, researchers are starting to realize that inflammation is the root cause of most chronic diseases, including arthritis and cancer. CBD has been shown to help address inflammation, which is vital when it comes to addressing the root cause of many chronic diseases.

Now, we?re all used to the term ?medical marijuana.? But when pet owners buy cannabis products for their dogs, what they?re actually getting is hemp, not

marijuana. One of the biggest differences between hemp and marijuana is the amount of THC (which is what gets you ?high?) vs CBD. Marijuana often has between 10 and 15% THC, with some strains going as high as 20% THC. Hemp, on the other hand, can?t have more than 0.3% THC. And 0.3% THC isn?t nearly enough to get your dog (or you!) high.

Not only does hemp have much less THC than marijuana, it also has much more CBD. This is important, because CBD is what helps address these chronic health issues? it?s what actually provides the therapeutic effects so many pet parents report seeing. So, while you may read things referring to medical marijuana for dogs, or hear people talking about buying medical marijuana products for their dogs,

Copyright Anekcahap Makpehko

what they mean (as long as they?re using products specifically designed for canines, from reputable companies) is hemp.

If you are thinking about using canine cannabis for your dog, I want to point out that, as with many herbs and herbal medicines, you may not see any reduction in symptoms immediately. Sometimes, it may take a few days to notice any significant changes. I also want to caution you that cannabis is not a ?magic pill;?it?s most helpful if you are already supporting your dog through a proper species-appropriate diet, clean water, an appropriate amount of exercise, and reducing internal and external toxins as much as possible. It?s a supplement, and should be treated as such. Also, note that if you give your dog cannabis, the most commonly reported side effect is that it can make your dog drowsy

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(similar to how you might feel if you took a Benadryl). If your dog exhibits other side effects, such as becoming really itchy, vomiting, becoming disoriented, or acting excessively hyper (these are all rare but have been reported), don?t give your dog any more cannabis.

W hile THC can be dangerous to dogs, no studies have shown CBD to be harmful.

Most of the canine cannabis treats on the market are virtually THC-free. This makes them much safer for dogs, and it also means they are not psychoactive. In other words, when you give your dog a cannabis treat specifically designed for dogs, your dog isn?t ?getting high.?W hat your dog does seem to be getting, based on anecdotal evidence, is assistance with a variety of issues, such as arthritis (like for our dog Cleo), help with anxiety (like for Barkley), or help relieving pain associated with cancer (like for many humans with cancer who use medical marijuana for pain relief).

W hile dogs have an endocannabinoid system like people do, they actually metabolize cannabinoids differently than us.

Dogs?primary messenger cannabinoids are known as 2-AG and anandamide, which activate CB1 and CB2 receptors. CBD binds to these receptors for a relatively long amount of time, but the bond isn?t strong.

This means the therapeutic response lasts for quite a while, but it doesn?t result in toxic side effects. Furthermore, studies have found that when CBD is administered orally to dogs, there is a relatively low

bioavailability. That?s a good thing? it suggests the risk for systemic toxicity is low in dogs. Eventually, your dog?s liver eliminates the CBD through the urine or bile, ensuring it?s flushed out of your dog?s system. Studies have found the CBD is completely cleared from the body in about 17 hours[iii].

This is great news, particularly given that so many conventional medications have negative side effects. For so many pet parents, cannabis for their dogs is proving to be hugely beneficial at addressing their dog?s chronic health issues and/ or conditions without any toxic side effects. In fact, as long as you provide the correct dosage of CBD for your dog and don?t give them THC, there are no life-threatening side effects to medical cannabis for canines.

Unlike many conventional drugs, medical cannabis products for canines don?t damage the liver, the kidneys, the GI tract, or any other body systems. It?s important to make sure you don?t give your dog THC, of course. Ingesting marijuana high in THC (for example, in edibles intended for human consumption) has been fatal to a number of dogs, so be mindful that you only give your dog cannabis products specifically designed for canines. Also, make sure you follow the manufacturer's dosing instructions carefully.

There are some really good companies out there that sell cannabis products specifically for dogs. Among them are Canna-Pet, CannaCompanion (that?s the company I?ve

used for my own dogs), Canna4Pets, and Treat Well. Do your research before purchasing any CBD products for your dog.

Visit the manufacturer?s website, read reviews, check the ingredients, and, if you?re working with an animal naturopath or holistic veterinarian, talk to them about CBD products for your dog.

W hile it?s true that more study is needed when it comes to cannabis use in dogs, more and more agencies and consumers are beginning to accept it may have a place in addressing chronic illnesses and/ or conditions. If you have a dog with some chronic health issues or other conditions and

you?re already supporting them naturally, you might want to consider CBD supplementation. After all, as more and more pet parents are realizing, it can have a profoundly positive impact on the overall well-being of your dog.

-By Kristin Clark Not es: [i] Lori R. Kogan, PhD et al, ?Consumers?

Perceptions of Hemp Products for Animals,?Journal of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association,Volume 42, Spring Issue, 2016. [ii] Thomas Stacey, ?Dogs and CBD oil ? Why Hemp oil might be good for your dog,?

Elixinol, accessed 1/20/18. [iii] Prakash Janakiraman, ?Can CBD Help Our Canine Companions??

Marijuanatimes.org, accessed 1/20/18.

Copyright Lotophagi

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YOURGUIDETOOPTIMALFELINENUTRITION "Nature designed cats as mousers, not munchers: It's time to re-think what we're feeding."

-Jana Lembke

raw diet for your kitty, some important facts about raw diets, options for feeding a raw diet to your cat, resources you can go to for more info, and even some good commercial raw companies.

If you're a cat parent, the next four pages

Jana lives in Massachusetts with her fluffy

contain incredibly valuable information for you

raw-fed Siberian show cat, Zuko. Follow their

and your feline friend. These incredibly detailed

adventures and learn about the Siberian breed

infographics, all designed by Jana Lembke,

at www.siberiansofnewengland.wordpress.com.

discuss the trouble with kibble, the benefits of a

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Copyright Georg Weber

RAWPETSTHRIVE!PUZZLE

Siamese cat playing with a puzzle. Copyright Agata Kowalczyk

If you?re like me, the idea of testing your knowledge and solving fun puzzles and challenges can certainly pique your interest. We hope you enjoy the W ord Search on the following page. The words are printed forwards, backwards, diagonally, up, and down. Each of the words relates to something in this issue.

To make it more fun, if you complete the puzzle correctly, you may get your name printed in a future puzzle. To participate, simply print out the page, fill in your answers legibly, then scan and email it to kristin@rawpetdigest.com. To enter, you must submit the puzzle by February 28, 2018. Make sure to use the subject line ?February/ March 2018 puzzle entry?. Include your name and, if you?d like, your pet?s name(s) in your email.

Good luck, and have fun!

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Word list Agility

Anal glands

Arthritis

Bacteria

Da Bird

Doggy odor

Fresh air

Growlies

Gryphon

Heart

Hemp

Homeopathy

Kibble

Raw feeding

Salmonella 23

THE BEGINNER'S CORNER

Copyright Gurinaleksandr

The New Nor mal? and Why It Isn?t Here at Raw Pet Digest, we aim to bring you information that will help you support your dog or cat in living the best life possible. We know that each of our readers is in a different stage on the journey of exploring and implementing a more natural approach to health care for their pets. In light of this, we have a regular feature we call the Beginner?s Corner. This series includes a wide variety of topics ranging from feeding to fasting, from basicfirst-aid caretointroductionstonatural healing modalities. If you area long-timereader of Raw Pet Digest, or if you have been involved in natural health care for your pet for a long time, you may already be familiar with the information we present in the Beginner?s Corner. We hope that, by including it in itsown series, we will help those who are new to these concepts understand them in more depth, while at the same time making it easy for those who are already knowledgeable about these topics to quickly decide if they want toreview them.

Many people today are used to seeing dogs and cats that have a myriad of health issues, including bad teeth, itchy skin, voluminous (and very smelly!) poop, behavior issues (such as hyper-activeness or laziness), impacted anal glands, obesity, a strong and unpleasant odor, runny eyes, and/ or autoimmune diseases.

Indeed, these are so prevalent in our pets that we think of these issues as ?normal.?But just because they're common doesn?t mean they?re actually normal. Dogs and cats, even those of advancing age, should not have these issues.

W hen these issues appear, it?s a sign they aren?t in optimal health, and their immune systems are compromised.

Generally speaking, when dogs and cats experience these issues, conventional veterinarians provide ?treatment? that suppresses symptoms without getting at the root cause. The issues, then, keep cropping up, and often they get worse over time. Or, dog and cat owners ignore the issues, thinking that they are due to an animal?s age, or breed, or just bad luck.

Naturopaths have a different approach to addressing these issues. Far from believing these issues are normal, they view them as signs that the immune system is out of balance and the laws of health aren?t being followed. Take something as seemingly ordinary as feces; we are used to seeing large amounts of smelly poop from our pets. Often it?s also relatively soft, which of course makes it harder to clean up. Contrast this

Navi, a 17-month-old Malinois. Photo credit Breanne Altherr

Pr oper diet and nat ur al, holist ic car e can go a long way t owar ds addr essing t hese issues, because t hey suppor t your pet?s immune syst em and make sur e all of it s syst ems ar e kept in balance.

Ph ot o cr edit Jan a Lem bke

with the feces of a raw-fed animal. Their fecal matter is much smaller, both in size of individual stools and the overall quantity of stool. It has much less of an odor, is much harder, and decomposes much more quickly.

This is because species-appropriate diets have many more nutrients than processed pet food, so the animal?s body uses much more of the food. Processed pet food has a lot of filler and junk your pet can?t use; this filler gets shed out in the feces, which leads to the vast amount of poop we see from dogs and cats fed a conventional, processed pet food diet.

W hen your dog or cat eats the proper amount of bone, meat, organs, and glands, they get the appropriate amount of calcium and phosphorous in their diet. Their stool tends to be much harder (because of the calcium), which means they have to strain a little bit to push it out. This keeps their anal glands clean, clear, and in good working order. So many dogs regularly have to get their anal glands cleaned out by the vet or a groomer? in fact,

this is so common that most groomers include this as a standard part of their grooming!

However, when animals are fed a species-appropriate diet, they typically don?t have anal gland issues. Anal gland issues are a perfect example of something that is common but not actually normal (see our article "Overcoming Impacted Anal Glands Once and for All" later in this issue for more info).

Another common (but definitely not normal) issue that many dog owners report about their pets is a ?doggy?smell. W hen you think about it, it doesn?t make sense that a carnivore and predator would have a distinct and strong odor. This odor would make it much more difficult to sneak up on their highly sensitive prey. W olves and other wild canines do not have a ?doggy? odor, and dogs fed a species-appropriate diet do not have a strong odor either. Dogs that are fed a processed pet food diet tend to smell, which most owners address by giving them baths, but once those same dogs are switched to a species-

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appropriate diet, the odor disappears.

Again, while the odor has become very common, it is not normal. In fact, it?s an indicator that the body is not functioning in optimal health.

Many pet owners notice their pet?s teeth have lots of tartar and plaque. Some people brush their pet?s teeth, some people get their teeth professionally cleaned (which also generally means that they have to be put under, which can be dangerous), some buy them dental chews, and some just ignore the issue until it gets so bad that the dog or cat need serious dental attention.

W hile poor oral health is not always because of a poor diet, oftentimes it is. It's a myth that kibble cleans teeth; processed pet food tends to contribute to plaque and tartar because it gets stuck on the teeth or in the gum line. A species-appropriate diet, however, which includes bones, actually scrapes the teeth cleaning as the animal crunches the bones. Many dogs and cats that are fed a species-appropriate diet have sparkling white teeth, healthy gums, good breath, and healthy jaws. Unfortunately, poor oral health is another example of what we now consider normal because it is so common, but the good news is that typically it can be easily addressed by fixing the diet.

Allergies and skin issues are some of the most common reasons that people take their pets to the vet. However, skin allergy symptoms are the result of a hyper-reactive and out-of-balance immune system. These

issues are common, but not normal; animals with a healthy and balanced immune system do not experience chronic skin allergies.

For more information about addressing allergies, check out the June/ July 2015 issue of Raw Pet Digest.

As a society, we are very used to seeing cats and dogs that are obese. In fact, many people think that animals that are overweight are actually a healthy weight.

Much of this is due to the food being offered and the lack of adequate exercise (take a look at the June/ July 2015 issue of Raw Pet Digest for an in-depth look at exercise). Processed pet food is akin to poor-quality fast food. Feeding this does not give our pets the nutrients they need to thrive. Generally speaking, even though our pets are too heavy, their bodies are starving for proper nutrition. Couple the ?fast food? we generally feed our pets with the fact that most pets don?t get an adequate amount of exercise, and it begins to be clear why so many animals are obese. We, in turn, have gotten so used to seeing overweight animals that we believe that those animals are a healthy weight. We have been conditioned to believe that obesity is normal.

We also tend to think it?s normal for our dogs, particularly larger dogs, to die at relatively young ages. I have heard many people say that their dogs are ?seniors? when they are only 11 or 12. W hen their dogs, particularly their larger dogs, die at 12 or 13, they attribute it to advanced age.

However, healthy dogs, even large dogs,

should live much longer than this. Dying young is not normal, despite what people believe, but it is common enough that people now believe that it is.

As you can see, many of the issues that our cats and dogs are faced with today are not actually normal, even though they are very common. Proper diet and natural, holistic care can go a long way towards addressing these issues, because they support your pet?s immune system and

make sure all of its systems are kept in balance. Keeping the immune system strong and healthy helps ensure that any issues that crop up can be handled by addressing the root cause, rather than just by suppressing the symptoms. This will allow your pet to be truly ?normal?? normal, because they will thrive and live in optimal health.

-By Kristin Clark

Adver t isement

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DI Y RA W FEEDI NG

M A DE EA SI ER

If you?re a DIY raw feeder like me, I want to tell you about a game-changing piece of equipment I just recently added to my raw feeding toolkit. Let me set the stage for you.

If you relate to what I?m about to share with you, this could be a game-changer for you too.

Enter the game-changer: a kitchen cart. My husband found a bamboo kitchen cart at Costco a few weeks ago (available online by clicking here).

He bought it for me and brought it home (thank you, Adam!), and I tried it out for the first time the very next day. Right from the start, I fell in love with it.

Ever since I started feeding my dogs prey model and whole prey meals, I?ve prepared them in my kitchen. Yes, I had a cutting board devoted to the dogs?meals. Yes, I had a cleaver just for their food. But I still prepped everything in the kitchen. That meant I had to clean up not just the tools I used, but the countertops, sometimes the floor (if things got a little overzealous), and? just in case? I had to cover anything on the countertop that I didn?t want to accidentally get blood on. Plus, if I was cutting into a fully feathered duck or chicken, I had to deal with feathers. Clean up wasn?t awful, but it wasn?t optimal either.

And, depending on what I was cutting? tripe, for example, or some organs? the smell could linger for a while.

Because it?s lightweight and on wheels, I can easily move it outside to prep meals, and in a few instances, I?ve even prepped in the garage. The wheels have a lock on them too, so the cart doesn?t move around when I'm chopping. I love the big thick cutting board, which is removable for easy cleaning (or you could stack a smaller cutting board on top of it if you find it too unwieldy to wash in your sink). The racks underneath the cutting board are awesome: the middle rack holds all my raw-feeding equipment,

THEPOWEROFRAW

None of this was insurmountable, of course.

And over the years, I learned how to prep DIY raw meals pretty efficiently. I would make sure to drape paper towels over tools that were on our counter (that?s where we keep a butcher?s block, for example, along with the Vitamix, the juicer, and some other cutting boards). I would clean as I went, so nothing ever got too stinky. I also got good at gauging how to cut their food with a minimal amount of mess. But still, it wasn?t ideal.

Our bamboo cart, loaded up and ready to go.

Photo credit Adam Gilbert

including the dogs?bowls, the scale, paper towels, the cleaver, the poultry shears, and the rubber mallet. The bottom rack holds the containers of food I?m defrosting (I put the defrosting food into plastic containers to catch any drippings). It?s my one-stop shop for everything I need to get my pack?s meals ready, and the fact that I can easily prep outside now means my kitchen stays clean.

If you can relate to how things used to be for me, I want to suggest you look into getting a kitchen cart. There are lots of options out there: a quick search on Amazon (I typed in ?kitchen carts on wheels?) showed lots of options, most for under $100. We store our cart in the garage right by the freezer that holds the food, so pulling food out to defrost is a snap too. It doesn?t take up much room, and it?s made a huge impact? for the better? on the ease of my feeding routine.

-By Kristin Clark

POOP,POOTS,AND GENERALGIICKIES:

AHOMEOPATHICAPPROACH

Copyright Gracel21

You heard about the amazing health benefits of a raw diet for your cat or dog, and you couldn?t wait to get started. W ith pride you offered the new food, and your pet tore into it. For some of you, this is the way the story goes. For others, this is only the beginning of the raw food journey. You are about to get acquainted with all kinds of symptoms coming from the other end of your pal.

Many animals move seamlessly to a raw diet. W hy wouldn?t they? Their bodies have evolved to digest this food. Still, some of our furry companions have a more difficult time making the switch. The challenges may stem from their systems holding toxins (often seen in pets who have been rescued, since most of them weren?t fed premium foods), or simply from a

Copyright Narimbur

sensitive GI system. W hatever the reason, some people find themselves cleaning up puddles of poop and opening windows to let out the noxious odors.

This phase can be so unpleasant that people give up on raw feeding. But don?t throw in the poopy towel yet! There is help, and the long-term benefits will far outweigh this stinky bump in the road. (Get general information about transitioning to raw food at Raw Pets Thrive.)

Homeopat hy t o t he rescue Since the 18th century, homeopathic remedies have been used to treat digestive symptoms. Many alternative health practitioners consider them a perfect choice for upset GI tracts because it is nearly impossible for them to add further stress to

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the body. Unlike herbal supplements that contain actual plant material, homeopathic remedies go through an extreme process of dilution, making them safe for the most sensitive tummy.

Homeopathics are prescribed on the basis of like cures like. In other words, a substance that would produce certain symptoms if taken in large enough amounts will cure those symptoms when taken in infinitesimal doses. The body will take the essence of the substance and produce the immune response to combat it. Each remedy has a symptom profile.

Match your pet?s symptoms to the remedy, and the immune system will do the rest.

Remedies t o t ry Aloe: This is a classic remedy for diarrhea, no matter what causes it. Typically, it is called for when the need to go is urgent.

These individuals cannot hold it and will often have accidents before getting out the door. Elimination will usually occur very quickly after eating. There can be rumbling and gas associated with this remedy. Stools can be either like little marbles or jelly-like with a lot of mucus.

Aloe patients tend to seek open air and cool places to rest, and they?ll generally feel better for a while after passing gas or stool.

may also vomit and can seem more tired than usual. They will often have increased thirst.

Mercurius: This classic food poisoning remedy is used when stools have a very offensive odor and there is a frequent or constant urging to go. There may be swelling around the rectum. Diarrhea is usually worse at night. These individuals tend to seek warmth.

Podophyllum: Generally, a Podo patient will have profuse diarrhea, which may be watery or jelly-like. Diarrhea may alternate with constipation and straining to eliminate. The symptoms may be accompanied with swelling around the rectum. These patients tend to be very thirsty and sometimes seem restless.

Pulsatilla: Consider this choice if the consistency of the stool varies. Poop can be watery one time and lumpy the next. It may be green and sometimes has the texture of stirred eggs. Often there is blood or mucus in the stool. These individuals will usually want to stay in motion and prefer open air.

Veratrum Album: This remedy may be indicated if there is significant vomiting in addition to diarrhea. Often there is a period of exhaustion after passing stool, and the individual may seem indifferent to

Arsenicum Album: Think of this remedy if the stool is especially dark or has blood in it. There may be mucous in the stool, or the consistency may be slimy. The odor will likely be very strong and sometimes smell like decay. Arsenicum individuals 36

everything. Veratrum album types will crave cold water but actually feel better when water is tepid to warm.

Inst ruct ions for use Though homeopathics come in many potencies, 30c is traditionally chosen for animals. Remedies can be found in most health food stores and through any online provider. The actual remedy will look like little white pellets. One or two should be given every 3-4 hours.

To administer, place the pellets between your pet?s cheek and gums, and let them

dissolve. If your animal friend spits them out, try dissolving in water and using a syringe to squirt the liquid inside the mouth so it comes in contact with the cheeks and tongue. If you still have no luck, put the remedy in your pet?s water bowl. Change the water 2-3 times during the day. Continue this for approximately 24 hours. If symptoms have not shown signs of improvement, try another remedy, and start the process over. If symptoms do improve, continue for one more day, and then repeat only if tummy troubles return.

The early challenges of raw feeding will pass because the new diet is exactly what your pet?s body needs. To help smooth the way, arm yourself with patience, knowledge, and the right homeopathic remedy. Before you know it, you?ll be returning your focus to the kissing-end of your furry friend.

-By Kait Leonard Kait Leonard is a writer and behavior analyst living and working in Los Angeles, California. She writes about psychology, holistic wellness for both people and animals, animal rights, and veganism. She has more than thirty years of experience raising pets and providing them with the healthiest and most natural care possible.

Kait Leonard is a certified behaviorist who works helping people shape their own behaviors as well as the behaviors of their pets. She holds national certification as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, a Master?s degree in psychology, and a Ph.D. in English. In January 2018, she launched BoomBoomNow.com, a lifestyle blog for baby boomers.

Left: Kait Leonard.

Photo credit Milton Clark 37

FELINE ARTHRITIS 3 ESSENTIAL THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

Copyright Allnaturalbeth

Studies show that over 90% of cats 12 years of age and older develop arthritis. To me, this is a shocking reality. Our 20-year-old cat still jumps from counter to counter, and none of our kitties have suffered from joint issues or arthritis.

Are we just lucky? Or is there an underlying issue that is causing this epidemic in domesticated cats these days?

By following the steps described in this article, you can keep

Research proves that the latter is true. Once you understand the things that cause arthritis in cats, it's simple to prevent and/ or reverse this painful condition in your feline companion. Here are the 3 essential things you should know about cat arthritis and how to help it.

1. Diet We know that a lifelong diet of processed foods contributes to arthritis in people, so what makes us feel like these processed foods aren't going to do the same to our cats? All processed pet foods are required (by law) to be heated to high temperatures in order to kill off any bad pathogens that may be present. This heat also kills the essential nutrients our kitties need for healthy joints (and many other healthy functions). These highly processed pet foods are the equivalent to eating nothing but fast food for our entire lives. It?s only logical that feeding these foods to our cats for 12 or more years would cause severe deteriorating of joint health for our cats.

The amount of carbohydrates within processed pet foods are also plaguing our cats with obesity. This extra, unneeded weight puts even more strain on their joints.

Switching your cat to a species-appropriate raw diet is the best way to ensure she is getting the nutrients her body needs and not the inflammatory carbohydrates that afflict pain upon her. It will also help her perfect her already fabulous figure.

your cat healthy, active, and arthritis-free. In fact, they may start to act like a kitten again! Image copyright Andreykuzmin

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3. Ant ioxidant s

2. Exer cise W hether or not your cat is already obese, exercise is essential. Indoor cats are prone to being bored. In the wild they would be running, exploring, and hunting during all their waking hours. As domesticated cats, they instead sleep the majority of the day.

People tend to think of cats as lazy, but that couldn't be further from the truth. It's very important to engage your cat for at least 20 minutes each day. Get out the red dot or other toys and spend some time with them. As they say, "a body at rest tends to stay at rest, while a body in motion tends to stay in motion". This is true for all felines as well. Let?s help them keep moving!

Free radicals are the cause of arthritis in cats.

Free radicals are those little villains that attack the synovial fluid (which lubricates the joints and helps hold them together).

Processed foods create more free radicals in the body. Lack of exercise allows free radicals to build up and attack the joints. Exposure to pollutants and overall aging will also accumulate some amount of free radicals within our cats?bodies.

But for every story with a villain, there is always a hero. That hero is antioxidants.

Antioxidants help destroy and eliminate free radicals in the body and prevent them from causing more damage. It?s worth noting that a raw food diet naturally contains many of these powerful antioxidants.

Antioxidants also reduce inflammation and increase energy levels in cats, making exercise much easier.

Superoxide Dismutase is the best known and most potent antioxidant defense against free radicals. Research has shown that this

specific antioxidant may actually reverse arthritis if given on a regular basis.

Paying attention to your cat's diet and exercise and adding antioxidants to their food are the easiest and healthiest ways to prevent and treat arthritis in cats.

-By Jae Kennedy Jae Kennedy and Adrienne Lefebvre have always been known as Two Crazy Cat Ladies by friends and family. With over a decade of experience working in pet nutrition, they began to realize the need for a focus on feline health in the nutrition industry. They decided to start their own cat nutrition business and simply called it what they?ve always been: Two Crazy Cat Ladies.

Right: The Two Crazy Cat Ladies.

From flea and worm treatments to arthritis, UTI and FeLV support, these crazy cat ladies work hard to help cat parents find the right solutions, without the harmful side-effects of many medications.

The Two Crazy Cat Ladies are available by phone, email, and online chat. They share their love of cats and wine on their YouTube channel and have quite a fun following on Facebook. Their all-natural product line is available at TwoCrazyCatLadies.com.

BACTERIA AND RAW DIETS: SHOULD YOU BE CONCERNED?

Copyr igh t Edu ar do Didon et

Bacteria. W ith names like Salmonella, E. coli, Listeria, Campylobacter, and Staphylococcus, they sound like a cast of evil villains intent on murder and mayhem. As a society, we?re afraid of bacteria? and that fear is impacting our pets? health. In fact, other than concerns about feeding bones, the most common concern I hear about switching pets to a raw diet is a fear of bacteria, especially salmonella. But is it really the cause for concern people make it out to be? And is kibble noticeably safer?

Well, let?s roll up our sleeves and take a closer look at this controversial topic, shall we? After all, your pet?s health? and yours? is on the line.

If you?ve poked around raw diets at all, you?ve probably realized that ?authority figures? like the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the FDA don?t condone raw diets because they say raw meats are dangerous. For example, the AVMA?s policy about raw diets is [i]: The AVMA discourages the feeding to cats and dogs of any animal-source protein that has not first been subjected to a process to eliminate pathogens because of the risk of illness to cats and dogs as well as humans. Cooking or pasteurization through the application of heat until the protein reaches an internal temperature adequate to destroy pathogenic organisms has been the traditional method used to eliminate pathogens in animal-source protein, although the AVMA recognizes that newer technologies and other methods such as irradiation are constantly being developed and implemented.

Animal-source proteins of concern include beef, pork, poultry, fish, and other meat from

domesticated or wild animals as well as milk and eggs.

Several studies reported in peer-reviewed scientific journals have demonstrated that raw or undercooked animal-source protein may be contaminated with a variety of pathogenic organisms. Cats and dogs may develop foodborne illness after being fed animal-source protein contaminated with these organisms if adequate steps are not taken to eliminate pathogens; secondary transmission of these pathogens to humans (eg, pet owners) has also been reported. Cats and dogs can develop subclinical infections with these organisms but still pose a risk to livestock, other nonhuman animals, and humans, especially children, older persons, and immunocompromised individuals.

To mitigate public health risks associated with feeding inadequately treated animal-source protein to cats and dogs, the AVMA recommendsthe following: -

-

Avoid feeding inadequately treated animal-source protein to catsand dogs Restrict cats?and dogs?access to carrion and animal carcasses(eg, while hunting) Provide fresh, clean, nutritionally balanced and complete commercially prepared or homecooked food to cats and dogs, and dispose of uneaten food at least daily Practice personal hygiene (eg, handwashing) before and after feeding cats and dogs, providing treats, cleaning pet dishes, and disposing of uneaten food

The FDA?s Center for Veterinary Medicine says on their website: ?FDA does not believe raw meat foods for animals are consistent with the goal of protecting the public from significant health risks, particularly when such productsare brought into the home and/or used to feed domestic pets; however, we understand that some people prefer to feed these types of diets to their pets [ii].?

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The CDC has a stance too, and as you probably guessed, it?s also against raw diets [iii]: Raw diets, especially raw meat diets, are not recommended because of the risk for salmonellosis and other infections that can affect petsand their owners.

It?s interesting to me that, with all the fear-mongering about raw diets, no mention is made of the risks of kibble diets. Now, I?m not saying that bacteria isn?t present in raw diets; it most assuredly is. It?s also present in the food you buy for yourself, and in processed pet food (more about that later).

The AVMA does note on their website that: ?To date, there have been no reports of human illness associated with raw food diets. This

doesn?t necessarily mean that they don?t occur; it could mean that illnesses have occurred but the link to the pet?sraw diet wasn?t made. In addition, if the pet is eating the same food the humans are eating (but raw instead of cooked), tracing the origin back to the pet?s raw food could be very difficult.?

But, they go on to tell us: ?There have been cases of human salmonellosis associated with commercially prepared diets: -

From 2006-2008, there was a multistate outbreak of Salmonella entericaserotype Schwarzengrund infections in humans. A total of 79 cases from 21 states were reported. The source of infection was identified as dry dog food produced at a manufacturing plant in Pennsylvania. This investigation was the first to identify contaminated dry dog food as a source of human Salmonella infections

M er lin , an Am er ican Pit Bu ll Ter r ier , w it h a w h ole pr ey r abbit . Ph ot o cr edit Br ean n e Alt h er r

Let?s look at the facts about bacteria in kibble vs raw food a little more closely. My goal is to empower you to start thinking critically about the accuracy of their assertions that feeding your pet a raw diet puts you and your family at risk. After all, if they aren?t questioning the safety of kibble, why are they so hell-bent on making raw out to be dangerous? It?s a problem when government agencies and veterinarians tell people Again, rather interesting that they have a bacteria like salmonella is only a risk with whole policy about the dangers of raw? and raw pet food. yet they admit there haven?t been any So, let?s break down the numbers. Between reports of human illness associated with raw June 2010 and June 2015, there were 23 food diets, while there have been multiple kibble recalls, 14 raw recalls, and 26 treat instances of illness from kibble. recalls for salmonella. Now, it?s important to -

In spring 2012, an outbreak of Salmonella Infantis was traced to a Diamond Foods production facility in Gaston, SC. A total of 49 individuals (47 individuals in 20 states and two individuals in Canada) were infected with the outbreak strain.

Seventeen brands representing >30,000 tons of dry dog and cat food produced at the facility were recalled as a result of the outbreak.?

bear in mind this is the total number of FDA

recall press releases issued for this time period.

However, sometimes one FDA recall press release names more than one variety of pet food [iv].

If we keep this in mind, we can dig a little deeper and see that in that same 5-year period, there were actually 78 individual kibble foods recalled for salmonella, vs 27 for raw. And yet, even here, it?s not as clear-cut as it seems. This number doesn?t take into account the fact that a single recall often includes multiple lots, multiple UPCs, and so on. For example, the 2013 recall of Natura Pet Foods for salmonella stated: ?All Lot Codes, All UPC?s, All package sizes, All expiration dates prior to 6-10-2014, EVO dry dog, cat and ferret food and biscuits/bars/treats ? All Lot Codes, All UPC?s, All package sizes, All expiration dates prior to 6-10-2014, California Natural dry dog and cat foods and biscuits/bars/treats??.

One press release, lots of food affected.

W hen you really start to drill down, you realize that while 27 is accurate for the number of raw pet foods recalled for salmonella in that 5-year timespan, there were many more than 78 kibble pet foods recalled for salmonella[v].

Copyright Ian Allenden

The amount (in pounds) of kibble recalled for salmonella vs the amount of raw dog food recalled for salmonella is staggering as well.

Based on some of the FDA?s Enforcement Reports, it turns out in that 5-year period there were 19,407,827 pounds of kibble recalled for salmonella vs 17,685 pounds of raw food. Now, I don?t know about you, but when I look at these numbers, it makes me question even more why they seem so intent on making raw diets out to be dangerous, but they make no mention about the dangers of kibble diets[vi].

In 2015, the FDA also announced it would be testing for salmonella in raw pet food? but only in raw pet food. No testing for salmonella in kibble or treats[vii]. This is shocking to me, especially given that so many more people feed kibble than raw food.

Shouldn?t they devote at least as much of their attention to what the majority of

Americans come into contact with daily as they do to what only a small percentage of pet owners come into contact with? I think this is particularly true given the FDA?s recall history shows salmonella recalls are skewed quite heavily towards kibble.

Now, all of this is not to say, of course, that raw diets don?t carry any risk. As I said, my goal is to get you to start thinking about the negative hype you might?ve heard about raw diets. Really, though, whether you feed kibble or raw, there are certain basic food-handling techniques you should employ after handling the food to reduce your risk of harmful bacterial contamination.

These common-sense practices include: -

-

Always washing hands with warm water and soap for 20 seconds before and after handling food.

Avoid cross-contamination. Keep raw meat, poultry, fish, and their juices away from other food. After cutting raw meats, wash cutting board, utensils, and countertops with hot, soapy water.

You can use a non-toxic, natural anti-bacterial product (distilled white vinegar, fresh lemon juice, grapefruit seed extract, or hydrogen peroxide are good choices) to wash kitchen work surfaces, knives, bowls, and so on.

Following these simple, common-sense procedures will help keep you safe,

whether you?re handling raw meat or kibble.

But what about your dog?

Well, nature?s got it covered when it comes to carnivore pets (dogs and cats) and raw diets. For example, their saliva contains digestive enzymes that neutralize bacteria.

These enzymes also help stop bad bacteria from getting into the gut in significant numbers. A healthy, raw-fed pet?s stomach is highly acidic (pH of 1?2, vs a pH of 6-7 for humans), and all that hydrochloric acid helps destroy any dangerous bacteria that make it to the gut. Furthermore, your pet?s intestines are much shorter and smoother than yours are, so food makes its way through much more quickly. And, since their intestines are smooth, relatively speaking, there?s no place for bacteria to settle in and gain a foothold.

The small intestine also has digestive enzymes that attack the cell walls of any harmful bacteria, destroying them before they have a chance to do any harm. Nature has built in lots of safeguards against harmful bacteria from a raw diet hurting your dog or cat[xiii].

Unfortunately, when we feed our pets starch-based diets (such as kibble), we change the pH of their stomach: it becomes more alkaline. This makes it harder for them to kill the bacteria, like salmonella, that can harm them. They also don?t have nearly as many digestive enzymes, which also inhibits their bodies from addressing the harmful bacteria. They can?t break down starches as quickly either, which means the food can?t move as quickly through their digestive tract

(and as you know, the speed at which food moves through their digestive tracts is one of the safeguards against harmful bacteria for them).

In light of all this, does it still make sense that raw diets should carry the stigma of being dangerous because of bacteria?

Kibble is clearly not safe for you or your pet, and it can alter your pet physiologically so that it can no longer fight off salmonella and other bacteria.

On the other hand, when you follow common-sense precautions with your pet?s raw food (the same that you would after handling raw meat you plan on cooking and eating yourself), it can be one of the safest diets out there.

-By Kristin Clark

Photo credit Deb McMurdie

Not es [i]?Raw or Undercooked Animal-Source Protein in Cat and Dog Diets,?AVMA, accessed 1/19/18. [ii]?Raw Pet Foods and the AVMA?s Policy: FAQ,?AVMA, accessed 1/19/18. [iii]?Raw Pet Foods and the AVMA?s Policy: FAQ,?AVMA, accessed 1/19/18. [iv]Susan Thixton, ?Let?s Get the Facts Straight FDA,?Truth About Pet Food, accessed 1/19/18. [v]Susan Thixton, ?Let?s Get the Facts Straight FDA,?Truth About Pet Food, accessed 1/19/18. [vi]Susan Thixton, ?Let?s Get the Facts Straight FDA,?Truth About Pet Food, accessed 1/19/18. [vii]Susan Thixton, ?FDA is Testing Raw Pet Food (and only raw pet food)?, Truth About Pet Food, accessed 1/19/18. [viii]Kim Bloomer VND and Jeannie Thomason VND, ?Salmonella: The Bad Bacteria,? Dogs Naturally, accessed 1/19/18.

Ph ot o cr edit Devin Nelson

SPOTLIGHTONHEALTH:GROWLIES Editor?s note: Here at Raw Pet Digest, we?re always looking for people and companies that are devoted to helping your dog and/or cat be as healthy as possible. And this issue, we?re spotlighting a pet store that does this better than almost any other pet store I?ve ever come across: Growlies. (The name Growlies comes from an expression used in the UK, where if someone is hungry, people say they?ve got the growlies. The owners have close ties to the UK, so it was a perfect fit).

In side t h e am azin g Gr ow lies.

Growlies is located in Canada, on Vancouver Island. The owner, Neal Cropper, told me he started Growlies because of ?a sick dog and the largest pet food recall ever undertaken in history.? He and his wife got a 6-month-old English Bulldog puppy when the massive pet food recalls were taking place a decade ago.

Unfortunately, as Neal himself will readily tell you, she was poorly bred and plagued with multiple health issues even at that young age.

Her health was so bad, in fact, that the vet only gave her 6 months to live.

Neal and his wife were understandably upset at this news, but they decided if she only had 6 months to live, they were going to make them the best 6 months they possibly could. The vet had advised them to get pet health insurance for her, but they decided instead to do everything they could to give her a life full of adventure and joy, instead of numerous tests and procedures and vet visits.

Neal?s wife had previously been a vet tech, so she already had some familiarity with health issues and so on. They wanted to get her the best-quality food they could, but when they went to look for food, all the brands they were familiar with were unavailable, swept up in the recall.

?Everything was off the shelf,? Neal told me, ?even the crappy food.?So, his wife suggested they give raw a try. ?We started reading, just like any good pet person would,? Neal said. ?Eventually, we figured out what was out there.?

They found a small company selling raw food about 45 minutes from their house. The food was working really well for their pup; she still had a lot of health problems, but as Neal noted, ?Nobody had ever told her she was sick, so she was doing pretty well. She could jump in the car just fine, and she could run around and be a dog.? And after about 6 months or so, with their puppy still going strong, they started to wish there was a store that sold pet food in their neighborhood.

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They were making the 45-minute, one-way drive about once per week. At the time, the only freezer they had was the one attached to their fridge, and while she was a relatively small dog (about 40 pounds), they still had to buy food every week for her? and that drive was taking a toll.

Around that time, Neal told me, they were making good money, and they started thinking about opening their own store. They kept passing a little

building, about 400 square feet, that was close to their house. They rented the building, opened 5 days/ week (just the two of them), and started selling pet food and supplies. They quickly realized people wanted to be able to shop on the weekends, so they expanded to being open 7 days/ week.

As they started learning their way around the pet industry, they learned what they liked and didn?t like. They started out carrying kibble, but eventually decided they couldn?t justify that. It didn?t match their values, they

didn?t believe it was healthy for dogs to eat, and they realized people could get kibble anywhere. Now, as someone who has talked to lots of pet store owners, it shook me to the core when Neal first told me this. There are so many pet stores where the owners feed raw to their own pets and believe processed pet food is harmful to dogs but are too worried about losing customers to get rid of kibble in their own stores. To meet a pet store owner that made that leap was one of the most extraordinary things I?ve ever heard. They did a big social media post about getting rid of their kibble, then loaded it in the back of a truck and donated it to a wildlife sanctuary.

They haven?t carried kibble since.

Some of the freezers in Growlies.

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Of course, when they took kibble off the shelf, some people were initially disappointed. But, they explained to those customers why they made the decision they did. They also told them they wanted to focus on food items that weren?t readily available (remember, at this time, most big pet stores didn?t have freezers, so Growlies moved to fill this niche).

Ultimately, Neal says, people understood they were sticking to their values: They didn?t believe starch-based diets were any good, so they couldn?t justify selling them.

Plus, they still had treats and bones in addition to the raw food, which made people happy.

Eventually, they expanded to a 600-square-foot building, got another freezer, and stayed there for about 7 years.

About 18 months ago, they moved into their current location, which is much larger and has lots more freezer space (including a big 10x20 walk-in freezer!).

It?s not just the fact that Growlies refuses to sell food that ultimately harms dogs that makes them such a special company, and one we?re proud to spotlight in Raw Pet Digest. Educating people about diet and the role it plays in their pet?s health is a huge part of what they do. Ultimately, less than 4% of pet parents currently feed a raw diet, but the more that people are educated about raw vs kibble, the higher that percentage gets. Growlies has lots of handouts, and they give people lots of samples, so pet parents feel less intimidated. Neal told me they especially like to give samples of chicken feet. And, if pet owners have their dogs with them, he?ll give the chicken foot directly to the dog. Once people see how easily their dog eats it and how much their dog enjoys it, they get a lot more comfortable with the concept of raw feeding. And once they get a customer to try one raw thing, that person realizes that, at the end of the day, it?s just food.

Neal told me he?s had customers who switch to raw and come in 4 days later saying, ?It?s a miracle! I see all these changes in my dog!?

W hen this happens, he?s always happy for the person, but he said in his experience, it might take a month or more to see any truly significant changes.

After all, he said, ?It?s just

Adver t isement

53

food. People generally see their dogs enjoying meals more right away, and in some cases, the changes are obvious within a few days, but it?s really a matter of showing people it?s just food.?

I appreciated him saying that, because I got into raw feeding because my dog Barkley had terrible skin allergies. I did all this research and kept coming across raw feeders who said they switched their dog to raw after feeding kibble for years, and within a few days their dog?s allergies were totally gone. And, if I?m being perfectly honest, it was a little disheartening. I kept thinking, ?W ait a minute. W hy is your dog perfectly fine after 3 days when he?s practically been at death?s door for 8 years straight?? Of course I was happy for those dogs and those families, but at the same time, it made me feel like I was doing something wrong. I know other pet parents who feel the same way, so it was nice to hear Neal say what I?ve realized over the years I?ve been doing this: There?s a certain level of damage that occurs when you?ve been feeding a processed-food diet for years, and it takes time for the body?s systems to right themselves.

As we talked about this concept more, Neal agreed, saying, ?Look, if you?ve been feeding poorly for your dog?s whole life, it takes more than 2 weeks to get all that bad food out of its system. It?s just food. Now, that?s not to say raw food isn?t powerful. It has a profound impact

on our dogs? lives and health. It?s absolutely medicine.?So, when he has a customer who is excited about the changes they?re seeing after just a handful of days, he tells them, ?That?s great you?re already seeing changes. W ait a few more months and you?re going to see so many more.?And I love that too: He?s realistic about raw food, and while he realizes that it?s incredibly powerful, he also encourages his customers to stay the course.

I asked Neal about selling raw food from American companies. He said about 90%of his food comes from American manufacturers.

However, when they?re looking for what companies to include in their store, he said he doesn?t care at all about the term ?Complete and balanced.? That?s a huge marketing term for US companies and consumers, but it hasn?t caught on in the same way in Canada. That makes sense to me, since ?complete and balanced? is a fallacy. Like Neal said to me

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Claire, a short-haired tabby, with one of her favorite meals. Photo credit Jenny Newland

when we were talking about it, ?It?s a lie.

It?s a labeling term. It?s impossible for a single food to be complete and perfect for every meal for their whole life. It doesn?t matter how perfect my ham sandwich is, for example; I can?t eat a ham sandwich every meal for the rest of my life and get everything I need.?

So, instead of ?complete and balanced,?

Growlies encourages their customers to embrace variety. They encourage suppliers to provide variety, and they encourage customers to buy variety.

Every vendor gives them whatever is appropriate for their company. They even have vendors that provide variety boxes with red and white proteins, and

you don?t know exactly what you?ll get in the box each time (this is another phenomenal thing Growlies offers: a convenient way of getting lots of variety into your pet. I love this!). They also recommend variety among brands. As Neal pointed out, different manufacturers source animals from different areas, which means those animals have a different nutrient profile. By switching up brands and recipes, your pet will get different nutrients. This is true even if you?re feeding chicken from three different suppliers: each of those suppliers?chickens will have a different nutrient profile.

Here in the US, there are a lot of raw dog food companies that are coming under negative scrutiny by the USDA and the FDA. I wanted 55

to find out if Neal and his suppliers are dealing with the same sort of negative scrutiny. Neal told me that because 90% of their products come from the US, essentially their raw pet food industry is regulated by our country. However, he also requires his suppliers to have various certifications, including facility inspections, proper food transportation, food-handling certifications, and batch testing.

I was similarly interested in his take on HPP (high-pressure pasteurization). Interestingly, he told me that at this point, the Canadian government isn?t forcing manufacturers to HPP their food. He also noted that kibble, HPP, and raw all have the same risks and require the same safe-food-handling techniques. He told me that people act like kibble is free of bacteria, but it isn?t (for more about this topic, see our article "Bacteria and Raw Diets: Should You be Concerned?" in this issue of Raw Pet Digest). However, he does have HPP products in his store, because a lot of what he sells is from American manufacturers, and many of them HPP now.

Another thing that really impressed me about Neal was his willingness to explore more than just commercial raw with his customers. He even told me he wishes he could sell more whole prey (things like ducks, chickens, and rabbits), but he has a hard time sourcing it. He does sell whole quail, though, and he has some prey model items (chicken feet and so on). He told me that whole prey can freak people out, so it

has to be packaged appropriately. He then told me that sometimes Growlies will freak people out when they first come in (for example, by offering them a sample of chicken feet). They find when the customer comes back after letting their dog try the chicken foot that the customer realizes everything is OK, and they?re much more open to switching to raw. Like I said, this really impressed me: Neal stands by what he believes in, and he runs his business so differently from most pet stores. So many times, I?ve heard pet store owners say, ?I can?t freak people out by talking too much about raw, because they?ll never come back, and then how can I reach them??He looks at it the other way: ?I freak them out completely so when they come back, they?re open to what we have to teach them.? He doesn?t sell kibble, which is so different from most pet stores.

In fact, he?s the only pet store I?ve ever heard of that doesn?t sell kibble. It?s incredible, and it?s paying off for him and for his customers.

Because I?m always curious about what people in the raw-food industry feed their own pets, I asked Neal what his feeding philosophy is for his dogs. He told me he feeds his dogs all the returns, plus he carries 10 or 11 proteins in his store, and they get them all. His dogs get prey model, whole prey, and commercial raw. He feeds at random times during the day, he feeds different amounts on different days, he fasts his dogs, he feeds once a day

Photo credit Jana Lembke

sometimes and multiple times per day other times. He mimics the wild as much as possible: there is no schedule, and it always changes.

Feeding like this keeps his dogs? pancreases healthy. It keeps their digestive sys- tems strong and healthy. It has so many benefits for dogs, and it?s one of the best feeding philosophies I?ve ever heard.

It?s not always easy to go against the status quo, but Neal Cropper and Growlies have been helping people do that? go against the feeding status quo? for years. They have touched so many lives (both people and their pets) and helped make those lives better, through the education they provide, the philosophies they espouse, and the products they provide (especially the raw food!). I have the utmost respect for Neal Cropper and Growlies. We need more pet stores like his!

-By Kristin Clark

An English Springer Spaniel puppy eating a raw meaty bone.

Copyright Chrisgandy

OVERCOMINGIMPACTEDANALGLANDS

ONCEANDFORALL

It?s probably not a dinner-table topic (although if your family is like mine, maybe it is!), but it affects a lot of dogs, and therefore a lot of pet parents. In fact, it?s one of the top reasons dogs end up at the vet? and we all know vet visits can be costly for you and stressful for your dog. W hat is it, you ask?

Impacted anal glands.

Sympt oms of impact ed anal glands You can recognize if your dog?s anal glands are impacted by a number of signs, including: -

A foul odor from their anal area Abscesses near the rectum Bloody or greenish-yellow pus from their anal area Brown or red discharge from the anal area (which can stain your floor and furniture)

-

Excessive licking or biting at the base of their tail or anal area Excessive tail chasing Increased aggression Red, painful, and/ or swollen anal area Scooting Straining to defecate

W hy do anal glands get impact ed?

Your dog?s anal glands are designed to produce a greasy, nasty-smelling substance that helps dogs mark their territories. Now, our dogs were designed to have to strain just a little bit when taking a bowel movement, which helps to keep their anal glands nice and clear. That?s because the stool is supposed to push against the anal glands and force the anal glands to expel the substance; it?s then secreted out of your dog?s rectum along with the stool. However, for

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many dogs today, their stool isn?t firm enough and they don?t strain enough to do the job. The anal glands don?t empty the way they should, and eventually they get impacted and all sorts of problems result.

Plus, when anal glands are manually expressed too often, or pinched or squeezed unnecessarily, it can damage them so they don?t function properly even when the stool pushes against the glands.

get everything working like it should, so you don?t have to do that. After all, it would save you money, keep your dog's anal glands healthy, and eliminate the stress of unnecessary vet visits for both of you.

Fixing impact ed anal glands

If your dog suffers from impacted anal glands, the fix is simple: switch them to a raw diet.

Raw-fed dogs have fecal matter that?s much smaller than their kibble-fed counterparts, both Lots of people routinely have their vet or in size of individual stools and the overall groomer manually express their dog?s anal quantity of stool. Their stool has much less of an glands. If that?s you, stop for a second and odor too, plus it?s harder, and it decomposes think about how much better it would be to more quickly. This is because raw diets have tons

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more bioavailable nutrients than processed pet food, so your dog can use more of their food. Processed pet food has a lot of filler and junk that your pet can?t use; this filler gets shed out in the feces, which leads to the vast amount of poop we see from dogs fed a conventional, processed-pet-food diet.

which means he must strain a little bit to push it out. This straining is exactly what keeps the anal glands clean, clear, and in good working order. So many dogs regularly need to get their anal glands cleaned out by the vet or a groomer? in fact, this is so common most groomers include this as a standard part of their grooming! However, when dogs are fed a W hen your dog eats a raw diet, he gets the species-appropriate raw diet, they typically appropriate amount of calcium and phos- don?t have anal gland issues. And that, my phorous in his diet. His stool tends to be friends, is a good thing. much harder (because of the calcium), -By Kristin Clark

Bella (Italian Greyhound), Lolo (Border Collie), and Pansy (Chihuahua) enjoying raw meaty bones. Photo credits Dr. Erin O'Connor (Bella and Lolo) and Breanne Altherr (Pansy)

Adver t isement s

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THE

RAW-PAWTHECARY

Def in it ion of Raw-pawthecary:

What nutrientsdoesheart have?

A regular column that highlights a specific item (for example, a protein, an organ, or a natural alternative to conventional medication) that should be part of your pet?s ?thriving? protocol.

This nutrient-rich organ is loaded with Vitamins B2, B5, B6, B12, and C. It also has protein, thiamine, folate, selenium, phosphorous, zinc, and CoQ10.

Hear t

For purposes of raw feeding, we consider the heart to be muscle meat, not organ.

That?s because when it comes to classifying organs vs. meat, we?re talking about nutrition, not function. In other words, from a nutritional standpoint, body parts like the heart are more of a muscle (even though functionally they're organs).

What doestheheart do?

The heart, as you know, is responsible for pumping blood throughout the body via the circulatory system (in this sense, it acts more like a muscle than an organ). This supplies oxygen and nutrients to the body?s tissues and removes carbon dioxide and other wastes.

Chicken hearts. Copyright Photomailbox

Helpf ul tips

-By The Raw-pawthecary

Raw Pet s Thrive! December 2017/January 2018 Puzzle Answer Key Congratulations to everyone who completed last issue's puzzle. Dr. Milton Clark was selected in a random drawing out of everyone who sent in their completed puzzles. Dr. Clark will receive a prize for having the winning entry. W ay to go!

If you didn't send in your puzzle, you have another chance with this issue's puzzle.

In the meantime, here are the answers to last issue's wordsearch puzzle. We hope you enjoyed it!

Check out our next issue for the answers to this issue's word search puzzle.

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Raw Pet Digest February/March 2018