Raw Pet Digest June/July 2018

RAWPETDIGEST

June/July2018

Empowering you to help your pet thrive!

10AwesomeSummertime ActivitiesToDoWithYour Dog! How to easily activate your pet's "good" genes and switch off the bad ones

HowtoProtect Your Cat FromAGrowingEpidemic A natur al new way to deal with your pet's digestive woes

CalmingYour DogThrough thePower of Sound 5 Simple ACV Hacks to Make Your Pet's Life Better

DoesNatural Rearing ReallyMakeaDifference?

How to Easily Make A Pet Ramp...For Cheap

Raw Pet Digest Editor-in-chief: Kristin Clark

Subscribe at : www.rawpet digest .com | www.issuu.com | www.joomag.com | www.amazon.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: Enjoying a game of cat ch in t he l ake. Copyright Madrabot hair On t h e back : A cat en joyin g t h e f r esh air , gr een gr ass, an d su n sh in e. Copyr igh t Geor g Weber

FEATURES 6 Awesome Summertime Activities to Do with Your Dog 14 How to Prevent Diabetes in Your Cat

COLUMNS 4 Letter from the Editor 5 Contributors

17 A Simple Guide to Natural, Effective Litter

19 Sound Bites

29 How to Activate Your Pet's "Good" Genes

21 Raw Pet Digest Puzzle

37 Calming Dogs Through Sound

24 The Beginner's Corner

40 How to Easily Build a DIY Pet Ramp

60 Spotlight on Health

42 A Novel New Way to Overcome Digestive Problems in Your Pet 52 Does Natural Rearing Really Make a Difference?

68 The Raw-Pawthecary 70 Raw Pet Digest Puzzle Answer Key

Letter fromtheEditor Happy Summertime to you and your family, 2-legged and 4! This is a time of huge change for me: my husband and I are in the process of selling our house in Southern California (first open house is this weekend, and I?m feeling excited and anxious) and moving to North Carolina. We want a place with some land, so the dogs can run around, and we can have horses, alpaca, goats, ducks, chickens, and more. About 8 years ago, a friend of mine moved to North Carolina from California because her son had asthma, and the air was better out there. Now, 8 years later, I?m making the same move, and part of it is because I know that my dogs will be happier and healthier for it.

My husband and I don?t have human children? our pets are our family. And just like anyone responsible for the well-being of their family, we make a lot of decisions based on how they?ll impact our dogs and cat. And you know what we?ve found? Often, when we make a decision that will have a positive impact on our pets, it has a positive impact on us too.

I would love to hear from you about what decisions you?ve made for your pets, and whether or not those decisions had a positive impact on you as well. Send me a note at kristin@rawpetdigest.com, and let me know!

In the meantime, I think you?ll really love this issue.

W ith topics as diverse as learning how to prevent diabetes in your cat, to using the science of

Kristin with the gang. Photo credit Adam Gilbert

epigenetics to switch on your pet?s good genes and keep them thriving, to fun summertime activities you can do with your dog, to learning 5 ways apple cider vinegar can help improve your dog?s life, and so much more, there?s something for every pet owner that wants to help their pet thrive naturally.

Finally, let me take a moment to share an exciting announcement with you! We are only a few weeks away from launching the Raw K9s Thrive app! The app, which will be available for iPhone and Android, allows you to enter specific information about your dog and then get sample meal plans based on that information. It has a social component where you can share pictures of your dog, ask questions, and connect with other pet parents all over the world. It also has a robust Resources section and information about dealing with common doggy health issues naturally, and it gives you the ability to set reminders for yourself (no more forgetting to defrost your dog?s raw food!), save notes (handy to track progress), and email me your questions directly. If you haven?t already, I hope you?ll Like our Facebook page, so you can see updates about the app, and that you?ll download the app when it?s available and try it out! The goal is to make raw feeding and caring for your dog naturally fun, easy, and accessible!

Happy Summertime, friends. Enjoy the issue!

Kristin 4

CONTRIBUTORS Jennifer Lee is a certified Carnivore Nutrition Consultant and NR breeder of English Mastiffs. Her mastiffs are fed a raw diet, receive minimal vaccines, and are not subjected to chemicals or pesticides. She also screens her Mastiffs for genetic health conditions before breeding.

In addition to mastiffs, Jennifer and her husband also have llamas, goats, chickens, and a cat.

Jennifer is a member in good standing with the Canadian Kennel Club, the Canadian Mastiff Club, and the Natural Rearing Breeders Association. She is also active in the Mastiff community, including Mastiff rescue.

Jennifer contributed to our article "Does Natural Rearing Really Make a Difference?" starting on page 52 in this issue. You can visit Jennifer and her Mastiffs at www.tailcreekmastiffs.com.

Paula Vandervoort, a Veteran Dog Breeder of show, service, and performance Boxers for over 40 years, is an AKC Breeder of Merit, a mentor to numerous breeders, and a member in good standing of the Houston Boxer Club, the American Boxer Club, the Natural Rearing Breeders Association, the Vital Animals Breeder Director, and the Natural Rearing Breeders Director. Paula is also the founder and owner of The Dog Breeder Store/Holistic Healing Store. She blogs and educates breeders and pet owners about essential oils, green living, and epigenetics, as well as carnivore nutrition. Additionally, Paula holds many certifications related to natural healing modalities.

Paula contributed significantly to our article about epigenetics, beginning on page 29. You can find her at www.gentryboxers.com/.

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AWESOME SUMMERTIME

ACTIVITIES TO DO WITH YOUR DOG

Summer, and all the things that go with it, is finally here: warmer temperatures, lazy days, and (best of all!) more time to spend with your dog. But now that summer is here, you might be wondering what activities you can actually do with your best furry friend. Well, wonder no more? I?m going to share with you some of the awesome activities that are waiting for you and your dog this summer.

Before we dive in, one caveat: use common sense when you?re taking your dog outside for summertime fun. If the weather is really hot, it?s probably safer and more comfortable for your dog to stay home. Remember never to leave your dog in a vehicle (it can heat up to a dangerous temperature in just a few minutes), and test the pavement with the

back of your hand to make sure it?s not too hot for your dog?s paws. By following these tips and using common sense, you can help make sure your dog stays safe and happy through all your summertime fun.

If you live close to water, there are some activities to consider: 1. Canoeing: Taking your dog out with you for a day of canoeing can be a fun and rewarding experience for both of you. It?s best to take them where the water is clear and shallow so you can make sure the conditions are optimal for your canine pal. If your dog enjoys swimming, they can take a dip in the water with you to beat the heat. Make sure your dog wears a doggie life vest at all times when they?re on the water.

2. Beach days: If you?re lucky enough to live close to a dog beach (we live relatively close to the dog beach in Huntington Beach, California), you and your pal might have a blast soaking up the rays and frolicking in the ocean.

Make sure you keep an eye on your dog, and make sure to bring fresh water for your pal. Dog beaches can get crowded, so pay close attention to your friend and make sure they don?t get stressed or overwhelmed.

3. Taking your dog for a swim: If you have a pool or a place that allows dogs to swim, it?s worth seeing if they love taking a dip.

One of our dogs, Motley, 7

Adver t isement

Raw Feeding Made Simple!

New to raw feeding? Have a dog with chronic health issues, and you don't know how to handle it? Then these books are for you! Both Let Food Be Their Medicine and Raw and Thriving are easy-to-read, informative books that cover all things raw.

W ith a focus on DIY raw, Let Food Be Their Medicine is a great choice for anyone who wants an easy primer on how to make homemade raw meals for their dog.

Raw and Thriving discusses DIY diets, but it also talks about commercial raw diets, provides some sample recipes, and even gives you a sample meal plan. Plus, it devotes an entire section to some of the most common chronic health problems in pet dogs today, and how to address them using a holistic, natural, but still effective approach.

Both books are available now from Amazon!

absolutely loves swimming, and he?ll happily paddle in lakes, the ocean, and anywhere else there?s a natural body of water (he isn?t a fan of our pool). The other dogs don?t enjoy it as much, but they do like to wade out in shallow stretches of water. Some dogs really love to swim, and some don?t. If you decide to take your buddy swimming, watch them to make sure they?re having fun and staying safe? you should never force your dog to swim if they?re scared or reluctant.

4. Playing in the Kiddie Pool: If your dog loves to splash around but doesn?t like the idea of a full-on swim, bringing out a Kiddie Pool might be the perfect afternoon activity for them. The Kiddie Pool provides a safe, non-intimidating place where they can get wet and cool off, stress-free.

Keep in mind that, while water activities can be a lot of fun for you and your dog, you should keep a close eye on your dog and make sure they aren?t taking in more water than their body can handle. This can lead to water intoxication, which can be fatal. In particular, water intoxication can happen when dogs swallow too much water while swimming, playing in the ocean, or playing with a hose or sprinkler.

5. Going camping: A few weeks ago, we took our 3 dogs camping in Anza-Borrego in Southern California. We had a blast, and the dogs loved being out with us (hearing the coyotes howling was especially exciting for them). There are lots of campsites that allow dogs. Be sure to check the regulations before you go (for instance, some campsites allow dogs in the campsite, but not on the trails), and obey all leash laws.

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6. Going for a walk or a hike: Going for walks or hikes can be really fun for you and your dog, particularly if it?s a normal part of your routine. Aim to walk or hike early in the morning or later in the evening when temperatures are cooler so nobody gets too hot.

7. Taking your dog to the drive-in: There?s nothing better than a drive-in movie, unless it?s a drive-in movie with your dog. Make sure to bring species-appropriate snacks for your dog, along with fresh water. You can go to www.driveintheater.com to find drive-in movies close to you.

8. Going wine tasting: One of my favorite things to do in the summer (or anytime of year) is go to wineries. There are a lot of wineries that allow dogs? call ahead to see if you can bring your pooch with you. I have some amazing memories of taking my

English Shepherd with me when I went wine tasting with friends. Just remember to pack fresh water and speciesappropriate snacks for your dog, then hop in the car and go sip delicious wine in the company of your best friend.

9. PupScouts all the way!: Here?s one I haven?t tried yet, but I?m going to! Like kids with Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, your dog can earn badges as a Pup Scout (PupScouts are only for dogs and their parents). Dogs can earn badges for hiking, beach clean-up, arts and crafts, swimming, and more.

Check it out at www.pupscouts.org.

10. Taking your dog to a baseball game: Lots of baseball franchises are sponsoring Bark in the Park.

Go to www.gopetfriendly.com to check out dogfriendly baseball games.

So there you have it: 10 awesome activities you and your dog can both enjoy this summer!

Now that the weather is getting warm, what are you waiting for?

Get your pup and head out for summertime adventures!

-By Kristin Clark

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Ch eck ou t ou r f u n i n f ogr ap h i c (on th e n ex t 2 p ages) f or an easy r ef er en ce gu i d e of aw esom e th i n gs y ou can d o w i th y ou r d og!

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HOWTOPREVENT DIABETES IN YOUR CAT

My beautiful Maine Coon cat, Dexter, died almost 8 years ago from diabetes. He was 9. The hole he left in my heart will probably never be filled, and even now, 8 years later, I?m still tearing up a little as I write this and think about him. He was amazing? friendly, playful, smart, and funny, he was one of those souls that got along with everybody and that everybody gravitated to. He was also, like so many cats out there, a victim of his diet.

I free-fed Dexter and my other 2 cats what I thought was a ?high-quality? kibble diet.

But what I didn?t know was that the diet I was feeding was loaded with carbohydrates and toxic fillers. Dexter, like every other cat (and dog) was a carnivore.

His body wasn?t adapted to digesting carbs.

And he was on the heavy side (again, because of his diet), and because he was overweight, his body was less sensitive to the effects of insulin. Just like us, when a cat eats starch, it converts to sugar, which results in an increase in blood sugars. Over time, given that he was eating a processed-food diet (which means, in most instances, a high-carb diet), he got diabetes.

I took the vet?s recommendation and began feeding him a prescription kibble diet and giving him twice-daily insulin shots. This worked for a while, but about a year after being diagnosed, his body couldn?t hold out anymore, and I had to euthanize him. It was heartbreaking.

If I knew then what I know now, I would do things very differently. I would transition him to a wet food with less than 10% carbohydrates and low fat. I would also make sure he was being fed 3 or 4 times per day, instead of leaving down an ?all-you-can-eat? buffet of food. Even if it took weeks or months to transition him from the dry food to the wet, I would make that my focus.

Once he was on a wet food diet, I would transition him to raw. I would choose a raw food that had no (or a very small percentage) of fruits and vegetables. I would continue to feed him 3 or 4 times per day. I would make sure he got exercise every day too.

By ensuring that he was no longer being flooded with carbs, and by using portion control and scheduled meals to help him get to and maintain a healthy weight, there?s a very good chance that Dexter would have gone into remission from diabetes, and maybe he would still be around today.

Dexter and me about 2 weeks before he passed. He loved to grab people's faces with his paws and give them kisses.

Wondering how to figure out how many carbs are in your cat?s food? You can use a simple equation to find out (it?s not going to be listed on the bag, so you have to determine it for yourself). I t?s a two-step process to get the most accurate answer, so stay with me. First, add up the protein, fat, fiber, ash, and moisture from the nutrient profile on the bag or can. Subtract that total from 100.

For example, say your cat?s food had the following numbers: -

Crude Protein (min): 37% Crude Fat (min): 8.5% Crude Fiber (max): 4.8% Moisture (max): 12% Ash (max): 6% (note that if there is no value listed for ash, it?s OK to estimate about 3% for canned foods and 6% for dry)

W hen you add these numbers up, they come to 68.3. Subtract that from 100, which gives you 31.7. T hat?s the carb content in your cat?s food (31.7%).

Next, you need to convert the result to a ?dry matter? result (this goes for canned food or kibble). To do so, subtract the percent moisture from 100. T he result is the percent dry matter of the kibble or wet food. T hen, divide the carbohydrate percentage by the percent dry matter for the food, then multiply by 100. T he number you get is the nutrient percentage on a dry matter basis.

I f you're like me and math isn't your thing, it can help to see this done in an example.

Using our example cat food numbers, we can see the moisture content is 12%, so subtract 12 from 100 and you get 88. T hen, divide the carbohydrate percentage (31.7) by the percent dry matter (88), and multiply by 100. T he answer? 36.02%? is the amount of carbohydrates in the food on a dry matter basis. W hen we realize that cats can handle, at most, about 2% of their food being carbs, we can see that 36.02%, day after day, meal after meal, is way too high, and will (sooner or later) lead to a whole host of health problems.

ASIMPLEGUIDETONATURAL, EFFECTIVECATLITTER Dealing with kitty litter is, in my opinion, the biggest downside to having a cat. The dust, the smell, the mess? it?s really just unpleasant, don't you think? And, if it?s that unpleasant for a human, imagine how much worse it is for the cat! Because of how much shorter they are than us, they?re much closer to the litterbox and dust. They have to go in and around it more frequently (every time they have to use the bathroom, actually). The litter often sticks to their paws, and to get rid of it, they have to lick it off. Ugh. It?s gross.

So, to make this whole affair a bit more pleasant, we want to share some thoughts with you about alternatives to conventional kitty litter.

If you have just one cat, you might want to try the Tidy Cats Breeze System. It?s what I use with my cat, Gryphon. Instead of clumping, there are pellets, which means there?s no dust. Poop stays in the litterbox with the pellets, and the pee falls down through little slats in the box onto an absorbent pad beneath. You scoop the poop as necessary, and change out the pad once per week. It controls odors really well, in my opinion, and I didn?t have any trouble transitioning my cat to it. The only downside is that sometimes, if there?s a little bit of poop in his box that I haven?t scooped yet, he might poop just outside the litterbox, but that?s easily dealt with by putting a mat down. I?ve never had an issue with him peeing outside the box. And, for just one cat, this system is more affordable (and less gross) than buying conventional litter.

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If you have more than one cat, or the Tidy Cats Breeze System isn't your cup of tea, I have another solution for you. Buy one of the natural cat litters out there (W orld?s Best Cat Litter, Swheat Scoop, Feline Pine, BLUE Naturally Fresh, and Yesterday?s News are all options to try? each of them is made from a different product and has different pros and cons) to reduce the dust and the chemicals. If you find that the natural litter doesn?t control the odor as effectively as you?d like, you can make a natural odor control to add to the litter.

There are lots of recipes on the internet for this: I adapted this one from the amazing blog Zeelemons (http:/ / www.zeelemons.com).

So, to make a natural odor control, get a mason jar, 1 cup of baking soda, and 15 drops of Young Living?s Lavender essential oil.

Combine the baking soda and the essential oils in the mason jar, screw the cap on, and shake the whole mixture. Every time you scoop the litter, sprinkle some of the baking soda mixture on the top after you add the new litter. W hen your cat uses the box, they?ll mix the baking soda mixture in.

There you have it! Some easy and effective ways to make dealing with the litterbox a pleasant (or at least much-less unpleasant) task for you and your cat.

-By Kristin Clark

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SOUNDBITES Welcome to our new column, Sound Bites. This column will feature simple advice from experts in the industry about raw feeding. There are so many conflicting pieces of information about raw feeding out there, and sometimes it can seem so, well, complicated. Sound Bites will help cut through some of that confusion by offering a short piece of advice from a raw feeding expert that either helped them when they first started raw feeding, or that they wish they had known when they first started.

We?ll share that advice here with you, to help makeyour journey simpler.

We?d love to hear from you too! Send us your favorite piece of advice about raw feeding: it may be published in a future issue. Email us at kristin@rawpetdigest.com.

This issue?s Sound Bite comes from yours truly. I started feeding my dogs a commercial raw diet about 4 ½ years ago, and switched them to a prey model/ whole prey diet almost 4 years ago. I live and breathe keeping them healthy, happy, and thriving, and diet is of course a huge part of that. In addition to publishing this magazine, I?ve written two books (Let Food Be Their Medicine: Using Nature?s Principles to Help Your Dog Thrive and Raw and Thriving:

Barkley, my English Shepherd, out on a hike.

Photo credit Milton Clark

The Ultimate Guide to Getting (and Keeping!) Your Dog Healthy) and am close to releasing a raw-feeding app. Given all that, raw feeding a DIY diet to my dogs feels very easy to me now, but I remember when it didn?t. Everywhere I turned, it seemed like I was getting conflicting advice. Some people said that I had to feed X to keep my dogs healthy. Others said if I fed X, I?d put my dogs at risk. I was particularly nervous about feeding bones; I didn?t know what would happen if my dogs ate a raw bone, but I remember feeling anxious about it. W ould they choke? W ould it cause a blockage? My questions about everything related to DIY raw were rampant, and the answers I found were confusing and overwhelming.

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Looking back, I think the best thing I did was go on YouTube and watch some videos of dogs eating raw meaty bones.

My husband pointed out that, if I was truly nervous about it (which I was), that I could watch some videos and see what it was really all about. There are lots of videos out there. Stay away from the ones that seem like they?re going to sensationalize it in any way, and instead go for the ones that were filmed by ordinary people just trying to show their dogs enjoying a meal. W atching those videos really helped me calm down about feeding raw meaty bones,

because they seemed so anti-climactic (in a good way). I was able to see how easily the dogs ate the bones, and it was obvious how much they seemed to enjoy them. After watching the videos, when I fed my own dogs, it didn't feel like I was flying blind.

Geez, it?s hard to limit this to just one piece of advice? I have so many pieces of advice, after all. But that?s the problem, right? Too much advice and it just gets overwhelming. So that?s all I?ll say about it, for now. W atch videos and familiarize yourself with what it looks like when a dog is eating a raw meaty bone. And then, after you?ve watched a few videos, try feeding your own dog a raw meaty bone. Have fun!

Hanging out with Journey the Wolf. Photo credit Kristin Clark 20

RAWPETDIGESTPUZZLE

Siamese cat playing with a puzzle. Copyright Agata Kowalczyk

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

To make it more fun, if you complete the puzzle correctly, you may get your name printed in a future puzzle. To participate, simply print out the page, fill in your answers legibly, then scan and email it to kristin@rawpetdigest.com. To enter, you must submit the puzzle by June 30, 2018.

Make sure to use the subject line ?June/ July 2018 puzzle entry?. Include your name and, if you?d like, your pet?s name(s) in your email.

Good luck, and have fun!

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Word list ACV

Animal Biome

Breeders

Camping

Epigenetics

FMT

Frankincense

Histones

Kitty Litter

Mastiff

Microbiome

Milton Clark

Music

Pet Ramp

Pup Scout

Purification

Soothing

Summer

Vinegar

Yeast 22

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THE BEGINNER'S CORNER

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 column 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.

Apple Cider Vinegar Did you know that apple cider vinegar (ACV for short) is a great supplement that can help your dog? You can use it to help ease your dog?s itchiness, clean their ears, control fleas and ticks, and more. Read on to learn more about how ACV can help your dog live their best life!

ACV hack #1: Ease itchiness natur ally

Lots of dogs suffer from allergies and itchiness. If yours is one of them, ACV might help ease their discomfort. In a dark glass spray bottle, combine a 50/ 50 solution of distilled water and ACV (make sure you use

raw, organic, unfiltered apple cider vinegar? I really like Bragg?s ACV (shown here)). Shake the solution and lightly spray on your dog?s itchy spots. Make sure to avoid their eyes and nose, as well as any open wounds or cuts, because the vinegar will sting. Along with being antiseptic, antifungal, and anti-bacterial, ACV is believed to help restore the skin?s natural pH, which helps relieve itching, especially itching associated with dry or flaky skin.

ACV hack #2: Eliminate yeast pr oblems

Sometimes, dogs (like us) get yeast infections.

If your dog is yeasty and itchy and you can?t apply the ACV topically, you can add Âź teaspoon twice a day to their food or water.

Because yeast doesn?t like acidic environments, it will help kill the yeast internally without harming your dog.

If your dog suffers from chronic yeast infections, it may be because of their diet and/ or lifestyle. Getting them onto a species-appropriate raw diet and eliminating toxins will go a long way towards breaking the cycle of chronic yeast infections.

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ACV hack #3: Clean ear s with ease

If your dog has dirty ears, ACV is a great way to help get them clean. The good news is you don?t have to buy any expensive or potentially toxic cleaners?

ACV can do the job safely and effectively. If your dog?s ears are inflamed, you shouldn?t use the ACV, but if they just need cleaning, it?s absolutely fine! To clean the ears, make up the 50/ 50 solution of distilled water and raw, organic, unfiltered ACV, soak a cotton ball in the solution, and use the cotton ball to gently clean your dog?s ears. Avoid going down In f ogr aph ic con t in u ed on n ext page into the ear canal? at best, you?ll push the wax and debris further into your dog?s ear, and at worst, you can damage or rupture their eardrum.

ACV hack #4: Contr ol par asites without the toxins

Remember that 50:50 distilled water/ ACV solution? It?s an excellent way to help keep parasites like fleas and ticks at bay! Before you and your dog go outside, spray them with the water/ ACV solution. Of course, you should avoid spraying the solution into your dog?s eyes or nose, and just like we mentioned above, if your dog has any open wounds, avoid spraying those too.

ACV hack #5: Soothe ir r itated paws

If your dog suffers from itchy, yeasty, and/ or irritated paws, ACV might work wonders! Add a 2:1 ratio of distilled water and ACV to a bathtub or large bowl. Soak your dog?s paws in the solution for 5 minutes, then thoroughly dry them (there?s no need to rinse them). You can do this several times per day to help soothe those irritated paws.

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I n f ogr ap h i c con ti n u ed f r om p r ev i ou s p age

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HOW TO A CTI V A TE YOUR PET'S " GOOD" GENES

If you?re like me, you have dogs or cats that you rescued. Frankly, all of my pets are rescues. I don?t know who their parents are, I don?t know what genetic health issues they might have? heck, I don?t even know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, what breed(s) they are (although I have some really good guesses for all of them). Given these things, and given the fact that they were all cared for conventionally for at least the first several years of their lives, I?m always thinking about how to make sure they?re as optimally healthy as possible.

It affects ever ybody

Epigenetics, and understanding epigenetics, is important whether you adopt your pets, buy from a breeder, or breed them yourself. Researchers studying epigenetics have found promising indicators that epigenetics can help protect against genetic diseases and chronic illnesses (even cancer!), and if you understand how to apply the science of epigenetics to your pet, you?ll understand how to protect your pet (and yourself) from the harm caused (inadvertently, yes, but caused nevertheless) by everyday life. You?ll be able to help your pets live their most optimal, thriving, and longest life, and you?ll also be able to Epigenetics I recently started learning more about the help protect them from genetic diseases and (relatively) new science of epigenetics. And chronic health issues. let me tell you, as a pet parent to several rescue dogs and a rescue cat, epigenetics has gotten me more excited about the potential for helping my pets thrive than anything has in a long time. Epigenetics? which can be defined, when it comes to biology, as ?relating to or arising from nongenetic influences on gene expression?? should, at least in my opinion, be a common household word.

Understanding epigenetics, both theoretically and in practice, will help anyone understand how to keep their pets and themselves thriving and healthy. Side note: if you?re a little intimidated, don?t be? I?ll break it down for you. And if you think it might be a little boring, give it a chance. I think you?ll be fascinated, just like I am!

THEPOWEROFRAW

Nama, an American Pit Bull Terrier, enjoying the flowers.

Photo credit Nikki White

Natur e or nur tur e?

Under standing epigenetics

Many people today think that their genes and heredity are what primarily determine whether or not an animal or a person gets a disease. ?Diabetes runs in her family,? they say, ?so it makes sense that she got it.?

Or, they might say, ?My Labrador has hip dysplasia: it runs in the breed. Nothing I can do!? But, what researchers are beginning to learn is that genes aren?t necessarily destiny: we can control whether or not the hereditary diseases and health issues actually manifest. Isn?t that amazing?! And what makes it more exciting is that it puts the power back in your hands, and gives you the ability to make your pet?s life (and your own life) better, relatively simply!

Let?s go over a little bit of the science so you understand epigenetics. Then, because I know you aren?t reading this just to learn about the science of it all, I?ll talk about the impact epigenetics can have, and finally I?ll show you how you can ?switch? genes on and off? and by doing so, keep your pet healthy and thriving.

The double helix

Remember back in school when you first learned about DNA? I?m sure you remember the double helix structure. Remember, too, that the double helix structure? the DNA of each cell? contains instructions that tell that cell how to behave? Well, here?s the

fascinating thing (or at least one of the fascinating things): each cell contains about 6 feet of DNA. In other words, the DNA in the cell is 400,000 times longer than the cell itself! And the only way the DNA can fit is when it winds up, really tightly, on itself. Now, there are proteins, called histones, which are wound up with the DNA. And, when it?s all wound up too tightly, the cell can?t ?read? (or express) the right/ healthy gene instructions.

Nongenetic influencers

Remember, epigenetics deals with nongenetic influences on gene expression. Through nongenetic influences, epigenetic changes alter the physical structure of the DNA. One example of this is methylation (the addition of a methyl group). W hen a methyl group is added, it either activates or represses genes because it affects how the histones wind or unwind, and by so doing, affects how the cell ?reads?the DNA instructions.

Histones

Really, it all comes down to modifying the histones? those little proteins that the DNA wraps around. W ithout histones, the DNA wouldn?t be able to fit into the cell? it would be way too long. But, if the histones wind up too tightly, the cell can?t read the DNA. So, epigenetic changes? those nongenetic influences? can relax histones so the DNA is accessible to the proteins that read the genes.

Here?s another fascinating thing: epigenetics are why cells that are genetically identical can become different things. Take brain cells and muscle cells, for example? they contain the same DNA, but they express the genes differently, which results in cells that are genetically identical but completely different.

The takeaway

The takeaway here? Epigenetic modifications don?t change the DNA or the genes; they affect how the cells read the genes. If you?re like me when I first started learning about this and you?re having a hard time wrapping your head around the concept, let me give you an analogy. Think about a caterpillar that turns into a butterfly. The caterpillar has the same genes as the butterfly? it doesn?t magically get new genes when it?s in the chrysalis stage? but the genes are read and expressed differently throughout its life-cycle based on various factors, such as natural chemicals. In other words, there are nongenetic influences that are helping the caterpillar turn into a butterfly.

Genotype vs phenotype

It gets better. To understand how this affects our pets?health (and our own), let?s take a second to talk about genotype and phenotype. Put simply, phenotype means the expression of the genes. Genotype is the genes themselves. Now, when animals (our dogs, our cats, and even us humans) reproduce, they have the ability to pass phenotype (how the genes are expressed) on to their offspring, as well as passing the genotype on.

Think about two identical twins.

Genetically, they?re the same. However, let?s pretend they live two very different lives. One of them eats junk food, never exercises, rarely gets out in the fresh air and sunshine, has a lot of stress, doesn?t have many friendships, and so on. The other one eats whole, unprocessed food. He exercises, gets quality rest, doesn?t have a lot of stress, enjoys the fresh air and sunshine regularly, and has high-quality relationships. As I?m sure you can imagine, even though these twins are genetically identical? they have the same genotype? their phenotype? how their genes express, how they look, how healthy they are...is very different. This is beautifully illustrated in the picture below: the effects of two very different lifestyles are shown on the same man.

thinning hair. One can safely assume the changes are similar on the inside: one side of the man may have high blood pressure, diabetes, a weak heart, or other chronic health issues. The other side is probably thriving, inside as well as out.

As you can see, one side of the man appears fit and strong, with a full head of hair. The other side of the man is overweight, with

Think of it this way: genes provide instructions to the body. Epigenes decide if those instructions are actually carried out.

This is the same for animals: when dogs or cats that are genetically identical experience different lifestyles, it can have a profound impact on their health, even their genetic health. That might be why animals that are found to be ?at risk?for certain diseases when they?re screened never actually express that disease. It may also be why dogs, for example, that have a genetic predisposition to a disease? Boxers with degenerative myelopathy, for instance, or Standard Poodles with hip dysplasia? don?t actually present with that disease, even if their littermates do.

Genes ar en?t "set in stone"

If you look at the mice in the picture to the right, you might be surprised to learn that they are genetically identical. They are Agouti mice, which are bred to be yellow, obese, and disease-prone. The mouse on the left is a typical Agouti mouse. The mouse on the right, while genetically identical, is anything but typical! The difference between the two? W hat their mothers ate when they were pregnant. The mother of the obese mouse was fed BPA and a normal lab-mouse diet. The mother of the little brown mouse was fed BPA while she was pregnant, but she was also fed a diet supplemented with choline, folic acid, betaine, and vitamin B12.

The difference is remarkable, isn?t it? Over and over, researchers are finding examples like this, and people are also finding the same thing is true with their naturally reared dogs and cats (vs animals that were raised conventionally).

How to affect phenotype in your own pet

W hile it?s true that researchers have found that epigenetic damage can last for 3?4 generations before it can be fully reversed, the good news is that you can have a profound impact on your own pet?s health right now by taking advantage of epigenetics. In fact, cancer, diabetes, and other diseases have been shown to have epigenetic markers that can be targeted to affect these negative disease states.

Researchers have been experimenting with using epigenetics to turn on certain things in the cells so they can overcome those diseases

without harm to the body. For example, they have been experimenting with using epigenetics to give the body the ability to attack cancer cells, as a normal healthy body can do, without having to ?attack?the body through chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery. It?s hugely powerful stuff, with the potential to do amazing good in a natural way.

But, your pet doesn?t have to be in a full-blown disease state to benefit from all this. In fact, it?s best if you use the science of epigenetics to help your pet achieve optimal wellness before they present with a disease. So how can you do that? How can you affect your pet?s phenotype for the better, using nongenetic influences?

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Feed a high-quality speciesappropriate raw diet (prey model, whole prey, or even commercial raw) Let your pet get outside in the fresh air and sunshine daily Make sure your pet gets appropriate, adequate daily exercise (they should want to rest and/ or sleep when the exercise is finished)

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Eliminate toxins from your home and replace them with non-toxic alternatives (you can visit the Environmental W orking Group?s website at www.ewg.org for information about safer cleaners and household items, or you can make your own using products like baking soda, vinegar, and essential oils) If necessary, supplement your pet?s diet with antioxidants, trace minerals, and whole food supplements Use natural parasite control (for pests like fleas, ticks, and mosquitos) Use natural healing modalities, such as herbs, homeopathic remedies, flower essences, massage, TTouch, and so on, rather than conventional treatments with negative side effects Reduce, to the maximum extent possible, the number of vaccinations

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your pet receives, particularly as most vaccines contain heavy metals, proteins from other animal sources (which can affect your pet?s histones), and other fillers Give your pet healthy ways to engage their bodies and their minds, which will aid in reducing or eliminating stress

By following these simple guidelines, you can start putting the science of epigenetics to work for your pet. And what could be better than that?

-By Kristin Clark Special thanks to Paula Vandervoort for her help with this article. To see Paula?s awesome dogs, learn more about her Natural Rearing program, and visit her store, visit http://www.gentryboxers.com/.

Laker and Nama looking healthy and festive. Photo credit Nikki White

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CALMING DOGS THROUGH SOUND

Last weekend, my city hosted an air show, and we were directly in the flight path.

Even though I knew what was going on, the roar of the fighter jets while they screamed by, directly above our house, made my heart race. It hurt my ears, rattled my bones, and set my entire being on edge.

There was no real telling when they?d come by, and just when you might be forgiven for thinking it was over, they would roar through again. This happened multiple times each day, for 4 days in a row. Car alarms were set off, the windows rattled, potted plants were knocked over? all from the noise? and, worst of all, my dogs were absolutely petrified.

For the entire weekend, our dogs, even my brave little lionheart Motley, lived in a state of what can only be described as terror.

Shaking, shivering, crying, drooling, panting, and hiding under the bed, they quivered and ran to us for comfort during the worst of it. Finally, in desperation, I started playing classical music. They seemed to calm somewhat. Then, I played a track from an album I purchased several years ago called ?Through a Dog?s Ear.?

The track was called ?Music to Calm Your Canine Companion?. It was 23 minutes long, and as it played, I saw that the dogs seemed to settle down. They stopped shaking, they stopped crying, and (when the planes weren't right over us) they finally relaxed enough to fall into a deep sleep.

I was relieved, but beyond that, I was fascinated. W as it possible that music could calm them that much? Turns out, there is evidence that you can help ease your dog?s anxieties and other negative emotion through sound. Researchers in the field of animal bioacoustics (who study sound in non-human animals, especially the relationship between living beings and sound) are finding that sound can in fact play a huge role in emotional health. In fact, studies have shown that country music is calming to ponies, classical music seems to cause cows to produce more milk, growth rate in chickens is improved with classical music, classical music relaxes dogs, and more.

W hy might this be? Well, some researchers postulate that when an animal?s nervous system is stressed or overwhelmed (or compromised)? as was the case with my dogs last weekend? the nervous system can no longer process sensory data effectively.

They have also found that sound has an impact on the nervous system. So, if

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sound? or a soundtrack? that is easy for the nervous system to absorb is played, it can help slow the nervous system down and relax it so it can process sensory information appropriately. The important thing is to provide the right amount of sound without overdoing it. You can charge the nervous system and support it without making it shut down or tune out more.

W hile not all classical music can do this (some of it ?overdoes it? with big movements or huge swells of sound), much of it has relatively simple forms and patterns that allow the canine (or human) listener to listen passively. This in turn can help relax the nervous system, and thereby relax the listener.

I had played ?Music to Calm Your Canine Companion? before, when my dogs were already calm. I like the music on it too (it really is soothing!), so I sometimes play it when I?m writing and need some calm background noise. So, my dogs already

associated the track with calm. I think this helped a lot with helping them calm down when they heard it. If you want to try calming music to help your dog, it?s best to play it a few times first when they?re already calm.

This ensures they don?t associate the music with their anxiety and then get anxious each time they hear the music in the future. It also helps if you make sure your dog gets adequate and appropriate daily exercise, to help drain excess nervous energy.

W ith behavioral issues like separation anxiety on the rise, and anxiety-inducing situations rampant for so many dogs, many pet parents are looking for ways to help their dogs relax and maintain a calm, peaceful state of mind.

Using music to help achieve this goal is safe for your dog, pleasant for you, and can be surprisingly effective in a myriad of situations.

I would love to know if you?ve ever used music to help keep your dog calm! Send me an email (kristin@rawpetdigest.com) and tell me about it!

-By Kristin Clark

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HOWTOEASILYBUILDADIY PETRAMP

Do you have a pet that has some trouble jumping up on the bed or getting into the car? A pet ramp is the perfect solution.

They can be pricey though, so here's how you can build one pretty cheaply (and pretty quickly, too...this pet ramp should only take about an hour to build). Plus, the ramp is portable, so you can easily move it wherever you and your pet need it to go!

Supplies you'll need (you can find them at Home Depot or any good home improvement store): -

2 6-foot wire closet shelves Package of zip ties 6 ft x 2 ft piece of outdoor carpet Rubber end covers An awl

To assemble your ramp: 1. Slip the rubber end covers over the exposed wire ends of the closet shelves.

By following the steps described in this article, you can easily build a DIY pet ramp.

2. Interlace the 2 wire shelves together and zip tie them together. Interlacing them by overlaying them on each other will help provide stability and strength to your ramp.

3. Use an awl to poke holes in the piece of carpet. Aim to poke the holes every 4th rung of the wire shelves.

4. Zip tie the carpet piece to the wire rods in the shelves. Make sure once you?ve finished zip tying the carpet to the wire shelves that you cut the excess zip tie off and roll their edges so they don?t accidentally cut your pet when they?re walking up the ramp, or you when you?re moving the ramp around.

5. That?s it! You now have a portable, inexpensive dog ramp you can use to help your pet get up on the bed or into your truck or car.

ANOVELNEWWAYTOOVERCOME DIGESTIVEPROBLEMSINYOURPET

Just a few days ago, I got the results back of an analysis of my dog Barkley?s internal gut biome. I?d been waiting for the report for almost 6 weeks, so needless to say, I was pretty excited. Essentially, this report tells me what sort of bacteria Barkley has in his gut, and also shows me (for comparison purposes) what a healthy dog?s internal biome looks like. Why was I interested in this analysis?Well, besides always being interested in my best friend and what I can do to help him live his best life, I was particularly curious to see what it would reveal because Barkley is not, in fact, optimally healthy.

While he is definitely thriving now, for the first 6½ years of his life, Barkley was raised very conventionally. He ate a kibble diet, he was vaccinated for everything under the sun every year, and he received lots of

conventional medications, including antibiotics multiple times and steroids. While it?s relatively infrequent, he still experiences diarrhea and GI upset, and he still has periods of itchiness (which I can usually relieve quickly, but still, they occur). The other two dogs?both of whom are 6?don?t have these issues, but they also weren?t subjected to the same kind of care that Barkley received.

So, back to the sample. I ordered it from AnimalBiome because I wanted to see how Barkley measured up, and so that I would know what steps to take if his biome wasn?t optimal.

When it arrived, it was packed with a lot of really interesting and scientific information (if you want to see the report in detail, I?ve included it at the end of this article). But the upshot of the report was that Barkley doesn?t have very much diversity in his biome compared to a healthy

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dog, and he doesn?t have healthy proportions of bacteria either. In other words, he?s really low in some bacteria compared to a healthy dog, and he?s quite high in other bacteria compared to a healthy dog.

This makes sense to me?even though he gets a species-appropriate raw diet, plenty of exercise, fresh air, sunshine, and supplements as needed (plus, of course, tons of love and snuggles every day), we still have those first 6½ years to contend with. He was over-vaccinated and fed a non-species-appropriate diet. That, coupled with the antibiotics and steroids, wreaked havoc on his gut biome. In fact, I?ve seen estimates that dogs that are given antibiotics may take at least a year to recover a healthy gut biome, and much of what I?ve read suggests it may be much longer than that, if they ever recover at all. And this make sense, right? Since the ?bad? bacteria recovers more quickly than the ?good? bacteria, it crowds out the good stuff, which never has a chance to recover. Given that Barkley has received more than one round of antibiotics,

just in the time that I?ve had him, he?s been hit repeatedly with major attacks on his gut biome.

So, now that I have my results, what am I going to do to help Barkley? Given that I want to address some of his lingering digestive issues, along with (if possible) clearing up his allergies once and for all, I?m going to try a rather novel and out-of-the-box (at least for me) ?treatment.? I?m going to use a variation of what?s known as FMT, or fecal microbiota transplant, to introduce healthy strains of bacteria to Barkley?s gut, so that those strains can crowd out the bad stuff while at the same time increasing his gut biome diversity.

While this has been mostly used (at least so far) to help animals (and people) with digestive issues, it?s showing some promise in helping with issues as diverse as behavioral problems, aggression, skin and coat problems (hello, Barkley?s allergies!), and coprophagia (eating stool). One veterinarian, Dr. Margo Roman, has even used FMT to help treat canine liver failure, kidney failure, adrenal exhaustion, and more. There?s even a trial going on at UC Davis right now to determine exactly how effective FMT is at addressing issues like allergies.

Bar k ley en joyin g an of f -leash h ike. Ph ot o cr edit M ilt on Clar k

Improving Barkley?s gut microbiome doesn?t just mean we might be able to get rid of his bouts of diarrhea or flare-ups of allergies (which, as I?ve said, have greatly improved since we switched him to a more natural way of living, but haven?t disappeared completely). By improving the diversity and amount of the good bacteria, I'll also make it easier for Barkley to get rid of toxins naturally.

That?s because ?good? bacteria in the gut microbiome bind to toxins 44

(including allergens!) and cancer-causing substances and then help remove them from the body. Plus, when a dog has a healthy microbiome, in addition to improving digestion, they are also able to produce more B1 and B12, as well as some fatty acids. The list goes on and on, but the bottom line is that a dog needs a healthy microbiome in order to truly thrive.

So, here?s what I?m going to do: because I don?t want to sedate Barkley for a traditional FMT, I?m going to give him the stool of a healthy, naturally reared, raw-fed, young dog. AnimalBiome offers capsules, which is a great route because they screen their donors (and you can get capsules that use raw-fed-dog stool on request), but I?m

going to use my friend Dr. Erin O?Connor?s dog Onyx?s stool for Barkley. I?ll just add a nickel-sized amount to his meals for a month or two, and then re-test him. Yes, the whole concept sounds a bit gross, but it?s proving to be an effective ?treatment?for so many issues, and given Barkley?s gut microbiome profile, it may really help him.

I share all this with you to show you that, if your pet struggles with diarrhea, vomiting, stomach issues, allergies, or any other issues that suggest they aren?t optimally healthy, it?s worth looking into their gut microbiome.

AnimalBiome has test kits for dogs and cats, and you can get capsules from them as well (as well as follow-up tests to see how effective the capsules were). I especially love this whole approach because, if done correctly, the risk for side effects is very low, and the possibility for improved health is very high. And, in my constant quest to improve the lives of my dogs and cat (and to bring you information about how to improve the lives of your pets), that makes me pretty happy.

-By Kristin Clark

Selfie time! Barkley and I snuggling on the couch. Photo credit Kristin Clark

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The next several pages show Barkley's gut microbiome analysis results. This stacked barchart shows the proportion of each bacteria in Barkley. The top 10 bacteria found in the sample are in the table directly below the chart.

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DOESNATURALREARING REALLYMAKEADIFFERENCE?

Picture credit Paula Vandervoort

Breeding instead of rescuing. The topic can be controversial. I know (because you?ve told me), among Raw Pet Digest readers, that people have strong opinions on both sides of this topic. Some people strongly believe the ?adopt, don?t shop? philosophy. Others are passionate about their breeding programs. Here?s the thing? I think, no matter what ?side? you?re on, if you?re reading Raw Pet Digest, you want what?s best for your own pets and for dogs and cats in general. You want them to be healthy, you want them to be happy, and you want them to thrive.

I used to be militant about adopting over breeding. But as time has passed, I?ve begun to think differently. No, I don?t support indiscriminate or poorly planned breedings.

I despise that puppy mills exist. My neighbor, who breeds Labradors every year and has, on several occasions, described the puppies to me as ?spending money?? and who pays no attention to temperament, conformation, or genetic health? can get my blood boiling so fast it would make your head spin. But as I?ve studied more, connected with more people in the raw feeding movement, and learned more, I?ve started to view breeding dogs and cats less in black and white, and more in shades of grey.

I have come to believe that the work that many natural rearing breeders do is vital to helping our animals achieve true vitality and optimal health. By focusing, generation after generation, on

supporting their animals? immune systems, adhering to breed standards of conformation and temperament, and actively working to overcome the genetic issues common to their breed, it appears that natural rearing breeders are achieving better longevity and health than many of their conventional counterparts.

W hat is natural rearing? To really understand, it?s helpful to look at the Natural Rearing Dog Breeders Association (NRBA) Code of Ethics.

The code of ethics, which members must agree to and comply with, states that members must feed their dogs a completely raw diet. Cooked foods, kibble, and canned foods cannot be fed, even as a treat or a supplement. Members must agree not to vaccinate at all (unless required by law).

Members cannot use chemical products in, on, or around their dogs? this includes conventional parasite preventives, household cleaners, air fresheners, pesticides, chemical fertilizers, and more. Puppies must be weaned onto raw diets.

Members must also agree to research health, temperament, and conformation for each litter they breed. They must know the genetic health background of their dogs, or perform genetic testing for prevalent health issues in their breed

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on any dogs they use for breeding, and produce copies of health and genetic screens/ clearances to puppy buyers when asked. They have to test their breeding program in an objective venue, such as tests/ trials/ conformation shows. The list goes on, but you get the idea: members must agree to do everything possible to truly advance the health, vitality, and wellbeing of their puppies, their breeding dogs, and the breed itself.

So does it really work? Does natural rearing really make a difference? That?s one of the things I want to explore, and I plan on doing that in this and upcoming issues. By talking to a wide variety of natural rearing breeders involved with different breeds, and by researching the outcomes and the science of it, I hope to be able to better answer that question. Of course, I fully believe that it does make a

difference, but I want to dive into it a little deeper. After all, if it does work, I think it has the potential to be a game-changer for pet parents. If you?re looking for a dog from a breeder, looking into natural rearing might be the way to go? and if more people focus on it, it may encourage conventional breeders to do what it takes to become natural rearing breeders.

To kick things off, I wanted to look at Mastiffs. W hy? Well, as a giant breed of dog, Mastiffs typically have relatively short lifespans: about 8 years, on average. Like all breeds, they are genetically predisposed to some health issues; for them, that list includes hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, cystinuria, bloat, cruciate tears, skin problems, eye problems, and heart problems. To get a sense of what differences natural rearing makes for Mastiffs, I spoke with Jennifer Lee of Tailcreek Mastiffs. She?s been natural rearing

The adorable Cinder (English Mastiff). Photo credit Jennifer Lee

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Mastiffs for about 9 years. Because ?natural rearing? can mean different things to different people, let me say that Jennifer feeds her dogs raw meat, bones, and organs, with very little fruit/ vegetables (0-5%). She doesn?t vaccinate her dogs at all, and she strictly adheres to the NRBA code of ethics.

Also, like other NR breeders, while she does everything she can to screen puppy buyers and support them in any way she can throughout the puppy?s life, there?s no way to know, with 100%certainty, if the puppy?s new family follows the NR guidelines they agree to when they buy the puppy.

Jennifer?s first NR litter of 2 puppies was born in 2009. One of the puppies, who is raw fed and had minimal vaccines, is alive and well. No health issues, and already past

the average age that most Mastiffs reach. The other puppy in that litter passed away from bone cancer; that dog was raw fed, not vaccinated, and lived in a house free of chemicals. However, the owner and Jennifer suspect the dog had an undiagnosed fracture prior to the cancer developing, and that is a risk factor for bone cancer.

In 2012, Jennifer welcomed a litter of 10 puppies. Of those 10, one has passed away? that owner did not follow the NR guidelines, instead choosing to feed a processed diet and use conventional parasite preventives. Prior to passing away, that dog was diagnosed with joint disease and ruptured ligaments, and she had exhibited some neurological symptoms. The other 9 (most of which are fed a raw

species-appropriate diet and were minimally vaccinated, or not vaccinated at all) are still alive and have no health issues at all. They appear to be thriving, although it?s still too soon to know if they?ll exceed the average lifespan of the breed.

From 2014 forward, none of the puppies Jennifer has bred have been diagnosed with any type of disease. She also said that her own dogs are very healthy. They have a 10-year-old dog that has arthritis (as a result of an injury that occurred when she was younger), but other than that, none of their dogs have any diagnosed disease or health issues. Since they started natural rearing, they haven?t seen any instances of skin issues, allergies, ear infections, or

digestive problems, all of which are common in Mastiffs and dogs in general.

Jennifer also told me that, according to the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals, 20% of Mastiffs have hip dysplasia. It?s important to realize that the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals, which provides statistics on the incidence of certain diseases, gets their data from voluntary reporting, so it?s not a true representation. However, the 20% statistic I just mentioned was out of 12,000 submissions. Jennifer then went on to say that before they were following natural rearing protocols completely, they had one Mastiff that was diagnosed with hip dysplasia. Since fully embracing natural rearing, they?ve x-rayed 8 dogs, and all of

them have been graded with either good or excellent hips (these are the two best ratings). W hile an admittedly small sample size, this is statistically much better than average.

natural rearing leads to longer lifespans, it?s certainly promising. And, based on Jennifer?s experience, it seems that naturally reared dogs experience better health while they are alive.

In terms of longevity, Jennifer told me their eldest dog was 12 when she passed away in her sleep (cause unknown). Their oldest dogs currently are 10½ and 9½? again, statistically, this is much better than average.

We?ll keep exploring this in future issues, but it?s an exciting trend. If you want to learn more about natural rearing or the Natural Rearing Breeders Association, visit https:/ / nrbreedersassociation.org.

W hile it?s true that it?s still too early to say, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that

English Mastiff Murphy. Photo credit Krista Powell

To learn more about Jennifer Lee and her beautiful Mastiffs, visit her at www. tailcreekmastiffs.com/

SPOTLIGHTONHEALTH:ANIMALBIOME 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 AnimalBiome, which gives pet parents a way to easily and safely help restore their dog or cat's gut microbiome. You can visit AnimalBiome at www.animalbiome.com. Thank you toHolly Ganz for answering our questions!

1. Can you tell me a bit about your background and how AnimalBiome came to be?

I am a microbial ecologist, which means I study how microorganisms interact with each other and with the environment. I completed a PhD at UC Davis and a postdoc at UC Berkeley before returning to UCD to study the microbiomes of cats and dogs at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and the UC Davis Genome Center.

AnimalBiome grew out of a citizen science project called ?KittyBiome? whose goal was to characterize the gut microbiomes of domestic cats that I launched out of the UC Davis Genome Center. We quickly discovered that digestive issues were unfortunately very common in cats, and despite treatment with more traditional methods like steroids and antibiotics, many cats were still suffering immensely. We conducted further research that revealed that 1 in 10 cats and dogs in the US suffer from

chronic digestive conditions (such as chronic diarrhea and vomiting). Because we found that many of these sick pets had gut microbiomes that looked very different from those of healthy pets, we wanted to create accessible diagnostic and treatment options that would help shift their gut microbiomes to a healthier state. Through the KittyBiome participants, we also came in contact with members of the raw feeding community who have been able to manage these conditions successfully with dietary interventions.

2. W hy is a balanced gut microbiome important?

existing unhealthy microbes and help to lay a solid foundation for better overall health.

The microbes living in our gut have an immense amount of control over our health. Aside from the obvious impact they have on our digestion, they are key players in keeping our immune system functioning properly; they influence our metabolism, thereby playing a role in our body weight; they even affect our psychological well-being, and can make us predisposed to anxiety and depression.

Simply put, these microbes are small but mighty! Taking deliberate steps to keep our gut microbiomes healthy can go a long way to keeping the rest of our bodies healthy.

4. W hat are the differences between having a vet do FMT and giving your pet microbiome capsules from Animal Biome?

3. Can you explain the theory behind FMT? FMT stands for Fecal Microbiota Transplant and is based on the idea that all of the microbes living in our intestines? bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other tiny organisms? play important roles in the overall health of the host organism. And while a healthy gut microbiome will help make us less vulnerable to disease, an unhealthy gut microbiome can wreak havoc on the entire body. Thus, when we perform an FMT, we are transplanting a whole range of healthy, species-specific microbes to a sick animal. Once the new microbes from the healthy donor?s stool colonize and begin to multiply in the sick animal?s intestines, they may control or replace

W hen a vet performs an FMT in their office, it is typically done via enema. The animal usually requires some level of sedation, but will remain conscious throughout the procedure. The vet mixes the donor stool with salty water to create a slurry, which is then infused into the patient?s large intestine through a tube inserted into the rectum.

AnimalBiome FMT capsules are administered at home over a period of about 4 weeks. Many animals benefit from having repeated exposure to the microbes from the healthy donor over the course of the 4 weeks, whereas fecal microbiota transplants done via enema are done once every few months at most. The oral capsules are more accessible for many cases because the capsules do not involve the health risks and financial costs associated with being sedated for the procedure. However, when an animal is extremely difficult to pill, administering the FMT capsules daily for 4 weeks might prove nearly impossible; in these cases, FMT via enema might be the most logical option. For more refractory cases that sometimes require multiple FMTs via enema, a combination of FMT via enema followed by a course of capsules may produce the best outcome. In addition to the oral capsules, we also offer a carefully screened stool bank of frozen fecal 61

matter for FMTs given via enema to veterinarians. This stool bank is particularly important for emergency situations, such as a puppy with tarry diarrhea from a parvovirus infection because the fecal matter in the FMT has been screened for parasites and pathogens prior to transplantation. Because it takes at least a day or two to have fecal matter properly screened prior to transplantation, many FMTs delivered via enema are given without proper screening.

5. How do your microbiome capsules help balance the gut microbiome?

We believe that fecal microbiota transplants work based on a principle called ?competitive exclusion.? Before a fecal transplant, the animal will already have a population of microbes (bacteria and fungi) living in the intestines, and the microbes that live there are competing for resources like food and space. W hen that animal then begins the FMT capsules with all of their microbes inside, suddenly there are far too many microbes all competing for this limited pool of resources. Because the microbes in the FMT capsules come from a donor with a healthy, robust gut microbiome, these microbes are better suited for residing in the intestines. They will ?compete? with the animal?s existing microbiome for the resources that they

Cr edit Pau la Van der voor t . On e of Pau la's dogs is an An im alBiom e don or .

need to survive, and over time they will ?exclude? the unhealthy community of microbes from the intestines. Thus we get the term ?competitive exclusion.?

6. W hat criteria do you use for your donors?

We like to say that it?s harder to win best in show than it is to be a donor with AnimalBiome. We carefully screen and monitor our donors for optimal health. For cats, the donated fecal matter comes from healthy indoor cats that have not had antibiotic treatment in the prior six months, have no known health conditions, have diverse and species-rich microbiomes, are at a healthy weight, and have no behavioral issues.

Our donor screening criteria are similar for dogs, except that the donated fecal matter comes from healthy dogs who regularly go outdoors for walks.

We also keep track of our donors?diets and have both raw-fed dog and raw-fed cat donors. We provide FMT capsules (as well as frozen material for FMT via enema) made 62

using fecal matter from raw-fed donors upon request.

Every stool collected from both cats and dogs undergoes regular and comprehensive pathogen screening at the UC Davis Real-Time PCR and Diagnostics Core Facility. Pathogen screening includes: -

Clostridium difficile toxins A and B Clostridium perfringens antigen Clostridium perfringens alpha toxin Clostridium perfringens beta toxin Cryptosporidium spp Salmonella spp Giardia spp Feline coronavirus Feline parvovirus (Panleukopenia) Canine parvovirus 2 Tritrichomonas foetus

7. W hat are some of the benefits pet owners can expect to see when they use your capsules?

W hile there are many factors that can influence your pet?s health, an FMT can help to restore good microbes that may be missing, either because they were never introduced from mom, or through exposure to food additives, antibiotics, Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs), steroids, and other medications, many of which have been shown to alter the composition of bacteria living in the gut. Most commonly, our participants report that the FMT capsules reduce or even resolve many clinical signs

of digestive disorders, particularly diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, and food sensitivities. Many also see an increased appetite and subsequent weight gain. Other improvements include better coat quality; cessation of coprophagy, or poop-eating; reduced itchiness and general skin irritation; and increased energy. Typically our customers are already using a combination of diet, prebiotics, and probiotics to augment or replace medications. This is important because the beneficial microbes living in the digestive tract need to be supported with a healthy diet and lifestyle. In fact, in our pilot study with cats, 68% had some raw food in their diet.

8. How effective is FMT? Similarly, how effective are your capsules?

W hile there are few papers on FMT in pets, a study recently showed that the addition of FMT to standard care reduced both the length of hospitalization and recovery time in puppies with parvovirus.

For our capsules specifically in regards to chronic digestive conditions, about 90% of pet owners report some level of improvement in their pet?s clinical signs like diarrhea, vomiting, and constipation.

Of these, more than 70% report that they have observed ?significant improvement.?

To date, there are not any published studies reporting on the effectiveness of using fecal transplants to treat chronic digestive disorders in cats or dogs. For comparison, studies in people have shown fecal

transplants to be effective at reducing or eliminating symptoms associated with ulcerative colitis, Crohn?s disease, and Clostridium difficile infections in 80-90% of patients.

9. Are there any side-effects to giving your capsules?

Side effects are rare, but the most common one we see is a mild increase in severity of symptoms when first beginning the capsules. We hypothesize that this is due to the pet?s immune system raising the alarm as unfamiliar (but beneficial) strains of bacteria enter the digestive tract. The immune system mounts an inflammatory response to protect itself against these ?foreign? invaders, which is why pet owners

sometimes report an increase particularly in the severity of diarrhea or vomiting. W hen it does present, this reaction usually subsides within a few days as the immune system realizes that this new bacteria is not a threat.

We have found that a slow introduction to the pills prevents many of these reactions from occurring.

10. I know you offer microbiome assessment kits for dogs and cats. How did you determine what a balanced gut microbiome looks like?

The microbiome provides a unique fingerprint for each individual and so there is a lot of variation among healthy cats and dogs. We have built a large database of microbiome samples from healthy and sick cats and dogs.

And while there is no one ?perfect?way for the microbiome to be balanced, we use these pools of data to characterize the range of ?normal? gut bacteria. This allows us to provide pet parents with information about how their pet compares with healthy pets and helps us to determine when a sick pet is straying from the pack and has an imbalance or is depleted in beneficial bacteria.

11. Can you tell, by reviewing the microbiome assessment, what sort of health problems an animal has? In other words, if they?re low in this type of bacteria, they tend to exhibit vomiting, and if they?re low in this type of bacteria, it?s likely they?ll exhibit diarrhea?And so on?

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We have ongoing research to identify bacterial signatures associated with many health conditions. Due to the wide variation among individuals in the composition of bacteria in the gut, it may take big data to get to this level of detection. Right now we can identify imbalances in the composition of bacteria. And we are finding strong signals from diet; in particular, pets that are fed a raw diet tend to have certain bacteria as well as high bacterial diversity (and in general, high diversity is considered to be beneficial), and we can also identify pets that are fed diets that are high in carbohydrates.

12. W hat factors have you found contribute to an unbalanced gut microbiome?

There are a number of factors that can contribute to an unbalanced gut microbiome, and many of them we may not even be aware of. Diet is perhaps one of the first that comes to mind. For example, we have found that feeding our cats and dogs excessive amounts of carbohydrates can lead to an overgrowth of a type of bacteria called Prevotella, which has been linked to high levels of inflammation and, consequently, the development of chronic inflammatory diseases like Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). For the most part, diets that are high in protein and low in carbohydrates seem to promote the healthiest gut

microbiomes in our pets. Unfortunately, however, even the best of diets may not be able to compete with our genetic predispositions: some pets, both purebreds and mixed breeds, may develop an unhealthy gut microbiome regardless of the circumstances.

13. W hat is the difference between giving your capsules and giving probiotics?

Bacteria from probiotics are typically isolated from either human infants or the environment, so they are not well-adapted to living in the digestive tract of a cat or dog. In addition, the vast majority of probiotics only contain a few different strains of bacteria, whereas the FMT capsules contain thousands of them, in the proportions that they are found in a healthy cat or dog. We have seen cases of pets who take daily probiotics develop extreme overgrowths of the bacteria contained in the probiotic, and these overgrowths do nothing to alleviate digestive issues.

14. Do both dogs and cats respond well, generally, to the capsules?

Yes, we?ve found that dogs and cats respond to the FMT capsules roughly equally.

15. How quickly should pet owners expect to see a difference in their pets if they?re giving the capsules?

Some pets respond within a few days, most require the full course of 50 capsules, and some have been taking them regularly for months.

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THE

RAW-PAWTHECARY

Def in it ion of Raw-pawthecary: 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.

Fr ank incense Young Living?s Frankincense essential oil is absolutely incredible. According to the Essential oils desk reference (6th edition), its key constituents include: -

Alpha-Pinene Limonene Sabinene Myrcene Beta-Caryophyllene Alphas-Thujene Incensole

It?s been found to have antitumoral, antidepressant, immunostimulant, and muscle-relaxing properties, and it?s been used for centuries to treat a wide variety of ailments. It also (as you?ll find once you smell

it) has a beautiful scent that can help promote feelings of calm, relaxation, and joy.

Helpf ul tip Frankincense had a profound affect on our senior dog Cleo.

It seemed to help ease her muscle and joint pain when she was feeling particularly arthritic. In fact, on more than one occasion, one topical application of Young Living?s Frankincense (I sprinkled drops of oil directly from the bottle down her spine regularly) would ease her discomfort enough that she could go for brisk walks (or even runs) when, prior to the Frankincense, she seemed to have trouble getting up from her bed. W hen we applied Frankincense (again, directly from the bottle) to some tumors she had, those tumors also shrank significantly or disappeared completely. Especially if you have a senior, it?s worth experimenting with Frankincense (from Young Living) to see what sort of impact it might have on them!

-By The Raw-pawthecary

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Raw Pet Digest April/ May 2018 Puzzle Answer Key Congratulations to everyone who completed last issue's puzzle. Milton Clark was selected in a random drawing out of everyone who sent in their completed puzzles. Dr. Clark will get his name in this issue's puzzle 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 word search 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 June/July 2018