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Natural Health for Pets: Nutrition for
Dogs, Cats and Birds
By Anna Fox
Pet Health
Pets today suffer from allergies, skin problems,
hypertension, heart disease, cancer, liver and kidney
failure, and other serious illnesses. These
conditions have been exacerbated by the tainted foods
we feed our pets, and the lack of vitamins, minerals,
enzymes and other nutrients in their diets.
Commercial grade pet foods may contain harmful
additives and processed grains, instead of high
quality proteins. These foods weaken the immune
system, providing the environment for disease to gain
a foothold.
Improving your pet's health is relatively simple. It
is a matter of feeding your pets natural, whole
foods, and ensuring a proper balance of vitamins,
minerals and micronutrients is achieved. I recommend
the following basic diets for dogs and cats, try them
and watch your best friend grow healthier and happier
before your very eyes!
All animals
If you have the means to feed your pets organic foods
and filtered water, please do so! Organic vegetables
can be grown cheaply and with little effort in your
own garden, and I’m sure there’s a GSW
Class on how to do it, as well as the GSW Gardening
Club.
The easiest way to prepare vegetables is to use the
pulp left over from juicing. I like my carrot, apple,
beetroot and celery juice in the mornings, and there
are plenty of nutrients left in the pulp to keep the
dog and the birds healthy as well! If you don’t
drink juices (you should, they’re great for
you!), you’ll need to use a food processor, as
they should be chopped up quite finely.
For meat-eating pets, try to get game meats, as they
are generally leaner and free of all the hormones and
antibiotics that are present in commercially grown
meats. Also keep in mind that diced meat is better
than minced. Here in Australia, many pet shops sell
frozen diced kangaroo meat in 1kg packs (and 15kg
boxes) at very reasonable prices.
Always add a good colloidal or crystalloid vitamin
and mineral supplement and some high-grade Omega 3
and 6 oils.
Aged garlic extract, various herbs, enzymes,
spirulina, bee pollen and kelp can also be added
either on a regular basis or as needed, to ensure the
highest level of well-being for your pet.
Dogs
Mix 1/3 raw vegetables (any except onions, which can
be toxic to dogs), 1/3 cooked grains (white rice or
pasta are acceptable, but whole grains or brown rice
are preferable), and 1/3 raw meat. Add a splash of
oil and serve - it’s that simple!
* Note that measurements are given as proportions
rather than amounts, as serving sizes will vary
considerably depending on the size of your dog.
Raw bones are also recommended once a day, especially
marrowbone or kangaroo tails.
Cats
Unlike dogs, cats are almost exclusively carnivorous,
and will do well on a meat-only diet. Give your cat
raw meat, fish (whitebait is the perfect size for
cats, and very inexpensive), or organic chicken. Feed
in small portions twice a day, and remember to remove
uneaten food before it spoils.
When allowed to go outside, cats will normally
supplement this diet with herbs and grasses, which,
apart from self-medicating, also supply nutrients
that are not present in meat, such as chlorophyll.
Therefore, it is especially important to supplement
the diet of indoor cats who are not permitted to go
outside with a good vitamin-mineral supplement.
Birds
Birds should always have a good mix of different
grains and seeds as well as fresh water available. I
also recommend giving birds some raw fruit and
vegetables daily. It’s nice if you can give
them some access to fresh grasses as well.
Some birds, especially parrots, will happily eat a
whole apple or another fruit if you just cut it in
half. Others need the fruit and veg to be chopped or
pureed on the food processor. Be guided by what your
birds like, but please, stick to foods that are
naturally eaten by your species of bird!
Never give your chickens “layer pellets”
as they are made with fish and meat meal – that
is, ground up fish, cow and chicken bones –
about as far from a natural diet as a chicken can
get! Chickens’ diet should consist mainly of
wheat, other grains and seeds, fruit and vegetables,
grasses, any insects and worms they can capture. Look
for “wild bird seed” in your supermarket
– it’s great to mix in with their wheat
and they love it! If you are able to let them out,
even if for only a few hours a day, then do so! They
will always return to their “coop” by
sundown.
What now?
Whether your pet is healthy or has a health problem,
try the natural diet recommended above first. Most
animals will get better within a few weeks and will
not need futher treatment. If problems persist, you
can send me your questions and I will email you back
(I try to respond to all emails) and also publish
your question and my answer in the next article.
Comments, follow up questions and pet status updates
can be sent to anna@9livespetclinic.com
Reprinted from Article City.com
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Genesis 1:29 "And God said,
'Behold I have given every herb-bearing seed which is
upon the face of all the earth and every tree, in
which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed: to you it
shall be for meat'."
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