Post by CampGreyhound on Mar 31, 2012 8:10:32 GMT -5
I see Dr. Mercola and his vet, Dr. Karen Becker, have jumped on the raw bandwagon. Here's the latest blurb from them. Personally I think they could have done a better job on this article, but it's a start!
If you've ever watched any nature programs on TV, you can't help but be in awe of animals that live in the wild.
With only the instincts they were born with, they quickly master all methods necessary for their survival.
Carnivores -- the meat-eaters -- come into the world hard-wired with the skill, agility, and power to hunt other animals. Animals whose meat will provide them the perfect nourishment they need to support their overall strength and power.
Take wolves, for instance.
In the wild, they travel in packs (after all, there's safety in numbers).
One wolf in particular is designated as the pack leader -- the alpha male. The alpha is always the strongest and most dominant member of the group who chooses the strongest and most dominant female as his mate -- the alpha female.
During the hunt for food, all members of the pack participate as a well-orchestrated team to cunningly and stealthily stalk and take down their prey.
In a successful hunt, the others stand aside as the alpha wolves step forward to claim the best part of the 'meal' -- the organ meat of the felled animal.
They leave the muscles and other parts of the animal for the rest of the pack.
The alpha wolves know instinctively the densest nutrients necessary for their best health reside in the tender organs of the body -- particularly the liver -- a virtual powerhouse of strength-building nutrition.
You see, out in the wild it's all about survival of the fittest. And without plenty of pure, raw meat, carnivores like the wolf would weaken and die.
Why am I telling you this story about the eating habits of wolves out in the wild?
Well, let me ask you this...
Doesn't Your Dog Deserve the Same Pure
Nutrition as Alpha Wolves in the Wild?
You may or may not know this, but that loving, devoted, tail-wagging member of your family is almost genetically identical to the wolves I just told you about
In fact, research has shown that there's only a 0.2% difference between your dog's DNA sequence and that of the Gray Wolf. And the distinction is so small, they're both classified in Mammal Species of the World, under the same species name -- Canis lupus.
hunting dogs
No matter your dog's size, it still
requires a diet very high in quality
meat protein.
What does that mean?
It means your 'best friend' is a born meat-eater -- a carnivore -- just like the wolves in the wild.
Their bodies and digestive systems are designed, by nature, to consume mostly meat in order to be the healthiest they can be.
Just like your own body is designed to eat the right amount of pure, natural ingredients to support your overall good health and well being, the same is true for your dog.
And yet, most dog foods and treats out on the market today contain everything but meat.
Read your pet's treat ingredient label: if meat is listed, it's usually followed by several other ingredients that are unnecessary for good health.
Most treats are full of grains and fillers -- with only a fraction of the ingredients being real meat. Some treats don't contain any meat at all, but are instead sprayed with a thin coating of meat flavoring to trick your dog (and you) into thinking they're getting a meaty treat.
Does that sound like something your carnivore needs in their diet?
No way.
Why Your Canine Was NOT Designed to Eat Grains!
As stated above, your dog is a carnivore, not an herbivore.
What difference does that make, you ask?
An herbivore is equipped to digest plant foods and cellulose because of the rumens they have -- the first division of the stomach of herbivores in which most food collects immediately after being swallowed, and from which it is later returned to the mouth as cud for more thorough chewing. Your dog doesn't have rumens to do this.
Secondly, your dog's pancreas is unable to secrete cellulase to split the cellulose into glucose molecules.
Lastly, dogs are not efficient at digesting, assimilating and utilizing plant material as a source of high quality protein (contrary to what pet food manufacturers would have you believe).
Plants like rice, soybean meal, wheat and corn have very limited usefulness in the meat-eaters diet. They are simply not good choices for a dietary foundation that optimally nourishes meat-eating animals.
Why Your Dog Craves Meat
Your dog doesn't try to eat your meat just to be
difficult. It's just that his or her body demands meat
for metabolism. Be sure your dog gets sufficient
high-quality protein.
It's not that your dog craves meat just to be difficult...
You see, twenty-two different amino acids are necessary for your dog's various metabolic and energy requirements.
But dogs are only able to synthesize twelve of these internally. So therefore they must rely on their diet to obtain the other ten. These amino acids are called essential amino acids, because dogs cannot produce them internally, and therefore it's essential to obtain them from diet.
Herbivores like cows can produce amino acids largely by the billions of microorganisms along their multi-stomached and lengthy gastrointestinal tracts.
Our dog friends by contrast have relatively short, simple GI tracts which are unable to capitalize on microbe amino acid synthesis, and therefore require pre-formed amino acids directly from their food.
That's why carbohydrates should never be a main staple of your dog's diet. To maintain their proper health, protein should form the firm foundation of your dog's food supply.
What's more, those protein sources should contain a wide spectrum of amino acids, knowing that your dog's GI tract and health depend on it.
Since we know that corn provides just four amino acids out of twenty-two, it's not a good source of protein for your dog -- regardless of what pet food manufacturers say or imply. (More on that in a moment.)
Viable protein sources with wide-spectrum amino acid support include beef, bison, chicken, eggs, fish, lamb, turkey, duck, venison, elk and goat. .
It's much more expensive to produce foods and treats with a beef, bison, or other quality protein foundation. Their financial stake supersedes any concern they have for your particular 'best friend'.
Price dictates what foundational food will comprise their pet food offerings...
Bogus 'Protein' Beefing up the Label
Enter... corn -- a cheap, plentiful "filler" product.
Fills the pet food bags, creating the illusion of giving more food for your money. And fills the pet's stomach, making your dog feel satisfied (for a time, anyway).
What's more, it contains just enough (low-quality) protein to enable the manufacturer to list it as a protein, 'beefing up' the protein quantities enough to label it as "complete and balanced".
Don't let them fool you!
Meat is good for cats and dogs.
Is your dog getting enough superior protein in its diet?
Cheap ingredients based on plant products result in cheap pet foods -- which always turn out to be a poor choice for nourishing a meat-eater. Dogs (cats, too!) are livelier and healthier when meat, poultry, lamb and fish are the foundation of their diets.
In addition, corn is one of the most frequent genetically modified 'foods' there is. Why would you want to give that to your precious dog? If genetically modified foods aren't good for you, I'm pretty sure they're not good for your pet either.
Isn't it time we choose to feed our beloved dogs as the meat eaters they are -- and denounce the senseless practice of feeding them as if they're herbivores simply because it's cheaper to do so?
I believe that as our pets' caregivers, we have an obligation to discover what they really need nutritionally and provide it for them.
But it's much more than an obligation...
You love your best friend, so why would you choose anything less than the best for them?
If you've ever watched any nature programs on TV, you can't help but be in awe of animals that live in the wild.
With only the instincts they were born with, they quickly master all methods necessary for their survival.
Carnivores -- the meat-eaters -- come into the world hard-wired with the skill, agility, and power to hunt other animals. Animals whose meat will provide them the perfect nourishment they need to support their overall strength and power.
Take wolves, for instance.
In the wild, they travel in packs (after all, there's safety in numbers).
One wolf in particular is designated as the pack leader -- the alpha male. The alpha is always the strongest and most dominant member of the group who chooses the strongest and most dominant female as his mate -- the alpha female.
During the hunt for food, all members of the pack participate as a well-orchestrated team to cunningly and stealthily stalk and take down their prey.
In a successful hunt, the others stand aside as the alpha wolves step forward to claim the best part of the 'meal' -- the organ meat of the felled animal.
They leave the muscles and other parts of the animal for the rest of the pack.
The alpha wolves know instinctively the densest nutrients necessary for their best health reside in the tender organs of the body -- particularly the liver -- a virtual powerhouse of strength-building nutrition.
You see, out in the wild it's all about survival of the fittest. And without plenty of pure, raw meat, carnivores like the wolf would weaken and die.
Why am I telling you this story about the eating habits of wolves out in the wild?
Well, let me ask you this...
Doesn't Your Dog Deserve the Same Pure
Nutrition as Alpha Wolves in the Wild?
You may or may not know this, but that loving, devoted, tail-wagging member of your family is almost genetically identical to the wolves I just told you about
In fact, research has shown that there's only a 0.2% difference between your dog's DNA sequence and that of the Gray Wolf. And the distinction is so small, they're both classified in Mammal Species of the World, under the same species name -- Canis lupus.
hunting dogs
No matter your dog's size, it still
requires a diet very high in quality
meat protein.
What does that mean?
It means your 'best friend' is a born meat-eater -- a carnivore -- just like the wolves in the wild.
Their bodies and digestive systems are designed, by nature, to consume mostly meat in order to be the healthiest they can be.
Just like your own body is designed to eat the right amount of pure, natural ingredients to support your overall good health and well being, the same is true for your dog.
And yet, most dog foods and treats out on the market today contain everything but meat.
Read your pet's treat ingredient label: if meat is listed, it's usually followed by several other ingredients that are unnecessary for good health.
Most treats are full of grains and fillers -- with only a fraction of the ingredients being real meat. Some treats don't contain any meat at all, but are instead sprayed with a thin coating of meat flavoring to trick your dog (and you) into thinking they're getting a meaty treat.
Does that sound like something your carnivore needs in their diet?
No way.
Why Your Canine Was NOT Designed to Eat Grains!
As stated above, your dog is a carnivore, not an herbivore.
What difference does that make, you ask?
An herbivore is equipped to digest plant foods and cellulose because of the rumens they have -- the first division of the stomach of herbivores in which most food collects immediately after being swallowed, and from which it is later returned to the mouth as cud for more thorough chewing. Your dog doesn't have rumens to do this.
Secondly, your dog's pancreas is unable to secrete cellulase to split the cellulose into glucose molecules.
Lastly, dogs are not efficient at digesting, assimilating and utilizing plant material as a source of high quality protein (contrary to what pet food manufacturers would have you believe).
Plants like rice, soybean meal, wheat and corn have very limited usefulness in the meat-eaters diet. They are simply not good choices for a dietary foundation that optimally nourishes meat-eating animals.
Why Your Dog Craves Meat
Your dog doesn't try to eat your meat just to be
difficult. It's just that his or her body demands meat
for metabolism. Be sure your dog gets sufficient
high-quality protein.
It's not that your dog craves meat just to be difficult...
You see, twenty-two different amino acids are necessary for your dog's various metabolic and energy requirements.
But dogs are only able to synthesize twelve of these internally. So therefore they must rely on their diet to obtain the other ten. These amino acids are called essential amino acids, because dogs cannot produce them internally, and therefore it's essential to obtain them from diet.
Herbivores like cows can produce amino acids largely by the billions of microorganisms along their multi-stomached and lengthy gastrointestinal tracts.
Our dog friends by contrast have relatively short, simple GI tracts which are unable to capitalize on microbe amino acid synthesis, and therefore require pre-formed amino acids directly from their food.
That's why carbohydrates should never be a main staple of your dog's diet. To maintain their proper health, protein should form the firm foundation of your dog's food supply.
What's more, those protein sources should contain a wide spectrum of amino acids, knowing that your dog's GI tract and health depend on it.
Since we know that corn provides just four amino acids out of twenty-two, it's not a good source of protein for your dog -- regardless of what pet food manufacturers say or imply. (More on that in a moment.)
Viable protein sources with wide-spectrum amino acid support include beef, bison, chicken, eggs, fish, lamb, turkey, duck, venison, elk and goat. .
It's much more expensive to produce foods and treats with a beef, bison, or other quality protein foundation. Their financial stake supersedes any concern they have for your particular 'best friend'.
Price dictates what foundational food will comprise their pet food offerings...
Bogus 'Protein' Beefing up the Label
Enter... corn -- a cheap, plentiful "filler" product.
Fills the pet food bags, creating the illusion of giving more food for your money. And fills the pet's stomach, making your dog feel satisfied (for a time, anyway).
What's more, it contains just enough (low-quality) protein to enable the manufacturer to list it as a protein, 'beefing up' the protein quantities enough to label it as "complete and balanced".
Don't let them fool you!
Meat is good for cats and dogs.
Is your dog getting enough superior protein in its diet?
Cheap ingredients based on plant products result in cheap pet foods -- which always turn out to be a poor choice for nourishing a meat-eater. Dogs (cats, too!) are livelier and healthier when meat, poultry, lamb and fish are the foundation of their diets.
In addition, corn is one of the most frequent genetically modified 'foods' there is. Why would you want to give that to your precious dog? If genetically modified foods aren't good for you, I'm pretty sure they're not good for your pet either.
Isn't it time we choose to feed our beloved dogs as the meat eaters they are -- and denounce the senseless practice of feeding them as if they're herbivores simply because it's cheaper to do so?
I believe that as our pets' caregivers, we have an obligation to discover what they really need nutritionally and provide it for them.
But it's much more than an obligation...
You love your best friend, so why would you choose anything less than the best for them?