The Three Carbo-teers…We Are Sharing Our Bad Health Habits with Our Pets

The ancestor of our domestic cat ate small mammals, reptiles, bugs, and birds that were very moist, crunchy, high-protein, high-fat packages. So why do we care what our cat’s ancestors ate? Because there is an important link.

This fact is true whether we’re talking about ourselves, our dogs or our cats. What all animals eat has a big effect on their health. Half of Americans are sporting some extra weight due to our high-carb, fast-food culture. More and more of us are suffering from obesity, diabetes, arthritis and other chronic maladies…just like our cats. The more we know about what has worked for eons, centuries and decades is what we should be adding to our modern diets. That is the reason we care. The problem is that we don’t always follow the lessons.

Today’s domesticated felines are a case in point. They are fed a very dry, highly processed, high-carbohydrate “cookie” that we call dry cat food. The way some cats gobble their dry food, you would think it was laced with something addictive. Did you know that this dry food is probably a factor in diabetes, obesity, chronic vomiting and diarrhea, and even urinary problems in cats. That alone ought to be enough to make you change your cat’s diet.

The Blood Sugar Problem

Recently I have been researching the way foods affect our blood sugar. Grains such as those in bread and chips make our blood sugar rise for a bit then fall, which causes us to experience hunger even though we just ate. Vegetables and fruit are complex carbohydrates that do not jack the blood sugar around like grains, so they are less likely to cause the same problem. Watching the way some cats and dogs act ravenous all the time after eating dry food makes me suspect the same thing happens to them.

Our ancestors evolved eating plants, fruit, and some meat. Cats and dogs evolved from predators that ate high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets. Both of our diets and those of our domesticated pet have changed markedly, and  our bodies show it!!

Change Eating Habits

You can help your dog and cat by feeding them differently. Many of the suggestions I make in my new book Dog Dish Diet: Sensible Nutrition for Your Dog’s Health can be used for cats too. For better health: Instead of dry cat food, feed canned. And instead of dry treats, feed chicken, shrimp, fish, egg yolk, tuna, or even sardines 3-4 times a week. Because the same health problems are seen in all three species, when they eat too many carbs, it might be time to follow mom’s advice and “eat your vegetables.” Bone Appétit!

**Saber Tooth Tiger photo is made available through Filckr and Creative Commons

Tagged as: california veterinarian, cat food, cat health, cats, Dr. Greg's Dog Dish Diet, healthy eating for cats, overweight cats