Holistic, organic, raw, and homemade whole foods are all attempts to go back in a time machine when food and livestock was grown and served without herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers, wormers, growth hormones, and antibiotics. These days most of these chemicals are part of the plants, fruit, and animals we and our pets eat.
Food and animal production levels have increased due to these chemicals, but their effects on our health are questioned by those desiring food without them. Holistic pet foods like Spots Stew (Halo) began because over 15 years the inventor made food for her sick cat, then her friends, then for millions of our pets. The food label on Spots Stew is easy to read, the ingredients sounding like a normal shopping list. Compare that to a can or bag of food in your pantry, garage, or closet. The stabilizers and preservatives almost crowd the food ingredients off the label. Where the human grade ingredients of Spots ; Chicken, carrots, celery, zucchini, green beans, green peas, turkey, calcium citrate, barley, oats , soy sauce, garlic, kelp, pasta, dicalcium phosphate, chicken liver, zinc gluconate, ascorbic acid, copper gluconate are easily recognized as whole foods, minerals, and vitamins.
Grains are also recognized to be unhealthful to dogs and cats and food like evo substitute wheat, corn, and rice with veggies and fruit. Our current obesity and diabetes epidemic in humans, dogs, and cats is in part due to our high grain diets.
Of course the down side to these holistic, organic, raw, and no grain diet is the cost. However if you feed your dog, cat, and yourself better medical care will be less. Trips to the vet for itchy skin, ear problems, and stomach and bowel problems due to the allergenic ingredients and chemicals add to the cost of the food, and take years off our pets lives.
I feel that we should feed our pets the best food we can. I believe that holistic, raw, no grain, and homemade food have their place in feeding our pets. In my book, Dog Dish Diet I help you understand how ingredients can help or destroy your pets health. Strong words yes, but after 30 years seeing animals suffer from the “cost effective” rations, strong words are needed.
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i am a old timer who started the health food thing back in the late sxties. everyone called me a nut. i fed my pet’s food made by me and me only as i did for my family and my children were very healthy and as my pet’s . we did not have many pet’s as they lived in to their twenties… and were very healthy never had hearing problems or joint problems but did run and play like pup’s and at 20 they did start slowing down but still played just not as much. i now have two small dog’s as i am older and much easier to oick up in case they were un able to walk. and i still do the same recipes from the 1960′ and i have inproved on them over the years as i learned.i am just so glad that what i was called a nut for is finally sinking into other’s way of thinking. we are what we eat as well as pets. i had a parrot i recieved from a uncle who had cancer when i was three years old. i didn’t just feed seed’s noah ate berries, apples and veggies,and (yes) chicken some times. alot for a three year old some might think. but my big white bird was my best friend he talked and listend and was loving. he alway’s wanted to be on my lap at my uncles house that is why i ended up with noah. he passed away when i was 45 years old along time ago. i am much older…. and even winged kids need care as our 4 legged kids. and just adopted 3 dog’s from a family who did not take good care of the poor babies . i have them on home made food and lot’s of vet bill’s. in just 3 short weeks would not know they were the same dog’s almost as healthy looking as my two i have from puppyhood. just a few issues with the little chihuahua has knee problem’s put hailey on halo’s hip and joint and vitamin c from halo…. she has done so well. only the first week did i see that the knee slipped.when the family brought her to my home she could hardly stand up with both of her knee’s so bowwed out. now she can play. and i had for the two small dog’s i have had 4 yrs. and 2 year’s indoor ramp’ s witch her this little one.my vet wanted to do surgery right away.. i will do this but i wanted her healthy first. but he said he didn’t think she will need it at this time.for the love that i saw in madison the rat terrier, and hailey the chihuahua, and tashi the lhasa poo… i brought them into my home they were worth the love and good care they were so in need of. and my kids made them their four legged sister’s such good dog’s they all are.i just want everyone to know they should listen to what you say about our pet’s diet i am a old timer who has done the natural diet many,many years and i have only seen the good effects of a great diet for our pet’s. i would not know anything about dog that you buy i have never used it ever.i enjoy the cooking for my pet’s and i love to see how healthy they are and they have all been sound in temperment and the new kids are becoming sound mind as well so this is all i have to go on as the store food from my new kids. they are looking great now not when i got them at all.enjoy your pet’s and go to the shelther walk a dog or two they so need attention and the worker’s will be so happy they have alot to do and so very many animal’s and remember have your pet’s fixed i alway’s did that for mine and i had all three new girl’s fixed.the diet that you give your sweet pet will pay off in so many way’s for you and the pet.we are all what we eat!