Issue link: http://cp.revolio.com/i/1160213
Page 20 | Abby's Magazine - www.AbbysMag.com We live in a world where everyone has an opinion on what is good/bad, right/wrong when it comes to feeding their fur babies. The one thing all pet owners agree on is they want the best for their furry family member. When in doubt, I defer to nature for the answers on how to feed dogs and cats. FACT: Dogs are carnivores. Their natural species appropriate diet consists of meat, fat, bones, organ meats and the intes nal contents of the animal they killed. They do not drag their fresh kill to a kibble processor or canning factory to be heated to high temperatures and filled with sugar and preserva ves. FACT: Cats are obligate carnivores, they have NO dietary requirement for carbohydrates. Their perfect diet is the composi on of a mouse. As pet ownership has grown, the human-pet bond has strengthened, and the opportunity to create a market around pet food has grown with it. Pet foods are now a mul trillion dollar industry. History of "Complete and Balanced" Labeling In the 1930's, government studies showed that the food grown in the United States was nutrient deficient. Farming prac ces were not sustainable, resul ng in the soils being stripped of the essen al nutrients. When plants are grown on nutrient deficient soils, the animals ea ng those plants become nutrient deficient, and those ea ng those animals become nutrient deficient. This is a cri cally important point, because the body (human or animal) can not produce the essen al vitamins and minerals, they must come from the diet. These essen al vitamins, minerals and fa y acids literally run the metabolic pathways of the body! Years ago, the big box pet food companies formed an organiza on called AAFCO. They set the "standards" for pet food. They dictate what makes pet food "complete and balanced". The problem is they are not concerned with species appropriate foods or the bioavailability (the bodies ability to u lize nutrients) of the ingredients. According to AAFCO standards, it is ok to destroy the enzymes in the foods by hea ng the products to high temperatures, feed exceedingly high amounts of carbohydrates, use synthe c vitamins and minerals and rancid fa y acids. Gene cally modified meats and vegetables (GMO), hormones, chemicals and pes cides, are not only allowed, there is no labeling to make people aware they are in the diet. Rendered foods (meats not fit for human consump on) and by products (non meat parts like hoofs, beaks and feathers) are allowed in pet food under AAFCO guidelines. The combina on of poor diet and severe environmental toxin overload has led to dogs having the highest rate of cancer of any mammal. 1 out of 1.65 dogs are diagnosed with cancer. Cats are not far behind the dog numbers. 1 out of 3 cats are diagnosed with cancer. Despite advancements in veterinary health care, life expectancy for our precious fur babies is declining over the past 20 years. Dogs are living on average 7 years less than 20 years ago. The problem is not a deficiency of pharmaceu cal drugs, but rather a failure to address the root cause of the disease, specifically the condi ons that contribute to the problems in the first place. Species inappropriate diet is one of the leading contributors to this dis-ease epidemic. Sugar feeds cancer and produces inflamma on which is the underlying cause of all disease, we KNOW that! So how is it that processed pet foods (kibble and canned) have carbohydrate levels between 40% and 60%? These carnivores were NEVER designed to eat carbohydrates directly! How do we know this? Neither dogs nor cats have amylase (the diges ve enzyme that breaks down sugars) in their saliva. Their natural diet in the wild has less than 1% carbohydrate. A Paradigm Shi Back to Nature's Plan Fresh "living food" (not heated above 105 degrees) has diges ve enzymes in the food that aid in diges on of that food. The diges ve enzymes in living food are destroyed when heated over 105 degrees, resul ng in "enzyma cally dead food". Feeding enzyma cally dead food to dogs and cats contributes to the inflamma on that is the underlying cause of all disease. Dogs and cats in the wild get 70% of their moisture from their diet. Kibble diets are virtually devoid of moisture, contribu ng to chronic dehydra on and kidney disease. What is a SPECIES APPROPRIATE DIET for DOGS AND CATS