After several months of not posting much, it's time to revamp the blog. Our dog, Azul passed away two weeks ago, and my husband is already searching for a new dog to rehabilitate and/or train. As we've studied more dog training techniques, I've been impressed with the versatility and vast capabilities dogs have, especially assisting in therapy for people. I came across a well-written blog that discusses animals assisting in therapy that you can check out here: http://www.healthyfellow.com. It's a health blog that also covers diet, exercise, and other natural remedies and ways of life. What I love about this blog is that it really has a wealth of information about all kinds of general and specific health and wellness topics, ranging from Alternative Therapies to Women's Health issues. I would like to see more on the website relating to animal health through diet, as I'm sure the author knows a lot about that. In any case, I like what he has to say about how beneficial an animal can be not only in a professional therapy setting, but also as a simple family pet. We'll definitely miss our dog, Azul, as he was a big part of our family, but we look forward to the symbiotic rewards of giving a new dog a home sometime in the future.
Pawty Time! Dog Birthday Party
Our dogs are just part of the family, so why should everyone else have all the birthday fun? Dogs ought to have at least ONE birthday a year...after all, each year of life is equivalent to seven human years, right? So, put on your birthday hats and get ready to help Fido blow out all the candles on his wheat-free carrot-apple cake! Check out this website for some cute dog birthday ideas!
The Importance of Bones and Calcium, Phosphorous in Carnivore's Diet
Dr. Richard H. Pitcairn, D.V.M., Ph.D - Dogs and cats, their kind in the wild, eat a large amount of calcium. This happens because they chew on, and swallow, bones which have large quantities of calcium in their makeup. It is assumed that with time they have adapted to having this kind of diet. It is not completely clear that they must have this much calcium to be healthy. In other words, perhaps they can adapt to lower levels. It certainly seems that way for many of the animals I have known that, for one reason or another, have had small amounts of calcium in their diets. They often seem just fine. There is evidence that the growing animal is the one most sensitive to calcium deficiency. This makes sense if we remember that it is during this time that the bones of the body are rapidly enlarging. They are made up primarily of calcium and phosphorus. In any case, it seems wise to supply the amounts of calcium that are typical of the natural diet and our recipes are formulated with that consideration. To give you some idea of how much more calcium is "required" by a dog compared to a human being, consider this comparison. The amount of calcium the average woman needs is the same as that required by a small 10 lb. dog. A larger dog, say a 100 lb. German Shepherd requires about 10 times as much as this average woman. It is difficult to find sources of calcium that can add this much to the diet. The natural source is bones and we find that this is also the most ample source with which to formulate diets.
"The common practice of feeding meat without bones (or bone meal) is nutritionally disastrous for dogs and cats. There are far too many people giving eggs and meat to their pets without providing a balance to all the phosphorus they contain. Meat contains no calcium, and lots of phosphorus; bones contain lots of calcium. Eggs contain lots of phosphorus; the shells contain calcium. That is nature's balance. If we feed meat without bones or eggs without shells, or aren't sure of the correct ratios of those things to feed, we must use something to replace them. It is a common and tragic mistake to give a diet far too high in phosphorus to cats and dogs." Christie Keith from Natural diet.... what is it? Raw fat is also vitally important in carnivore's diet for optimum health and performance.
