Feeding Your Pet Thanksgiving Leftovers

Thanksgiving's is about here and you know what that means...plenty of food to feast on. There's a warning to pet owners who may be tempted to feed their four-legged friends turkey and all the fix-ins. Mouth-watering turkey is what many cats and dogs want to get their paws on and sink their teeth into.

Veternarian Dr. Taro Cueteara from Mueller Pet Medical Center doesn't recommend stuffing your pets face with these holiday treats. "The turkey bones can break off and cause lacerations in the oral cavity along the esophogus and intestines." He says other foods high in fat can cause pancreatitis...something that's very serious. "They'll show a loss of appetite, vomit, diahrrea within a few hours of having a fatty snack. Also, the spices used to flavor the turkey can also be harmful to your pet.

Still many pet owners say they don't want their dogs and cats to feel left out of the big meal. Vets say that the Holidays are very busy for them because they have to perform a lot of surgeries on animals who get bones lodged in their digestive systems.

Be sure to also avoid letting your pets sample any adult beverages that may be left attended such as beer, wine, or coffee!

- Jen
Natural and Raw Premium Pet Food Co.
NaturalandRaw.com

Don't Forget Your Fur Kid This Christmas!

Don't forget your fur kid this holiday! Pick up a Simply Fido Penguin holiday dog toy or choose from 2 sizes of Simply Fido Holiday Moose pet toys. Not only are these organic pet toys good for the environment and great for pets with allergies, but they are also super fun for your fur kid!

- Jen
Natural and Raw Premium Pet Food Co.
NaturalandRaw.com

New Pet Jerky is Here!

We just got in a shipment of all-natural pet jerky sticks today! Find pet treats in flavors like Elk, Bison, Ostrich, Yak and Wild Boar that your dog is sure to love! Made from all-natural, grass fed meats. They are gluten free, so even you dogs with allergies can enjoy these pet jerky treats!

- Jen
NaturalandRaw.com

Did You Know?

Did you know that the average 50 lb dog eating commercial dog food and treats eats about 18 lbs of preservatives each year? That takes a lot of work on the body part to eliminate, resulting in lots of free radicals and potential damage to cells and to DNA. Sadly all these preservatives are all processed through the kidneys and kidney failure is one of the leading causes of death in dogs. Consider all natural dog treats from www.naturalandraw.com for a preservative free alternative that your best friend will love! We also offer balanced, all natural raw dog food!

Every year we are discovering more and more about anti-oxidants that are found in whole natural foods. Dogs and people both need fresh vegetables, fruits and high quality meats. Look for them in the best dog food like human grade dog foods. The best way to ensure adequate intake of useful anti-oxidants is through a balanced, whole food diet.

As always, talk with your vet before making any changes to your fur kid's diet.

- Jen
NaturalandRaw.com

Myth #2 About the Raw Diet for Dogs

Myth #2: A Raw Meat Diet Isn't a Balanced Diet For Pets

An all-meat diet isn't balanced. Your do also needs bone in a 1:1 or 1:2 ratio in fact and organ meat. To feed raw, you want to model a "whole prey" type of feeding in order for your pets to have all the proper nutrients for their bodies. Dogs and cats get all their nutrients from the "whole prey" they eat -meat, bone or bone meal, and organs. You can feed all raw veggies to rabbits, birds, guinea pigs, etc.

When you raw feed your dog and cat, all the EXACT proportions of the vitamins, minerals, fat, protein, enzymes and probiotics are supplied for them within the "whole prey" model of raw feeding.

The reason your commerical packaged pet foods need to ADD nutrients - which are sprayed on synthetic nutrients by the way - is because all the processing to make kibble effectively eliminates ANY nutritional value. This "balanced diet" phrase is nothing more than a selling ploy by the pet food industry so you'll buy their "junk food" for your pets.

As always, check with your Vet before making any changes to your fur kid's diet.

- Jen

NaturalandRaw.com

Gift Pick #1: Simply Fido Moose Holiday Dog Toy

We have a large variety of dog toys, but we do have some holiday-specific toys that will make great gifts for your fur kid!

Today's Dog Gift Pick:

Simply Fido 8" Holiday Moose. Organic dog toy with squeakers. Price: $12.95.

- Jen
NaturalandRaw.com

Christmas Gifts for Your Dog

Yes, we buy Christmas present for our two dogs, Duncan and Abbey. Over the next few days, we'll be sharing some great ideas for pet gifts this year your furry friend is sure to love! Whether they love plush toys, or special treats, you're sure to find a good gift or stocking stuffer for your fur kid so that they're not left out on Christmas!

- Jen
NaturalandRaw.com

Resources for Raw Feeding

If you are new to raw feeding, it can seem a little overwhelming and you want to be 100% sure that what you're doing is right for your dog. Here are some great resources that we've found that helped us out a lot when looking into raw for our dogs.

RawFed shows myths often heard for raw food.
http://rawfed.com

RawLearning offers tips for people getting started with raw and certain meats you should not feed your pet with the raw diet.
http://www.rawlearning.com

LivingandRawFoods offers advise from vets on what they've seen with the raw diet vs. commercial dog food.
http://www.living-foods.com/articles/rawpetfood.html

As always, check with your vet before making any changes in your pet's diet.

- Jen
NaturalandRaw.com

Myth #1 About the Raw Diet for Dogs

Myth: THE BACTERIA IN RAW MEAT WILL HURT YOUR DOG.

Yes, the bacteria in raw meat might hurt your dog IF the dog already has an immunocompromised system or some underlying problem. Raw diets have also been blamed for causing things like pancreatitis and kidney disease, when in reality the underlying disease was already there and was brought to light by the change in diet. Dogs are surprisingly well-equipped to deal with bacteria. Their saliva has antibacterial properties; it contains lysozyme, an enzyme that lyses and destroys harmful bacteria. Their short digestive tract is designed to push through food and bacteria quickly without giving bacteria time to colonize. The extremely acidic environment in the gut is also a good bacteria colonization deterrent. People often point to the fact that dogs shed salmonella in their feces (even kibble-fed dogs do this) without showing any ill effects as proof that the dog is infected with salmonella. In reality, all this proves is that the dog has effectively passed the salmonella through its system with no problems. Yes, the dog can act as a salmonella carrier, but the solution is simple—do not eat dog crap and wash your hands after picking up after your dog.

Even kibble-fed dogs regularly shed salmonella and other bacteria. Most of the documented cases of severe bacterial septicemia are from kibble-fed animals or animals suffering from reactions to vaccines. Commercial pet foods have been pulled off shelves more than once because of bacteria AND molds that produce a deadly toxin. The solution? Use common sense. Clean up well and wash your hands. And think about your dog—this is an animal that can lick itself, lick other dogs, eat a variety of disgusting rotting things, and ingest its own feces or those of other animals with no ill effects. The dog, plain and simple, can handle greater bacterial loads than we can. Can dogs get sick from the bacteria? I suppose they can. But it is rare and usually indicative of an underlying problem, especially when one stops to consider how much bacteria that dog probably comes in contact with every single day. One must ask "Why this dog? Why now? What has made this particular dog susceptible to bacterial overgrowth?" Something is not 'right' regarding the dog's health—a healthy dog does not suffer from bacterial infections or bacterial septicemia. That is just common sense. A dog suffering from "salmonella poisoning" is obviously not healthy, especially when compared to a dog that ate the same food with the same salmonella load but is perfectly healthy and unaffected. The first dog has suffered a 'breakdown' in its health that allowed the bacteria to become a problem; if one is talking in homeopathic medicine terminology, this is simply one more symptom that shows the dog is suffering from chronic disease.

I put forth that it is the kibble, not the raw meat, that causes bacterial problems. Kibble in the intestine not only irritates the lining of the bowels but also provides the perfect warm, wet environment with plenty of undigested sugars and starches as food for bacteria. This is why thousands of processed food-fed animals suffer from from a condition called Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth, or SIBO (Lonsdale, T. 2001. Raw Meaty Bones. pg 85). Raw meaty bones, however, create a very inhospitable environment for bacteria, as RMBs are easily digestible and have no carbohydrates, starches, or sugars to feed the bacteria.

Can raw-fed dogs make other dogs sick? If the other dog has a suppressed immune system or some underlying problem, then perhaps a raw-fed dog can make another dog sick. But keep in mind the inordinate amount of bacteria dogs usually ingest anyway, not to mention the plaques of bacteria covering the teeth and gums of the kibble-fed dogs. People recall raw-fed dogs being the only dogs at dog shows that did not get sick with some communicable disease of some sort, and then instantly assume that it was those dogs that got all the other dogs sick. A more plausible explanation is that the raw-fed dogs have a much stronger immune system and are thus better equipped to fight off diseases and "canine common colds" that circulate at shows (and possibly that they have been vaccinated less than their kibble-fed counterparts, which results in a stronger immune system). For a more in-depth discussion of how processed foods suppress the immune system, please refer to Raw Meaty Bones.

Just some final thoughts on bacteria and raw: this is what finds its way into the "sterile" kibbled commercial foods:

"Meat products not intended for human consumption, such as inedible tissues, condemned portions of carcasses, and entire carcasses of condemned animals (eg, animals found to be dead, dying, disabled, or diseased at the time of slaughter), are also used for dog food. Because of the inherent nature of these products and the less stringent handling requirements, compared with products approved for human consumption, these products may contain high levels of bacterial contamination." (LeJuene, J.T. and D.D. Hancock. 2001. Public health concerns associated with feeding raw meat diets to dogs. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 219(9): 1222.)

And as for commercial foods being "bacteria free" (an assumption that is often inferred when people put down raw diets because of the bacteria):

"Pet foods, commercial or homemade, provide an ideal environment for bacterial proliferation." (LeJuene, J.T. and D.D. Hancock. 2001. Public health concerns associated with feeding raw meat diets to dogs. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 219(9): 1224.)

So do not be fooled into thinking kibbled, commercial pet food is a sterile, bacteria-free source of food! The starches, rancid fats, and sugars in kibbled foods provide much better food sources for bacteria than the proteins in raw meat.

For more information, visit http://rawfed.com.

As always, check with your vet before making any changes to your pet's diet!

- Jen

Does Your Pet Have Skin Allergies?

It’s surprising to learn that so many of us never relate our pet’s skin allergies to the diet we are feeding them. After all, that’s first thing medical doctors tell us humans when we go to get relief from allergies. Think about it. The first thing your medical doctor might tell you, after doing the appropriate allergy testing is to cut out certain foods – and one of the first for humans is usually corn or corn products.

And the next is usually grains in many shapes and forms. You would be surprised how many commercial pet foods (and some raw foods!) include large amounts of corn, wheat and other grains. Even if your dog is not allergic to corn and other grains, their bodies are not able to process these ingredients, so they provide no nutritional value to your pet and can sometimes cause intestinal distress and other health issues.

Your pet’s diet is the place you must start if you want to end hot spots, itching and scratching, scaly dry skin and even ear infections. And if you start with the right diet, you can probably skip all the expensive allergy testing, save yourself heaps of money and get your pet on the rapid road to recovery.

There are several options for feeding your dog a raw diet. Multiple options for raw dog food can be found at specialty pet stores or online at stores, such as the Natural and Raw Premium Pet Food Co. store. You can also make homemade recipes if you want to make your own raw food, but this can be time consuming!

Be sure to consult with your vet before making any changes to your pet's diet.

Winter Tips for Keeping Your Pets Safe and Healty

Your furry friends will be happiest and healthiest, regardless of the season, if you keep them inside with you, however we know that is not always possible! Here are some guidelines for protecting your pets when the temperature drops:

• If you keep the household thermostat low, make sure your cats have access to warm sleeping spots. Kittens and older cats will appreciate a heated pad or bed (readily available at pet supply stores).

• Take dogs out frequently to exercise and relieve themselves but keep them inside the rest of the time. In particular, don’t leave tiny, shorthaired and very young or old dogs outside without supervision. Warm sweaters or doggy coats will keep them comfortable on walks. Longhaired larger dogs and those with double coats like the Nordic breeds may enjoy the cold and snow, but they, too, should live primarily indoors with the family.

• Keep dogs’ coats well groomed. Matted fur won’t protect them from the cold.

• To prevent ice-melting chemicals from irritating your dogs’ feet, consider applying cooking spray to the foot pads or buying them protective boots. After a walk, wipe the feet, legs and stomach area to prevent ingestion of salt or dangerous chemicals. For your own walkways, use a pet-friendly ice-melt product.

• When out doors, make sure they are always wearing ID tags and consider getting them microchip identification implants for an extra measure of protection.

• Check your garage and driveway for antifreeze and other chemicals. Antifreeze is a deadly poison, but it has a sweet taste that attracts animals and children. Wipe up any spills right away. Better yet, use pet-safe antifreeze, which is made with propylene glycol. If ingested in small amounts, it will not hurt pets, wildlife or your family.

• Never leave a pet alone in a car during cold weather. A car can act as a refrigerator, holding in the cold and causing the animal to freeze to death.

• If there are outdoor cats in your area, bang loudly on your car hood or honk the horn before starting the engine. In their search to keep warm, outdoor cats often take refuge next to a warm car engine or tire.

• Keep snow from piling high next to your fence. A packed snowdrift will provide a boost for dogs to escape the confines of your yard.

• Consider the amount of exercise your dogs receive during colder weather and adjust the supply of food accordingly. Inside and lazy? Less food. Outside and active? More food may be needed to produce more body heat. Consult your veterinarian to be sure.

• Make sure your pets have a warm place to sleep, off the floor and away from drafts. Cozy cat or dog beds with warm blankets are perfect.

• If your dogs must be outside, it is imperative that they be protected by a dry, draft-free doghouse that is large enough to permit them to sit and lie down comfortably but small enough to hold in body heat. The floor must be raised a few inches off the ground and should be insulated with cedar shavings or straw. The house should be turned to face away from the wind, and the doorway covered with waterproof burlap or heavy plastic.

• Dogs that spend a lot of time outdoors need plenty of fresh water available. They can’t burn calories without water, and if they can’t burn calories, they can’t keep warm. Also, use a tip-resistant, ceramic or hard plastic water bowl rather than a metal one; when the temperature is low, a dog’s tongue can stick and freeze to metal.

- Jen
Natural and Raw Premium Pet Food Co.

Welcome to our Blog!

Welcome to the Natural and Raw Premium Pet Food Co. blog! Over the coming weeks and months we plan to discuss the pros and cons of alternative feeding methods for your pet. One of the most popular in recent months is the raw (or BARF) diet, which many people are still not familiar with. We are also very interested in other environmentally options to keep your pets happy and healthy while doing the planet a favor.

We stumbled upon the raw diet several months ago for our dog, Duncan, who is the most picky eater I've ever met. We talked with our vet extensively before changing his diet (which I recommend before you consider any changes for your pet!) and our vet felt that switching Duncan to a raw diet might help him gain some weight. He had consistently been 10-20% under his ideal body weight and simply will not eat. We saw an immediate change in Duncan after starting him on a homemade BARF diet. He had more energy and started eating everything we put in front of him.

While the results were great, it was a major pain for us to make his food. It would take about 2 hours to produce a batch that would feed him for a week. Many of the specialty pet stores in our area did carry pre-made raw meals for dogs, but most of them contained ingredients unsuitable for dogs (corn, grains, garlic, onions and other unnecessary fillers) and they were very expensive!

It has been our goal since then to develop a line of high quality, all natural, raw dog food that won't break the bank. We also wanted to focus on the most exotic meats, such as elk, venison and bison. These meats are great for dogs because they are grass fed (great for dogs with grain allergies!). The elk and venison are very lean meats and high in protein, which are great for our carnivore dogs. We only add minimal vegetables and essentials such as bone meal powder (for calcium) to give your dog the vitamins and minerals that might be missing from the raw meat alone. Our raw dog food is mostly meat and has no filler!

- Jen
Natural and Raw Premium Pet Food Co.