NUTRITION

Nutrition is medicine and can be a healing solution to issues for humans and animals alike. Food that is inappropriate can have devastating impact on health. I’ve experienced the confusion and overwhelm of trying to choose the best food for our furry family. And over the years I’ve made mistakes in my decisions through lack of knowledge. So now I’m eager to share the facts I’ve learnt. Below are my summaries from reliable resources to support you in your desire to keep your beloved cats and dogs healthy.

If you read nothing else, what I most want you to know is that cats need water in their food (65-85% moisture content) - so kibble is not species-appropriate for kitties. And cats require a higher percentage of animal protein than dogs. Kibble is also not a healthy choice for dogs. Choose the freshest food you can find and afford. This downloadable pdf list is a helpful place to start: List of Best and Worst Foods by Dr Karen Becker DVM

The aim is to give the nutrition to our domesticated cats and dogs that most closely resembles the food their bodies were made to consume - their ancestral diet of fresh, living whole foods. The content and balance of their natural diet is what keeps their bodies functioning well. They have teeth and digestive tracts of carnivores - designed for consuming prey animals. Since every animal is an individual, the amount of protein that is appropriate will depend on their health, age and breed. These recommendations are for healthy dogs and cats.

Dr Karen Becker says. “Understanding what constitutes biologically appropriate nutrition for the species you're caring for is a key first step in nourishing any pet in a way that respects their physiology. By feeding animals according to their physiology we reduce metabolic stress. Step two involves choosing ethically sourced, sustainable and non-toxic ingredients that fit within the framework of species-appropriate food.”

Dogs were both hunters and scavengers, and are carnivores. Dr Becker says, “Dogs evolved to eat very high moisture diets containing large amounts of clean, unheated fat and animal protein, moderate roughage (fiber) and low/no starch.” Based on Steve Brown’s research he concluded the ancestral diet for canines consisted of about 85-90% meat (primarily from whole prey that includes all parts: fur, bones, eyes, tongue, and all the organs and glands) along with small amounts of fish and eggs, and 10-15% scavenged grasses, berries, nuts and other vegetation.

Cats were hunters and are obligate carnivores. The ancestral diet for cats is whole prey, such as small rodents, birds, insects, amphibians and reptiles. This is a moisture-rich and high protein diet. They need more protein than dogs. Our cats evolved in the desert so fish and beef are not natural protein sources. Cats in the wild would also graze on grass.

Just as in the human food industry, products in the pet industry often do not provide proper nutrition. Dr Becker says to assess each brand for biological appropriateness, quality of ingredients (including possible residues and contaminants), as well as identify where the bulk of nutrients are coming from (real food or powders). My lists below have some facts to guide you when you’re making your choices.

HEALTHY CATS + DOGS NEED:

• clean water (without fluoride and chlorine and other undesirable substances) but still contains minerals

• moisture content in the food (ancestral diet of whole prey is 70% water) that is necessary for proper hydration, digestion and urinary health

• fresh living food (whole food that has it’s nutrient value including abundant enzymes and the fats haven’t been oxidized)

• high percentage of proteins (as carnivores they need to eat a meat-based diet)

• dogs should be consuming about 65%-80% muscle, bone and organs in their diet

• cats require about 90-95% muscle, bone and organs in their diet

• variety of proteins in their meal rotation (rather than one kind of meat)

• fat content should be half or less % of the protein content (to be close to ancestral diet)

• proteins should be lean (fat level of natural prey averages around 7%)

• balanced fats of saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated

• essential fatty acids (required in their diet as they cannot make them, such as omega-3). Dogs require these essential amino acids: Arginine, Histidine, Isoleucine, Leucine, Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Threonine, Tryptophan, Valine.

• the correct amount of calories for their age, size and energy levels (and can also depend on the season)

  

NECESSARY FOR CATS:

• Cats must have food that contains water (65-85% moisture content).

• Cats need higher levels of protein (ancestral diet of mice and small rodents are moisture-rich and high protein).

• Cats must have taurine in their diet for the health of their eyes and heart. It is found in high levels in organs like the brain and heart. Cooking meat decreases the taurine content and freezing for longer than a week decreases the taurine content.

• Cats must get vitamin A and D from an animal source.

• Cats need several small meals per day - optimally about 5-6 hours apart.

• Cats require about 25-35 calories per pound of their weight per day. (One mouse is about 30 calories.)

• Cats choose their food by smell. They prefer their food at room/mouse temperature as it releases aromas.

• DO NOT LEAVE FOOD OUT FOR CATS: instead give them meals

TIPS FOR MAKING DECISIONS

• Read the ingredients of the product. Does it list the above fresh food ingredients - mostly muscle meat and organs? Dogs and cats need animal protein. Organ meats provide a high levels of minerals, vitamins and vital nutrients. Heart and liver are important. Are there fillers like potatoes or chickpeas? Does it contain a long list of supplements because there is a lack of nutrients in the ingredients?

• Raw food is best. Commercially-available raw food is frozen (thaw before feeding) or freeze-dried (rehydrate before feeding). A lower cost option is dehydrated food (just add water). Homemade raw food is the best as it is the freshest and you can control the quality of food. It can be the most cost-effective option but you must follow a trusted recipe that is a balanced diet. [Note some dogs or situations require the meat to be cooked, such as elderly dogs or those with suppressed immune systems.]

• Check the percentages of ingredients of any commercial pet food.
  Dogs should be consuming about 65%-80% muscle, bone and organs in their diet.
  Cats require about 90-95% muscle, bone and organs.
  The remaining should be vegetables and fruit.
  Note that dogs and cats with chronic issues such as kidney disease may need less protein.

• Dogs and cats do not need added carbohydrates. A starchy diet with grains is pro-inflammatory. High carbohydrate diets affect insulin levels, which affect the pancreas. In the wild cats and dogs would have eaten their prey whole. The carbohydrates dogs would have eaten would be from the intestinal contents of prey. Cats would also graze on grasses. Dogs also would graze and scavenge. Seeds, grains and legumes are not found in the ancestral diet except when pre-digested by their small animal prey.

• Check the quality of the food - the source and whether it is organic or free-range. AAFCO do not check the quality of the ingredients of pet foods.

• Check date of production of commercial food as the fresher the better. Uncooked ground meats have a much shorter shelf-life (3-4 months) so only buy recently-produced frozen raw foods.

• Check the percentages and calorie count on the packaging.

• Some foods are to be used for treats rather than meals. Check whether packaged food is formulated to be a complete diet: “to meet the AAFCO guidelines for all life stages.” Some food may say it is complete but the numbers may disagree.

• Check packaging for tears, holes or cracks in lids as oxygen is what decreases the freshness.

• Small amounts of colorful fruits and veggies to provide a biologically appropriate amount of fiber, minerals, vitamins and anti-oxidants and other beneficial plant compounds. Low glycemic fibrous vegetables provide prebiotic fibers necessary to nourish your dog’s microbiome and contributes to overall gut and colon health.

• Vitamins from real food keep pets' skin and coat healthy, strengthen bones and teeth, and provide the necessary co-factors to fuel reactions for the body to make energy. Vitamins contribute to disease resistance. The vitamins found in ultra-processed pet food are synthetic (made in a laboratory) and "feed grade" (not tested for contaminants or impurities) and can be found in unnatural amounts.

• Not all commercial pet food contains vitamin K as it isn’t considered essential on the AAFCO guidelines. Eggs, sardines and fresh greens provide vitamin K.

• Wild-caught canned salmon and also canned sardines in water (no salt) provide essential amino acids and vitamin D. Add these to their diet to provide Omega-3.

• Rotate the kind of meat. Chicken is high in Omega-6 and beef is deficient in linoleic acid (an omega-6) so rotate the protein sources rather than feed just one kind of meat.
  Chicken is a healthy protein but is also a top allergen for pets so change meat sources if there is skin irritation, itching or GI problems.

• Snacks of veggies are great. Since dogs cannot digest cellulose well, chop finely or juice - and some veggies need to be lightly cooked.

• Organic nut butters (just the nuts with no other ingredients) are fine except for macademia nuts that can cause GI upset due to their high fat content.
  

SUPERFOODS TO ADD TO DIET

Additions to diet should be no more than 15% of total calories

• Pumpkin :: regulates bowel function with its high soluble fiber and has potassium

• Kefir :: fermented milk is a super probiotic

• Mushrooms :: the ones that humans eat are safe - such as shitake, reishi, king trumpet, turkey tail, himematsutake. They regulate bowel function and have potent anticancer properties and aid the immune system

• Sardines in water :: provides omega-3 fatty acids that are essential

• Fermented vegetables :: detoxify with probiotics and vitamins. Add one teaspoons for every ten pounds to food once a day. (make sure it is ONION-FREE)

• Eggs :: pasture-raised and given organic feed (any kind from quail to goose) provide protein (10 essential amino acids) and so many nutrients when the egg whites are lightly cooked and the yolk is very runny. Best way to cook is a very soft boiled egg. The eggshell membrane can be given to help with joint support (contains collagne, glucosamine, chondroitin, hyaluronic acid).
  

SNACKS of veggies in small amounts:

• Vegetables are critical for digestive and microbiome health (fiber and crucial nutrients) - in SMALL amounts for dogs and EVEN SMALLER for cats (no more than 10% of daily carbohydrate calories in diet).

• Fermented veggies are the best as they mimic the plant food after it’s been digested by small prey that wild cats and dogs would hunt. Try adding half a teaspoon to their food!

• Vegetables such as broccoli, brussel sprouts, carrots, celery, cucumbers, green beans, mushrooms, peas, carrots, spinach. (AVOID anything in the ONION FAMILY)

• Make sure they are organic or no-spray to avoid toxins.

• Small pieces of fresh veggies (raw or gently steamed) and fruit during the day as snacks.
  Since dogs cannot digest cellulose well so chop finely or juice - and some veggies need to be lightly cooked.

• raw pieces of carrot, apple, berries, apricots, pears, pineapple, plums, peaches, cherry tomatoes (AVOID GRAPES and RAISINS)

• raw pieces of broccoli, zucchini, brussel sprouts, celery, mushrooms, peas, cucumber, pumpkin seeds

Transitioning to Fresh Raw Food

BY KAREN BECKER DVM
Dogs and cats process raw foods and kibble very differently. Raw food is processed as a protein, held in the stomach for an acid bath, unlike kibble, which a dog or cat’s body views metabolically as a starch. If raw foods are added to dry foods for a meal, there can be digestive confusion, resulting in gassiness and belching.

When introducing any new food to a pet with a healthy gut, I recommend using the new food as a treat for a day, and keeping an eye on the condition of the stool. 

Increase the number of new food treats over the next several days and continue to watch the stool.

If the stool remains normal, replace one whole meal of old food with new food. Do this for several more days, and if the stools remain normal, it’s safe to discontinue the old food and feed only the new food.

Raw food diets usually produce small, hard balls of poop that are easily passed and turn white and crumble and blow away in a day or so if you forget to pick them up. This is totally normal. 

Multiple huge piles of stinky poop from dry food diets would be a thing of the past. So, feces will change – and for the better. Raw food poop is entirely different from kibble-fed poop. This is because of the higher digestibility of raw food, with the result that most of the nutrients in the food are absorbed rather than excreted in feces.

Note on Slow Transitioning to Fresh Raw Food:
With patience, you can transition any kitty from the addictive kibble to a better food. Dr Karen Becker and her mom give these steps that they used for two senior cats who had eaten only kibble before being adopted. They took it very slowly, following the pace that worked for their kitties.
1. Added moisture to the kibble with broth - to decrease the crunchy and be more like canned food.
2. Added 10% canned food to the moistened kibble. Do for 2-5 days. Then kept increasing amount until at 100% canned food.
3. Added 10% lightly cooked raw food and increased percentage until at 100%.
4. Did the same with raw food until eating 100% raw food.
5. Switched the protein from chicken (they’d only eaten this their whole lives). Adding 10% of the new protein raw food over 7-12 days.

RESOURCED FROM:

”Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats” by Dr Karen Becker
”Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet” by Steve Brown
”Feline Nutrition - Nutrition for the Optimum Health and Longevity of your Cat” by Lynn Curtis
List of Best and Worst Foods by Dr Karen Becker DVM
“Feeding Dogs: The Science Behind The Dry Verses Raw Debate” by Dr Connor Brady
barkandwhiskers.com / Dr Karen Becker’s articles on her website