FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ON HOME MADE PET FOODS

By Catherine Lane

"The health and overall potential of dogs, like humans and other living organisms, rests on the cornerstones of nutrition, emotional wellbeing, responsible veterinary care, and a clean, toxin free living environment. Once these four are aligned we have not only a vibrant, fully realized animal, but a beginning - a framework for developing more of their abilities while at the same time we give back to them in terms of length and quality of life." - Katherine Lane

1. I see you believe strongly in home made diets and the use of specific supplements. Isn't this approach challenging for the average dog owner? It must be a lot of extra work.

There is no question that making food and adding supplements is a bit more time consuming than simply opening a can or scooping a cup of kibble. But I would stop short of saying that for the average person it's a "lot" more work. For owners of very ill dogs on highly specialized programmes, it can be quite demanding. But for most people, natural care requires a little more effort that becomes second nature after a short time. And everyone will agree; the results are worth it. I try to make sure the programme is both manageable for owner and optimal for their dog.

2. Aren't homemade diets expensive? What about all those supplements?

Again, there are a lot of variables regarding expense. Sometimes the diet is more expensive and sometimes, depending on what was being fed in past, it pretty much breaks even. I always ask that people look not only at the price of foods and supplements, but at the cost of the dog over the entirety of his or her life. And what we invariably see is that money spent on top notch preventive care translates to fewer veterinary bills and related expenses later on - not to mention the improved quality of life.

3. Commercial foods do present a lot of problems, even the best ones as I've recently learned. But how do I know a home made plan is nutritionally complete?

The concept of "complete and balanced" is often called into question. Research establishes an average amount of a nutrient that is adequate to prevent deficiency in an average dog. But where are these 'average" dogs? My training, years of study and above all, work with individual canines has taught me that every one is an individual with very specific needs and capacities.For example, a dog with intestinal problems may not be able to absorb as much of a nutrient as one who has none, therefore how can one food be right for them both? With my programme, we work to ensure each dog gets his own "complete and balanced" formula - tailored to his specific, individual needs, and working within the parameters of scientific knowledge.

4. I haven't got the time to make my dog's food on a regular basis. Would it be okay to feed a commercial food part time and home made the rest?

Yes, I have a lot of clients doing exactly that. Many times people see that home made diet is so much easier than they had suspected, they decide to switch over to full time home prep. However, there is no reason why with a little know-how, the two can't be combined.

5. Which commercial foods do you recommend for those of us who opt to stick with them?

While there are very specific things I look for in a commercial food, and with high standards come fewer choices and possibilities, I can't say I recommend one particualr food over all the others. There are several I like but I prefer to analyze each dog individually to see which brand or brands- I'm a great believer in rotation wherever tolerated - might suit him or her best. I can tell you that as we work together, you will come to know why I make the choices I do, and that way you will learn how to spot a good food when you see one. Knowledge is power, in dog food as in life...

6. I've read that a raw diet is the best one for dogs. But in your writings you suggest this may not always be the case. How do you decide whether to use raw or cooked? Doesn't cooking destroy all the nutrients in food?

Raw diet is very often an excellent choice for dogs. But some dogs cannot tolerate it due to specific conditions such as colitis, and still other times owners don't feel comfortable with it. I have clients whose dogs are doing extremely well on home cooked food, too. Again, every dog is an individual and it's my job to determine exactly which foods are best suited for his or her special needs. And, it's a myth that cooking destroys all nutrients in food! High temperatures and extended cooking times are certainly damaging, but cooking some foods in an appropriate manner actually liberates nutrients, making it easier for the dog to digest them.

7. Are the ingredients you suggest hard to find?

I make a point of using widely available foods and supplements. The odd time you will need to order something from the Internet, but I consider ease of preparation as well as nutritional value when I work with a client. If it's too hard to do, people won't do it - and the dog misses out. The exception to this is the dog who is on an elimination diet and requires novel proteins or other unusual foods. Even with these dogs, meats like rabbit or venison are much more easily obtained today than in years past. And almost all the supplements I recommend are available at your local healthfood store, or from www.iherb.com.

9. You refer a lot to finding a good holistic vet. How do I do this, and how do I know if he or she is a "good" one or not?

My article Four Pillars of Canine Holism goes into this in more detail, but I will quickly refer you to www.ahvma.org for listings in your region. What constitutes a good vet is a matter of his or her way of thinking; holism is about more than adopting the recent vaccination schedule revisions and supporting natural diet. It refers to seeing your animal as a complex whole and treating the entirety, not just one part. Above all, you need to feel like your vet explains what he or she is doing and offers you a range of options for your dog's care. It's all about knowledge, attitude, and vision.

10. The vet I am seeing now wants me to use a food he sells in his office. He says this is the best food for my dog and when I mentioned home made, he said it would be dangerous. What are your thoughts on that?

It's certainly true that some veterinary foods are carefully formulated to address specific health conditions, but as a general rule these foods are also made from questionable and mediocre ingredients. In my view, they have it half right...I would suggest that you speak to your vet about the possibility of linking my programme with his own ideas and see if there isn't a way to provide the specific requirements he suggests with the fresh wholesome home made food I prefer all dogs to eat. I've done this many times in past with very happy results. If your vet is not open to this idea, you can always consider seeing a holistic vet, who is unlikely to be opposed to your working with a trained nutrition consultant. My work does not replace veterinary care, but should proceed with the support and sanction of your veterinarian.

11. You seem to suggest the use of home made diets a lot of the time. Are they always superior to commercial foods? Are there any cases where commercial is actually better?

There is one case in which processed food is always better than fresh home made food, and that is the scenario where a person does not follow the instructions for home feeding but instead, offers anything and everything in random amounts to her dog. This can lead to deficiencies over time and I would rather see someone use a good quality commercial brand than feed their dog this way! I feel strongly that a properly formulated fresh cooked or raw diet is always superior to even the better commercial brands - but the key phrase here is "properly formulated". With the right diet, glowing good health and long life becomes a real possibility for your beloved canine.

12. Since I have changed my dogs diet I notice symptoms such as mucus in the stool and an increase in thirst. Should I be concerned about this?

Very often, a switch from one diet to another will cause a mild process of detoxification to occur in the body,and two classic symptoms of detox are increased thirst and mucus in the stool.

The latter is particularly common if gluten has been a regular part of the diet before you made the switch (All of my diets are gluten free). Symptoms of detox typically begin one to seven days after commencing the new diet, and they can last up to two weeks. Of course there are variations on this timeframe, but the symptoms should always be mild and manageable, your dog should not appear in any way uncomfortable. Soft stool is common, severe diarrhea is not. Likewise blood in the stool, noticeable lethargy or fever are not characteristic of a proper detox process. These symptoms indicate another issue in the body or, rarely, a too-fast detoxification. In the event of such symptoms contact your vet and please let me know what's going on. Your vet should be aware of the dietary changes you have made. But not to worry, I've only seen a couple of too rapid detoxes in my years of practise. Even these can be handled easily with little stress to the dog, sometimes by slowing down the process and other times by adding certain herbs and/or probiotics to assist the system make the adjustment.. I will be adding a full article on detox soon so please refer to it! But remain aware that your dog can still become ill independent of the good dietary changes you've introduced - and fever, vomiting, extreme lethargy, loss of appetite and bloody stool all require veterinary attention.

13. Is it absolutely necessary to introduce the supplements one at a time? I'd like to add them all now and see improvement faster.

The way I work is very methodical and it will be very difficult to either assess positive changes or isolate sources of problems should any arise, if we add all the supplements at the same time. In addition, a sudden increase in so many nutrients may place a strain on the body and cause some gastric distress. All of this can be avoided by adding the supplements one at a time. It really is necessary, and although it takes extra time, your dog will be gradually improving at a manageable, natural pace. Please check my article "Make Haste Slowly" for more support and ideas about how to switch to a holistic lifestyle.

14. I notice you state that "up to 10% of the dogs' diet can be treats" - what would these include and how do I calculate what 10% is?

First, I include with your dietary program what treats are appropriate for your individual dog and what amounts to use. If your dog has a specific condition such as pancreatitis, IBD, heart disease, allergy or cancer, the treats you use will have to be chosen from within the choices I outline. you can't use substitutions, but I hope I've provided enough choice that your dog will be happy with his daily snack. If for any reason he doesn't like the or you have difficulty finding ingredients, please email me and I'll see what I can do to help. I will be including a list of online stores that carry such items as gluten free flours for cookies, but most health food stores now feature these products.

With an elimination diet you must adhere strictly to the foods listed. It can be challenging, but remember this is the best way for us to pinpoint food sensitivites and help your dog heal. A wider range of choices is in the future; the strict limitations are temporary. If your dog ingests something not on the diet, please let me know as soon as you can.

For those of you new to using raw bones, please supervise! And check my article on raw diet safety for more information. If you are not treating a specific condition with diet, but are simply striving for optimal health for your dog through a personalized dietary plan, please choose treats from the list I've provided as a general rule. The odd lick of ice cream will not harm a healthy dog, but there is a great difference between a lick or two and bowl twice a week. I'm including a Treats section with recipes for Frosty Paws - a frozen yogurt treat that is much better than sugary ice cream - various cookies and biscuits, and specialty recipes for special needs dogs.

Use common sense and enjoy! My nutrition article will cover why I am not a fan of peanut butter and commercial cookies and chew toys. Once they've made the switch to raw meaty bones, home baked gluten free cookies and dehydrated sweet potatoes, your dogs will not miss problematic foods like peanut butter. There's more than one way to stuff that Kong! - Cat Lane

Pet Food Recall Update and Information: Visit official FDA page

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Catherine Lane has worked with animals all her life, beginning in childhood in her father's veterinary practise.This interest stayed with her throughout her life and studied canine nutrition both formally (with Cynology College) and informally for over a decade. She has also studied and practised Western herbalism for over 25 years, completing two certificate programmes in medical herbalism; one from Mary Conley, ND, and the other from the Australasian College of Natural Health. She runs the Possible Canine Internet Group which features informative posts, links and general knowledge sharing; topics include anything related to natural dog care. www.thepossiblecanine.com