CHAPTER I - FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Keith Allison MA FRSH

Have you ever looked at a dog food label and tried to find out exactly what it contained? If you have, you will know how frustrating it is. In fact, any food label is a bit like a swimming costume - what it reveals is interesting, but what it conceals is vital!

Despite the fact that dogs should be given food similar to what their wild ancestors would have tucked into, many dog foods do not reflect this principle. Although not as bad as it used to be, many manufacturers still use unsuitable ingredients, such as by-products which must then be chemically fortified. The use of these inferior products is like feeding children on junk food and vitamin pills, and expecting them to be healthy.

Holistic vets claim that up to 40% of cases they see can be cured by changing to a natural diet. The main problems have been associated with not enough of the right raw materials and too many of the wrong types.

Am I feeding my dog on chicken beaks and feathers? Does the food contain indigestible by-products? Am I shortening my dog's life? These are typical questions from concerned pet owners. Gleaning meaningful information about ingredients from food labels is possible, but not without specialist knowledge of the legislation and the jargon used, both of which have then to be seen within the context of other clues on the package.

Bear these two things in mind:

• if the ingredient is not one of the main constituents, such as meat or cereals, it is probably a laboratory-produced. Examples of these are stabilisers, flavourings, or the name of any individual chemical substance.

• if vitamins are mentioned, they are probably artificial and added as a chemical.

So what is the best way to tell if the food you are using contains the right raw materials? One way is to use a checklist of physical symptoms that give early clues to an unbalanced diet.

NUTRITION AND HEALTH

• the body strives to be in good health - it is the natural state.

• wild animals manage perfectly well without nutritionists and vets.

• good health comes from within - but there is no good health without good nutrition

• the cause of disease is usually multi-factorial, but good nutrition is one of the cornerstones of prevention, and a major factor of cure.

• the body will cure itself if it can. This is conditional on nutrition being optimal.

• symptoms of illness are signs that the body is attempting to heal itself. Many minor clues to unbalanced nutrition are ignored. For instance, itching and diarrhoea are signs of the body trying to get rid of toxins.

• if symptoms are ignored or suppressed, chronic illness often ensues.

• natural feeding not only maintains robust health but it is used by holistic vets for the prevention, and as part of the treatment, of many ailments.

PHYSICAL EFFECTS

1. Relatively minor symptoms of nutritional imbalance/toxicity. The body can cope with short-term imbalances. However, when things go wrong, usually as a result of too many of the wrong things in the diet and not enough of the right things - the following symptoms may be observed:

►itching skin and ears  

►overweight  

►dull coat, dandruff, offensive smell   

►listlessness 

►hyperactivity  

►occasional diarrhoea  

►occasional vomiting 

►loose, voluminous or mucous stools  

►biting or licking the feet or other parts of the body   

►impacted anal glands   

►concentrated, strong-smelling urine  

►bad breath  

►tooth tartar 

►wax in ears
 
These symptoms may not of themselves be symptoms of true illness, but they are signs that there is something wrong. The most common cause of these problems is incorrect diet.

2. Impairment of bodily functions. If nothing is done about the situation, the buildup of toxins and lack of correct nutrients will begin to effect the proper functions of the body, and the following problems may be observed:

►allergic reactions (eczema,auto-immune disease)

►nflammatory reactions (pancreatitis, hepatitis)

►hormonal problems (infertility, irregular oestrus)

►musculo-skeletal problems (stiffness, rheumatism, arthritis)

►increased susceptibility to disease (immune-suppression)

3.Degeneration of major organ systems. If the dietary imbalance is allowed to continue, major organ systems will be damaged, effecting the animal's quality of life. The heart, lungs, liver, kidney and other organs will begin to degenerate. Tumour formations are often present.

MODERN PET FOODS

The main problem with many commercial pet foods is that they contain too much of the wrong sort of ingredients and not enough of the right sort. This is because the pet food manufacturing business developed as a 'by-product' industry. This means it uses a highly formulated approach to nutrition, rather than a 'whole food' approach. Although some foods are better than others, many leave a lot to be desired. The main problems are: artificial additives, unsuitable by-products, too much wheat and/or poor carbohydrate balance, and not enough herbage. Let's look in detail....

ARTIFICIAL ADDITIVES

These are not metabolised as well as natural products, and they can interfere with the uptake of natural micronutrients. They are associated with sensitivity reactions and hyperactivity. They are generally used to preserve the food, to make poor ingredients more appealing to taste, and to try to replace the natural vitamins lost in the manufacturing process. Even so-called holistic and hypoallergenic products contain some of these.

BY-PRODUCTS

These are denatured products from the human food industry. Although some may have a nutritional value, their use usually means that the food has not been formulated using natural feeding principles. Their use also indicates the need for synthetic products to be added in order to replace the lost elements.

WHEAT AND CARBOHYDRATES

The dog's digestive system has evolved to use carbohydrates such as those from grain cereals - but they must be appropriate. These should be from a variety of sources, be properly cooked, and not form more than one-third of a healthy adult dog's diet.

For a number of years, many dog food manufacturers used, (and still use), wheat as the sole source of carbohydrate, and, to add to the problem, wheat by-products where used. These were improperly cooked and featured in disproportionately large amounts. The result of this has been the development of a host of digestive ailments, often grouped together under the term 'irritable bowel disease'. Most dogs will recover from such problems if the digestive system is allowed to heal, which usually means re-adjusting the carbohydrate source.

HERBAGE

Traditional pastures contained hundreds of species of grasses and herbage, which is missing from today's grassland because of modern farming methods. The essential nutrients in this herbage were once available to the dog through the meat that he consumed. Many foods contain some vegetable, but these generally do not mirror the natural requirements of the dog.

MEAT

Lamb, beef, boneless fish, chicken, plus other types of meat (except pork) are all suitable. This can be given raw, but many owners cook it, which is not a problem. Any offal meat is fine, but bear in mind that if the animal has been reared in intensive livestock systems, some of the offal may contain concentrated quantities of chemicals.

VEGETABLES

Part of the dog's diet should be from vegetable sources. Again, these are available to the wild dog through the stomach of his prey, which feeds on a large variety of plant species as well as grasses. The importance of reflecting this variety in the diet of the dog should not be underestimated and it is often one of the reasons why owners give up natural feeding using individual raw materials. Green-leaved vegetables, such as cabbage, broccoli, spinach and kale, are particularly suitable , and these should be lightly boiled or liquidised. Others will also be required if the diet is to truly reflect the natural diet.

BONES

In some circumstances, bones' sharp edges can cause problems, so some professionals do not recommend their use. However, if the rules are followed, the benefits of giving bones far outweigh the risks. All dogs love bones, especially large knucklebones, which they will gnaw on for hours. Bones provide calcium and other nutrients, provided they are not cooked. They also keep the teeth and gums in top condition.

Cooked bones should never be given, as they have an increased tendency to splinter. If you have more than one dog, make sure they do not fight over bones, as this can cause them to be eaten too quickly.

Raw (finely minced) bone is important for puppies - raw chicken wings are ideal for this. Pups should be introduced to large knucklebones from an early age.

Some dogs may have to learn to chew if they have always been given processed food and no bones. Too many bones can cause constipation.

COOKING

Although raw meat is easily digested by the dog, raw carbohydrates and vegetables are not; these are normally broken down through pre-digestion in the stomach of the dog's prey. Gentle cooking or liquidising has the same effect on these ingredients, breaking them down so that the dog can assimilate them properly.

It is generally accepted that food should not be overcooked, as this may reduce the nutritional quality (and taste) of the food. It is sometimes suggested that all cooking renders all food useless, but this is clearly incorrect.

Cooking also means that the food can be more conveniently stored. The key points are the quality of the raw materials used and the method of cooking employed. As well as making carbohydrates and vegetables digestible, cooking provides several practical advantages for meat, rendering potentially damaging organisms, such as salmonella, harmless. Although the digestive system of most healthy dogs would not be unduly affected by a low level of contamination of this sort, this cannot be said of all dogs.

Some raw meat from a reputable source should be given occasionally, as it helps to keep the digestive flora healthy. If nutritional therapy is required for specific ailments, raw chicken wings or other meat may be prescribed as the meat part of the diet, but this is not necessary in a normal, healthy individual - provided raw bones are given occasionally.

HOW TO FEED

Dogs should be fed either once or twice a day, and the amount given should vary. The dog should eat every scrap of food put in front of him in one sitting. If he does not, the food should be taken away. Dogs should need no encouragement to eat good food. With the exception of elderly dogs and puppies, healthy animals should have food withheld completely for 24 hours every seven days or so. This may seem unkind, but it suits the dog's physiology, which has to cope with feast and famine. The dog's wild counterparts will gorge themselves and then go without food for some time.

Fresh water should always be available (changed daily). If the water is hard, or excessively chlorinated, it should be boiled first and allowed to reach room temperature before putting it down for the dog.

Food and water bowls should be made from glazed earthenware, pottery, china, stainless steel or enamel. They should not be made of plastic or aluminium, as materials from these types of containers may leech into food and water, and they have not been proven safe to ingest.

The amount of food a dog needs will depend on many factors, and it is probably best to feed by 'eye' - if the dog is getting 'ribby' give more; if he is getting fat give less. Add or subtract one third of the food volume as appropriate until the desired effect has been achieved.

Dogs should be lean and fit. Obesity is one of the most common causes of ill-health and early death in dogs. Changes in weight should not happen quickly, and are best brought about over a period of two to three months. Many dogs are overweight, either because their owners are unaware of the fact, or because they do nothing about it, which is being unkind to the dog

Reprinted by kind permission of Keith Allison© who is an ethno-zoologist working in non-invasive research relating to the holistic management of companion and agricultural species. He is a consultant in prophylactic and integrated veterinary medicine and secretary of the British Association of Holistic Nutrition and Medicine. BAHNM operates a free advice line for owners wanting information on the proper integration of holistic and conventional medicines -01252 843282. BAHNM is a not for profit organisation dedicated to the scientific research and promotion of holistic methods of animal management, nutrition and medicine solely in the pursuit of optimum welfare.

CHAPTER II - MENINGIOENCAPHALOMYELITIS

(Canine Meningitis)

The grace and agility of an Italian Greyhound is one of the joys of having one as a companion dog.

The vigilant owner is immediately aware of any change in their dog's behaviour or manner, and this was the case with our dog, Dan, one Sunday in September.

Over a period of a few hours, from early afternoon to early evening, Dan took to his bed, became lethargic and reluctant to move, and, when he did move, appeared stiff and ponderous. He particularly avoided moving his head or neck, and was in visible discomfort. when trying to get up and play with our other dog.

Clearly, something was wrong, but, as with many Italians, he still wanted food!  

We took him to the Vet early on Monday morning, and, as you can imagine, were worried.

The Vet identified a high temperature, and could see Dan was poorly, so arranged an X-Ray, to eliminate skeletal problems. After this showed clear, then the Vet admitted Dan to the animal hospital.

She thought it could be meningioencaphalomyelitis, as she was seeing an increasing number of cases, - 6 this year – but needed a blood test to confirm the diagnosis. She decided against a spinal fluid tap, as this procedure is risky, particularly for animals in a weakened state.

The diagnosis was confirmed around lunch time on Monday, and Dan was prescribed anti-biotics and anti-inflammatory drugs, and an overnight stay at the Vet's.

If the treatment is to be successful, early improvements can be seen. We visited Dan on Monday evening, and saw a visible change in his condition - he was pleased to see us, and was moving more freely.

Dan was released on Tuesday, with a week's continuation of the drug treatment, and a return trip, to the Vet, after five days. Fortunately, he was given the all clear, and is, now, his normal self again.  

With this illness on the increase, it is important that the symptoms are recognised early, for treatment to work. It is certainly worth watching out for, considering if your dog presents any of the symptoms.

One symptom you might expect - vomiting - was not present in our case.

The illness is, apparently, picked up through a virus, and is not transmitted from dog to dog. Jasper, our Parson Jack Russell Terrier, was fine throughout.  

One benefit was that Dan made some new friends, amongst the nurses at the hospital, as he preferred to sit with them, for extra fuss, rather than stay in his kennel - typical I.G!!

We also considered calling the Vet on the Sunday - but all the required tests would not have been carried out until Monday, anyway, so no time was lost in his treatment.

 This is the story of Dan, as kindly portrayed by his owner, Jan Davis. The original article is to be found in a bulletin of The Italian Greyhound News Magazine, and reproduced with the kind permission of Jan, and The Italian Greyhound Club. For further information on this illness you can visit the following website:

www.vetinfo4dogs.com.