As Requested...and posted three times now....
my name is alexis mason. i am a rescuer in haverhill, ma. julia requested i send you some info. regarding an all natural raw meat animal diet. my husband and i have fed all of our animals a raw diet for years and, there isn't any question, it makes an enormous difference.
below is the most balanced simple raw food vitamin/mineral mix for cats and dogs we have found (Anitra Frazier). throw all dry ingredients in a tupperware container, mix and toss it in the freezer (to preserve the lecithin granules). based on feeding two cats two meals a day each, the mix will last for months.
our male is the larger of the two, weighing in at around 14 lbs. (all muscle) and we feed him 1/4 -1/3 cup of sliced raw meat per meal. add to this one tsp. of (what we like to call.....) magic mix per meal.
1.5 c. yeast powder
1/4 c. kelp powder or trace mineral powder
1 c. lecithin granules
1 c. wheat bran
2 c. bone meal powder
you can separate out portions, pre-mix the meat and magic mix and stick the individual meals in the freezer for convenience.
a few other things we do.... we opt to add a pure oil complex of essential fatty acids, you may choose to try a bit of olive oil. it is not as complete but because most folks have it on hand, it is a good start. do not use any other kind of vegetable or cooking oil, they are not a healthy substitute.
we also add dandelion leaves (dried or fresh) to each meal. little known fact>> dandelion leaves are one of the richest in collodial minerals as their roots reach much deeper into the earth than most other greens. we will change it up by adding raw spinach, chopped bean sprouts or a bit of tofu.
you can help stregnthen the immune system with some great antioxidants added a few times a week. Try minced garlic, the meat of seedless grapes (or grape seed extract), honey, minced cranberry (or cranberry extract).
tricks to acclimate your feline freind..... try offering just a few bites of the raw meat at first. get those taste buds working. when puddy takes to it, add some greens the next time. try a little honey or a sprinkle of salt. you may have to work the oils and vitamins in slowly in small amounts. try mixing bites of raw meat into their ususal food. increase the portion until the animal is weened off of the processed food.
IMPORTANT digestive system info: each measured tsp. of magic mix combined with the raw meat provides the nutritional equivalent of a small bird or rodent, which your cat would naturally hunt in the wild. the feline circadian clock dictates that their digestive systems are functioning at peak performance at/around sunrise to 7am and again as the sun sets - the two times of the day cats instinctively hunt. as you know, cats naturally retire in the late morn. and rise again late in the day to eat.
it is considered unhealthy to leave food out throughout the day. full time access leads to obesity. like people, if a domestic cat is bored it will eat. we have all known this behaviour. you may have noticed one of your feline friends to be prone to eye crusties. this is brought on by having food available all day long. the tear ducts are always an excellent indicator of a cats health. it is one of their primary filtration systems. begin removing the food dish after a meal and in a week or so you should notice a difference.
thusly, prepare and offer the meal, if it isn't finished w/in the first 20 min., stick the remainder in the fridge and offer for dinner. cats tend to eat quite a bit less in the summer months, it can be expected that a cat will half his diet through these warm days.
why raw food?
you will find yourself questioning everything the processed pet food industry has ever told you. regardless of price or the"stamped" quality of these packaged foods, they are all processed with meat by-products and heat and are chemically treated with artificial flavour. the chemicals and dyes lead to kidney and bladder problems. the heat destroys all essential proteins and vitamins, and the meat by-products, well.... if you wouldn't eat meat by-product don't believe it to be healthy for your animal. processed pet foods contain the nutrional equivalent of potatoe chips for humans.
raw food does not leave behind the powdery paste of dry food, which causes plaque and tartar build up.
'never known an animal to hunt crunchy fish shaped pellets, right?
what about vitamins in a bottle?
my husband john and i have spent years researching holistic pet health and the products availble to support it. we've seen every vitamin pill, powder, paste and liquid currently available. far and wide, the very best of the best products are offered by a company called HALO Purely for Pets, human grade pet products. we include their multi-vit Vita-Dreams Daily Greens and their Dream Coat oil complex in our regimine.
crushing up vita-dreams over some raw meat is a wonderfully complete and tasty alternative to feeding magic mix at evey meal. keep 'em comin' back - they do get bored with the same flavour day in and day out. some cats will eat the vitamin whole - our female will, our male will not - go figure.
HALO also makes an entirely natural stew for pets comprised of meat and a variety of vegetables. you open a can and won't be able to tell the difference from stew you've made yourself.
visit the website http://www.halopets.com/ or call 727. 937. 3376 (florida)and request their free samples. then, if you are truly interested in using HALO, call the company and ask them to find a store in your area which carries their products as the S&H when ordering direct is quite expensive.
what kind of meat?
pork, chicken, beef.... you can feel free to feed almost any type of meat. steer clear of organs. disease is concentrated in the organs. you wouldn't feed your friend heart if you knew that the feed animal had heart disease. you wouldn't feed your friend liver if you knew that the feed animal had failure from ingested hormones.
pork, chicken, beef.... you can feel free to feed any of these meats. do be sure to alternate the type of meat you offer. as we all know, some meats are higher in fat than others. here you are likely prompted to ask, what about the bacteria? it is known that cats and dogs produce enzymes which will naturally process raw meat. they do not have the same weaknesses digestively as we humans do.
understand that your animal friend may have one or both of the following reactions initially to the new diet. do not give up, this is normal. he/she may toss it back up or experience diarrhea for the first few meals. why? the sterility is caused by chemical treatment and heat from baking. the processed pet foods have neutralized the natural enzymes necessary to absorb the nutrients. do not be afraid, their systems will adjust. if your friend tosses his/her cookies, let him/her be until the next feeding time. these reatctions are entirely natural and to be expected even by the seemingly healthiest of animals. this is why you should offer a very small portion at first.
you can help your friend to regenerate these enzymes by mixing in or offering some plain yogurt a few times a week. the acidophilus cultures found in yogurt are the active ingredient. acidophilus is also a key component in fighting yeast. it is important that you keep portions small, a tbl. spoon or two, as cats are lactose intolerant.
what about fish?
fish, while high in necessary fatty acids, such as Omega's, will deplete stored vitamin E. like yogurt, a bit of a catch 22 here. allow twelve hours in between the consumption of fish (or fish oil) and of vitamin E. this is true in humans as well.
the existence of mercury in fish is becoming common knowledge these days. while healthy amounts are still undetermined, the levels found in fish such as tuna and salmon are causing concern. there are so many wonderful benefits to eating fish which make it dificult to weigh the good and the bad. since you don't plan to make it a daily staple of your friends diet, don't worry about indulging the taste buds once a week.
it is recommended that we stay away from bottom feeding fish. they tend to retain more harmful bacteria than fish feeding nearer the top of the water. as always, if you wouldn't eat it, don't feed it.
finally, water
this seems like a no brainer - fresh water daily, right? almost. tap water contains high levels of lead. try spring or distilled. if you do not have convenient access to bottled or filtered water, run the cold water tap until it feels as cold as its going get. the warmer the water, the higher the level of lead.
Want to read more about holistic ways for animals?
The original bible of holistic health for animals is Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats by Dr. Richard Pitcairn and Susan Hubble Pitcairn.
The New Natural Cat: A Complete Guide for Finicky Owners by Anitra Frazier
Four Paws, Five Directions: A Guide to Chinese Medicine for Cats Dogs by Cheryl Schwartz DVM >> this book teaches us about the circadian clock, and provides clear, uncomplicated approaches to natural stimulation of organs, glands and muscles through accupressure
