What Holistic Vets Teach About Cat's Health
Dr. Alicia McWatters, PhD - "Your cats skin and coat
reflects its internal health. A feline skin or coat problem often originates
from a nutrient deficiency or an inability to properly digest and assimilate
nutrients. A balanced diet, preferably from
grain-free whole natural food sources, can prevent deficiencies from
occurring in your kitten. Under adverse conditions - unsuitable environment
or diet - the feline skin often reacts with dryness, redness, itching,
cracking, thickening, and scaling or flaking. This can lead to secondary
bacterial or fungal infection and hair loss."
Dr. Deborah Greco DVM - "Since cats became domesticated, they have been fed various diets,
and some of these diets were developed with little thought as to their
natural raw food diet in the wild. The result hasn't been good. Many of the feline diseases
that we treat are a result of the diets we give them"
Francis M. Pottenger, Jr., M.D - "Carnivores have been defined through
evolution by eating meat raw - feeding them cooked meat will lead to deficiencies resulting in poor health
and ultimately in premature death. In turn, this poor health is inherited by future generations manifesting
as congenital defects."
The Cats are Talking... About Chronic Disease
by Dr. Will Falconer, DVM - Certified Veterinary Homeopath
Having watched animals and their illnesses for the last twenty-odd years of practice, I am seeing a
disturbing trend. Have you noticed it, too?
When illness strikes our pets, it is long term, chronic, and difficult to cure.
The best that conventional medicine seems able to do is to (barely or
briefly) control symptoms, but these poor creatures never get back to a
normal, enthusiastic level of health.
We've all seen these animals, they
are allergic to something and itch a lot; they have thyroid problems and
lose their hair or their body weight (depending on whether they have too
little or too much thyroid function); they have stiffness and pain in their
joints; or their teeth get filthy regularly, and they don't stay clean
with our best efforts at dental hygiene.Why is this becoming so common?
When I look at it carefully,
it's apparent that we are not raising healthy pets. Oh, we try, we follow
the veterinary line that says we should vaccinate every one every year,
we should feed only one kind of food from a bag or can, we should brush
teeth regularly, control fleas with the latest chemicals, but where is
this getting us and our four-footed companions? The cats are telling a
story about this that I want to share with you.
Feline Leukemia and Feline Immunodeficiency viruses - FIV, FeLV+
One of the most dangerous infectious diseases in
cats today is caused by the feline leukemia virus
(FeLV). FeLV is a retrovirus that may cause suppression
of the immune system, impairing your cat's ability
to fight infections. It may also cause anemia, leukemia and
some forms of cancer. The
signs of FeLV, like other viral infections, are very diverse.
The virus is contagious among cats. It is spread by contact through the saliva, tears and urine.
"Jowls is a cat who is positive for FIV (feline AIDS). She was brought
to us three years ago when she was becoming anemic (with too few red blood
cells), and uremic (unable to filter certain toxins from her blood due
to kidney failure). She was weak, pale, and not eating well. A complete
medical diagnostic profile and homeopathic workup were performed to learn
about the unique qualities of this particular cat. With this information
veterinary homeopathic remedies were recommended.
With regular follow up Jowls has continued to do very well. Her improvement has been both visible and clinical,
having also been documented by her improved laboratory test results."
Symptoms may include:
- Pale gums
- Weakness
- Lethargy
- Diarrhea
- Weight loss
- Anorexia
- Breathing difficulties
- Increased thirst and neurologic abnormalities
Ocicat is FIV Positive
Feline
FIV recovery testimonial - "Whilst searching the Internet for
anything that would help my FIV Positive, 8-year-old ocicat, Rosie, I came
across information on an immune support product. Willing to try anything that would help her to ward off the
frequent infections and bouts of illness she was having, I contacted Helen Kimball-Brooke, a registered homeopath
in London. Rosie has now been on this formula for almost 8 weeks
and the signs are good.
No illness and she is also off the damaging
low-dose steroids she was on. Whilst eight weeks is not a long time,
she had been picking up infections every three to four weeks beforehand,
so my fingers are crossed! She has been FIV Positive for several
years but was gradually getting a lower and lower immune system.
Hopefully now, with this product, she has a better chance for a longer life."
Update
8/19/08: Rosie has now been on this immune support formula
for almost 4 yrs and is still doing
well. She will be 12 in Sept. She has 2 capsules one day and one capsule
alternate days. Kim Stogden-Sykes, Cornwall, England
Vaccine Related Fibrosarcoma in Cats
Michael Richards, DVM - "Unfortunately, cats develop
vaccine related fibrosarcomas. This is a problem which has come to light
in the last few years and it is one for which there is no clear consensus
about the proper way to publicize and deal with it among small animal veterinarians.
I suspect that many cat owners are unaware of this risk. Most veterinarians
are reluctant to tell every cat owner about the risk of fibrosarcomas and
to explain the risk/benefit ratio of vaccination for each individual cat."
"My cat Bodger, who is now 16, has been taking the unique immune support supplement.
Now, nearly 18 months later I've taken
him back to the vet practice for a check up. He still has some discharge
from the right side, but no blood and is generally in good health.
I saw a different vet this time and he told me there was no way my cat
had a nasal tumor of the type diagnosed back
in August 2004, because if he had, he'd be dead due to the aggressive nature
of these type of tumor! He reckons he has sinusitis, due to the previous
nasal damage as a kitten, which I always knew he had, but definitely NO
TUMOR! So, what can I say but a fantastic result. You are very
welcome to include this on your website if it will help others to help
their pets. Incidentally, the vet took all the information on this unique immune molecule product
and was really interested having seen Bodger today." - Judith Sexton
November 5, 2009 - The Associated Press - A 13-year-old cat has been infected with
swine flu, veterinary and federal officials said in what is believed to be the first case of the
H1N1 virus in a feline in the United States. The indoor cat was lethargic, had a loss of appetite
and appeared to have trouble breathing after it became infected.
Dr. Ann Garvey, Iowa's state health veterinarian, said it is not yet known
how sick cats or other pets could get from swine flu. (NOTE:
holistic veterinarians have observed the same flu-like symptoms in
humans and animals that were triggered by reaction to routine
pet vaccination known as vaccinosis.
The Facts About Declawing
Contrary to most people's understanding, declawing consists of amputating
not just the claws, but the whole phalanx (up to the joint), including
bones, ligaments, and tendons! To remove the claw, the bone, nerve, joint
capsule, collateral ligaments, and the extensor and flexor tendons must
all be amputated.
Thus declawing is not a simple, single surgery but
10 separate, painful amputations of the third phalanx up to the last joint
of each toe. A graphic comparison in human terms would be the cutting off
of a person's finger at the last joint of each finger. Declawing is not
without complication.
The rate of complication is relatively high compared
with other so-called routine procedures. Complications of this amputation
can be excruciating pain, damage to the radial nerve, hemorrhage, bone
chips that prevent healing, painful regrowth of deformed claw inside of
the paw which is not visible to the eye, and chronic back hip and joint pain
as shoulder, leg and back muscles weaken.
Feline Diabetes and The Diet Connection
Dr. Elizabeth Hodgkins DVM
Feline diabetes is not the natural fate of hundreds of thousands of pet cats world-wide.
It is, rather, a human-created disease that is reaching epidemic proportions
because of the highly artificial foods that we
have been feeding our feline companions for the past few decades. Without
the constant feeding of highly processed, high carbohydrate dry foods,
better suited to cattle than cats, adult-onset feline diabetes would be
a rare disease, if it occurred at all."
You will hear some experts say that dietary fat causes diabetes. This
is simply not true. The pet food companies, all of which use massive amounts
of cereal to make their dry cat foods, wish to deflect criticism from this terrible ingredient for cats. Most
commercial cat foods are quite low in
fat; if this ingredient were responsible for feline diabetes, we would
see very little of it. These same experts will tell you that the key to
a good diet for diabetic cats is high protein, this is simply not true.
It is dietary CARBOHYDRATE, pure and simple, not high fat or low protein
that leads to diabetes in cats.
Related: The carnivore connection to nutrition in cats
Dr. Elizabeth Hodgkins DVM - "Feline diabetes is not
the natural fate of hundreds of thousands of pet cats world-wide. It is, rather, a human-created disease that is reaching epidemic proportions because
of the highly artificial foods that we have been feeding our feline companions for the past few decades.
Without the constant feeding of highly processed, high carbohydrate dry foods, better suited to cattle than cats, adult-onset feline diabetes would
be a rare disease, if it occurred at all."
"My own cats eat ONLY raw meat and,
while this is not mandatory for good results in the diabetic cat, it is
a very good way to provide some of the natural, unprocessed nutrition the cat evolved to utilize best."
The closer we can approximate our domesticated felines to the diets
of raw food that nature has designed felines to eat - a diet they have
been eating successfully for eons - the more natural, digestible and appropriate
their diet will be. And the closer we can come to modeling our cat's diets
this way, upon Nature's ideal, the more the natural benefits of eating
this way will impact their overall health and well being. A whole raw foods,
or prey model, ideal ancestral diet for cats
can be comprised of a combination of a variety
of whole, raw, small carcasses, (for example small game hens, chickens,
duck, quail, rabbits, mice, rats and/or fish) along with a variety of different
parts of other, larger carcasses, (such as things like turkey, lamb, goat,
pork, ostrich, emu, elk, venison and/or beef) which are fed over time in
the relative proportions that are found in the average prey animal. The
idea is that the overall diet be comprised of a similar ratio of body parts
that Nature uses to make up whole carcasses.
Diabetes in Cats is difficult to manage
Dr. Lisa A. Pierson, DVM - "Diabetes is a very serious and
difficult to manage disease that is very common in cats. Why is it so
common? The species-inappropriate high level of carbohydrates in
dry food (and some canned foods) wreaks havoc on the blood sugar level
of an obligate carnivore. The blood sugar level rises significantly
upon ingestion of dry food. With chronic hyperglycemia (high blood sugar)
the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas down-regulate, or “burn out,”
leading to diabetes. Many veterinarians prescribe expensive diets such as but you can
do much better for your cat (and your pocketbook) by feeding other more nutritious -
and lower carbohydrate - canned foods"
Dr. Deborah Greco DVM - "Since cats became domesticated, they have been fed various diets,
and some of these diets were developed with little thought as to their
natural diet in the wild. The result hasn't been good. Many of the diseases
that we treat are a result of the diets we give them."
Diets for Diabetic Cats
Choose a canned, pouched, or raw meat diet for your cat. No type,
brand or variety of dry food is acceptable for any cat, but especially
not for any diabetic cat!! This includes every single food that is labeled
as “for diabetics” (such as Hills m/d dry, Purina DM dry and Innova Evo
dry). I CANNOT emphasize this point enough. I have had several clients
whose diabetic cats have been released from their dependence on insulin
who subsequently relapsed because their people believed what they read
on a bag of dry cat food. There is simply NO dry cat food, and there likely
never will be any dry cat food that will be an appropriate food for diabetic cats!
Look for a food that contains little or NO cereals, vegetables or fruits
of any kind. Some of the most expensive of the “wet” cat foods available
today contain hideous amounts of completely unnecessary plant-derived ingredients
like corn, corn flour, corn grits, corn gluten, rice, rice flour, wheat, wheat gluten,
soy protein, potato, sweet potato,
carrots, apples, cranberries, blueberries and similar.
These ingredients might be part of a well-balanced human diet, but they have no place in
the diet of even a healthy cat, much less a cat already debilitated by
the ill effects of a high-carbohydrate diet. Pet food companies put these
ingredients in their canned foods because they are cheap and plentiful,
and because they appeal to the pet food buyer's mistaken ideas about what
is good food for cats. These ingredients have no scientifically-demonstrated
value for the cat; in fact these ingredients contribute unacceptable amount
of carbohydrate, sugar, and fiber (gastrointestinal residue) that the cat
is not equipped to handle. The use of these ingredients is solely the result
of corporate profitability and marketing considerations!
Dr. Deborah Greco -
"When you take an individual that is genetically
programmed to consume high protein and low carbohydrates, and you put them
on a high carbohydrate diet, what happens is their insulin resistance works
against them," she said. "Their blood glucose concentrations are too high
... they can't overcome that, and they start to release more and more insulin
in an attempt to reduce blood glucose levels." This doesn't work, however,
and the cat eventually develops type 2 diabetes mellitus. The cat gets
amyloid deposition in the pancreas, exhaustion of the pancreatic cells,
and glucose toxicity from consumption of large amounts of carbohydrates."
Feline Natural Raw Food Diet
Dr. Pottenger discovered quite by accident that cats degenerated unless
they were fed raw food. In his 10-year study
of 900 cats, he found the optimal diet for his cats was 2/3 raw meat and
1/3 raw milk plus a little cod liver oil. If either the meat or the milk
was cooked, the cats degenerated. And if both were cooked, the degeneration
was much worse, and the cats could no longer reproduce by the third generation.
Some of the problems Pottenger found in the cats fed cooked food were:
heart problems; nearsightedness and farsightedness; under-activity and inflammation
of the thyroid; infections of the kidney, liver, testes, ovaries and bladder;
arthritis and inflammation of the hips and joints; inflammation of the nervous system
with paralysis and meningitis. And in the third generation, some of
the cats' bones became as soft as rubber. Lung problems, and bronchitis
and pneumonia were also frequent. Moreover, the females became irritable
and even dangerous, and the males became passive and lacked sex interest.
Clearly, there was a direct link between the cooking of meat and the
resultant evidence of malnutrition in Pottenger's cats. A growing number
of veterinarians state that processed pet food is the main cause of illness
and premature death in the modern dog and cat. In December 1995, the British
Journal of Small Animal Practice published a paper contending that processed
pet food suppresses the immune system and leads to liver, kidney, heart
and other diseases. Dr. Kollath, of the Karolinska Hospital in Stockholm,
headed a study done on animals. When young animals were fed cooked and
processed foods they initially appeared to be healthy. However, as the
animals reached adulthood, they began to age more quickly than normal and
also developed chronic degenerative disease symptoms. A control group of
animals raised on raw foods aged less quickly and were free of degenerative
disease. For a return to health, pets require a diet which strengthens
the immune system and most closely resembles that which they would get
in the wild. It's really easy to do.
Subtleness of Disease
- Every living creature is fine until outward signs of a disease process
are exhibited. That may sound like a very obvious and basic statement but
if you think about it...
- Every cat on the Feline Diabetes Message Board was fine until
their owners started to recognize the signs of diabetes.
- Every cat with a blocked urinary tract was fine until they start
straining to urinate and either died from a ruptured bladder or had to
be rushed to the hospital for emergency catheterization.
- Every cat with an inflamed bladder (cystitis) was fine until
they ended up in pain, passing blood in their urine, and missing their
litter box.
- Every cancer patient was fine until their tumor grew large enough
or spread far enough so that clinical signs were observed by the patient.
- Every cat was fine until the feeding of species-inappropriate, hyper allergenic
ingredients caught up with him and he started to show signs of IBD (inflammatory
bowel disease).
- Every cat was "fine" until that kidney or bladder stone got big
enough to cause clinical signs.
The point is that diseases 'brew' long before being noticed by the living
being. This is why the statement but my cat is healthy/fine on dry
food means very little to me because I believe in preventative nutrition
- not locking the barn door after the horse is gone. I don't want
to end up saying 'oops', I guess he is not so fine now! When a patient
presents to me with a medical problem that could have been avoided if he
would have been feed a species-appropriate diet to begin with. Of course,
in order to be on board with the 'preventative nutrition' argument, a person
has to understand the fact that carbohydrates wreak havoc on a cat's blood
sugar balance, that a urinary tract system is much healthier with an appropriate
drive and need water with their food, and finally, that cats are designed
to get their protein from meat and not plants.
Cat's diet: "75 to 90% raw meat- raw means NOT cooked! It is
fine to cook it if you must, but know that you are cooking it for yourself;
not for your pet. Just cook the food as little as possible until you feel
comfortable. Turkey, Chicken, Fish, Lamb, Venison and Beef- This is in
the order of usually most liked to least preferred." "10 to 25% raw grated
or chopped veggies- fresh, above ground (carrots, turnips and parsnips
are fine), dark green, leafy, cauliflower, broccoli (a cat favorite), cabbage,
zucchini… whatever is fresh and happy at the grocery store is fine!!"
"When transitioning a cat who is used to eating commercial food one
must be prepared for some reluctance on part of the cat in accepting a raw
food diet. Reviving a cats natural taste preference can represent a real challenge
for both the care giver and their cat(s). It is important that the care
giver be comfortable and confident with the new diet and must enforce the
change despite any protest. All the cats that we have encountered, both
in our own family and those of our customers, have been successfully transitioned
to a raw fed diet when the change is approached with this attitude."
Natascha
Wille-Baker
Why Consider a Raw Food Diet?
Mary L. Wulff-Tilford
The simplest answer is, "Because it closely approximates the diet cats would get in the wild;
diet in the wild, including organs, brains, and occasionally, stomach and
intestine contents: mice and other rodents, small mammals, birds,
fish, snakes and other reptiles and insects. However, for various reasons
most feline caregivers do not have the resources, nor the time to offer
live prey to their cats; others may feel squeamish at doing so (although
frozen baby mice warmed to room temperature may afford a rare treat.) Enter
the raw food diet, which most closely approximates the diet of felines in the wild. Proponents of the
BARF diet suggest giving cats raw, meaty neck bones in sections, either
whole, or ground. There are a number of variations of these diets, but the basics remain the same.
"The thought of listening to the cat crunching the skull of a mouse
with its jaws during our dinner is appalling to us, so it is usually not
permitted. Even though we know that mice are natural prey for cats, most
of us prohibit our feline companions from eating mice because such behavior
is upsetting to us and is deemed unbecoming of a house cat.
I am not suggesting that the cat should be allowed to eat your hamster, but I am asking you
to consider why so many of us choose to exclude raw, chopped chicken necks
from their cats' dietary menu. It's not because chicken bones are bad for
cats--- in fact, the raw bones will help clean kitty's teeth and provide
a rich balance of calcium and phosphorous. The reason why such food is
not allowed is because it is unacceptable to humans---raw chicken necks
weren't on that poster of the "five basic food groups" that adorned the
walls of our grammar school classrooms, and the thought of eating raw meat
(especially poultry!) is repulsive to us."
Feline Constipation
Feline constipation is a result of a number of factors that may include
lack of water in your cat's diet. Dehydration can cause hardening of stools
in your cat making it difficult to defecate resulting in constipation.
Water is very essential to your cat's well being. If they're not getting
the exercise, water, fiber, oils, and digestive enzymes and
microbiome bacterial flora
they need - for proper digestion and assimilation of what they eat, as
well as for proper bowel functioning - any hair that goes in is that much
less likely to move on through.
Wild cats receive nearly all the
fluids they need from the prey they eat; small rodents, lizards, birds,
etc. which usually have a moisture content of about 70 per cent. What
most people don't know is that cats do not like to drink water, they learn
to do it if fed an inappropriate totally dry diet, but drinking doesn't come naturally. Cats are not genetically programmed to be water
drinkers because historically they were dependent on their prey as the
principal source of fluid. Get a bowl big enough not to squash her whiskers
when she puts her face in to drink. Do not keep the water bowl next to
the food dish as many cats dislike this. Scrub out the water bowl every
day and refill frequently with cool fresh water.
Dr. Jean Hofve, DVM- "In 15+ years of experience as a feline veterinarian, I have not seen
constipation problems in cats who do not eat dry food. It's logical, therefore,
to think that diet plays a significant role in development of the problem.
(Since writing this article, I have heard from 2 readers whose cats
developed constipation problems even on all-wet-food diets; so, it's not
impossible, but happily it is fairly rare.) Some cats may need more fiber
than is present in very low fiber diets such as most canned, raw and homemade
diets.You can always add a pinch of fiber, ground flax seeds or ground
chia seeds, and are reasonably palatable and work very well."
The cat is a creature who has total dependence on raw meat.
Cats are obligate carnivores, and need a lot of meat in the diet. I believe
that the grain based commercial diets are killing our cats. Cats are now
dying of kidney disease, get diabetes, hyperthyroidism, IBD, etc.
Commercial foods have only been popular for cats for the last
couple decades.
Before that, Fluffy was fed a variety of people food, and
got a chance to hunt for herself. While I truly believe cats belong indoors
in today's world, it has limited their diet. While indoor/outdoor cats
can hunt and often choose that over commercial foods, indoor kitties aren't
given that option. It scares me to think that we may
be slowly killing our felines. My raw-fed cats have great teeth (unheard
of in many cases), great coats, great condition, their coats gleam, they're
incredibly soft. And VERY active!!! Even the vet has noticed a difference
(not that he's seen the younger 2 for anything besides routine care...)
Christie Keith - "The common practice of feeding meat without bones (or bone meal)
is nutritionally disastrous for dogs and cats. There are far too many people
giving eggs and meat to their pets without providing a balance to all the
phosphorus they contain. Meat contains no calcium, and lots of phosphorus;
bones contain lots of calcium. Eggs contain lots of phosphorus; the shells
contain calcium. That is nature's balance. If we feed meat without bones
or eggs without shells, or aren't sure of the correct ratios of those things
to feed, we must use something to replace them. It is a common and tragic
mistake to give a diet far too high in phosphorus to cats and dogs."
Ear Mites in Cats
Cats' reactions to mite infestations vary. Some cats don't seem bothered
by even a large number of mites, but other cats itch intensely with only
a small number. The former may be hypersensitive to mite saliva, so just
a few mites in the ear canal can cause irritation. Also, mites stimulate
the wax-producing glands inside the ear. The buildup of wax can then cause
inflammation and lead to even more discomfort for the cat. One symptom
of a mite infestation is a buildup of dark wax that looks something like
coffee grounds. Eventually, even mite-sensitive cats seem to build up an immunity
to mites, which explains why mites make young cats suffer more than older
cats. For example, it's not unusual for kittens to show all the signs of
having mites while their mom shows no sign of discomfort whatsoever - although
she also is harboring mites. Increasing immunity over time also explains
why a return visit from mites is not as uncomfortable as the first visit.
Feline Asthma
Hacking Feline Asthma - 19 Tactics To Help Your Kitty Catch Their Breath Again:
Chronic Bronchitis, Allergic Rhinitis & Other Cat or Kitten Respiratory Disease Treatment...
Feline asthma affects millions of cats in the United States alone. It can be mild,
moderate, or severe, with some severe asthma attacks even being fatal. While the
potential of losing your furry family member can be intimidating to some pet owners,
it is important to remember that asthma, no matter how severe, does not have to change
your cat’s quality of life, and is very manageable...
Help Your Kitty Catch Their Breath Again!!! Feline asthma
affects millions of cats in the United States alone. It can be
mild, moderate, or severe, with some severe asthma attacks even
being fatal. While the potential of losing your furry family member
can be intimidating to some pet owners, it is important to remember
that asthma, no matter how severe, does not have to change your cat’s quality of life, and is very manageable...
NOTE: Holistic veterinarians use a
unique immune modulator to reverse feline asthma naturally.
Feline Renal Failure
As a leading cause of death in felines, renal failure is one of the most common diseases in cats.
Acute and chronic renal failure is are reversible diseases. The damage to the kidney can be fixed according to holistic veterinarians
who have successfully treated these cats with excellent results.
Rearing Healthy Pups and Kittens
- Natascha Wille-Baker - "Kittens will easily make the transition to the raw meat diet; in fact
they often show a true craving for it and act euphoric when presented with
it. Kittens are fed the same formulation as adult cats, with the distinction
that kittens are allowed to eat as much as they wish. Between the 4th and
5th week of life, solid foods can be introduced, and should be offered
4-6 x daily. It is not necessary to puree the food into a smoother consistency.
We often introduce our kittens to solid foods by hand feeding them tiny
chunks of raw meat. By no means does the introduction of solid foods mean
that a kitten no longer requires nursing. At this age solid foods merely
present an addition while the mother"s milk remains the staple diet. At
the age of 3 months the kitten becomes mainly reliant on solid foods, but
nursing should not be discouraged."
Milk and Milk Products
William Pollak D.V.M.
Pasteurized cow's milk can cause diarrhea, flatulence and uneasiness
in the less vital animal. Any processed (i.e. cottage cheese) or cultured
dairy product is usually fine, like cheese, yogurt, kefir, panir, etc. Raw goat's
milk, sheep's milk and in many cases raw cow's milk can be well
tolerated if slowly added to the diet. Many of our pets' disease and suffering
can be prevented or cured with nutrition. Processed foods and drugs have
seriously depleted the natural vitality and immune systems of our pets."
For a return to health, pets require a diet which strengthens the immune
system and most closely resembles that which they would get in the wild".
Does pasteurized milk really do the feline good?
During the 1930's, Dr. Francis M. Pottenger
conducted a 10-year study on the relative effects of pasteurized and raw
milk diets on 900 cats. One group received nothing but raw whole milk,
while the other was fed nothing but pasteurized whole milk from the same
source. The raw milk group thrived, remaining healthy, active and alert
throughout their lives, but the group fed on pasteurized milk soon became
listless, confused and highly vulnerable to a host of chronic degenerative
ailments normally associated with humans, including heart disease, kidney
failure, thyroid dysfunction, respiratory ailments, loss of teeth, brittle
bones, liver inflammation, etc. But what caught Dr. Pottenger's attention
most was what happened to the second and third generations
Soybeans in your cat's food?
A quick scan of supermarket dog and cat food labels indicates that about half of the
commercial dry pet foods have soy as the main protein
source, with soy appearing as the first ingredient after corn or (in some
very high protein products such as kitten food) as the first ingredient.
In 1985, 29 American zoo cheetahs died and only 18 were born, and 7 of
the 18 died before adulthood. Only about 10% of North American adult female
cheetahs have been producing live cubs in the last 5 years, compared with
60 to 80 % in other countries.
Since North American cheetahs mostly eat
a commercial feline diet based on horse meat and soy, while the cheetahs
living and breeding more successfully elsewhere are being fed whole carcasses,
a group of researchers in Ohio decided to look at the zoo cheetah's food.
They found that the soybean part of the diet (the same textured soy protein
and soy flakes used increasingly as a meat extender in human diets) contained
natural plant estrogens, chemicals akin to mammalian female hormones and
having some of the same effects. Experiments were carried out at the zoo
as well as in the lab. When four cheetahs in the Cincinnati Zoo were switched
to a diet based on chicken meat without soy, their liver function improved.
Enzymes for your cat's health
Each of us receives a supply of enzymes at birth. The supply is NOT
limitless; it must supply the organism with life sustaining enzymes for
the duration of its existence. When the enzyme supply is exhausted, it
signals the breakdown of the organism (the dog). Enzymes are needed to
run all body systems. Metabolic enzymes are used by the heart, lungs, kidneys,
immune system, and for brain functions; digestive enzymes convert protein,
carbohydrates and fat into fuel to maintain the organism.
Over taxing the body to supply digestive enzymes can reduce the supply of metabolic enzymes.
Eventually, the body becomes enzyme-deficient making it vulnerable to disease.
Not surprisingly, glands and major organs suffer most from enzyme deficiency.
How can one prevent the body from depleting its own supply of enzymes?
Nature solved the problem for us by providing those enzymes in RAW FOODS.
Fasting your Cat for Health
"It is very beneficial for healthy adult cats, to withhold all food
for a 48 hour period on occasions. This extended fast will enable the body
to clear some accumulated toxins from fat tissue, and completely empty
the bowl. Healthy cats don't fast voluntarily, but are frequently faced
with an involuntary fast in a natural setting through unavailability of
prey, or repeated unsuccessful hunts. They will, however, frequently refuse
food when unwell as a possible means to speed recovery. Cats are unharmed
by the absence of food for several days, and in extreme times of famine
may lose up to 50% of their body mass and still survive. It is, however,
critical that the cat has unrestricted access to fresh water during fasting."
"Physiologically, the cat is adapted to gorge food, followed by periods
of fasting. This eating habit is necessary to provide sufficient time between
meals for the body to detox, because a nearly all meat diet produces many
toxic metabolic by-products, which are naturally filtered from the blood
by the kidneys, and excreted in the urine. If the cat were to eat continuously,
high toxic levels would be maintained in the blood stream and accumulative
effect the cat's health. Meal feeding in 8-12 hour intervals assures that
toxins in the blood peak only for short periods after ingestion and during
digestion, after which they are nearly completely filtered from the body."
According to some experts, cats are ill-suited to the consumption of fat that even the fat that is
self-digested from their bodies during a fast can overburden the liver. This would likely be a problem
only in obese cats with compromised livers.
Related: Fasting Dogs and Cats
Wheatgrass juice to build your cat's immune system
Staff members of the Institute who lived with cats reported their animals had less illness once they provided wheat grass
regularly. They noted that fur was more beautiful, and life spans longer.
Formerly arthritic older cats who could barely get in and out of the litter
box, were jumping on top of high surfaces. Immune systems in all the cats
grew strong and common sicknesses much more easily resisted. Sores and
strange lumps would disappear.
Chronic conditions such as upper respiratory
problems would clear away for good. Keen observers commented that cat's
personalities and behavior changed. The cats became calmer, and more "jungle
cat-like" in their gait and mannerisms. Making sprouts and growing wheat
grass for your own cats is quick and easy! Living foods will beautifully
compliment a cat's raw meat diet creating the perfect meal. Many different
seeds and nuts may be sprouted and added to your cat's food."- Gail Colombo
Testimonial from Mayan Camera in NY (23 Dec 2004)
"My 13 yr male cat is now walking around, does not have his mouth infected
and swollen face, and is carrying on with his appetite... Wheatgrass changed
his energy level in 20 minutes, he began eating, the swelling and infection
went away in 2 days, his respiratory and sinus dis-ease (due to chemical
medicine he was prescribed and I stupidly gave him when I don't even use
them for myself) was gone in those 2 days and my love is now back to normal. I
'm also taking wheatgrass and feel great. With my cat I have to put it
in a dropper cause he just does not like the taste but what the heck a
grab by the neck everyday stimulates his senses and circulation soooo its
ok. Thanks again for your website."
Cancer in cat cured with green juice
"I am pleased to say we are successfully fighting fibroid breast tumors and paralysis of
the hindquarters brought on by colon cancer, and while I did have to use
a few homeopathic medicines at first to reverse the kidney damage, the
bulk of the credit goes to the juices."
"One month ago, this cat's hindquarters became paralyzed, and she was
forced to ambulate by dragging herself by her forelegs only; bowel movements
became virtually nonexistent. After one week of steady juicing, elimination
functions have resumed and her rear legs are moving again!