My Saturday with a Pet Nutrionist-

[Hazel & Chester Wayte]

I wanted to share my experience with a Pet Nutritionist that I went to on the weekend. It was a fundraising event for a dog cancer program Nikki's Journey which included a 3+ hour (it went long) talk on Dog Nutrition by a local Hali-famous Pet Expert. He was doing the lectures for charity traveling around the province to spread the word.

*** Rodney owns a Pet food store, He studied Pet Nutrition over seas for 6 years. He blogs on Dog Nutrition, and writes for Dogs Naturally Magazine. He also does a radio program.***

He is pretty well known locally and has lots of international followers. My doodle loving friend and I couldn't wait to go and learn ways to improve our Doodles' diets.

Initially we went around the room and said what we fed- I quickly didn't feel like the cool kid in class with 'Acana'

amongst a lot of raw feeders. (There were some feeding other Kibble too).

The talk covered a lot of ground. A lot of this we had already known since joining Food group on DK.

How kibble is made. The Pet food industry politics. How there are very few big giant companies that make a lot of different foods including the RX food. How one plant manufacturers multiple brands - why recalls are sometimes across multiple brands. He covered the 2007 recalls and recent recalls. He talked about the lack of Nutrition that Vets receive and how a lot of their education comes from Manufacturers. He talked about how to make a profit on the kibble (a 17 Billion dollar industry) by sourcing ingredients overseas.

There were some disturbing photos (Chicken jerky manufacturing in China). and some disturbing facts .. traces of Pentobarbital in some kibble brands.

He did single out Champion as company that doesn't believe in doing 'studies' - which involve sending kibble to be fed at a test facility and having the dogs monitored. (awful). Champion also doesn't 'share' manufacturing facilities with other companies.

He highlighted a new Kibble company that manufactures Carna4. A husband and wife team are using a different method to cook the kibble and sourcing ingredients.  There is a food group discussion - on this kibble.

discussion

We also had a lesson in label reading (from Feed Your Pet Right) salt in your food can't be more than 1% so anything under sodium on the label is in miniscule amounts..not to be deceived by the lovely berries and ingredients that are below salt.. Great tip..but when I looked at my Acana bag I didn't see sodium. Also a bit about misdirection in labeling. (the amount of glucosamine in RX Hip and Joint food..doesn't meet recommended guidelines .unless your dog was to consume over 8 cups a day!.)

 

I was a little overwhelmed as it was a lot of information in a little time. Some of the discussion was emotional.

I had a number of points to ponder that I took away from the talk and i am glad  I went.

Kibble once exposed to air should only last 25 days. Recommendation storing in original bag sealed. 5 days after exposure to air the Omega are no longer as stable. Recommendation adding Omega 3. Also suggester freezing kibble.

Rodney advocates feeding 'Fresh'. Fresh,seasonal chopped up veggies and fruits. (suggested getting a magic bullet). He cautioned home cookers about overcooking veggies and paying attention to source. frequenting Farmers Markets. Also cautioned about starchy vegetables- Peas and Potatoes which can lead to scratching.

He recommended balance and variety. He ended the presentation showing pictures of food dishes that happy clients have sent in. They were colourful and full of variety.

They  did leave us with a few samples. Spirulina - This is a Green powder (as evidenced in the Picture :) a doodle beard issue. Some of the Health Benefits- Improves Immune system, reduces inflammation, and arthritis, improves skin and coat, helps with fleas and itching, helps with allergies, improves digestive health.

Coconut Oil - Clears up skin conditions,reduces allergic reactions,improves digestion,helps control diabetes, treats yeast infections,disinfects cuts. This can be applied topically and taken orally. They showed pictures of a dog who had the coconut oil applied topically over the period of a month and its skin improved and his coat grew back.

Kefir  -Probiotic,Helps digestion,alleviate gas,Vitamin B,Provides anti-fungal and anit-biotic properties.Helps promote healthy skin

 

Tumeric- Helps allergies,parasites,stomach ailments,acts as binding agent- Diarrhea, Cataracts,High in fibre. (This may smell- and stain). They showed a video of a Tumeric and Honey paste that was applied to a dogs tail and it cleared a Tumor in a few weeks- pretty amazing.

During the break They made smoothies from fresh fruit and kefir, coconut oil + milk and Spirulina. The owner of the puppy who had cancer feeds it to her and her dogs. (Nikki drank it).

I have to say I drank the Koolaid  Smoothie.

Yes, Rodney does sell these supplements in his store- but he was speaking at a venue an hour plus away. He said you can get the stuff at most Health food stores.

He does have a beautiful store- I popped in there looking for a natural flea and tick spray. He helps support a local Dog park.

I am not switching Chester to a RAW diet. (I might look closer at dehydrated foods- He is a fussy eater but does lick the Honest Kitchen Bowl Clean). I am going to process some veggies and try them - usually he likes them steamed.I am going to add a little more variety- eggs,cooked meat. I have started adding coconut and Spirulina and Goats Milk Kefir (from local Farm) to his diet. Chester does seem to be scratching a little less this summer over last year. I have been adding Omega 3 to his food or I give an EPO capsule. I add local honey to his diet to expose him to pollen in small amounts.

I know not everyone on the group agrees with alternative therapies and supplements..but as Rodney says in his Blogs "Our blog posts are meant to help stimulate your critical thinking when it comes to the health and nutrition of our furry companions." If any of this interests you here is the Facebook Page. The blogs contain a lot more information about the supplements and dosing guidelines.

Nutrition Blogs

[Hazel & Chester Wayte]

Funny you both mention Stella and Chewys.. Anytime anyone goes to the States.. I send them on a Stella and Chewys hunt..Chester Loves Duck Duck Goose. (sprinkled over Acana).

I

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

This is interesting, Hazel, thank you for sharing it. Stella, I agree with you on the coconut oil.

[Jennifer and Jack]

Think you for sharing! Jack is now on accana and Stella and Chewys nd unfortunately he likes it too Much and we need to lose weight now!!,

I love learning....I think when I asked about coconut oil on here it was recommended to stick with a fish oil because it was more digestible ..or EPO.... I don't use either but the only time Jack scratches is if he has an ear infection.....

When I went through the very long process of finding out Jacks food intolerances...we were on duck and potatoe and he did great with the potatoe ....no problem at all....

[Jennifer and Jack]

Thank you! Very interesting!

[Katie & Mr. Bodhi]

Thanks for posting this! Good info! With the high numbers of dogs having more and more health issues, just like with humans, it is very important to pay attention to our pets environment and that not only includes diet but other products like toys and especially cleaning products like shampoos and house hold cleaners. There is a ton of research linking certain chemicals to cancer for animals and humans. And unfortunately there is no regulation of the use of these chemicals in our personal care products. Im sure you havent thought about what you're using on them as much as what your feeding them but it really matters! And the home cleaners you use in your house are very toxic to them since they are closer to the ground and even lay on the ground! Since Mr. Bodhi is a boy in a bubble, I have go e through so many shampoos with him to figure out what he wouldn't be allergic to and it has been so difficult to find one without harmful chemicals until I found Ava Anderson Non toxic! LOVE their shampoo and their deodorizer as well as their cleaners! If you want to know more about this information I would love to give you more info on protecting you and your fur babies! Just shoot me a message!

[Lynda Kamrath]

Oh, it can be so hard to get the right stuff.  I first of all look for any ingredients from China, where it is made, etc. So apparently healthy ingredients (barley flour, peanut butter, carrots, even tumeric) and certified organic, made in Aptos, CA, and both my dogs get sick on these treats.  What's a person to do???

[Stella]

Am I the only person who thinks that coconut oil is taking over from ACV as the latest 'cure all'?? Human nutritionists are really pushing it too. I bought some after being given a recipe that required it and was horrified when I looked at the label - it has a very high saturated day content - isn't this bad for you???

[Pat and Traveler]

Thanks for the info.  I'm interested in the coconut oil for a friend's dog.

[Jarka, Monty & Auggie]

Thanks for sharing. What a great event to attend. I would love to learn more about pet nutrition. We are on Acana as well. I add Stella&Chewy's lamb patties into the kibble. Will need to add more veggies other than the occasional canned green beans.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Very interesting, Hazel, and thank you for sharing.