It is always the case that we vets deal with the same problems at home that we counsel our clients about.  And not always terribly well.  I'm certainly no exception.  Years ago, I had a long-haired cat who threw up hairballs frequently, but unlike most hairball-barfing cats, she did not just hack up the offending wad and then go about her business as though nothing had happened.  Nope, she would obviously feel ill for minutes to hours afterward.  And probably beforehand, too, had I had the vision to see it.

I tried all the time-honored remedies that I prescribed every day for my patients.  I dosed her with various brands of flavored petroleum jelly.  I fed her diets purporting to help with hairballs by the inclusion of extra fiber.  I brushed her constantly, which fortunately she loved.  None of these things helped.  Eventually I shaved her, leaving the adorable puffs on her legs and tail that made her look like a fat little old lady in tight leotard and legwarmers.  As long as I did this three or four times a year, there were no more hairballs.  Oddly enough, however, she continued to have vomiting episodes, albeit less frequently, and minus the hair.  Diagnostics revealed inflammatory bowel disease, and eventually my poor sweet girl succumbed to intestinal lymphoma.

While rooming with a brilliant feline practitioner at a medical conference shortly after, still grieving, I confessed my frustration with the seemingly insignificant problem of hairballs.  Her answer blew me away.  There is no such thing as "just a hairball," she says to me.  Think about it.  Cats developed stringent grooming behaviors in the course of evolution because grooming is a positive survival factor, probably through  controlling parasitism  and other diseases.  So they are going to ingest a lot of hair.  Does vomiting as a daily method for expelling this hair seem evolutionarily sound?  Stomach acid hurts the esophagus and teeth, and frequent vomiting upsets the electrolyte balance.    While vomiting as an emergency mechanism to rid oneself of the occasional nastiness seems reasonable, it seems unlikely that the daily vomiting of hairballs is the "normal" thing that the medical community has assumed it to be.

I'm hooked.  Go on, I say.  She continues.

Why would we think that "lubrication" of the gut with petroleum products would help?  A cat is not a car.  And in no way could a cat have naturally evolved to require the dosing with "lubricants" to survive or to thrive.  Likewise, cats in the wild would never eat a "high-fiber" diet, and so would seem unlikely to benefit from one.  On the contrary, it would appear logical that a cat would thrive better on what a cat has been evolved to eat - namely a mouse or a reasonable facsimile thereof - and that feeding a cat something wildly different from the diet it has evolved on is more likely to result in harm than in good.

No, she says, I think it likely that a "hairball," far from normal, is probably a common early symptom of Inflammatory Bowel Disease.  Impaired motility of the gut would account for the balling up of hair that should pass right through, if stomach-emptying time is the 0.2 - 2 hours it is reported to be in a normal cat.  A cat shouldn't be able to swallow enough hair fast enough to outrace normal stomach emptying time.

This is making sense to me.  Particularly as I just lost my own cat to this.  And as I think back, I realize that "hairballs" have been in the histories of a disproportionate number of the patients I've treated with IBD and lymphoma.

She tells me that she's been changing her patients over to low-fiber diets (grain-free and low carbohydrate) for a while now, and she's seeing a precipitous drop in the whole "hairball" thing.  I can see the long-term implications of this line of reasoning:  if cat food containing an unnaturally high level of fiber and carbohydrates is associated with an increased incidence of  impaired GI motility and vomiting, and if cats fed this way are at higher risk to develop IBD and lymphoma, then a drop in hairball vomiting might mean that a cat has a lower risk of these two nasty diseases.  Sounds as though a grain-free diet might be a better way to go.

This all made sense to me.  No science to it back then, but neither was there any to support the idea that hairballs are normal.  No one had at that time asked if a carbohydrate-based diet could possibly have long-term negative consequences for cats.

Well, they have now.   Every day, there's more scientific evidence that these "mere" hairballs we see so often may respond, not to grease and not to fiber, not to brushing and not to shaving, but to feeding a diet that looks like what a cat was evolved to eat.

In the intervening years, I've changed my own cats over to grain-free, low-carb canned foods, and I've seen nary a hairball from anyone for a very long time.   In my esteemed colleague's footsteps, I've been changing my patients over to these same diets.   I hear about fewer hairballs, and my patients  are slimmer, fitter, and healthier in many ways.  Is this a panacea?  Of course not.  There's no one cure for everything.  But I now have serious trouble believing that a feline diet in which the calories are derived primarily from carbohydrates, which are much cheaper than proteins, is beneficial to anything other than the manufacturer's bottom line.

So next time someone tells you that malt-flavored grease, fiber additives, brushing or shaving are the only ways to help with those annoying hairballs, think again.  Hairballs may be more than just a stinky mess for you to clean up.  They might well be a sign that your cat has a real health problem, and should see the veterinarian.  And your cat might be telling you that her gut would be happier with "mouse" than with breakfast cereal.

Dr. Crist has been practicing veterinary medicine since 1982, and has been working exclusively with cats since 1993.  She is an active member and has served on the board of the American Association of Feline Practitioners.  Dr. Crist is married with five children, two of which are not fuzzy.

The ASPCA^® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals^®) today reminded pet parents and animal lovers how to keep pets safe and healthy during summer's dog (and cat) days.

"Summertime is a wonderful time for family and friends to get together and enjoy themselves, often with a beloved pet," says Dr. Steven Hansen, Senior Vice President of ASPCA Animal Health Services. "However, even the healthiest pets can suffer from dehydration, heat stroke and sunburn if they're overexposed to the heat."

Here are just some of the ways animal lovers can help ensure their pets have a safe summer:

• Visit the Vet. A visit to the veterinarian for a spring or early summer check-up is a must. Make sure your pet is up-to-date on all necessary vaccinations. Pets should also be given a blood test for heartworm every year in the early spring. The deadly parasite is transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito, and it is recommended that dogs and cats be on a monthly preventive medication year-round.
  
  
• Keep Cool. Dogs and cats can become dehydrated quickly, so give your pets plenty of water when it is hot outdoors. Also make sure your pet has a shady place to escape the sun, and when the temperature is very high, don't let your dog linger on hot asphalt. Being so close the ground, your dog's body can heat up quickly, and sensitive paw pads can burn. "Never leave your animals alone in a parked vehicle," adds Dr. Louise Murray, Director of Medicine at the ASPCA's Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital. "On a hot day, even with the windows open, a parked automobile can become a furnace in no time, and heatstroke can develop, which is potentially fatal."
  
  
• Know the Symptoms. According to Dr. Murray, "the symptoms of overheating in pets include excessive panting or difficulty breathing, increased heart and respiratory rate, drooling, mild weakness, seizures, and an elevated body temperature of over 104 degrees." "Animals with flat faces, like pugs and Persian cats, are more susceptible to heat stroke since they cannot pant as effectively," she says. "These pets, along with the elderly, the overweight, and those with heart or lung diseases, should be kept cool in air-conditioned rooms as much as possible."
  
  
• Just Say No. Summertime is the perfect time for a backyard barbeque or party, but please remember that the food and drink you serve your guests may be poisonous to pets. "Keep alcoholic beverages away from pets, as they can cause intoxication, depression, comas, or even death," says Dr. Hansen. "Similarly, remember that the snacks you serve your friends should not be a treat for your pet; any change of diet, even for one meal, may give your dog or cat severe digestive ailments." Avoid raisins, grapes, onions, chocolate and products with the sweetener xylitol.
  
  
• Pest-Free Pets. Commonly-used flea and tick products, rodenticides (mouse and rat baits), insecticides, and herbicide lawn products can be harmful to cats and dogs if ingested, so keep them out of reach. While there are flea products that can be used safely on dogs, these same products can be deadly to cats, because of the presence of the chemical permethrin. Be sure to read directions on these products carefully. When walking your dog, steer clear of areas that you suspect have been sprayed with insecticides or herbicide lawn products. Keep citronella candles, oil products and insect coils out of pets' reach as well.
  
  
• Water Safety is Pet-friendly. Do not leave pets unsupervised around a pool, as not all dogs are good swimmers. Introduce your pets to water gradually and make sure pets wear flotation devices while on boats. Rinse your dog off after swimming to remove chlorine or salt from his fur, and try to keep your dog from drinking pool water, which contains chlorine and other chemicals that could cause stomach upset.
  
  
• Beware of "High Rise Syndrome." "During warmer months, we see an increase in injured animals as a result of 'High-Rise Syndrome,' which occurs when pets fall out of windows or doors and are seriously or fatally injured," says Dr. Murray. "Pet owners need to know that this is completely preventable if they take simple precautions." Keep all unscreened windows or doors in your home closed and make sure adjustable screens are tightly secured.
  
  
• No Fireworks for Fido. Please leave pets at home when you head out to Fourth of July celebrations, and never use fireworks around pets. Dr. Hansen explains, "While exposure to lit fireworks can potentially result in severe burns or trauma to curious pets, even unused fireworks are hazardous. Many types of fireworks contain potentially toxic substances such as potassium nitrate, copper, chlorates, arsenic and other heavy metals."

If your dog or cat accidentally ingests a potentially toxic substance this summer, it is important to contact your local veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 for immediate assistance. For more information on having a fun, safe summer with your pet, please visit www.aspca.org.

Would you know what to do if your pet had a medical emergency?  Administering first aid until you can get your pet to a veterinarian can save your pet's life.  Most of us have some basic knowledge of first aid for humans - but would you know what to do for your pet?

The following situations will generally all require the attention of a veterinarian, and are only designed to help you stabilize your pet until you can reach your veterinary hospital.  

Bleeding

Arterial Bleeding is an immediate, life-threatening emergency.  Arterial blood will be bright red, bleed in spurts, and will be difficult to stop.  For any type of bleeding, place a clean cloth or sterile gauze over the injured area and apply direct pressure for at least 5-7 minutes.  Don't apply a tourniquet unless absolutely necessary.

Loss of Consciousness

In case of drowning, clear the lungs of fluid by lifting the animal's hindquarters higher than his head and squeezing the chest firmly until fluid stops draining.  In case of electrical shock, DO NOT touch the pet until it is no longer in contact with the electrical source, or you'll get shocked yourself.  In case of airway obstruction, check for a foreign object and attempt to gently remove it (see Choking).  If the animal is not breathing or has no pulse, begin CPR.

Vomiting

Pets vomit for many reasons, not all of them are medical emergencies.  In order to determine whether you're dealing with an emergency, examine vomit for blood or other clues as to cause.  If you suspect poisoning, bring a sample of the suspected poison, preferably in its original packaging, to the veterinarian.  Gently press the pet's stomach to check for any abdominal pain.  Abdominal pain, enlarged stomach, and unproductive vomiting are serious signs - call your veterinarian immediately.

Choking

Gently pull your pet's tongue forward and inspect mouth and throat.  If you can see a foreign object, hold the mouth open and try to remove it by hand,with tweezers, or a small pair of pliers.  Take care not to push the object further down the animal's throat.  If the animal is not breathing, start CPR.

Heat Stroke

This is a life-threatening emergency.  If you can't get your pet to a veterinarian immediately, place the pet in a cool or shady area.  Bathe the animal with tepid water, and monitor rectal temperature.  When temperature drops below 103°, dry the pet off.  Continue monitoring temperature while transporting your pet to the clinic.

Bee or Wasp Sting

Bee stings are acid, use baking soda to neutralize the venom.  Wasp stings are alkaline, use vinegar or lemon juice to neutralize the venom.  Apply a cold pack to the sting.  Watch for allergic reactions - in case of severe swelling or difficulty breathing, transport your pet to a clinic immediately.

CPR

Lay the animal on his side and remove any airway obstructions.  If the airway is clear, extend the animal's neck, hold the tongue out of his mouth, and close the animal's jaw over his tongue.  Holding the jaws closed, breathe into both nostrils for 5 to 6 breaths.  If there is no response, continue artificial respiration.

If there is also no pulse, begin cardiac compressions.  Depress the widest part of the chest wall 1.5 to 3 inches with one or two hands:
Dogs over 60 lbs:  60 times per minute
Animals 11-60 lbs:  80-100 times per minute
Animals 5-11 lbs:  120-140 times per minute
For very small animals (1-5 lbs), place hands around the pet's ribcage and begin cardiac massage.

Continue artificial respiration:
Dogs over 60 lbs:  12 breaths per  minute
Animals 11-60 lbs:  16-20 breaths per minute
Animals less than 10 lbs:  30+ breaths per minute

Normal Vital Signs

Normal temperature for dogs and cats:  100.5° - 102.5°
Normal heart rate for cats:  160-240 beats per minutes
Normal heart rates for dogs:  70-160 beats per minute
Normal respiratory rate for cats:  20-30 breaths per minute
Normal respiratory rate for dogs:  10-30 breaths per minute

The American Red Cross offers Pet Safety and First Aid check lists and training.  Check your local chapter for a course in your area.  They also offer cat and dog first aid books that come with a DVD demonstrating some of the techniques.

I've written a lot about nutrition lately, and about what foods I recommend.  The progression from most desirable to least desirable, and this goes for cats as well as dogs, is raw food, grain-free canned food, any canned food, and grain-free dry food.  I do not recommend dry food containing grains (read The Truth About Dry Cat Food for more  on why this is not a good choice).  But even within these parameters, the available options can be overwhelming.   Pet food labels should be a useful tool to help pet owners decide which foods to select.  Unfortunately, unless you know how to interpret the often confusing information on the labels, they may only add to the confusion.

For starters, keep in mind that pet food packaging is all about marketing.  Our pets couldn't care less what container their food comes in, or whether it has pretty pictures of kittens and puppies on it.  They don't care about pretty label and brand colors, but you can bet that pet food companies spend major marketing dollars on determining which colors appeal to pet owners.  Don't let  pet foods labelled as "natural" mislead you - just because the label has the word "natural" and pictures of wholesome vegetables and grains on it does  not necessarily make it so.  The only way you can be sure to understand what's in a food is by reading the label.  Here are some things to look for:

Ingredients

Pet food manufacturers are required to list ingredients in descending order, in other words, the most predominant ingredient has to be listed first.  Look for meat based proteins as the main ingredient.  Avoid anything that lists corn or soy and their by-products - these two ingredients are some of the prime culprits for causing allergies in pets.  Don't be fooled into thinking that a food is good for your pet because it lists ingredients such as peas, carrots, cranberries, blueberries and the like.   Pets don't really need these ingredients to thrive, but they make for good marketing to the pet's human.   They can be a source of antioxidants and vitamins, but the amounts are probably not significant enough to make a difference.

Guaranteed Analysis

Manufacturers are required to list basic nutrient percentages on the label. Typically, this portion of the label will list crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber, moisture, and ash content.   Note that there is no listing for carbohydrates on food labels, which is a very important consideration when it comes to feeding cats, who are obligate carnivores.  However, it is not difficult to calculate approximate carbohydrate contents.  Simply add all of the listed nutrients and subtract the total from 100% - this will give you a fairly accurate number.  For a comprehensive listing of widely available canned cat foods with carbohydrate contents, click here.  One caveat:  it appears that the information on the chart has not been updated since 2008, and ingredients for some brands may have changed.

AAFCO Statement

This is probably the most misunderstood item on pet food labels.  AAFCO, the American Association of Feed Control Officials, is the organization which is charged with establishing and enforcing animal feed requirements across all fifty state governments.  It's primary responsibility is to ensure the safety of feed for human food producing livestock.  The AAFCO statement on most pet food labels indicates that the food has been tested and approved as "complete and balanced for the life of a pet."   This is sadly misleading.  The tests are conducted on very small groups of animals and for very short periods of time.  The only real long-term test of pet food happen when pet owners feed these diets to their own pets!

Just like selecting food for yourself and your human family members, choosing healthy food for your pets comes down to educating yourself, reading labels, and not falling for marketing hype.  Your pets will thank you for it.

Vaccination against debilitating and fatal diseases has vastly improved the well-being of humanity.  It's difficult now for us to imagine a world with widespread polio, kids dying daily of whooping cough, or smallpox decimating whole cities.  Without our indispensable vaccination programs, such diseases would re-emerge quickly.   It does not follow, however, that an individual will achieve better health through more frequent vaccination, nor will the population as a whole.  Neither does it follow that the best vaccine plan for a child in, say, South Africa would be the same as for a child in Canada.

Likewise, there is no single vaccine protocol that is right for all cats.  Every cat has different risk factors.  And while many mistakenly believe that vaccinations are entirely safe, and entirely effective, neither is true.  There is always a risk of adverse events associated with vaccination, which must be balanced against the benefit, if any, from a vaccine for your cat.  Yet the serious and often fatal diseases we fight with vaccines are still out there.

Panleukopenia ("Feline distemper") used to be a common veterinary hospital visitor, highly contagious and commonly fatal. The virus is a resilient organism which can sneak into your house on your clothes or shoes.  Indoor cats must therefore be protected.

The "distemper" combination vaccine includes antigens for Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis and Calicivirus.  While rarely fatal, both diseases cause much easily preventable suffering.

Indoor cats must also be protected against Rabies.  It is contagious to humans, and is nearly 100% fatal if not treated immediately.  Cats are very susceptible to it.  Vaccination laws are strong, as they should be, to protect the citizenry.  Fortunately, there is a feline vaccine available that utilizes a unique technology which delivers excellent protection with minimal inflammation.  If other, unnecessary vaccines are eliminated, the repeated administration of such a relatively innocuous one can be better tolerated.

Only these two vaccines, the Rabies and the Panleukopenia /Calicivirus / Viral Rhinotracheitis combination, are recommended by the American Association  of Feline Practitioners for all cats, including those living completely indoors.

Feline Leukemia (FeLV):  The FeLV vaccine is worthwhile, but only for cats who spend time outside or have other lifestyle factors that put them at risk, such as living with another cat who has the Feline Leukemia virus.  Even then, the level of protection against a strong challenge in a vaccinated cat is far from perfect.

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV):   FIV is not a significant risk for most cats, because contagion nearly always requires a bite wound.  It should be used only for cats at demonstrable risk, such as outdoor cats who fight.  This vaccination induces antibodies that can't be differentiated from those produced by actual infection, so a vaccinated cat will always test positive, complicating identification of cats who actually have the disease.  This is not a vaccine to be used lightly.

Chlamydophila felis:   A nearly useless vaccine which is included as a fourth ingredient in many of the commercially available "distemper" vaccines.   The addition distracts the cat's immune system from the other three, much more important antigens, while engendering nearly no effective protection itself.  Unless there is a specific, test-confirmed need for it, this should not be used.

Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP):  There is no measurable benefit from this vaccine for almost any pet cat, but it still poses all the risks of the "good vaccines".  Avoid this one entirely.

Vaccine-Associated Fibrosarcomas:  These are rare but very malignant cancers which arise at the site of an injection.  The incidence is estimated at between 1 in 1000 to 1 in 10,000 vaccinations.  These tumors must be treated extremely radically.  For this reason, some vets now administer feline vaccines as far down the legs as possible, and sometimes even in the tail.   Should tumors occur, amputation of a limb can save the cat's life.

Inflammatory Insults:  Much worse and probably more common is the danger deriving from repeated inflammatory insults.  Many leading scientists now believe that vaccinations induce systemic inflammatory responses, which can lead to chronic inflammatory diseases such as arthritis, pancreatitis, and inflammatory bowel disease, as well as hyperthyroidism and numerous others.  The actual risk for a given cat is likely to be closely proportional to how many vaccines he receives over his life.

Anaphylactic Reactions:  True anaphylaxis is quite rare, but does happen.  Even with immediate treatment, death may ensue.

Vaccination can cause many lesser problems such as itching, hives, lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, and local hair loss, to name a few.  Most of these are transitory, and are not serious health risks.

Where possible, I recommend replacing annual or triannual vaccination with annual blood tests ("titering") which measure antibody levels.  If the titer is insufficient, and if there are no contraindications, I may recommend revaccination.  There are admittedly flaws in the concept of titering.  Most importantly, we don't accurately know what level of antibody is protective.  Our evidence comes more from experience than from studies.  But that is changing, and hopefully there will be more reliable evidence to work with in the future.

Panleukopenia vaccinations induce an enduring immunity in most cats.  Many will carry a protective level of antibody for most of their adult life after only kitten shots and one adult injection.  Repeated vaccinations are usually not needed.  Some Panleukopenia vaccines are approved for 3-year intervals, but even that is more than is needed for most cats.  Titering is an excellent alternative for this disease.

There are titer tests available for Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis and Calicivirus also; single-ingredient vaccines can be given should your cat pass one titer and fail another.  Some of these can also be given as drops into the eyes and/or nose.  The lack of a "shot" reduces the risk of an injection site sarcoma.

Indisputably, every vaccination is an inflammatory event, and all inflammatory events have a systemic component, ripples from the stone thrown in the pond.  These insults may be small, but they add up, and so vaccinations should be kept as few as possible.  But don't throw the baby out with the bathwater; a choice to avoid vaccines entirely leaves your cat at risk for some pretty horrible  awful diseases.  Vaccines are not all good or all bad.  They are tools to be used with good judgment for the right purposes.  The best vaccine plan for your cat will balance on the tightrope between disease risk and vaccine risk.   A good feline vet will take the time to learn about your cat's lifestyle and history, and then help you learn about the risks and benefits of the vaccination choices to be made for your cat.

When Maggie, our black Labrador retriever, was diagnosed with a cancerous mast cell tumor at age 8, I was in shock. Maggie's vet warned me that mast cell cancer recurrence was very common.  I was determined to find answers, improve her health, her quality of life, and do whatever I could to avoid another mast cell cancer. This led me into research about canine nutrition and the commercial pet food industry. I'd like to share with you some of my discoveries from Chapter 9 in my book, and what prompted me to change from dog food to a raw food diet.

With our world rocked, I begin exploring new directions...

I discover some eye-opening facts about diet. We have the difficult realization that we didn't provide Maggie with the healthiest diet during these eight years. We were taught ... that dog food was nutritionally balanced, and table food was not good for animals. We fed her a popular brand, recommended by most veterinarians. I learn it contains chemical preservatives, and much of its protein comes from grain rather than meat sources ... The dog food industry representatives educate veterinarians about their foods in much the same way that pharmaceutical representatives educate physicians, ... and nurse practitioners about new drugs...

What I discover about the dog food industry and its practices is nothing short of appalling.

...many pet foods contain inadequate quantities and qualities of proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals. Most labels only list the amount of crude protein...Many manufacturers use inexpensive sources such as poultry feathers, fecal waste, and horse and cattle hair that provide pets with significantly less usable protein. Vitamins, minerals, and amino acids added to pet food are often destroyed by heat processing and during shelf storage.

Another shock was learning that the pet food industry is built on remnants rejected by the human food industry. This can mean slaughterhouse wastes such as spoiled meats and even tissues riddled with cancer. These discards also include moldy grains and rancid fats.

...I research further into problems associated with just one of the above discards-moldy grains. I learn they can produce mycotoxins, the poisonous residues of mold deterioration. These are very potent compounds that cause a variety of human and animal health problems at very low dosages. Aflatoxin, one of several mycotoxins, is a potent carcinogen and immunosuppressant...Grains often affected include corn, peanuts, wheat, and rice, all of which are used in various dog foods... 

There is no question that we are going to change Maggie's diet...

Dr. Rupp spends a good hour with me during that first visit discussing the ingredients and proper proportions of a raw food diet...

The diet change is worth the trouble. It adds energy and exuberance to Maggie's already abundant supply. Her coat develops a shine and luster that becomes the topic of many conversations with people she stops in their tracks. After eight years of constant shedding, it just suddenly stops...I'm sad to admit that during her eight years of eating a well-known and highly recommended brand of dog food, Maggie's coat was dull and she shed continually.

Recover Maggie does. Her quality of life surpasses her pre-surgery level. She maintains her new energy level. We are all about to enter the best times of our lives together. Oh, and Maggie never has a mast cell tumor recurrence.

The myths, facts, and benefits Ingrid mentioned in her recent article on feeding a raw diet to cats are essentially the same for dogs. In addition, I believe long-term health benefits for cats and dogs include fewer degenerative diseases like diabetes & arthritis.

Since that first raw food diet for Maggie, I have learned and adapted the diet for my dogs following her. I increased the meat and decreased the carbohydrate content. Unlike cats, dogs are omnivores, but they're primarily carnivores. Above all, dogs need protein. Dry dog foods are high in carbohydrate and low in protein--the complete opposite! The first ingredient in many veterinarian-recommended and grocery store brands of dry dog food is corn, a grain that may be difficult to digest for dogs. Some holistic vets feel that the wheat gluten in many canned pet foods may cause diseases in dogs and cats similar to gluten-related problems that some humans experience. The natural diet of dogs, like cats, contains little carbohydrate.

Get ready for this statement from the veterinary textbook, Canine and Feline Nutrition:

"The fact that dogs and cats do not require carbohydrate is immaterial because the nutrient content of most commercial foods include carbohydrates." (From the article "Do Dogs and Cats Need Grains")

A grain-based diet promotes insulin production along with other inflammatory chemicals. In addition to weight gain, this can lead to diabetes and other health problems. In retrospect, it is no mystery that Maggie struggled with weight gain despite not eating a lot. On her raw food diet, she lost 7 pounds and maintained her new weight. 

All dog food is processed, even healthier brands, which means fewer nutrients than whole foods offer. If you're unable to feed a raw diet to your dog, there are higher quality dog food choices available through natural pet food stores. Read the labels! Pick a brand high in meat (a specific meat like chicken, salmon, or turkey as the first ingredient, or a specific meat meal like chicken-not "meat" meal) and low in carbohydrates (or grain-free); and without meat by-products, which are parts derived from slaughtered mammals other than meat. By-products can include but are not limited to organs, blood, bone, stomach, intestines, and fatty tissue. Although some by-products would be consumed by a dog in the wild, they'd also get all the meat from an animal they ate. Meat by-products as a steady canine diet are a poor source of protein. 

Bon appétit!

We know from human nutrition that the less processed our foods are, the healthier they are for us.  This is no different when it comes to feline nutrition.  Cats are obligate carnivores and as such need animal-based proteins to thrive.  They cannot get enough nutritional support from plant-based proteins such as grains and vegetables, because, unlike humans and dogs, they lack the specific enzyme that processes plant-based proteins metabolically. 

Commercial pet foods are highly processed and most are too high in carbohydrates for cats, leading to all kinds of health problems.  Dry food in particular can be the source of many of the degenerative diseases we see in cats, ranging from allergies to intestinal problems to diabetes and urinary tract issues.  While a quality grain-free canned diet may be a better choice, the meat in those diets has to be cooked.  Cooking degrades the nutrients, leading to loss of enzymes, vitamins and minerals.  To make up for this, pet food manufacturers must add in supplements to make up for these losses.  Supplementation is not always exact, and depending on the manufacturer, may be done with synthetic rather than natural supplements.

There are numerous benefits from feeding a raw diet to your cat, including improved digestion, reduced stool odor and volume, increased energy, ability to maintain ideal weight, better dental health, and better urinary tract health.  With the numerous pet food recalls over the past several years, raw feeding has gained wider attention.  Embraced for decades by holistically oriented pet parents and holistic veterinarians, it is becoming more mainstream as pet parents look for alternatives to feeding commercial pet foods.  But many pet owners are still leery of the idea of feeding raw meat to their pets, and myths about raw feeding abound.  This article will help sort through the myths and facts surrounding raw feeding.

Myth:  Cats need dry food to keep their teeth clean.

Fact:  Dry kibble does not clean your cat's teeth.  Most cats don't chew their kibble long enough for any of the scraping action that is the theory behind this myth to kick in.  Some pet food manufacturers offer a "dental diet" that is made up of larger than normal sized kibble to encourage chewing, but in my years at veterinary practices, I've seen many cats swallow even those larger size pieces whole.  Additionally, dry food leaves a carbohydrate residue in the cat's mouth that actually encourages growth of tartar and plaque.

Myth:  It's dangerous to feed raw meat because it contains bacteria.

Fact:  Cats have highly acidic digestive tracts, which makes them pathogen resistant.  Their digestive tracts are also much shorter than humans - food passes through their digestive system in about 12 hours, compared to two or three times as much for humans.  This doesn't give bacteria enough time to proliferate in their system.   As long as you use safe handling procedures with raw meat, the risk to your cat is minimal.  In fact, the emphasis on safe handling that you'll hear from most proponents of raw feeding is for the humans in the household, not for the cat.

One caution:  this applies to healthy cats.  Bacterial resistance in cats with an already compromised immune system may be diminished.

Myth:  Raw feeding is complicated and requires grinding of meat, bones and a lot of preparation time. 

Fact:  Raw feeding doesn't have to be complicated.  While some cat owners want to make their own raw foods, there are many companies that offer frozen raw food that is already nutritionally balanced.  It really comes down to thaw and feed - no more effort than opening a can!

Myth:  It's dangerous to feed raw meat because it may contain parasites.

Fact:  Do your research and find out where the company you're buying from sources their ingredients.  Reputable manufacturers will be happy to answer your questions.  Of course, there is no way to be 100% sure, but then, neither is there a 100% guarantee that commercially prepared foods are going to be free of toxins, pathogens or other contamination, as the 2007 pet food recall showed us in such tragic proportions. 

Myth:  Raw diets are not complete and balanced. 

Fact:  That depends on the diet you choose to feed.  Some raw diets are balanced and include proper levels of supplements, others will require adding a good vitamin and mineral supplement.  The reality is that no one food can be nutritionally complete.  True nutrition comes from a varied, whole foods diet.  This is why it's a good idea to mix and rotate different meats and maybe even different manufacturers.

The idea of raw feeding has initially been a big leap for me.  For starters, I'm semi-vegetarian and don't eat red meat or poultry, so I wasn't crazy about having to handle raw meat, even if it was best for my cats.  The twelve years I spent in the veterinary profession taught me a lot about animal health, but initially, not a lot about nutrition.  Traditionally, veterinarians don't receive a lot of training in nutrition, and what training they do receive in veterinary schools is funded by major pet food manufacturers.  I was fortunate that I eventually worked with several holistically oriented vets, and I began studying feline nutrition on my own as well.  There is no doubt in my mind that a grain-free, high protein diet is the optimal way to feed our cats.  

The following two websites are wonderful resources for feeding raw food to cats:

Feeding Your Cat - Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition - this site contains a wealth of information by veterinarian Lisa A. Pierson, DVM

Feline Nutrition Education Society - a site dedicated to educating cat owners about the benefits of feeding raw, showcasing some of the leading voices advocating change in how we think about feline nutrition.