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by Andi Brown, Director A devastating myth exists among many pet owners today - that the longevity of their pet is inherently limited to its particular breed. Over the years, a holistic approach to the health and well being of animals has proven this to be untrue. Nutrition, not breed, is the single most important factor to your pet’s health and longevity. Think about it. At the turn of the last century, our life expectancy, governed by our knowledge or lack thereof of nutrition and medicine, was only 42 to 45 years. Today, this has been increased to more than 70 years and is still rising. The same applies to pets, regardless of breed. A Holistic ApproachJust like us, all pets need LOVE, quality nutrition, sleep, clean air, fresh water, exercise, sunshine, and both positive mental and emotional surroundings. A HOLISTIC approach to wellness encompasses the entire being. The outside of the body is a direct reflection of what is happening internally. WELLNESS occurs when the physical body is in harmony with the spirit and with nature. Nutrition - The Key to Good HealthEACH DAY our pets need to have all the necessary nutrients in proper balance to achieve good health. Proteins, carbohydrates, essential oils and fatty acids along with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and trace elements have become the mantra for good health. We know boosting the immune system with high quality foods and supplements can keep our loved ones strong and resistant to disease and degeneration. So why are we seeing so many of our loving friends succumb to cancer, tumors, skin lesions, hair loss, diabetes, kidney failure, leukemia, parasites and immune deficiency disorders? In the past, we assumed our pets were getting everything they needed in the ”store-bought” foods we fed them. We believed if the labels claimed these foods were “complete and balanced”, that they were adequate to keep our loved ones healthy. THE TRUTH is that most pet foods on the market today do little more than just sustain life. It may be hard to believe, but even premium pet foods contain inexpensive, processed fillers as well as potentially harmful artificial additives and coloring agents. Unfortunately, label reading can be deceiving. What’s worse? There is virtually no regulation when it comes to the quality of ingredients used in the products we have come to know today! Most foods contain “PET-GRADE” ingredients, which are foodstuffs actually rejected for human consumption. If it can’t be sold or exported, they’ll just give it to the pets. This means your pets may be eating BY-PRODUCTS - the generic description for beaks, feet, heads, claws, feathers, eyeballs, hair, and hooves. Companies are even permitted to use what are termed “4D-MEATS”: animals arriving at the slaughterhouse dead, diseased, dying, or disabled! Other ingredients might also be rejected for people because they were rancid, moldy or dirty. What you’ve been led to believe is that “premium” means good, when the “premium” foods you’re buying may actually be just garbage. You would never knowingly feed your pets garbage. Awareness is key. PLEASE READ LABELS WITH A DISCERNING EYE!! The first ingredients are the primary components of that food. They are then listed in descending order. You could be feeding your pet a diet consisting primarily of corn, wheat, rice, or even by-products. Any of these, coupled with chemicals, coloring agents, artificial preservatives and dyes found in most foods could be creating some serious health risks. We no longer blindly accept them in our food choices, so why should we permit them in our pets’ lives either? This is why a great, natural diet along with the appropriate supplementation is so important! © 2005 Andi Brown, Halo, Purely for Pets. Reprinted with permission. The preceding is the opinion of the author, and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of other contributors to the web site. Comments are welcome in our Discussion Forums. |
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