From Dr Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats
"The possibility of no-meat diets doesn't even occur
to most of us because we have all been deeply conditioned by our culture to
think that even we humans must eat meat....
"Although the dog prefers meat, both its physiology and behavior indicate that it is an opportunistic omnivore -- an animal that can meet its needs from a wide variety of sources. Wild coyotes and wolves, for example, consume vegetable matter, including grasses, berries, and other fresh material, plus predigested food from the digestive tracts of their vegetarian prey. In fact, a three-generation test found that dogs fed meat as a sole source of protein, along with other essential elements, had difficulties producing adequate milk for their young, as compared with dogs fed a diet that included milk and vegetables.
"Strictly from a health viewpoint, it seems that the most natural diet for a dog or cat would be primarily fresh raw meat, eggs and bones (or bone meal), supplemented with fruits and vegetables for dogs. Yet such a diet may not be best for today's domesticated pets. Their needs may differ from those of their hunting ancestors who got more exercise, lived in purer environments, and often, by necessity, fasted between large meals. Thus, their bodies could cleanse themselves more easily, eliminating uric acid and other waste products of meat metabolism.
"Our primary concern about feeding meat to dogs and cats, however, is that meat is now the most polluted food source in the market. Even the highest-quality cuts approved for human consumption contain residues of antibiotics, synthetic hormones, and toxic materials such as lead, arsenic, mercury, DDT, and dioxin. There are also more pesticide residues in meat than in dairy products, grains, vegetables, and fruits.
"The long-term effect of all this toxic material -- particularly the pesticides and heavy metals -- may be increased cancer rates, allergies, infections, kidney and liver problems, irritability, and hyperactivity for our pets."
p. 96 - 98
"Although the dog prefers meat, both its physiology and behavior indicate that it is an opportunistic omnivore -- an animal that can meet its needs from a wide variety of sources. Wild coyotes and wolves, for example, consume vegetable matter, including grasses, berries, and other fresh material, plus predigested food from the digestive tracts of their vegetarian prey. In fact, a three-generation test found that dogs fed meat as a sole source of protein, along with other essential elements, had difficulties producing adequate milk for their young, as compared with dogs fed a diet that included milk and vegetables.
"Strictly from a health viewpoint, it seems that the most natural diet for a dog or cat would be primarily fresh raw meat, eggs and bones (or bone meal), supplemented with fruits and vegetables for dogs. Yet such a diet may not be best for today's domesticated pets. Their needs may differ from those of their hunting ancestors who got more exercise, lived in purer environments, and often, by necessity, fasted between large meals. Thus, their bodies could cleanse themselves more easily, eliminating uric acid and other waste products of meat metabolism.
"Our primary concern about feeding meat to dogs and cats, however, is that meat is now the most polluted food source in the market. Even the highest-quality cuts approved for human consumption contain residues of antibiotics, synthetic hormones, and toxic materials such as lead, arsenic, mercury, DDT, and dioxin. There are also more pesticide residues in meat than in dairy products, grains, vegetables, and fruits.
"The long-term effect of all this toxic material -- particularly the pesticides and heavy metals -- may be increased cancer rates, allergies, infections, kidney and liver problems, irritability, and hyperactivity for our pets."
p. 96 - 98
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