Pets Benefit from Brewer's Yeast

    Many of you have heard me mention the addition of brewer's yeast to your pet's diet, or may have noticed it as a recurring ingredient in recipes I have shared. Brewer's yeast is also an important base ingredient our W.O.W. Powder supplement.  Why is it good for our dogs and cats? Because it contains important food-based nutrients that are often missing in commercial foods or reduced by the cooking process.  

    One of the best immune-enhancing supplements available in food form, yeast is a living food and is a source of vital energy, replacing many amino acids and B vitamins lost when pet foods are cooked, whether homemade or canned.  B vitamins aid in cell metabolism and B Complex (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin , pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, folic acid and biotin) is used by the body to break down carbs, fats, and proteins which provide the body with energy.  they also support the nervous system, digestive muscle group, and keep the skin, coat, eyes and liver healthy.  A strong, well-functioning immune system aids in the prevention and reduction of internal and external parasites.  Brewer's yeast is a powerful antioxidant supporting that function. 

    Stress depletes the body of B vitamins.  Whether a car ride, trip to the vet, separation anxiety or excessive licking, the addition of brewer's yeast to your pet's diet may help their bodies better process stress hormones thus keeping him/her more calm and balanced.   It can take 2-4 weeks of daily dosing before you notice an improvement, stick with it, you both will be happier in the long run.  

    Dogs and cats like the taste of brewer's yeast and adding even a small amount to the food offered to a finicky eater can encourage food consumption.  As with any new addition to your pet's diet, introduce the brewer's yeast in small amounts, slowly increasing until the ideal dosage is reached.  The suggested full daily dosage is 1/2 teaspoon daily for small dogs and cats, and 1 teaspoon for medium and large dogs, giant breeds may be given 2 teaspoons daily.

    Other benefits of feeding brewer's yeast include:

• shinier coat
• reduced shedding
• improved metabolism
• reduced dry skin and itchiness
• repels biting insects
• support of muscle development
• improved appetite

    

    

    

Seafood Dinner for Kitty

While you are whipping up something tasty for you and your dog, remember that our feline friends appreciate home cooked meals as well.

The following recipe will keep for 2 days refrigerated or 1 month when kept frozen.

6 1/2 ounce can chopped clams

2 ounce can anchovies

2 tablespoons brewer's yeast

1 tablespoon fish sauce

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley ( or 2 teaspoons parsley flakes)

1/2 cup cooked brown rice

Using a blender or food processor, combine clams, anchovies, fish sauce and brewer's yeast

Place a saucepan over medium heat and combine the fish mix with the rice and parsley. Cook for 10 -  12 minutes until heated through. Allow to cool to room temp before serving.

Cooking for Fido

    What is wrong with feeding dogs people food? Nothing!  If you know how to eat a healthy, well- balanced diet (and avoid using foods that are toxic to pets) you can apply that same principle to feeding your dog. 

    Remain open to changing your thinking about the true nutritional value of most commercial dog foods.  The problem with blindly believing what big brands tell us about dog nutrition lies in the fact that a dog's nutritional needs cannot be adequately met by a diet that is scientifically (and often artificially) formulated, over processed, filled with chemical preservatives, and packaged into bags and cans. 

No freshness, no variety and little taste.

    Feeding your pooch a handmade meal even just 2 nights a week can have long lasting health benefits for them.  Many common ailments such as food allergies, joint stiffness, flaky skin and flatulence can benefit from or be prevented by using human grade foods for our pets.  I find it amazing how quickly owners will pump medicines and man made chemicals into their pets without a second thought.  Of course, there is a time and place for seeking and utilizing medicinal support for their health and I see huge benefits from combining aspects of traditional allopathic medicine with a wholistic health approach to wellness. I urge pet owners to not blindly follow any one chain or source of advice. Use common sense. Ask questions. Seek second opinions.  We all want our pets to live long, healthy lives and feeding them a natural diet is a great means to that end. 

    

"It's wild-caught and local, but is it safe?"

    Recently we have received questions regarding the safety of the Nisqually River and Pacific Coast wild-caught salmon that we offer.  Thank you for asking!  Ocean health directly influences our own health and the health of our pets.  I feel fortunate that WAGS Organics has a learned and skilled ecology PhD on its team whom I turned to for assistance with understanding the science behind the research regarding the incident.

    For those of you concerned about the safely of NW wild salmon for consumption by your pets, WAGS Organics has been following the science behind the dispersion of radiation fro the Fukushima disaster.  We encourage anyone who is concerned to read the following article from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute https://www.whoi.edu/page.do?pid=83397&tid=3622&cid=94989 .  The long and the short of it is, while radiation from the Fukushima power plant was detected off the coast of Vancouver, it was not above the levels that occur naturally throughout the ocean.  Oceanographers are currently monitoring water samples, kelp, and fish along the entire west coast and closer in to the power plant site to catch the radiation signature, however minute, and to ensure that they bring us the most up-to-date information.

    As we continually strive to provide our customers with the healthiest locally-sourced food choices for their pets possible, rest assured that we continue to keep our fingers on the pulse of this situation.

TREATING ALLERGIES WITH FOOD THERAPY

     In ancient China, doctors relied upon their sense of sight, smell, hearing and touch to diagnose and treat illness.  The practice of, Traditional Chinese Medicine offers a unique insight toward the treatment of allergies in our dogs and cats.

   Addressing the allergy conditions of our pets can be frustrating and may leave some owners feeling at a loss for how decrease their companion's discomfort.   Owners may have been presented with an onslaught of information and their pets prescribed medications that are laden with serious side effects.  Traditional Chinese Medicine offers some solutions.

   An allergy is defined as a hypersensitivity or abnormal reaction to a particular allergen.  When the allergen is ingested, inhaled, or comes in contact with skin an allergic response manifests itself as hot itchy skin, weepy eyes or ears, hot spots, and irritability. 

   The traditional western veterinary treatment approach would most likely involve the prescription of steroids.  Steroids help to curb allergy symptoms in the short term but are well known to have negative side effects on the liver.  Long term use causes more heat within the pet's body and results in excessive panting and drinking, seeking cool places, and a greasy, foul smelling coat.

   Traditional Chinese Medicine would address allergies using food therapy, herbs and acupuncture.  Food therapy for a pet with allergies would include low grain diets that contain meats as well as foods that have a cooling or neutral affect on the body.  Cooling proteins, that are relatively easy to obtain, include rabbit, duck and whitefish.  Salmon, beef and pork and considered neutral protein sources.  Foods that have a warming effect on the body should be avoided, these include chicken and turkey.  Avoid feeding lamb and venison to  allergy suffering pets as these are the hottest foods and would exasperate their condition.

Go For Green

  

    Whether you wish to admit it or not, dogs, both domesticated and wild, are members of the carnivore family.  Anatomically, they are built for it. 

    Long before the creation of dry kibble, dogs survived in the wild by catching their food and devouring nearly all of it.  The flesh (good source of protein), fat (for energy), bone (calcium), muscle and organ meat, as well as the stomach with its contents (enzymes, minerals, pre-digested plant material consisting of herbs and grasses) each played an important role in the dog's vitality.

      Green does not necessarily refer to this organ's color.  It refers to the fact that it has not been cleaned, bleached and scalded.  It's actual color is brown and sometimes it has a green tint due to the grass or hay eaten by the animal.  Unfortunately, most grocery stores sell "white tripe".  It has a honeycomb look, has been bleached, scalded, and sterilized before packaging, a process that removes the beneficial enzymes and nutrients from the organ.  Sure, it doesn't have the pungent smell of green tripe, but why bother feeding it when you are wanting your pet to experience green tripe's full range of benefits. 

    Tripe is the stomach organ found in ruminant (grazing) animals including cows, sheep, deer  and bison.  This organ contains many important digestive enzymes, gastric juices, and amino acids.  Tripe has a calcium-phosphorus ratio of 1:1 which is very beneficial for dogs.  It has a relatively low fat content with a good amount of essential fatty acids,  potassium, B vitamins and magnesium that strongly support the health of our dogs and cats.  Digestive enzymes purify and cleanse the blood, remove toxins including parasites and fungus, as well as improve metabolism, promote proper hormonal function and boost the immune system. Thanks to yogurt company marketing we know that pro-biotics aide digestion. Tripe contains the naturally occurring   pro-biotic,  lactobacillus acidophilus to keep our companions' tummies in a well balanced state.  Because it is a strong digestive aide, green tripe is a good food choice for dogs with sensitive stomachs and/or skin allergies.

    Green tripe is an incredibly gentle food.  It is often the first thing that raw feeding breeders introduce puppies to, as young as 4 weeks old.  Tripe is also indicated for dogs suffering from irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease.  It often eases the discomfort of dogs who are not digesting their food well without giving them large quantities of chemically created traditional medicines. 

    Due to its low phosphorus levels and palatability, green tripe is also a good food choice for dogs with chronic renal failure.  Many dogs with CRF are put on low or no protein, hard to digest, manufactured prescription diets and as a result, lose interest in their food.  Dogs rarely refuse tripe and its optimal phosphorus/calcium ratio, mid-level protein level and slightly acidic Ph make it a safe and effective food for them. 

    The pros certainly outweigh the cons when it comes to feeding raw green tripe - improved skin and coat, whiter teeth, healthier digestive system, improved eating habits for sick or picky dogs, and more energy.  The cons? Well, there's really only one and that's for us humans.  It's the smell.  Trust me, your dog won't mind that at all!   

 

Fireworks Got You Worried?

    Many pet owners I know have already begun to become fretful over the upcoming July 4th celebrations and how the prolonged loud noise activity adversely effects their dog or cat.   I'll share a few tips that will help encourage and support a calm state for your beloved companions.  

    First and foremost, you must maintain a calm and balanced presence for your pet.  They look to us for direction and read our body language and movements very well.  If your pet hides, let it.  I recommend checking that he or she is in a safe, secure place then it is best to leave them.  

    Secondly, some of you may use medications to help your pet through the noise and distress, others may have found compression shirts and herbal supplements work well.    Those who are using herbal tonics or flower essences, consider beginning to dose your pet at least 3-5 days ahead of expected firework displays.  This will help their bodies metabolize the herbs,  spreading them evenly throughout their systems.  

    My third suggestion is that you also look at supporting a calm nervous system through their diet.  This process does not necessitate the halting of medications and/or the nerve calming supplements you feed.  Nor does it mean that you must cook for your pet.  Awareness of the foods best suited to a calm mental state and those that may increase nervousness, is a helpful tool when reading pet food ingredient labels.  My knowledge in the subject is a product of working with the energy meridians of the body,  the regular use of homeopathy, and focused study in the fields of  Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda.  

~ Your pet will receive the most benefit from these foods when you begin feeding the diet change 10-14 days prior to a scheduled time of unusual upset and noise.  ~

Helpful, calming herbs include: 

chamomile flowers

lavender flowers

marshmallow root **use caution if using in diabetic pets as it may reduce blood sugar, requiring more frequent level checks**it also coats the stomach which may slow the metabolism of prescription drugs**

meadowsweet

passion flowers

valerian root

vervain

These ingredients may be blended or used individually to create a tea that can be added to drinking water or poured over meals.  There are some wonderful herbal tea blends on the market that contain these herbs.  They are handy helpers to keep in your pantry for yourself as well as your four legged companions.

Calming and cooling foods for your pets include:

egg

pork

turkey dark meat

sardine

whitefish

barley

rice

whole wheat

beets

carrots

celery

green beans

potato

spinach

yam

Avoid the following foods as they tend to increase nervousness and agitation:

chicken - both white and dark meats

turkey white meat

chicken or turkey liver

lamb

rabbit

salmon (this includes regular use of salmon oil - switch to coconut oil or olive oil for 14 days surrounding July 4th)

cabbage

corn

kale

    More pets are reported missing between July 2 and July 6th than at any other time of the year.  Please make sure your pets are safe and in a secure area.  Sudden booms and strong vibrations can cause pets to bolt away from their owners and homes.  Running scared, these pets often become lost and injured.  If you will be away from home, make considerations for the pet(s) you leave such as  playing classical, new age or  jazz music , provide an open crate with blankets, or leave a closet open for them to crawl into.  My uncle had a black lab, Ranger, whose safe place during thunderstorms and fireworks was the bath tub.  He placed a blanket and Ranger's favorite toy there in anticipation of the dog's needs.   

    By taking a few steps and expanding your knowledge base you and your beloved fur-friend will have a calmer Independence Day experience.  

Stay safe and be well.