At a time when the nationwide recall of dog food by Menu Foods, causing at least 100 private label and major brand dog foods to be pulled from store shelves, the issue of Dog nutrition and health is flooding the news.
Menu and other manufacturers such as Purina have recalled dog foods that have been determined through laboratory testing to contain contaminants that can be fatal to your dog.
Some of the reported contaminants have been aminopterin, a rat poison, and melamine, a chemical used in the production of plastics and fertilizers.
As a long-time advocate for healthy, natural alternatives in dog care, I was interested in the title of this book, The Healthy Wholistic Dog, and when I heard the author was speaking at Barnes and Noble in my town, I jumped. . the car to hear firsthand what he had to say.
Mr. Harvey addressed a number of topics and engaged with the audience on a variety of topics related to dog health care, such as the impact of toxins on our dogs’ health, what’s in commercial dog foods , alternative therapies, vitamins and supplements.
What impressed me most was the sheer impact of the ingredients found in commercial dog foods on the health and longevity of our dogs. In the book, the author references a quote from a veterinarian who said, paraphrasing him: Most animal diseases would go away if they weren’t fed commercial pet food.
On page 27, the author points out that commercial dog food can contain such unsavory ingredients as hooves, skin, horn, hair, organs, entrails, blood, and bones. And what about toxins, hormones, steroids and cancer! This is just a sample of the ingredients the author tells us are present in meat by-products found in commercial dog foods.
The chapter on dog cancer was an eye-opener for me. Today, the author tells us, about 25% of dogs will get cancer at some point, and about 50% of older dogs will die of cancer. The correlation between diet and dog health became apparent as I continued to read. Two of the main causes are thought to be dog vaccines and the dog food we feed our dogs.
Other equally compelling topics are addressed in this book, such as canine allergies, with a direct relationship to canine diet and allergies. Mr. Harvey also provides important information on areas such as canine arthritis, canine ear problems, canine immunology, vitamins for your dog, dog and canine diabetes, to name a few.
I was impressed by the chapter on kidney problems in dogs. Kidney or renal failure is the problem that has been killing dogs that have eaten contaminated food that is part of the ever-expanding dog food recall.
This book has 189 pages of simple and useful information, advice and guidance on how to keep your dog healthy and maximize its lifespan.
While there are many good resources available on comprehensive dog care, I think this is one of the best. Every dog guardian should have a reference library of information to help solve problems as they arise.
Meeting the author was definitely fun. Having read the book more than once has been enlightening and has greatly increased my knowledge of dog care, dog health and dog nutrition. I strongly recommend reading this.