Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats

Book Description

This book will help pet-lovers enable their dogs and cats to enjoy an ideal quality of life though a species appropriate diet of raw, natural foods.

Customer Reviews:

DANGEROUS!.......2007-08-06

I agree 100% with feeding dogs and cats all natural, whole food diets and am very open-minded, always looking to learn new things about how to feed my crew. My endless research and quest for knowledge led me to this book and, after reading it, left me shaking my head in disbelief, fearing for the safety of the dogs who will be fed this diet by well-intentioned guardians.

First of all, dogs are NOT wolves - they are distant decendents thereof, and there's a big difference. You don't have to look far at all to find many tragic, heart-wrenching incidences of dogs dying after eating raw bones or getting sick from raw meat. The idea that dogs can not get sick from bacteria is ridiculous, and the assertion that food loses its nutritional value when cooked is false. Foods do not have to be raw to be nutritious!

My husband and I rescue dogs, and thereby have the opportunity to experience the joys and trials of helping sick, abused and elderly dogs heal on a regular basis. We currently care for a beagle/rottweiler mix with terrible allergy issues, and after much research and trial, we found that when he is fed an all natural diet of meat, fish, veggies, essential oils, the necessary nutritional supplements, Prozyme, a little fruit and a little plain nonfat yogurt, he is at his optimum condition. In fact, all of our dogs eat this diet in rotation with Wellness and Innova and are all gleaming, energetic pictures of magnificent health who never get fleas (and get no chemical flea treatments) - even our oldest seniors and sickest abuse survivors. No dangerous, questionable bones or raw meat required.

Every dog is different and has different needs, just as people do, so no food plan will ever be the one-size-fits-all 'right' way to do things, and anyone who says it is is full of themselves. Variety is the key to getting all the nutrients needed, just as it is for us. If dogs can enjoy optimum health without the use of risky items such as bones and uncooked meat, why use them? This book offers very little information and absolutely no evidence that the benefit of this diet is worth the potentially devastating risks.

good place to start.......2007-06-10

Having been encouraged for over 10 years to try a "natural" diet for my dogs, I finally succumbed to the pressure, and read this little book before beginning the raw regimen.

I must say, that while it is somewhat more expensive and time consuming, my dogs have never looked better. The diet requires a commitment on the part of the owner, and a little planning when traveling. However, my dogs and I have traveled across the country with no issues.

My Corgis (age 5 months to 9 years) have been on the diet since being having been weaned, and have never had to have their teeth cleaned, show no signs of skin problems, have gorgeous coats, have no "doggy" breath or body odor.

Suffice it to say that I am convinced, and will not go back to conventional processed food for them.

If highly processed food is not good for ME, how can it be good for them???

don't believe everything that you read.......2007-06-01

I picked up this book at a natural food store thinking it would be a good source of information to improve my pets' health. The book contained very little information, it was very one-sided only giving (non-referenced/non-published) success stories and not mentioning any of the many illnesses and deaths that the raw food diet has caused in many peoples beloved pets.
The book sounded good to me and I was considering giving my pets some raw bones as the book suggested, but I decided to do a little internet searching and to my horror found the stories of many peoples whose pets had died after only being on this diet for a few days. I'm so glad that I don't believe everything I read - it may have saved my pets lives.

Easy to follow, good info.......2007-05-31

I was a vet tech for a holistic vet a few years ago and she recommended this book to every client.

I followed it to make food for my own dog and cat and never had a problem. They loved it! I think the best thing about this diet is they produce less waste, A LOT less; it's amazing.

I whole-heartily recommend it to anyone with dogs and/or cats!

Not enough hands on information........2007-05-21

The book was not what I expected. A lot of redundant information on nutrients and bioavailability, a lot of lists, and a whole appendix on references and resources. The list of three diets by weight, a ten pound, fifty pound, and a hundred pound animal was not very useful. My dog is seventy pounds. I was looking for something much more basic in the how to and where to get it. I wanted to know more about chicken necks and turkey necks and not the vitamin or nutrient components of them. The large number of antidotal stores running for many pages may have been interesting if your pet had that specific problem but they are not definitive as to cause and effect or anything else. I wasted my money.

Average customer rating:

Raw Food Diet
Very interesting
Too much about Tom Lonsdale
The matyrdom of Tom Londsdale
Good ideas, but boring.

Raw Meaty Bones Promote Health (P)
Tom Lonsdale
Manufacturer: Dogwise Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Veterinary Medicine | Medicine | Subjects | Books

Small Animal Medicine | Veterinary Medicine | Medicine | Subjects | Books

Food Science | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0646396242

Book Description

For the price of a 15 minute consultation with your vet Raw Meaty Bones: Promote Health provides hours of reading pleasure. In 391 easy-to-read pages you can discover masses of information not available in whole libraries of veterinary textbooks. If you are a pet owner this book will likely be one of the best investments that you have ever made. Big savings in vet bills and feed bills are likely to be measurable benefits.

But how can you measure the benefits of pain-free happy pets? How can you measure your feelings? - knowing that you have done the best for the pets in your care. You can't. But you and your pets can experience those feelings - because Raw Meaty Bones: Promote Health.

Customer Reviews:

Raw Food Diet.......2007-09-19

This book is designed for folks who are interested in feeding their dogs a natural diet. It seems to be a precusor to the Barf Diet Books. It is technical in it's approach but describes a recommended diet which takes about two sentences. For anyone who feeds this type of diet to their dogs this book gives an excellent rationale for doing so. Although currently there is a "feud" going on between the author and those involved in BARF diets. In my opinion they are basically the same and only differ at the fringes.

Very interesting.......2007-08-29

Very interesting, however I do feed raw but I don't agree with feeding grains as Lonsdale does. But between him and Billinghurst if everyone would read their books they would never feed kibble again..

Too much about Tom Lonsdale.......2007-02-12

This book is really a lot more about the author than about raw feeding. It seems to centralize on the problems he faced getting his views accepted (raw feeding dogs) If you really want a basic book that is easier to understand and gets right to the point, then purchase his other book - Work Wonders. Has basically the same info, but without all the personal details.

The matyrdom of Tom Londsdale.......2006-08-29

I bought a few books on raw feeding and holistic diets and I have to say this is the worst. It's not even about raw meaty bones. This book is more about how the author feels martyred by both the Australian Vet Association and the pet food industry. I guess this might make an interesting story if thats the kind of thing you want to read about. I just found it a tiresome tirade.

Work Wonders, by the same author, is much more informative about raw feeding and can be downloaded for free at [...].

Good ideas, but boring........2005-12-26

I love the idea of a raw diet for dogs and I agree with his views on commercial petfood.
I just got really sick of reading about dental issues. It seems like 80% of this book is about dental hygeine.
The book should be named "Raw Meaty Bones promote Dental Hygeine", not "Health".

I also feel he should've given more in-depth information on what to feed/ how to feed.
He is also a proponent of feeding wings and backs alone- that is just TOO MUCH BONE.

If you look at a whole prey animal, the percentage of bone in it will be 8%-12%. Chicken wings/ backs alone are 50% bone. They are not a biologically appropriate way of feeding!
He does deserve credit for stating that whole prey is best, though.

Lonsdale has great ideas, but he should've published a separate book about canine dental health, or not gone off about it so much, and his specific diet recommendations are lacking/ somewhat misleading.

Nutrition (Natural Pet Care Pocket Series)

Average customer rating:

Skip This One
Simple to Use, Easy to Read...Finally

Nutrition (Natural Pet Care Pocket Series)
Lisa S. Newman
Manufacturer: Crossing Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Nutrition | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Animal Husbandry | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1580910041

Customer Reviews:

Skip This One.......1999-10-18

While the author of this little book states that feeding a homeprepared diet is optimal, she doesn't include nearly enough information to enable people to formulate a balanced diet for their dogs or cats. Moreover, like the authors of many dog food cook books, Newman takes what would be a healthy diet for humans and applies it to dogs and cats as if we were all the same species with the same dietary requirements. This is not the case. For instance, being carnivores, dogs and cats, with few exceptions, have no nutritional requirement for carbohydrates. While dogs often do well with small amounts of whole grains in their diet (we feed two small grain meals a week), the bulk of their diet should consist of raw meat and bones. This brings me to my next problem with this book: Newman states that dogs and cats "have been domesticated for so long that they have become processed food eaters," and consequently are no longer able to digest raw meat and bones. She seems to forget that processed pet foods didn't become popular until earlier this century -- hardly long enough to stamp out thousands of years of evolution. Can dogs digest raw meat and bones? While there are a few health problems that call for a cooked foods diet, the vast majority of dogs and cats benefit enormously from eating raw meats and bones. Our family has been raising dogs naturally for nearly three decades and their exceptional health is in large part the result of their biologically appropriate raw diet. Over the years I have assisted many people in switching their animals, young and old, to a raw foods diet, and the results have always been extremely positive.

The book's section on vitamins and minerals isn't bad, but unfortunately some of the information is incorrect (e.g., the calcium:phosphorous ratio), while other important information is omitted (e.g., the fact that cats are unable to convert beta-carotene to Vitamin A). The section on fasting and detoxification is quite good, but I have a problem with the rather cavalier manner in which homeopathic remedies are suggested throughout the book. Homeopathy is a fascinating but highly complex system of medicine, and remedies need to be selected by taking into account the totality of the patient's symptoms. When we make a blanket recommendation such as Arsenicum for appetite problems (also known as the "this for that" approach), we are using homeopathic remedies allopathically, and many would argue that we aren't really practicing homeopathy at all. Used in this manner, homeopathic remedies are rarely effective, since it would be sheer luck if we happened to select the correct remedy.

Newman does a good job of discussing the problems with commercial pet foods, but other books do it just as well or better, while also providing sound advice for those interested in feeding their animals a fresh foods diet.

Simple to Use, Easy to Read...Finally.......1999-09-24

I get so frustrated trying to decipher pet food labels - I could just scream!! Newman is very clear and consise about just what the industry code words are that allow pet food producers to sell overpriced, slickly marketed 'garbage' to those of us who care about what we feed our pets. She makes a great case for how very important nutrition is as the building block to keep my 'kids' happy and healthy. This book is small enough to take shopping and covers cat and dog food. She has a very freindly writing style and is easy to follow. I have done homecooking, but was always worried about what I was missing. It was a lot of work. This book really helps cut to what is needed for good health and how to find it.

Dog & Cat Nutrition: A Handbook for Students, Veterinarians, Breeders & Owners

Average customer rating:

Dog & Cat Nutrition: A Handbook for Students, Veterinarians, Breeders & Owners

Manufacturer: Pergamon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Veterinary Medicine | Medicine | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Animal Husbandry | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 008028891X

Raising Healthy Pets: With Natural Foods, Herbs, Massage, & Love

Average customer rating:

Raising Healthy Pets: With Natural Foods, Herbs, Massage, & Love
Norman Ralston , and Gale Jack
Manufacturer: One Peaceful World Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Nutrition | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Veterinary Medicine | Medicine | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1882984226

Natural Nutrition For Dogs And Cats - Ultimate Diet

Average customer rating:

Natural Nutrition For Dogs And Cats - Ultimate Diet
Kymythy R. Schultze
Manufacturer: Hay House, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000LRJI7S

The Ultimate Diet : Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats

Average customer rating:

Superb!!
Common Sense book
Biologically Appropriate Nutrition for Dogs & Cats
Good book to start on: but you have to learn more!
Best Practical Guide to Implementing Natural Diet for Pets

The Ultimate Diet : Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats
Kymythy R. Schultze
Manufacturer: Affenbar Ink
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound

General | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0966474910

Book Description

This book is your reference on how to provide an optimal quality of life for your dog or cat. Easy to read and easy to understand nutritional information. Blank menu and food diary pages allow reader to plan the perfect natural diet for their particular pet.

Customer Reviews:

Superb!!.......1999-10-22

I read all the reviews of the other books and found this one to be the easiest and the most "natural" which is the purpose of this exercise! I copied her menu plan, meal components, amounts and carry them when I shop! One idea as a novice in this area that I have found to be the quick & dirty preparation key... get a meat/food grinder! I throw all the veggies and some raw meat (their first course) into the grinder and the dogs gobble it up! From there I go to the other items suggested in the book such as chicken or turkey parts.... and then desert....the raw bone with some meat on it! My two Airedales get excited about meal time for the first time!! All raw, all natural and all great! You should see their teeth after just a few weeks! I'll never go back to ''dog food''.... you won't either!

Common Sense book.......1999-06-03

I read this book out of curiosity and looking for a better diet for my pet. The ideas are based on common sense and it is tough, at times, to get through the authors personal belief system on the subject. Her writing does not seem to come from any professional background or research, making it all a bit hard to swallow. It does seem logical that dogs and cats should not eat what the food stores pass as edible food, but maybe humans should not as well. A bit more thought and academic dietary training might have made the book more substantial.

Biologically Appropriate Nutrition for Dogs & Cats.......1999-05-10

Having read just about every book on natural/raw/whole foods diets for dogs, I must say that this one is the most restrictive, as it does not allow any grains, dairy products (incl. organic yogurt with active cultures), or raw honey (which many experienced breeders using holistic methods consider a "must" in dog rearing). Instead of modeling her dogs' diet on that of wolves and wild dogs and allowing changes to best tailor the diet to the individual dog, Schultze seems determined to replicate the wild canine diet in every way possible (though she does recommend mega doses of vitamin C, flax seed oil, and a couple of other supplements which wouldn't be found in the wild). She also has the bad habit of passing off some rather controversial opinions as scientific fact without providing any footnotes to back up her claims. Having said all that, the diet she recommends (which basically consists of raw muscle and organ meats, raw meaty bones, crushed veggies, eggs, and supplements -- fruit, nuts, and seeds are optional) is biologically appropriate and easy to follow for those new to raw feeding. She even provides a sample monthly menu, and the holistic yellow pages at the end are a nice touch.

All in all, not a bad book to start with, though you will definitely want to learn more about canine nutrition. If you have a dog with cancer or severe food allergies, Schultze's diet may be just what you've been looking for, but I feel it is unnecessarily restrictive for young, healthy animals. I urge you to read other books on this topic (in particular Levy and Billinghurst), keep an open mind, and be prepared to experiment a little to figure out what works best for your dogs. Remember: There's no one diet that's optimal for every dog.

Good book to start on: but you have to learn more!.......1999-04-07

I wrote this littel, handy booklet in less then 2 hours, not bad for a foreign! I really love the size; and the yellow pages and the blank menu and food diary pages. But yet, if you'd like to do it right, you MUST to learn more! Here in Europe we don't have any nutrition consultant, and very few pet healthy stores, so I have to learn by myself what is realy healthy for my cats, and belive me when I say that is hard to find good books about healthy nutrition whitout the internet.

I can say: buy this book if you intend to switch youre furry friend on a healthy home made diet, but please learn and read more! If you live in America, consult youre holistic vet or nutritionalist, they will help you learn! Good luck and don't forget to hugge and kiss youre pet when he/she finish the meal, they diserve it!!!:-))

Best Practical Guide to Implementing Natural Diet for Pets.......1999-01-30

If you have been thinking about feeding your pets a healthier, more natural, species-specific diet, this is the operations manual. It has a complete review of the compelling benefits of a natural diet without being exhaustive or too scientific. It's also the easiest to implement, by consolidating high-level menus into easy-to-read formats. It has some great testimonials in the back as well.

Amazon.com

Many appreciate the clean, simple lines of traditional Shaker furniture, yet few know the people behind the designs or the spiritual beliefs that play such an integral part in both their work and daily lives. In his book, The Shaker Legacy: Perspectives on an Enduring Furniture Style, author Christian Becksvoort, a contributing editor of Fine Woodworking magazine and an experienced custom furniture maker and restorer who's worked for the last remaining Shaker community at Sabbathday Lake, Maine, examines the Shakers' faith in relation to their furniture. Becksvoort believes that "understanding Shaker furniture requires understanding the faith of the people who created it." Their religious practices--the constant striving for spiritual perfection in everything they did, the desire to emulate Christ and to live practically, "purely, free of vanity, greed, and pride"--permeate Becksvoort's insightful discussions of the Shaker culture, their recognized inventiveness (inventions include the circular saw, apple peeler, wash mill, and chimney cap), their influence on other furniture styles, and finally the furniture itself, which is the focal point of the book. Highly perfected, free of vain ornamentation, and utterly utilitarian, the furniture is indeed the Shaker faith in physical form. In addition to covering the classics--including the ladder-back chair, trestle table, and the built-in--Becksvoort points out subtle variations in design that existed from community to community: the curved, cutout base of a case of drawers was typical for the communities in Ohio, while bevel-edged drawer lips and straight, tapered feet on a blanket box point to the Mount Lebanon community. Becksvoort's intelligent account of the Shakers and their furniture, combined with hundreds of full-color photographs, taken on location at various communities and pulled from archives, make The Shaker Legacy a beautiful tribute to these talented craftsmen and their enduring design. --Stefanie Hargreaves

Book Description

Solid construction and honest functionality make Shaker furniture one of the most popular and timeless design categories. Based on extensive research and personal experience with the last working Shaker community in Maine, this book traces the roots of Shaker design to Shaker belief, which inspired the clean lines, careful craftsmanship, and signature details that define the style. The author also discusses the less known Victorian period of Shaker design and shows how this style has influenced subsequent ones. A bibliography, glossary, and index are included. "As if the content isn't enough, readers will enjoy this book for its clean, upbeat writing. For anyone looking for a primer on the Shaker movement and the furniture it spawned, this is a good selection." - Antique Week Central

Customer Reviews:

Truly excellent.......2005-08-10

This is a truly excellent book that should be on the shelves of all who work with wood, even those of you who, like myself, are not particularly keen on shaker furniture.

The first part of the book overviews the Shakers and their attitudes to working with wood, their seeking of elegant simplistic functional beauty and their enjoyment of the process of working with wood - these are an inspiration to the modern woodworker, all of whom I suspect share the same enjoyment of the process and attention to detail, regardless of their chosen style. The Shakers themselves are quite interesting, and their attitudes of constantly improving and making work easier, more joyful and freeing time for better pursuits than toil are a mantra we all should live by, perhaps. Although the Shakers were very minimalist, I believe many other great craftsmen of the past shared their attitudes and enjoyment of the process of making furniture.

The second part of the book details many fine examples of Shaker furniture. These are great items, well made, well designed, and even if the style is not your preferred one, they still may inspire you.

Note that it is NOT a "how-to" book as another reviewer pointed out, although if you have some skill you could easily reproduce the items in it ? more importantly, be inspired by them.

I have an extraordinary library of woodworking and furniture books covering all styles and all ages and I would definetely recommend this one as being in the top 10% - but I have to stress, it is not a how-to book, look elsewhere if you are looking for that.

Finally, thanks to all the other reviewers here who convinced me to purchase it, I had seen it in the shops before but passed it over (not preferring Shaker style). I will now go tick all your reviews as being helpful.

Did I mention it is absolutely full of colour photos, sidebars of interesting information and very readable and interesting?

Great Reference For Your Bookshelf.......2005-04-25

This book is an interesting and pleasant blending of American history, philosophy, furniture design, and woodworking.
I have read/studied several other books concerning Shaker furniture. This hardcover printing of Mr. Becksvoort's book has, by far, the finest and clearest photography and printing.

A MOST INTERESTING WORK........2004-03-03

I have many books, new and old, on various styles of furniture, their designers, and construction techniques. This was a great addition to my library. I have learned much from it. I appreciate the detail the author went to in this work. It is not your typical lightweight coffee table book, but shows an understanding of, and respect for, the various Shaker communities and their many contributions to our way of life, not the least of which is their beautiful furniture.

The Shaker Legacy.......2004-01-13

Aways had an interest in making Shaker Furniture;and it's origin .Found this Book very formative and informational;enjoyed.

Combines knowledge of the Shakers with solid know-how.......2003-06-21

" author Christian Becksvoort, a contributing editor of Fine Woodworking magazine and an experienced custom furniture maker and restorer who's worked for the last remaining Shaker community at Sabbathday Lake, Maine, examines the Shakers' faith in relation to their furniture." ~Amazon review
This attractive volume does not attempt to give directions on how to build Shaker style furniture. What it does do, and does it very well, is to describe the philosophy of the Shakers in relation to their work. The book has as its focus the Shaker's most visible and well-known product - their furniture. Each piece in the book was carefully examined by Mr. Becksvoort and photographed by Mr. Sheldon. Some pieces are not available to the public. Construction, finish, and accurate description of each piece distinguish this work. Mr. Becksvoort knows what he is looking at, he has had the privilege of restoring and closely examining the furniture of the Sabbathday Lake, Maine, Shaker Village. What he does not do is tell you how to build each piece. But if you are a clever and intelligent woodworker, perhaps you will be inspired to design your own project with an eye to the timeless design of the Shakers. Take the challenge, inspire yourself!

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