At a time when Menu Foods’ nationwide recall of dog food is causing at least 100 store brands and major dog food brands to be pulled from shelves, the topic of dog nutrition and canine health is flooding the news.
Menu and other manufacturers like Purina have recalled dog food that laboratory tests have found to contain contaminants that can be fatal to your dog.
Some of the contaminants reported were aminopterin, a rat poison, and melamine, a chemical used in the manufacture of plastics and fertilizers.
As a longtime advocate for natural and healthy dog grooming alternatives, I was interested in the title of this book, The Healthy Wholistic Dog, and when I learned the author would be speaking at Barnes and Noble in my town, I jumped in the car to hear firsthand what he had to say.
Mr Harvey addressed a range of topics and interacted with the audience on a variety of canine health issues such as: B. the effects of toxins on the health of our dogs, what is found in commercial dog food, alternative therapies, vitamins and nutritional supplements.
What struck me the most was the absolute impact of the ingredients found in commercial dog food on our dogs’ health and longevity. In the book, the author refers to a quote from a veterinarian who said, to paraphrase him: Most animal diseases would go away if not fed commercial pet food.
On page 27, the author points out that commercial dog food can contain such nasty ingredients as hooves, fur, horn, hair, organs, guts, blood, and bones. And what about toxins, hormones, steroids and cancer! This is just a sample of the ingredients that the author says are found in meat by-products found in commercial dog food.
The chapter on canine cancer was an eye opener. Today, the author says, about 25% of dogs will develop cancer at some point, and about 50% of older dogs will die of cancer. The link between diet and canine health became clear as I read on. Two of the main causes are believed to be dog vaccinations and the dog food we feed our dogs.
Other equally compelling topics such as dog allergies are covered in this book, with direct reference to canine nutrition and allergies. Mr. Harvey also provides essential information on areas such as canine arthritis, canine ear problems, canine immunology, vitamins for your dog, canine 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 killing dogs that ate the tainted food, which is part of the ever-expanding dog food recall.
This book is 189 pages long and contains simple and helpful information, tips and instructions on how to keep your dog healthy and maximize their lifespan.
While there are many good resources out there on holistic dog care, I think this is one of the best. Every dog owner should have a library of information to reference to help solve problems when they arise.
It was definitely fun to meet the author. Having read the book more than once it was insightful and has greatly increased my knowledge of dog care, dog health and dog nutrition. I strongly recommend reading it.
Thanks to M. Bruno
