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The Role of a Natural Healthy Diet in the Management of Canine Epilepsy
- Introduction:
- Nutritional Deficiencies and Seizures:
- Different Dogs Different Needs:
- The Possible Connection between Grains and Seizures
- Recommended Reading:
- Links to other Email Lists
- Other Links:
- BARF articles and sites:
- Dogs who "BARF":
Introduction
An emerging trend in human healthcare is the focus on the link between diet
and disease. There is an ever-increasing recognition that what we eat provides
the foundation of our health. Good nutrition equals good health. Poor nutrition
equals poor health and leads to disease. This is a simple premise that we
all should recognize - and one we need to extend to the way we feed our canine
companions. The health and happiness of our dogs is dependent upon the environment
we provide them, and perhaps more importantly, the diet we feed them.
More often than not, it takes a major illness or chronic allergy in a dog before we recognize the need to examine the diet of our dog. Allergies are the most common and one of the most visible symptoms of nutritional deficiencies. Dr. Alfred Plechner, DVM in his book Allergies: Remedies for an Epidemic, states: "Because many commercial foods are woefully deficient in key nutrients, the long-term effect of feeding such foods makes the dog hypersensitive to its environment. It's the dinosaur effect. Animals are being programmed for extinction."
All dog owners interested in improving their dog's health should do their own research on canine nutrition. If your dog is suffering from a particular disease or condition, it is vital that you learn what a canine requires in its diet and environment to sustain good health and how improving the diet can help solve health problems. As in human health care, diet is the foundation of good health for canines too.Recognizing nutritional deficiencies - that is, learning to recognize the symptoms that the deficiencies cause - is the beginning of solving many canine health problems.
For dogs with seizure disorders, pedigree, environment
and other health conditions are generally the first things taken into consideration
when searching for a diagnosis, but rarely is diet examined for a possible link
to the seizures. However, as in humans, nutritional deficiencies can cause symptoms
that include seizures or that can aggravate the seizures of a dog diagnosed
with epilepsy.
It is becoming increasingly clear to many owners
of seizing dogs and some vets that diet plays a vital role in the management
and control of canine epilepsy. Correcting nutritional deficiencies can help
reduce or control seizures in epileptic dogs, and in some cases, may eliminate
seizures in dogs completely.
Improving the dog's diet in an effort to correct nutritional deficiencies can
be achieved through a number of avenues.
(1) Changing from a supermarket commercial diet, to a superior grade commercial
diet with premium ingredients, including superior sources of protein and free
from artificial preservatives and additives ( including chemical preservatives
BHA, BHT and ethoxyquin and propylene glycol which is sometimes added to keep
"chewy " foods moist) artificial colors and flavors and sweeteners
( added to make poor quality dog food more appealing to dogs).
(2) Feeding a home cooked diet including added vitamins/minerals/nutritional
supplements.
(3) Feeding a raw diet commonly known as "BARF" an acronym for "Biologically
Appropriate Raw Food" or "Bones And Raw Food" including added
vitamins/minerals/nutritional supplements.All of the above-mentioned diet improvements
can benefit your dog's overall health. In this article, we cannot begin to address
all of the advantages and issues related to changing diets and the differences
between diets. Any improvement is sure to benefit your dog and his health. This
article will focus specifically on how raw food diets can benefit dogs with
seizure disorders.
In the information that follows, we will address some general topics. There
is much more to learn on the subject. Consider joining an online list that addresses
canine nutrition, such as K9Nutrition or other diet lists. Some links are included
at the end of this article that will start you on your way to understanding
canine nutrition,and PLEASE do not consider changing your dog's diet
without first understanding what a canine's diet should and should not include.
For dogs on anti-epilepsy drugs (AEDs) diet changes MUST be discussed
with your vet. Diet, drugs, canine metabolism and the potential interactions
must all be understood before changing anything in your epi-dog's regimen.
Nutritional Deficiencies and Seizures:
There are a number of specific nutritional deficiencies in both humans and canines
that are known to cause or aggravate seizures, including vitamin deficiencies,
mineral deficiencies and amino acid deficiencies. While commercial dog foods
are promoted as being nutritional and well-balanced, the fact is, that the process
of producing these foods actually destroys the vitamins,minerals
and amino acids in the food that are essential to good health.
Protein and Amino Acids:
The foundation of raw diets for canines is that dogs are carnivores that require
quality sources of protein in order to live a long and healthy life. Perhaps
the greatest advantage of a raw food diet, is the supply of quality, unaltered
protein sources that the diet provides.When your dog does not get enough animal
protein/amino acids as part of his diet, or there is an imbalance of nutrients,
a variety of health consequences can occur,epilepsy and seizure disorders are
among these.
Why is protein important? In very simple terms, the body requires protein to
survive. Proteins consumed in the diet are broken down into separate amino acids
in the digestive tract by the action of enzymes. These amino acids are then
reconstructed in the liver into the proteins that the body needs. Amino acids
are the building blocks of life, but the right amino acids must be consumed
in order for the required proteins to be reconstructed.
There are 9-12 essential amino acids that are essential to life and can only
be obtained through what the dog eats. Non-essential amino acids are also vital
for life, but are called 'non-essential' because the canine's body can manufacture
them, IF, adequate sources of the essential amino acids are included in the
diet.
The following websites provide additional information on amino acids and what
they do:
http://www.findarticles.com/g2603/0001/2603000153/p1/article.jhtml
http://www.speedyvet.com/nutrition/default.asp?module=1&page=protein
http://web.indstate.edu/thcme/mwking/amino-acid-metabolism.html
http://www.realtime.net/anr/aminoacd.html
Dietary sources of high quality animal proteins in the least processed forms
provide the optimum amino acid profile for the canine. Commercial diets are
generally measured by the quantity (percentage) of protein in the food. While
protein content is important, the source of the protein is of greater importance.
In a commercial dog food, protein is provided by combining animal sources (such
as meat, by-products, chicken, cheese, milk, fish, turkey or lamb) and grain
sources (such as corn, wheat, rice and soy). The sum of these proteins appears
on dog food packages as crude protein. Many amino acids are available only from
animal protein sources, and if plant/vegetable/cereal/grain are the main protein
sources, a dog may develop an animal protein deficiency. (When the package lists
these protein sources first in the ingredient list or these sources dominate
the first five items in the ingredient list, the food is most definitely deficient
in animal protein.) When heated, proteins are partially destroyed - all dry
and canned commercial dog food is heated in the manufacturing process - so commercial
food contains protein that is somewhat deficient or destroyed through heating.
This protein deficiency in turn, results in deficiencies of amino acids - the
building blocks the body requires to reconstruct proteins essential for health,
including a healthy nervous system. In dogs with seizure disorders, deficiencies
of proteins and amino acids are a notable concern.
"Diets deficient in amino acids -- chemicals that make up proteins -- can
significantly increase susceptibility to epileptic seizures in rats", according
to a study by researchers at the University of California, Davis. Taurine is one of the amino acids that plays a critical role in the function of the
nervous system. Deficiencies of this amino acid are widely recognized as a cause
of seizures in humans, felines and canines. Taurine is one of the non-essential
amino acids - one that a canine can only produce if supplied adequate sources
of animal protein containing the essential amino acids. In addition to specific
benefits for the brain (protective effects, calming effect on nervous system)
taurine also affects blood sugar levels (also implicated in seizures), assists
in the body's proper use of sodium, calcium and magnesium (deficiencies of which
are all implicated in seizures), and the relation of taurine deficiency to zinc
deficiency (also a known cause of seizures) among other things. Clearly, this
amino acid is particularly important for dogs with seizure disorders.
In Wendy Volhard's book "Holistic Guide for a Healthy Dog" the section
on taurine includes this note regarding the amino acid: It is an "anti-convulsant,
successfully used in treating epilepsy", and it "controls brain and
nervous system neurons".The Strombeck book on homemade diets states that
the "body uses amino acids to make chemicals that serve as regulators of
neurologic function."Prescription for Nutritional Healing", (Balch
and Balch), says: "Taurine has a protective effect on the brain, particularly
when the brain is dehydrated. It is used to treat anxiety, epilepsy, hyperactivity,
poor brain function, and seizures. It may be that a deficiency of taurine in
the developing brain is involved in epileptic attacks." The amino acid
taurine seems to inhibit and modulate various neurotransmitters and depress
the central nervous system. This action is thought to benefit epileptics, and
is recommended by naturopathic healers. Its apparent role is normalizing the
balance of other amino acids, which in epilepsy are thoroughly disordered. In
epilepsy, serum levels of over half the amino acids are lowered, while the serum
level of taurine is high and the cerebro-spinal fluid level of taurine is low.
Taurine is produced from methionine and cysteine if the body is metabolizing
these normally." (http://3service.freeservers.com/E18.html) Carnitine is another non-essential amino acid whose deficiency is associated
with epilepsy. Many other amino acids are associated with seizure disorders.
Amino acids operate in conjunction with each other, and with vitamins and minerals
to ensure the body is supplied with the nutrients required for health.
Enzymes:
Enzymes are catalysts that accelerate the biochemical reactions in the body.
They are involved in almost all body functions including the building and the
functioning of the brain and nervous system. There are two
main groups of enzymes: metabolic and digestive.
Metabolic enzymes are the catalysts of the biochemical reactions within
the cells themselves and are responsible for the proper functioning of all of
the body's organs and tissues. Metabolic enzymes also assist in building the
body using proteins, carbohydrates and fats. They are important in the construction
of new tissues and cells including those of the nervous system.
Digestive enzymes assist in the breakdown of food, enabling nutrients to be absorbed into the bloodstream. Enzymes are found both in raw and unprocessed foods and in the body itself. Heat kills enzymes and force the body to provide all of the enzymes required to digest the food. There are three categories of digestive enzymes: amylase, protease and lipase. Amylase breaks down carbohydrates, protease helps to digest protein and lipase aids in the digestion of fats.
When cooked/processed foods are consumed, the stomach recognizes that there
are no enzymes in the cooked food and not enough enzymes in the stomach to break
the food down. In order to attempt to digest the food, the stomach sends out
messages to the brain that stimulates it to 'send' enzymes from other parts
of the body to assist in digestion. Enzymes are gathered (or 'robbed') from
the heart, the liver, the kidneys and other parts of the body and transported
to the stomach. During this process, the food sits in the stomach undigested
and the various organs are 'robbed' of their enzymes in order to accomplish
digestion.This process is called 'enzyme robbing' because it steals the enzymes
from other body organs, enzymes that those organs require to function correctly.
Over time, depletion of enzymes can cause dysfunction and disease in the organs
from which the enzymes were robbed.The 'enzyme robbing' process does not happen
when you feed raw foods. The raw foods contain their own enzymes and eliminates
the need for the stomach to 'borrow' or 'rob' enzymes from other body organs
to accomplish digestion. A canine diet rich in raw animal and plant material
provides a rich source of supplemental enzymes necessary for the continuing
good health of our pets.
Vitamins:
Vitamins act as catalysts to release the nutrients in the food the dog consumes.
Vitamins found in raw foods are almost entirely destroyed by the heat used in
the manufacturing of commercial foods - a fact that the manufacturers acknowledge,
but cannot overcome. They must use heat to produce the food, and heat kills
vitamins. Vitamins exist in two basic forms water soluble and fat soluble. Vitamin
B and Vitamin C are water-soluble and any excess is filtered out of the body
within four to eight hours. Because of this, Vitamin B and Vitamin C should
be consumed at each meal. In simple terms, Vitamin B and Vitamin C cannot be
'overdosed'. Vitamin A, D, E and K are fat-soluble and stored in the body if
excesses are consumed. As with humans, canines have vitamin requirements in
order to sustain life and good health. The lack of the required vitamins leads
to disease and dysfunction. There are various vitamin deficiencies that are
specifically linked to seizures in humans and canines.
Vitamin B:
Vitamin B (made up of a number of individual parts and commonly called B Complex),
is fragile, water-soluble vitamins that are required for a number of critical
body functions including assimilating fat and protein, promoting various biochemical
reactions, building antibodies, red blood cell formation and more. Bs are crucial
for neural function. Specifically, deficiency of Vitamin B6, B12 and Folic Acid
are implicated in seizures. The individual parts of Vitamin B are synergistic
with each other and with other vitamins and should be supplied in B Complex
form in order to avoid any imbalance. Holistic veterinarians Drs. Wendell Belfield
and Martin Zucker stated that "It has long been known that a deficiency
of vitamin B6 or any interference with its function can cause seizures in any
mammalian species, including man and dog". Deficiency of Vitamin B is widely
identified as a cause for for seizures in humans and canines alike. Because
these vitamins are fragile and easily destroyed by cooking, commercial diets
are lacking in Vitamin B. Raw diets provide Vitamin B in unaltered form, but
many raw feeders, and care givers for dogs with seizure disorders add additional
Vitamin Bs in supplement form to their dogs' diets. Vitamin B is an extremely
important element in an epileptic dog's diet. Vitamin B Complex supplement is
crucial if you are feeding a commercial diet and is also supplemented with homemade
cooked or raw diets. Remember, adequate levels of B vitamins are critical to
your epi-dogs health, and because Bs are water-soluble, you cannot overdose
your dog with this vitamin.
Vitamin C:
Vitamin C is a synergistic vitamin that works in conjunction with all other
vitamins and minerals that your dog's body needs for good health. Vitamin C
protects against allergies and viral diseases and is an antioxidant that protects
the body against damaging elements. Vitamin C also helps counteract side effects
from various drugs. It is a water-soluble vitamin and though there is no direct
link between C deficiency and seizures, C works so closely with every other
vitamin and mineral that without adequate Vitamin C, other vitamin or mineral
deficiencies could occur.
Vitamin E:
Vitamin E functions primarily as an antioxidant in protecting against damage
to the cell membranes. Without Vitamin E, the cells of the body would be quite
susceptible to damage, nerve cells in particular. Vitamin E interacts extensively
with other antioxidant nutrients, especially Vitamin C and the mineral Selenium.
Free radicals (unstable molecules) can be produced by exposure to some chemicals
and by head trauma, and these can of course, cause seizures. And, seizures themselves
generate more free radicals. These factors combined can possibly set up a cycle
that leads to frequent seizures. As an antioxidant, Vitamin E is a scavenger
of free radicals that help save cell membranes from harm. Additionally, in human
patients, treatment with anticonvulsive drugs is associated with reduced Vitamin
E levels. It is believed the Vitamin E deficiency can worsen seizure activity.
Vitamin E may be effective in reducing seizure frequency because it helps to
compensate for a drug-induced vitamin deficiency. Findings from some current
studies in human epileptics indicate that adding Vitamin E to the diet of epileptics
on AEDs may further reduce seizure frequency.
Vitamins A and D:
Careful regulation of calcium levels is vital for normal nerve impulse transmission.
Vitamin D plays a role in the functioning of healthy nerves by regulating the
level of calcium in the blood. Adequate Vitamin A is also required for proper
nerve function.
Minerals:
Though canines can make a limited amount of some vitamins in their bodies, minerals
cannot be made in the body and must be obtained through dietary sources. Since
50% to 80% of minerals are lost in the manufacturing process of commercial foods,
dietary mineral deficiencies can result and related health consequences may
arise. As with vitamins, there are a number of mineral deficiencies that are
recognized to cause or aggravate seizures in humans and dogs. Minerals are synergistic
with each other and with some vitamins and enzymes - that is, these all work
together and depend upon each other to ensure good health.The minerals perform
a wide range of function, including the promotion of a healthy nervous system.
Trace mineral deficiencies can result from: a lack of minerals in the foods used in the diet; destruction of minerals in the foods being fed due to food processing/heating/refining; lack of synergistic vitamins/minerals/enzymes in the body, or; malabsorption syndromes.Mineral deficiencies known to cause seizures include: Magnesium, Manganese, Selenium, Calcium and Zinc. Using mineral supplements is a 'tricky business' and must be done with the guidance of a veterinarian or a canine nutritionist in order to correct deficiencies without creating dangerous imbalances. Unlike commercial or cooked diets, a well-balanced raw food diet allows the vitamins, minerals and enzymes in the foods to remain intact and available to 'do their job' in the dog's body.
Magnesium: Magnesium tops the list of mineral deficiencies that are linked
to seizures. It works with Vitamin C, D, B6, Calcium, Phosphorus and Protein
and assists with the absorption of Vitamin C and Calcium. It is important for
nerve function and required for sodium and potassium transport. Magnesium is
a mineral found in specific fruits, vegetables and essential fatty acids and
cannot be adequately obtained through processed foods. Holistic veterinarian
Roger DeHaan, DVM states that some forms of epilepsy respond to supplementation
of Vitamin B6, Magnesium, and Manganese.
Manganese: Manganese is a co-factor in many enzymes systems and involved with many body functions, including maintenance of the nervous system. Manganese deficiency is suspected to play a role in epilepsy in humans. Processed and refined foods are deficient in manganese.
Selenium: Selenium plays a special role in the brain. At least one human
study in epileptic children suggests that "Selenium depletion in the brain
amongst patients with epilepsy constitutes an important triggering factor for
the origin of intractable seizures and subsequent neuronal damage." Selenium
deficiency is also linked to hypothyroidism.
Calcium: Hypocalcemia (low Calcium) can cause seizures because it can effect
the nervous and neuromuscular systems. Calcium is essential for nerve impulse
conduction. It plays a role in the release of neurotransmitters and activates
some enzymes which generate neurotransmitters.
Zinc: Zinc is necessary for the production of brain neurotransmitters. Dr. Pitcairn
recommends zinc supplements (in addition to others) for epileptic dogs. "Results
of the Second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, published in
1995, suggest that Zinc intakes are declining. This is likely to be due to lower
meat and higher cereal consumption, food processing methods which reduce Zinc
content of food and lower soil concentrations of Zinc."
Different
Dogs Different Needs:
Raw food diets offer the most bioavailable forms of protein and amino acids,
enzymes vitamins and minerals that you can feed your dog. All of these dietary
elements are synergistic with each other and important to the good health of
our dogs.For dogs with seizure disorders, a quality diet supplying the finest
quality and most bioavailable sources of the nutrients required for proper functioning
of the nervous system will go a long way towards controlling or eliminating
seizures. Just as all commercial diets are not created equal, all homemade diets
(raw or cooked) are not created equal. An ill-planned and ill-prepared homemade
diet can create as many health problems as a poor commercial diet can. The advantages
offered by a raw diet can only be gained if the diet is well-balanced to the
needs of the individual dog. Older dogs, working dogs, pregnant dogs, particular
breeds and dogs with certain health conditions or diseases require diet tailoring.
Understanding your dog's individual needs is crucial in creating a diet that
will yield positive health results. This is especially important for dogs with
seizure disorders.
The
Possible Connection between Grains and Seizures:
1. The vitamins and minerals in grains have low bioavailability to the
digestive tract. (Simply, grains offer little to no nutritional value to a canine
diet).
2. Grains contain components considered "anti-nutrients" that
can cause negative biological consequences (including autoimmune problems, allergies,
digestive, gallbladder and liver problems all of which can cause seizures).
Certain auto-immune diseases (e.g. insulin dependent diabetes mellitus IDDM)
increases in animal models when they are fed high cereal grain diets.
3. Grains have high phytate content which impairs mineral absorption
(particularly relevent since magnesium, zinc, calcium and other mineral deficiencies
are linked to seizures).
4. For canines, it is well documented that three of the most common food
allergens are wheat, corn and soy, primary ingredients in many commercial dog
foods. (Allergies are a cause of some seizures.)
5. In human epileptics, it is believed that the grains high in gluten
content (like wheat, rye, oats) stimulate opiod receptors in the brain, making
them more susceptible to seizures. Although grains further "removed"
from wheat (like corn and rice) are allowed in gluten free diets, the other
issues listed here concerning grains in the diet would still exist.
6. Complex carbohydrates found in grains quickly turn to sugar in the
body. (Since a dog's metabolism is considerably faster than ours, this
might in turn mean that a quicker crash from a sugar "high" would
occur. Hypoglycemia is another cause of some seizures.)
7. Unsupplemented canine diets of commercial foods high in cereal (grains)
and vegetable proteins are likely to be deficient in amino acids. Taurine is
the building block of all of the amino acids. (Deficiencies in taurine are linked
to seizures and epilepsy.) Cereal grains are also low in Essential Fatty Acids,
important for neurological function.
If you are really interested in learning about
potential problems of feeding grains, please do some reading and research. The
first link below is a GREAT overview of the potential problems grains
can present in human diets - think 'canine' too when you read it. Remember that
if this information applies to humans, who are more adapted to grains in their
diet, how much more could it apply to our canines, who are not adapted to processed
grains in their diets? And please keep in mind, that not all grains are created
equal. We need to understand the difference in whole and sprouted grains vs.
processed grains, the various gluten levels in grains, etc. and how all of these
factor in to digestion and potential health problems (for humans and canines).
http://www.mercola.com/1999/aug/8/truth_about_eating_grains.htm
"Beyond this, many neurological complications may be associated with immune
reactivity to antigens found in cereal grains. It is suspected that autoimmune
processes are involved."
Here are a few good links specific to the grains
and canine diets:
http://www.barfworld.com/html/learn_more/nograin.shtml
http://members.aol.com/addieloo/
http://www.b-naturals.com/spr99.htm
http://www3.sk.sympatico.ca/riverien/nutrigrains.htm
Before you change your dog's diet, it is important to do some research and reading
- to understand the basic nutritional needs of a dog and learn the particular
requirements of a dog with seizure disorders. This is particularly important
if your dog is on AEDs. Any diet change can impact the dog's metabolism and
how he metabolizes his AEDs. Consult with your vet before you change anything
in your epi-dog's regimen.
We recommend you join one of the online canine
nutrition lists, raw diet lists or breed specific diet lists to learn more.
A number of books are also good sources to learn about natural diets for dogs,
including:
Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats: The Ultimate Diet by Kymythy Schultze
Holistic Guide for a Healthy Dog by Wendy Volhard and Kerry Brown, D.V.M.
The BARF Diet by Ian Billinghurst, D.V.M.
Give Your Dog A Bone by Ian Billinghurst, D.V.M.
Grow Your Pup With Bones by Ian Billinghurst, D.V.M.
Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide To Natural Health for Dogs & Cats by Dr. Richard
Pitcairn, D.V.M.
Earl Mindell's Nutrition and Health for Dogs by Dr. Earl Mindell
Links
to Diet Email Lists:
K9Nutrition list
Subscribe from: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/K9Nutrition
Search for other BARF diet lists by going to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/ and SEARCH for:
BARF There are currently 178 lists for BARF newbies, breed specific, health
condition specific and regional lists to choose from. or click on this link
for a list of lists: http://groups.yahoo.com/search?query=barf
Raw Recruits
http://freespace.virgin.net/maralyn.olsen/
Barf Basics
http://www3.sk.sympatico.ca/riverien/nutritogether.htm
Amino Acids and Protein
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/1996-07/UoCD-DDIS-110796.php
http://www.findarticles.com/g2603/0001/2603000153/p1/article.jhtml
http://www.speedyvet.com/nutrition/default.asp?module=1&page=protein
http://web.indstate.edu/thcme/mwking/amino-acid-metabolism.html
http://www.realtime.net/anr/aminoacd.htmlVitamins
http://www.peteducation.com:80/article.cfm?cls=0&cat=1306&articleid=712
http://www.peteducation.com:80/article.cfm?cls=0&cat=1306&articleid=710
http://www.peteducation.com:80/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1662&articleid=714
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/09312.html
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/09315.html
http://www.b-naturals.com/win99.htm
http://www.peteducation.com/category_summary.cfm?cls=0&cat=1448
http://home.att.net/~hattrick-dals/Diet.html#anchor1383064
http://www.netpets.com/dogs/reference/food/vitamins.html
Minerals
http://www.peteducation.com:80/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1662&articleid=684
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1662&articleid=652
BARF articles and sites:
http://home.att.net/~hattrick-dals/Diet.html#anchor1383064
http://www.barfworld.com
http://www.drianbillinghurst.com/
Sites of Dr. Ian Billinghurst (order books here)
http://www.rawmeatybones.com/
Site of Dr. Tom Lonsdale (order books here)
http://www.rawlearning.com/
A collection of raw feeding information and the home of the raw feeding web
ring
http://www.auntjeni.com/barf.htm
Aunt Jeni's BARF pictorial and how to BARF
http://www.switchingtoraw.com/
(site to order 'Switching to Raw' book)
http://www.willowglen.com/barf.htm
BARF!! - Information and sources on raw food diets
Tons of great links
http://www.phdproducts.com/articles.asp#mscellaneous
PHD Products - List of articles - see article by Dr. William Pollack, DVM
entitled 'Epilepsy/Seizures-Causes, Predisposing Factors and Treatment'
http://patmckay.com/Article_1.html
Pat McKay's site - 'Cook is a 4 Letter Word'
http://www.price-pottenger.org/Articles/RawFoods.html
Price-Pottenger Nutrition Foundation - Raw Foods -vs- Cooked Foods
http://www.price-pottenger.org/Articles/PottsCats.html
Price-Pottenger Nutrition Foundation - Pottengers Cats: A study in nutrition
http://www.rawmeatybones.com/Diet.html
Raw Meaty Bones - Dr. Tom Lonsdale's site - Article entitled
'Diet is the Cornerstone of Good Health'
http://www.rawmeatybones.com/Chicken.html
Raw Meaty Bones - Dr. Tom Lonsdale's site - Article entitled 'Chicken Wings'
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Ranch/3340/raw_food.html
'Is Raw Food Safe for Dogs?'
http://www.naturalrearing.com/J_In_Learning/Diet/Food/FreshFood.htm
'A Fresh Food Diet' - artcle by Marina Zacharias on her Natural Rearing site
http://www3.sk.sympatico.ca/riverien/nutritogether.htm
'Canine Nutrition - Putting it all together' - article on Brenda Hagel's site
http://www.dogaware.com
Great site with information on a variety of diets including raw
http://members.xoom.com/RawSetters
Raw Setters list home page - no, you don't have to join
http://www3.sk.sympatico.ca/riverien/
Riveriene Farms German Shepherd Dogs
http://www.natural-akita.com/naturalcanine/index.html
Sterling Akita's - great articles
http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Loge/4844/rawdiet.html
Tasha's Dog Sports Site - German Shepherd Dogs
http://www.cybermesa.com/~dalcrazy/Diet.html
Emma the epileptic Dalmatian's BARF diet
http://www.biswebdesign.com/ellietannuflyer/barfmenu.htm
Tannu the Siberian Huskie's diet
Page last update: 01/04/2012
