Where’s the Taurine?
Taurine, though not literally an amino acid, is commonly referred to as such and is essential in the feline diet. Unlike other mammals, including humans, cats cannot synthesize Taurine within their bodies. They must obtain it in thier diet from animal tissue and products. Because many commercial foods contain rendered and highly-processed meats, this essential nutrient is lacking. It must, therefore, be supplemented. And because baking has been shown to destroy as much as 52% of naturally-ocurring Taurine in meats and as much as 70% by boiling, an extruded dry kibble diet that has been cooked at high temperature cannot begin to meet a cat’s needs without adding this back in synthetically. This is a good reason for feeding a raw diet to cats or one that includes fresh and minimally-processed sources of USDA human-grade meat such as our Prowl.
Taurine is found naturally in animal products such as poultry, eggs, dairy and the highest concentrations in meat and fish. In the wild, cats would get this from their prey. Did you know that the Taurine content of a typical mouse is more than 10 times that of most foods your indoor cat would likely have access to!? This includes beef, beef liver, chicken, eggs and milk. Cats tend to use their supply of Taurine up faster than can replenish it, so they need to get a regular adaquate supply in thier diet daily. Cocker Spaniels, prone to Taurine deficiency, also may benefit from supplementation in their diet.
Taurine is essential for the health and proper functioning of the eyes, heart, reproductive system and muscles. A deficiency over time can result in retinol atrophy (a shrinking of the main functioning area of the eye) or cardiomyopathy (a weakening of the heart muscle). Since Taurine will not build up in a cat’s body, supplementing (if recommended by your vet) will not result in overdosing. AAFCO recommends a minimum of .1% for a dry kibble and .2% for a canned food. No guidelines have been established for dehydrated cat foods. You will not see Taurine listed in the ingredients for our Prowl dehydrated cat food because it is contained naturally in the USDA human-grade chicken as it should be. This is not supplemented synthetically. The complete Nutrient Profile for Prowl is available to view and download direct from our website.
Resources for this article include:
The Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care, CJ Puotinen, McGraw Hill, 2000.
Dr. Pitcairn’s Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats, Richard H. Pitcairn, DVM, PhD; Rodale, 2005.
The Nature of Animal Healing, Martin Goldstein, DVM, Ballantine, 1999.
The Pet Lover’s Guide to Natural Healing for Cats & Dogs, Barbar Fougere, BVSc, Saunders Elsevier, 2006.
Why Coconut?
Organic coconut is a healthy ingredient in three of our grain-free foods; Embark, Zeal and Preference. Some have questioned why this is included in our recipes for these foods. Our certified organic coconut is sourced from Thailand. Coconuts are actually the seeds (not a true nut) of the coconut tree or, maprao, in Thai. They drop from the trees and take root, with the flesh and juice fertilizing the new growth. Some fall into waterways and take root on distant shores. (See photo below) This is the largest member of the Palm family and can grow as tall as 98 feet! They prefer sandy soils and the saline environment of a tropical shoreline. They also thrive where there is a lot of rain, high humidity and warm temperatures.
The meat of the coconut, similar to many nut meats, is higher in protein but contains less sugar than many common fruits such as apples, bananas and oranges. It is also high in iron, phosphorous and zinc. The 60% fat content of the coconut is primarily medium-chain saturated fatty acids. As opposed to longer-chain plant-based vegetable oils which are ganerally stored as fat in the body, the oil in coconut is quickly burned and used for energy. This is nature’s richest source of these medium-chain fatty acids, one of the most important being lauric acid. Lauric acid is similar to the fat found in breast milk and has been show to enhance brain function and strengthen the immune system. When consumed in the diet, it is converted to monolaurin which as been shown to have antibacterial and antiviral properties as well as being able to destroy protozoa such as Giardia.
Coconut and coconut oil is used across the globe to treat a variety of health issues including; abscesses, asthma, baldness, bronchitis, bruises, burns, colds, constipation, cough, dysentery, erache, fever, flu, gingivitis, jaundice, kidney stones, skin infections, toothaches, tuberculosis, tumor, etc. It can help support your dog’s thyroid function and increase metabolism, too, according to Dr. Deva Khalsa, VMD. In the Pacific Islands, the coconut palm is so highly valued that it is called “the Tree of Life.” Only recently have our modern scientists begun to discover the coconut’s astonishing healing abilities.
Coconut is considered a warming food in Traditional Chinese Medicine with a sweet taste and helps to nurture the body, building energy, blood and body mass. It is useful in soothing internal membranes and can work as a laxative. It also tonifies the heart and is one of the healthiest oils you can use on your skin!
For more information about our other whole foods ingredients, please visit our website: http://www.thehonestkitchen.com/products/learn/our-ingredients/
Resources for this article include:
Natural Dog; A Holistic Guide for Healthier Dogs, by Dr. Deva Khalsa, VMD, Bowtie Press, 2009
The New Whole Foods Encycolopedia; A Comprehensive Guide for Healthy Eating, by Rebecca Wood, Penquin Compass, 1999
Michael Pollan’s Rules for Eating Wisely
Having finally finished reading the girlie novel I started weeks ago, I’m implementing one of my new years resolutions by incorporating more educational literature into my reading repertoire. I’ve started delving into Michael Pollan’s work again, which I love, and wanted to share with you an article from his Blog.
Michael’s work is not only fascinating and provocative, but much of what he has to say actually relates really well to what we promote for our animal companions’ nourishment: Real, minimally processed colorful whole foods – not highly processed brown pellets!
This particular post has some great common sense advice for our own eating habits and talks about getting back to basics in how we think about food, not eating things that contain ingredients we can’t pronounce and of course respecting and honoring where our food comes from. These guidelines are great for selecting your dog or cat’s food, too! I hope you enjoy this, and can incorporate a little of what Michael has to say into your food buying for 2011 – for yourself and your animal companions.
Enjoy Michael Pollan’s Rules for eating wisely here.
Ask Lucy: How much meat to add to Preference?
Michele Neiman Cole asks this on our Facebook Page: “I have a precious 3.5 lb Maltese, Holly. Her post fast bile acid levels are slightly elevated at 42, so it is possible she has mild MVD (Microvascular Dysplasia). Therefore, it is suggested we keep her on a diet with lower protein levels like your Force. We are currently using your Preference as her holistic vet likes us to rotate proteins every 3 months. Ideally, she should have no more than 20% protein in her diet.
So how do I figure out how much protein to add to her Preference? Also do you know what the protein % will be in your new Zeal? We are so excited to try it since she is also limited in the types of proteins she can eat…cold water fish, chicken, turkey, (other fowl), and eggs are pretty much all we can give her. She cannot have any red meats or lamb. We are also using Milk Thistle to help support her liver. Thanks so much for your help. We love your food and commitment to keeping such high and human grade standards!! 
”
It’s important to remember that the guarantees on our packaging actually represent the ‘out of the box’ analysis of the food, and do not account for the profile of the product after it’s been re-hydrated. So the first thing to establish here, would be whether your vet is basing the 20% protein guideline on an as-fed or dry matter basis.
If we assume that the percentage protein that your vet is looking for is as-fed, we know the Preference protein is 6% as-fed. So if you combined that with an equal amount of something like raw chicken backs – meat only - which is about 20% protein you would end up with 20% average protein in the finished meal of half Preference and half chicken.
If you wish to have a slightly higher percentage of protein in the finished meal, then you could feed 2 parts chicken to each part Preference for an average protein percentage of 15.3%. You could add an egg to this meal to increase the protein even further if you wish.
Remember that kibbled diets have an artificially ‘elevated’ percentage of protein because they are so low in moisture – and dogs will obviously drink a lot more water when fed kibble, thus ‘diluting’ the percentages of nutrients internally, after consumption.
The new Zeal formula is actually quite a high protein recipe – it’s about 36% on an ‘out of the box’ basis, or 18% as fed (after re-hydration).
I know this is confusing to begin with but hopefully it helps a little in reaching what your vet is looking for from a nutritional standpoint. You can get info on all sorts of different foods form the Nutrition data web site: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/poultry-products/692/2
Oats, what’s all the barking about!
Questions:
What health value do oats have? Why do you include them in some of your foods? Aren’t grains bad for dogs?
Answer:
This is a great question and one we are often asked. We believe that grains offer many health and dietary benefits. But they may not be the right choice for all dogs. An increasing number or our beloved dogs are now allergic to many grains; primarily wheat, corn, soy products. Some dogs are extremely gluten-intolerant suffering from even the slightest residue of gluten. If this is the case with your dog, a grain-free diet is likely the best choice. But, for other dogs, grains are very well –tolerated and offer valuable nutrients.
Cheryl Schwartz, DVM, has found that grains provide primarily qi, blood and yin to the diet. They are usually more cooling than meats in nature. This is helpful in conditions causing inflammation in the digestive tract, such as ulcers, IBD, colitis, etc. She feels that they should be a major component in the diets of both dogs and cats.
When choosing what grain to offer your dog, it may be helpful to take the advice of CJ Puotinen and consider your dog’s breed and area of origin. For example, for breeds originating in Scotland, Ireland or England, you will likely find more of an “affinity” for oats than other areas. And Rye, another organic grain is the common grain in Scandinavian countries. Rice is a good choice for Asian breeds. Grains from you breed’s place of origin may simply make it easier to digest.
Oats, in particular, are a good choice of grain for pets, according to Dr. Richard Pitcairn, DVM, PhD. They are quick-cooking and contain more protein per calorie than any other common grain. Oats have anti-inflammatory and skin-soothing properties. They also have a calming effect on the nervous system so are a good addition to the diet of anxious dogs. Oats are a more warming grain that helps strengthen the spleen, pancreas and immune systems as well as the heart. Oats are rich in silicon, and help to make bones strong. They are acidic and not likely to cause allergies in most animals. This grain is tolerated by the largest number of dogs.
Here is a recipe from Made out of Love that you might like to try at home, too!
Stress Less
A calming recipe from Lucy Postins that you can serve on an ongoing basis for anxious pets, or occasionally prior to upcoming stressful situations.
2 cups ground turkey
1 cup organic oats or millet
1 firm banana, peeled and sliced
1 cup romaine lettuce, finely chopped
1 chamomile tea bag
1 cup of hot filtered water
2 tsp nutritional yeast
Cook oats or millet according to package directions. Place tea bag in water, stir gently, and let steep for about 4 minutes. In a large mixing bowl, combine turkey and cooked millet or oatmeal. Stir thoroughly, then gently fold in banana slices and chopped romaine, remove tea bag from water and add tea to the mixture, then sprinkle in the yeast. Serve and store leftovers in fridge for 2 to 3 days.
Resources:
• Dr. Richard Pitcairn, DVM, PhD; Dr. Pitcairn’s Complete Guide to Natural Healing for Dogs and Cats.
• Barbara Fougere, BVSc: The Pet Lover’s Guide to Natural Healing for Cats & Dogs.
• Cheryl Schwartz, DVM: Four Paws Five Directions; A Guide to Chinese Medicine for Cats and Dogs.
• CJ Puotinen: The Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care
• Lucy Postins: Made Out of Love; Recipes to prepare for (and sometimes share with) your animal companion.
