For those of you who do the Facebook thing – tomorrow afternoon I’ll be live on my Page, between 2 pm and 4 pm, answering questions about home made diets, and sharing why careful formulation, balancing nutrients – and knowing all  you can about the foods you choose to supply them is  – so very important for optimal health.

I think of this as the next wave of awareness in canine nutrition. Twenty years ago we were all just getting to know how awful the commercial food of those days really was – and moving toward either BARF, or one of the few premium foods around back then (Wysong, California Natural, Innova…)  A few years later, various factions had developed within those devoted to raw feeding, and  myriad more commercial products had arrived on the market..consumer awareness was rapidly increasing! . Still later – after the recalls started up and (to everyone’s horror) even the better foods were involved, more and more people turned to home feeding – many doing cooked diets with inconsistent nutrient levels and sporadic supplementation. Where are we in 2014? ready to fully optimize home feeding, with a few simple guidelines and an interest in learning nutrition more deeply.
And that’s what this chat is all about.

My experience has been that small details matter a great deal in regular diets for healthy dogs, but in dealing with anything therapeutic, they are absolutely essential. Every day of my working life I see home made recipes that are low in so many vitally needed nutrients..or, too high! Adding too much of a specific vitamin or mineral can adversely effect the absorption of another, and even approach toxicity levels in many cases.

Do you *really* know what’s in that recipe you’re feeding?

How much your dog needs of a given vitamin, mineral, fatty acid?

Which “anti-nutrients” in foods can impact absorption – and what preparatory measures you can take to minimize these effects?

Why too much protein might just be a bad thing, contrary to all you have heard?

How different forms of fiber can benefit colon health and protect against certain cancers?

Why feeding a variety of foods may not provide adequacy in all nutrients at all, and may even diminish levels of some essentials?

My take on this is – if you are aware and concerned enough about the food you give your dog, to home feed in the first place —  why not go beyond the (very good) idea of using fresh home prepared foods, and evaluate what might be missing? In case I’ve made this sound dreadfully complex and difficult – I teach it to people every day. It’s easily learned, and your sense of confidence that the diet is not only wholesome, but covers all your dog’s needs, will soar.

I’d love to hear questions and help any way I can – and that’s what this chat is all about. Do drop by and say hello.

https://www.facebook.com/events/242671342592090/