by winecountrydog Tilin Corgi and Jackie Nippers
Looking furward to new year of walkies and fresh foods from farmers' markets and food co-ops!
Ourselves love neffurr-ending variety of fresh whole local and regional foods. Tis healthful diet. Furrmly based on certain principles. One principle for a meat eater is to have calcium source. If not, da meat, high in phosphorus -- includin' da steaks and other muscle and organ meats we dogs and cats luv to nom -- will leach calcium from bones and teeth of our pawsonal systems.
Our fave vet sez, "All meats are higher in phosphorus than calcium, but organ meats are proportionately higher in phosphorus than muscle meats. Unless raw bones are part of a meat meal, you need to adjust the calcium-to-phosphorus ratio by adding a calcium source."
Da lack of calcium and other minerals is one reason that pawpular "cooked chicken and rice" is not good doggie diet. Lacking bone minerals. Pawleeze take calcium supplement at least.
One of pawrimary sources of calcium in our diet is eggshell. Ourselves can digest whole pieces of shell from fresh local cage-free eggs. Some of you get ground eggshell with meals? We doo know many staff use instructions in good book by veterinarian Dr Pitcairn, saying to wash, dry, and grind eggshell.
Our staff (aka Mum) sez, "I don't want to add the task of grinding eggshells to my kitchen routine. I make my companions' meals every day, and I'd lose my mind if I didn't keep pet food preparation fast and simple. But I would turn to grinding eggshells if one of my animals lost the ability to digest fresh shell pieces."
Furtunately ourwoofselves and our Meezer kitty doo have super strong digestion. We love nomming eggshell pieces. Meezer will leap onto kitchen counter and nick eggshells if Mum not looking. BOL
Our furriend Palette Corgi gets to eat whole egg! Howl egg-citing! Wot a wonderfur game herself gets to play, bitin' on shell and lickin' out da insides and rollin' da egg around on plastic mat.
Palette sez "Here is me eating whole egg. See? I love egg and I eat egg shell too! Nom,nom,nom..."
Palette Corgi is one of few furriends we know who doo eat amazing variety of fresh foods. In olden day, before mid-20th century 'splosion of processed pet food industry, dogs and cats did eat almost all parts of prey animals, cooked or raw, and also nommed scraps of humans' foods. Palette Corgi is lucky to have staff (herself's name is Yassy) who does know about diffurrent foods. Palette noms some foods that most modern dogs neffurr even get to sniff: fur example, chicken feet and tripe. Nommy! Our staff is not so thrilled about tripe. BOL Tripe or no tripe, Mum is longtime health researcher who did learn how to promote good health and strong digestion. You might notice Mum is always watching us ... seeing not only wot goes in but also wot comes out other end. BOL Impawtant: Doo not assume that you can digest whole eggshell or big shell pieces. If your digestive system is used to handling only processed foods (kibbled or canned), you will likely need to build up digestive vigor first, before nomming da big shell pieces. Enjoy your new year. Hope your life is filled with walkies and fresh foods from your local and regional humane farmers. Paw-note: Dr Pitcairn's book, Natural Health for Dogs and Cats, is 'stremely useful for dog and cat owners. Howlever Mum, who is furry knowledgeable about complementary and "natural" medicine, does not follow Dr Pitcairn into homeopathy. ... To each her own modalities eh.
Calcium caveat from winecountrydogma for dog and cat owners: A fresh whole food diet for dogs or cats includes several ways to provide calcium and other minerals with meals. However, there are risks involved with excessive calcium supplementation, particularly for puppies and young dogs, and especially for growing large-breed and giant-breed dogs and pregnant bitches, and also for dogs or cats with certain health conditions. Regardless of the type of diet you feed, homemade or commercial, please don't simply add a daily calcium supplement without first determining a safe level of calcium intake for that dog or cat. Ask your veterinarian to help you calculate the amount of calcium you can give, and how to provide it in a good calcium-to-phosphorus ratio.
