Minutus

What I find to be the *common* factors toward longevity and health in the recent diet discussions have been:
(1) the use of Homeopathy and/or other natural means toward supporting health (i.e., an *individualized* approach to health care), and
(2) the elimination or reduction of vaccines and suppressive conventional medicines.
Plus, since all the people I’ve talked with or read about who are pro-raw food are also anti-vaccination (or at least minimal vaccination in their approach), seems it would be difficult to statistically or anecdotally prove what single aspect led to improved health.
What has made the biggest difference for the health of my own animals is *Homeopathy.* (I feed a variety/mix of fresh, organic, home-cooked, kibble, and canned to my animals.)
And, btw, for those who compare kibble to the nutrition one gets at McDonald’s, etc., I believe it would be more accurate to compare kibble to whole-meal food-bars or emergency rations/MRE or something like that. In other words, all the nutrients *are* provided in a bio-available form (to a greater or lesser extent depending upon the quality of the actual ingredients and the processing). If kibble (and canned) was *not* bio-available to dogs and cats, none would ever survive at all, let alone live into old age.

~ BB ~
Darla

Darla,
This will be my last email on this subject.
My personal experience include many years of not vaccinating, not using drugs but feeding "holistic" kibble.
Those dogs who were fed "human grade" crap in a bag, had low thyroids, even though they had not been vaccinated nor received any drugs. Their litters were also smaller than those of the dogs who were fed raw; they would shed out of season and some of them had some other skin issues.
So it is not that the health of my dogs is due to the lack of vaccinations, the use of Homeopathy or the absence of suppressive dogs and toxins. The DIET change made a huge difference in dogs that I felt were already healthier than the dogs owned by all my other breeder friends.
It is a whole package. Parts of the package do improve the health of the animals based on the common "average", but until you incorporate ALL the parts, you do not see the results I have seen, or many, many breeders are seeing as well now.
And again, what makes you think that these animals are living? They are barely surviving!Every single vet can verify the decline in the health of the animals they see increases with every year they are in practice. There is a huge increase in auto-immune diseases, metabolic diseases, allergies, bad teeth, skin conditions, and the list goes on and on! If this is living into old age, then I guess you are correct. When you have 10 year old who does not require any supplementation for anything, that is when you have true health.
Magda Aguila
Aquiline
Animal Nutrition and
Homeopathic Consultations
Ask me about Juice Plus
http://www.juiceplus.com/+ma21937
________________________________

Magda Aguila wrote:
>

My clients' cats live into their twenties. My current cats are still
young (13 and less) but they seem to get a day older quite often:-)

There is more than one way to help animals gain and retain health.
I've offered my views on the *currently* best available commercial
options - and the list is very short - only one recommended and 3
"back-ups" - and nothing else in the commercial dry food line gets my
okay. (And no canned pet food gets my okay)

We are not as far apart as you make out with the use of hyperbole
It's what nutrients are *in* the food that matters to me. You have a
notion it is not okay cooked - we disagree there - as does research and
experience for cats. Dogs do not HAVE to have it cooked, but if the
*surface* is cooked they'd get more out of it.

You've worked with dogs - me too - I bred Siberians who lived to old age
as unvaccinated highly *energetic* dogs - but I've worked with cats
more, and they have a lot more stringent requirements than dogs, due to
lacking detox capability (a design feature to travel light as solo
hunters) - where dogs have *some* limited detox ability - it makes them
heavier. Dogs have less sprint capability and need to hunt in packs
rather than based on surprise and pounce speed. You can't pounce too
well if you are small in size and carrying a load of detox equipment
around:-) Cats would need to be fitted with backpacks:-)

Nature has designed our animal friends with extreme care, and I put as
much care as I can muster, into understanding that design and meeting
its metabolic needs with appropriate nutrition. I majored in Zoology as
a starting place. "Human grade" is just plain not good enough for cats
- we have LOADS of detox equipment on board in terms of liver and kidney
capabilities

Feline grade is a much *higher* standard in my book. Fresh-slaughter
is a higher standard than the two week hung meat that people eat. Canine
standard is also unique - much less detox ability than people, but
better detox than cats for plants, but not by much - but better
tolerance for putrefaction in food, and of course no need for taurine
and a few other nutrients dogs make and cats do not.
Each species is unique - and I consider it really important to meet
those unique needs with the best options available that my clients can
and will actually use. Research gives me useful information - and it all
makes sense when put into the context of the species origin.

Please be sure to critique what I actually write in this respect rather
than the extreme substitutions and misrepresentations of my views that
you have presented in many cases instead.
I'm not averse to having some different views from yours - I'm just
averse to having you present them differently from the way they are.

I would like my views to be useful to others as they stand - just as I
am sure you feel that way about yours too.

Thank you,
Irene
--
Irene de Villiers, B.Sc AASCA MCSSA D.I.Hom/D.Vet.Hom.
P.O. Box 4703 Spokane WA 99220.
www.angelfire.com/fl/furryboots/clickhere.html (Veterinary Homeopath.)
"Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt one doing it."