Did you know what super foods can keep your pet healthy?
- In our never-ending quest to ramp up our nutritional optimization, we invest plenty of research regarding the values of different foods that our pets’ wild ancestors would eat in nature. Our carnivorous dogs and cats, not only require consumption of different animals but also specific parts of those animals as well. Our latest research had us looking more thoroughly at a group of meat super foods that our carnivores require. This super food group provides many of the building blocks of bio-available vitamins, minerals, enzymes, hormones and other nutrients necessary to support optimal health.
The group that I’m referring to is organs and glandular. In the wild, they are often the first to be consumed. Liver, kidney, brains, pancreas, adrenal, thyroid, and others are often prescribed supplements for pets that are distressed in the function of these organs. In Eastern medicine the approach is to treat “like with like”. In a pancreas challenged pet, a practitioner would suggest a supplement that contains pancreas.
The science shows that organ meats such as liver, brains, and kidneys are some of the most nutrient-dense foods in the world. Liver is considered the most nutrient-rich organ of all. It is an excellent source of vitamins A, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, and B12 (just 4 oz contains 1108% of the RDA for people). It also is rich in the minerals iron, phosphorous, zinc, copper and selenium. Vitamin B12 is the only vitamin that we can’t get from either plants or sunlight…it is ONLY found in animal products. The richest source of natural B12 on the planet is grass-fed beef liver.
Brains are the most healing Omega 3 and 9 nutrient dense food that we have found to date with most having an Omega 6 ratio of 125:1. Kidney has a similar profile as liver. It is one of the best-known food sources of selenium which helps support immunity, blood flow, thyroid function and fertility; and has powerful antioxidant properties.
In our research we also found that It is estimated that 92% of Americans are nutrient-deficient and nearly 50% are deficient in vitamin B12 which can lead to issues such as pernicious anemia, vascular disease, stroke, autoimmune conditions, fatigue and dementia. This deficiency affects our pets in the same way. Today, very few of us regularly consume these foods and while they are routinely used in pet foods, the extensive high heat and pressure processing destroys the nutritional value. If we look back 50 years or more, these foods were very much a part of our regular diet as well as that of our pets.
Our main goal as pet care providers is to supply them with a safe environment and optimal nutrition to keep them healthy. The body is designed very specifically to maintain and heal itself when it is provided with the right tools, which is a species specific, clean, natural foods. These include health building foods such as the glands and organ meats; cleansing and nutrient herbs and botanicals, natural, safe antibiotics like raw honey and much more. The key to achieving this goal is to frequently use fresh, provide a clean lifestyle without chemicals, food products with minimal processing, and provide a rotational variety. This will flood their system with the tools for optimal health and well-being.
Bill Piechocki, nutritionist and Dr. Diane Sudduth, DVM are partners in Fiesta Pet Deli in Pompano Beach, FL, and co-hosts of the PetHealthCafe.com radio show. Our 40 years in the animal field has provided us unparalleled vision and information which we pass to our clients daily. We can be reached at www.PetHealthCafe.com or 800-940-7387. Call us for a free consultation or stop by Fiesta Pet Deli, we would be more than happy to help. You may also visit our retail website here: www.fiestapetdeli.com.