Sunday, January 17, 2016

UNBALANCED DIET CAN CAUSE SKIN DISEASE AND SEIZURES





As much as I love using real food to feed dogs, I cringe when owners feed an unbalanced diet. This is a middle aged, small breed dog, presented for mild seizures. On physical exam, he had incredibly dry, flaky, peeling skin. He had no fleas or external parasites and was not itchy. His tongue was pale, dry, and cracked. The owner fed the dog home cooked chicken. She stated he would not eat dog food. When I asked if she fed anything else, she stated he would eat raw carrots as treats occasionally. She said he hated green vegetables. Sometimes he would eat a little rice. When I gently informed her that I was pleased that she loved her dog enough to cook for him, but the unbalanced diet was most likely causing his problems, she stated she balances it by feeding him a whole lot of Marro Bone treats:

The ingredients for MarroBone are : wheat flour, meat & bone meal (rendered product, can contain heavy metals in high concentration and can be made from ANY dead, diseased, or euthanized animal), sugar (has no place in pet food but makes them want to eat it), natural poultry flavor (not real poultry, just a chemical flavoring), animal fat preserved with BHA/BHT (both proven to be carcinogenic and not allowed in pet food in Europe), cooked bone marrow, calcium carbonate, salt, malted barley, sodium metabisulfite preservative (known to be carcinogenic), Vitamins A, B12, D3, E, niacin, B6, B2, B1, and folic acid. Sadly, the good news is, although the product has plenty of carcinogenic ingredients, it actually did offer some vitamins.

The Traditional Chinese Medicine Diagnosis for this little guy is Liver Blood Deficiency. Liver Blood Deficiency can lead to seizures and dry, flaky skin. The owner was provided with a home cooked puploaf recipe that is balanced and will provide plenty of Blood Tonic foods (liver, kale, sardines, beef) to build up this pup. Hopefully, with a change of diet (and no more of these treats), he'll make a full recovery.

If you want to cook for your pets, I applaud you. But please be sure you are providing a proper diet that will not cause health issues for your pet.

5 comments:

  1. FyrcatJanuary 17, 2016 at 12:15 PM

    Hi...I grind organic whole chickens with bone, grind zucchini,green beans,sweet potatoes, blueberries, liver or heart all raw, all organic. I add vit b,c,enzymes into this mix. Everyday each dog gets one egg yolk(from our own free range organically fed chickens) garden of life primal defense probiotics and glucosamine(all made for humans..not pets). I don't trust ANYTHING made for animals. To much to not know about!

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    Replies
    1. RivergullJanuary 18, 2016 at 9:31 AM

      Thank you. What machine do you use to do the grinding?

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    2. FyrcatJanuary 18, 2016 at 2:24 PM

      Hi, I currently use the Weston #22 1hp electric.i have had other brands, but this unit has lasted me almost 5 years. Heavy duty and no signs of it slowing down. You can find them for around $550.00 on Amazon.

      Delete
    3. UnknownJanuary 19, 2016 at 7:53 AM

      When I grind for my dogs I use a metal attachment on my KitchenAid mixer. It will do small bones.

      Delete
  2. nymimaJanuary 17, 2016 at 12:43 PM

    Please research well balanced recipes! It is not difficult and is soooo worth the time and effort. You cannot trust most dog food companies anymore as they eventually compromise their ingredients with products from places like China. (Think poison). Good dog food companies sell out to big companies who don't care about the tried and true recipes of the original brand. It's all about the money. And you will never know who sold out and who didn't until your pup becomes sick. Dr Judy has some great recipes and suggestions! Don't be afraid! You can do this!!

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