Pet Nutrition - Hawthorn Veterinary Care - Portland, OR

Nutrition is one of the most basic and important aspects affecting the health of any living creature – a diet of fresh foods with ample variety is not only a healthy choice for ourselves but for our companion animals as well.

The Problem with Processed Foods 

Highly processed foods are too easily and rapidly digested and cause high insulin levels and weight gain. Diabetes, allergic dermatitis, ear infections, bladder infections and inflammation, gingivitis and stomatitis, chronic vomiting and diarrhea have all been linked to chronically elevated blood insulin levels and obesity. In order to prevent and treat these diseases, one must stay away from feeding processed food and instead provide a balanced whole food diet (raw or home-cooked).

Besides raising blood insulin levels, food processing also destroys many nutrients. In contrast, whole food diets contain all the nutrients nature has endowed them with; they have superior vitamin and antioxidant levels, enhanced availability of trace minerals, fatty acids and live enzymes. In addition, raw or home-cooked diets often have locally sourced ingredients, they require less energy to make and transport them and hence, they are better for our planet.

Whole Food Diets – Raw vs. Cooked

In “Give your Dog a Bone”, Dr. Ian Billinghurst found the remarkable health benefits of feeding raw meat, bones and vegetables to dogs, reasoning that since dogs (and cats) are highly carnivorous creatures, feeding a large portion of cereal grains to them was neither appropriate nor healthy. Pets with a variety of health problems dramatically improved after converting to raw meat diets.

We recommend you educate yourself first before feeding a raw or home-cooked diet to your pets and that you follow a balanced recipe to ensure proper nutrition. Some pets with weakened digestion cannot tolerate a raw meat diet and can be fed a home-cooked diet instead.

When feeding raw meat, we recommend using commercial raw meat diets as they are much less likely to be contaminated with E. coli or salmonella than ground meat from the grocery store (the latter should always be thoroughly cooked). Always use proper hygiene when handling raw meat by washing food dishes and utensils with soapy hot water after every use.

How We Help

Every day in our clinic, we witness the health differences between animals that are fed highly processed diets and those that receive a balanced diet made from fresh foods. All team members at Hawthorn Veterinary Care have personal experience with raw and homemade diets. One of the secrets to our success is that we spend so much time discussing your pet’s nutrition because we strongly believe that nutrition is one of the most essential factors in preventative medicine!

Refer to our handout library for more information about Food Energetics and Bone Broth for Pets!

WHOLE FOOD DIET RESOURCES

Meat For Cats and Dogs

Moe’s Meats

Healthy Pets NW

Just Food For Dogs

Darwins Pet

BOOKS

Fresh Food and Ancient Wisdom

Dr. Becker’s Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats