The Canine Nutritionist

02/08/2024

WHO ARE THE ESVCN?!
Just chatting over on the membership, in regards to nutritional guidelines for dogs, someone asked what the difference was between AAFCO and FEDIAF. And are WSAVA (World Small Animal Veterinary Association), are they any better? And what about the ESVCN (The European Society of Veterinary & Comparative Nutrition) that some social media vets bandy around?!

First, I have a cool (if I do say so myself) course on AAFCO up on drconorbrady.com. It details why their guidelines are nonsense and virtually unusable. I go through the science used to support their stance that the MINIMUM amount of (crap quality) protein for a dog or cat is the BEST way to feed those animals FOR LIFE. I also go through what they say about carbs and then it's a roller coaster ride of horror through the science supporting their (factory-sourced) vitamin and mineral figures.

It really has be seen to be believed. It's actually quite relieving, seeing the little Oz peddling the machine, because once you KNOW they haven't a clue, it takes the pressure off you having to know what the ideal, perfectly complete diet is for a dog (when you have no idea for the kids!!).

So do check that course out (it's €29.95, free to Den members).

Anyway, it details that FEDIAF, the European Pet Food Federation, is simply the EU version of AAFCO. Two cheeks of the same arse. They run no trials, make no checks, have no extra sciecne at their disposal whatsoever. Their guidelines are based almost entirely on AAFCOs made up numbers with a few minor tweaks that don't really matter a damn, in the grand scheme of things.

WSAVA and the same.

I have to admit, I was initially surprised to hear the name ESVCN being thrown around as I haven't heard of a single study or data point produced by them. What are they contributing to the debate? Well, nothing....bar influence.

You see, much like the word "foundation" (eg the Bill & Melinda Foundation, which is the tax-free influencing front of their vaccines business), as soon as you see a group boast that they are NON PROFIT you should immediately set about finding out who's paying for the pizza you are about to eat.

In this case, the European Society of Veterinary & Comparative Nutrition tells us it is proudly sponsored by BIG DRY FOOD. It's raison d'etre is to promote BIG DRY FOOD.

Their mission statement is as follows (caps added by me for effect):

"...to generate interest, STIMULATE research and disseminate knowledge in veterinary nutrition, comparative nutrition and nutrition-related diseases; to PROMOTE pre- and post-graduate education in veterinary and comparative nutrition; to STIMULATE the application of clinical nutrition in veterinary schools by cooperation between nutritionists and clinicians; and to COOPERATE with other societies with related interests."

To stimulate this and promote that. In other words, to direct cash where appropriate to get the actions / studies / responses they require to keep the show on the road.

And to cooperate with "other societies".....right, except the Raw Feeding Veterinary Society, of course, still the only group of vets IN THE WORLD campaigning for real food for pets.

It's rotten, isn't it?!

If a vet quotes them as a source, just let them know that you don't take your nutritional licks from Ronald McDonald. They won't like that.

02/08/2024

Wish I hadn't been so camera-shy at the Director's Screening of Ferrari's Lost Driver, but I was honoured to be involved in the making of this film, and even more so when I learned that not only would I consult on it, I would be in it too!😄

25/07/2024

Canines require a diverse diet to fulfill all their nutritional needs for optimal health.

This encompasses high-quality muscle meats (preferably organic or grass-fed), raw bones, organ meats, essential fatty acids, and whole foods rich in vitamins and minerals.

Feeding them the same meal every day will not provide the variety of nutrients their gut microbiome biome needs to be healthy. It is important to remember that 70-80% of the immune system is found in the gut. This is why I cringe every time I see IBD patients placed on ultra-processed “prescription” diets as a form of treatment. It is the single worst thing you can do to manage your dog with inflammatory bowel disease.

Testing and supporting the gut microbiome should be the first steps in managing this condition.

Check out my full blog: Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Prioritizing Gut Health. Link is in the comments.

24/07/2024

Dandelion roots are the most important part of the plant, but many people are unaware of their benefits. 🌼 Must express something to keep getting my articles.. Thank you.🙏

Full article in the first comment 👇

24/07/2024

To ensure that your animal companion has a healthy population of gut bacteria, provide them with probiotics.

23/07/2024

So proud to have been part of this remarkable journey!

July 17th, 2024, saw the Director’s Screening of ‘Ferrari’s Lost Driver, The Alfonso De Portago Story’ take place at the National Motor Museum Beaulieu.

22/07/2024

Myself and director Charlotte Fantelli at the Director's Screening of our film, Ferrari's Lost Driver, starring motorsport broadcaster Will Buxton and made by Charlotte and her amazing team at Branded Studios.

19/07/2024

10/07/2024

⚠️ Get ready for some harsh truth

By my standards, optimal amount of ANIMAL protein in a dog’s diet is 75-85%. Cats are even more carnivorous and 90-95% of their diet should be ANIMAL protein.

Commercial dog food is only required to include 22% protein BUT this can include protein from plant matter that is not as digestible. A study brought to my attention by Dogs First showed of protein stated in the kibble, less than 75% of it was actually available to the animal. Krogdahl et al. (2004) tested a range of different dry food diets. They found that Eukanuba Puppy stated 27.9% protein, only 20.3% was actually available; Proplan Puppy stated 26.2% protein, only 20.1% was available to the test animals; Royal Canin Puppy stated 21.7% protein, only 16.7% was available; Hill’s Puppy stated 26.8% protein, only 20.8% was available to the animal.

Big pet food companies use less animal protein because it’s expensive and they want to make more money, but you physically can’t make an extruded kibble with 75% animal protein using current manufacturing and processing techniques. I took a kibble manufacturing course at KSU to learn the process myself.

Here’s what you can do:

➡️ Super Food Toppers you can add to your pet’s diet now including MEAT:
https://drjudymorgan.com/products/super-foods-to-improve-your-pets-diet

➡️ Check out Dr. Conor’s book Feeding Dogs which takes a deep dive into the kibble vs raw debate.

➡️ Get “The List” from TruthAboutPetFood.com which is a list of pet foods that have been vetted out by a trusted consumer advocate: https://truthaboutpetfood.com/the-list/

➡️ View all my pet food & nutrition resources: https://drjudymorgan.com/pages/pet-food-nutrition

10/07/2024

Everyone has to do what they believe to be right for their dog, but please do your own research before allowing your vet to unnecessarily vaccinate your dog. Today's dogs are living shorter lives than at any time in history. Why? Genetics and OVER VACCINATION!

Lepto 4 The Controversial Vaccination That is Causing Concerns and Reactivity Dangers and Problems Full name is leptospirosis vaccine.

09/07/2024

RAW V DRY EXPERIMENT UPDATE...
I just posted this little note below on Experiment .com where our study resides (you can learn more about this study using the link in the comments). With all your support, Dogs First managed to raise $50,000 (one of the highest funded studies on the platform...) to run the world's first retrospective analysis of the health status of hundreds of dogs fed dry and raw food, remember that?!

The update reads...

"Hello all, hope you (and your pets) are doing well.

First, the team would like to express how deeply grateful we are for your patience to date. As we explained in our previous note, one of the team had to deal with a very serious health issue which has put us back months. But now we are back up and running.

After a preliminary look at the dataset, we realised we needed extra help extracting the necessary data from the patient notes system that countless vets worldwide use today. It requires a specialists input. We have contacted the company involved and have finally got our hands on the person who can make that happen.

We had a WONDERFUL meeting with this person, who walked us through what is possible, and the news is relatively good. A treasure trove of data but not exactly in the form we need it.

So, the wonderful Vicky is now working with said company to get the data in order so that we can run our stats on it. But even just looking at what's there has given us a lot of exciting rabbit holes to explore.

I just wanted to tell you our tails are now up. We are moving now and hope, shortly, to give you an update on the precise data we are harvesting.

The dream is, once we pave the road with HOW vets can do this, that others will follow with their own data.

Imagine data from 100 veterinary hospitals? 1000?

We will be back soon as soon as we know more. Thanks again folks, onwards and upwards (and, occasionally, sidewards...)

Conor, Vicky & Rich."

08/07/2024

Dogs and cats were originally designed to hunt and eat wild prey.

💧Wild prey contains a very high moisture content, generally 65 to 70%. Most raw diets and canned food diets will fall somewhere in the 65 to 75% moisture range, whereas dry kibble generally contains only 6 to 10% moisture.

🏜Pets consuming dry diets generally remain in a state of low grade dehydration. Over a lifetime, this leads to Yin Deficiency - a deficiency of moisture in the body. Pets that are Yin Deficient may have
• a dry coat
• dry foot pads
• a dry, cracked nose
• flaky skin
• a dark pink or red tongue
• excessive panting

Dry food consumption can also lead to a Chinese Medicine description call "Excess Phlegm". Consider a pot of stew cooking on the stove with the lid off. Steam rises from the stew and evaporates. The stew continues to lose moisture and eventually becomes very thick and sludgy. The same process is occurring inside animals fed dry kibble. The body is constantly consuming its own fluids to digest the food. Sludge starts to form.

The sludge can show up in the form of lipomas (large, fatty deposit lumps under the skin).

Dogs and cats with Excess Phlegm may have thick discharge from the eyes (seen also in Dry Eye), gooey ear discharges, greasy stinky skin, and hot spots.

The tongue may appear swollen with a thick coating that looks greasy.
By eliminating kibble from the diet, many of these detrimental changes can be reversed. Feeding a high moisture, species-appropriate diet can help increase moisture in the body and decrease lipomas and mucous discharges.

More resources: https://drjudymorgan.com/pages/pet-food-nutrition?_pos=3&_sid=0dbd36b48&_ss=r

04/07/2024

📣 What you feed your pet goes far beyond the cost of the pet food.

Feeding a bowl of dry kibble is like eating a bowl of dry cereal. How would your body feel if the only thing you ever consumed was dry cereal that had a synthetic vitamin/mineral mix added in? While that might be considered a complete diet containing all the vitamins and minerals needed for survival, it most certainly would not result in vibrant health.

The veterinary industry can attempt to defend kibble and demonize raw, but thankfully the results from pets around the world speak for themselves ❤️

📌 View all my pet food & nutrition resources here: https://drjudymorgan.com/pages/pet-food-nutrition

03/07/2024

When the USDA condemns livestock (deems them unsafe for consumption) the FDA takes them and declares they are safe to use for pet food!

🤔 If these animals are not safe for human consumption, what makes them safe for our pets to consume?

Susan Thixton at Truth About Pet Food has a great article on the latest statistics of condemned animals allowed into pet food by FDA. "The USDA Condemns, The FDA Welcomes"

💻 Read here: https://truthaboutpetfood.com/the-usda-condemns-the-fda-welcomes/

📌View my pet food & Nutrition resources: https://drjudymorgan.com/pages/pet-food-nutrition

02/07/2024

A few things you should consider before leaving your dog at home!

Leaving your furry friend home alone can be nerve-wracking. You want them to be safe, happy, and entertained until you return. But there's 9 common mistakes ...

27/06/2024

Several elements, such as the level of humidity 🌧️, the temperature 🌡️, and the physical condition of your dog 🐕, can impact their capacity to 🆒 down. Treating your pet with this refreshing snack 🥒 is an easy way to help boost their fluid 💦 intake, as cucumbers contain a whopping 95% ✨ water content! If it’s a challenge finding spray-free (or 🌱organic) cucumbers, be sure to wash them under cold water.

Friendly Tip: The best way to feed this hydrating treat is raw. Washing 🧼 the skin of cucumbers 🥒 with a 2% salt water 🧂💧 mixture can help eliminate 75% to 80% of pesticide residue! 😁

Fun fact: Cucumbers are a fruit❣️

26/06/2024

PET SAFETY REMINDER: Remember that asphalt (and concrete) gets HOT during the summer and can cause burns to pets’ feet. On a 77-degree day asphalt temps have measured as high as 125 degrees – and on an 87-degree day as high as 143 degrees (it’s already 88 today in central Iowa and temps are climbing, so even more dangerous)! Skin destruction can occur in as little as 1 minute on a 125-degree surface. To keep your pet safe, press the back of your hand firmly against the asphalt (or concrete) for 7 seconds before walking your dog on it. If it’s not comfortable for you, it could potentially harm your pup. Even better, walk your dog in the grass to not even risk paw damage.

For more summer pet safety tips, head to https://ow.ly/383N50SpjSB.

26/06/2024

Keep your dog well hydrated during this hot spell.

This free dog electrolyte recipe is the perfect solution if ever your dog is suffering from dehydration, exaustion or diarrhoea.

24/06/2024

Sometimes I even find time to follow other interests like coming up with the idea, helping produce and featuring in this film to be released 17 July 2024

De Portago was an aristocrat, a s*x symbol, a racing driver, gambler, Olympian and dare devil. When men became heroes and heroes risked everything. We chart ...