Most pet owners immediately associate fiber with healthy poop. However, fiber does much more for your pet than that. Fiber plays a significant role in the absorption of nutrients in their diet and can benefit their overall health in many ways.
Greens are leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, romaine lettuce, collard greens, and broccoli…
I recently attended the 2023 Veterinary Meeting & Expo (VMX) in Orlando, Fl. and came back with a treasure…
Green vegetables contain important nutrients and fibers that can help to support the growth of healthy…
If you’re just catching up, Midwestern Pet Foods (manufacturer of Earthborn, ProPac, SportMix, CanineX…
When your pet is diagnosed with a heart dysfunction or heart disease, you want to take immediate action to support your pet’s health and well-being. In addition to specific recommendations from your veterinarian, here are some tips to help keep your dog or cat’s heart healthy — without modifying their main diet.
Your pet’s weight plays an important role in heart health. One of the main contributors to heart problems is obesity. Being overweight adds unnecessary stress to your pet’s joints, muscles, internal organs, but also to the heart itself.
Help your pet maintain a healthy weight by giving him the right amount of food for his size, breed, age, and reproductive status.
In combination with a proper diet, daily exercise is vital. Walks, runs, and active playtime improve the strength and endurance of the heart’s ability to circulate blood, but also burn excess calories that can lead to obesity.
If your pet has been diagnosed with heart disease, please consult your veterinarian before starting any exercise program with your pet. Certain heart conditions dictate no exercise while others allow for lower-intensity exercise sessions that include monitoring duration, intensity, and external temperature.
When searching for heart-healthy treats, look for single-ingredient, nutritionally dense, minimally processed products. These types of treats are typically lower in sodium and other unhealthy preservatives that may aggravate a heart condition. My favorites are freeze-dried hearts, any fish treat (since fish is high in omega 3’s), or any treat containing no or low-salt additives.
Supplements can be an important part of your pet’s heart health plan. Although supplements should never replace a well-balanced diet, they can provide a nutritional boost that can help reduce the risk of heart disease, reduce inflammation, improve circulation, manage weight and improve overall well-being.
When our loyal customer, Brandon shared his “raw story” with us, it was too heartwarming not to share! The below is Brandon’s first hand experience with switching his picky German Shepherd to a minimally processed diet…
“I was surprised with my best friend “Hades” 5 years ago by my girlfriend Chelsea and how can anyone forget that moment? A box was checked off the bucket list as we prepared ourselves for a great future with the little guy (a thirteen week old German Shepherd).
Although, things changed drastically. When we had picked up Hades, he was actually within the progressive stage of Kennel Cough into Pneumonia. Tough, I know but luckily after immediate veterinarian assistance and a few weeks to recoup, Hades tackled Pneumonia and made it out okay. We were warned though that he most likely not grow to the normal size of a GSD and certain attributes (lungs, heart…etc) would not develop fully. Then we met Nicci and her staff at NorthPoint.
Hades was a VERY picky eater when he came home from the hospital and we struggled big time when it came to getting him to eat. Numerous bags of dry food went to waste because he seemed to have become bored with it, as well as wet food. We found it tough to gain back the weight he had lost when he got sick, too.
Luckily enough I had discovered NorthPoint Pets & Company in the middle of this dilemma and a simple 10 minute conversation with the staff re-directed my mind state from kibble to raw. We gave raw a shot and I’ll tell you what, we’ll never switch back. Instantly, Hades was hooked. Not only was it a simple switch but the benefits showed immediately.
Not only was it a simple switch but the benefits showed immediately.
After starting raw, his plate was licked clean every time and he started to finally show some weight gain! His hair started to shine and we started seeing all of the typical signs of a 4-6 month old puppy we were warned about! Hades’ energy was up and boy did he start filling out (he even did so well on hiking trails I had to quit smoking to keep up!). My favorite thing when we started to feed raw and even to this day was that as he developed, the adjustments on how much to feed and when to feed, became natural. He was kept lean throughout his puppy stage (by vet recommendations due to certain hereditary possibilities like hip displaysia) and then bulked up with ease as he grew older and older. Well, 100 lbs later, I believe the initial diagnosis from the vet was proven wrong. I credit all of that to raw. No joke.
In my opinion, raw has set Hades up for the best physical and mental condition that he can possibly be in.
In my opinion, raw has set Hades up for the best physical and mental condition that he can possibly be in. He is currently 5 years old and has not eaten kibble since he was 13 weeks. Good luck getting him to eat anything else… he won’t even go for one of those whipped cream doggy drinks from that fancy coffee place! Thank you, NorthPoint for everything you have done for Hades and all of the raw education you have shared! Hades says thanks too!”
This is why we do what we do. This is what drives our team to continue our research, to provide the most up-to-date information, and further our education in everything we do. Thank you Brandon for sharing your raw story with us!
If you haven’t heard of organotherapy, you’re not alone. This ancient therapy is defined as the practice of using whole animal tissues to support or promote the healthy functioning of a body’s internal organs.¹ It is also known as glandular therapy, cell therapy or tissue therapy.
Organ meat is high in a plethora of vitamins and minerals that may offer benefits for your pet. The cells within a particular organ or tissue contain the amino acids, nutrients, lipids, and glandular secretions (insulin, enzymes, and nucleic acids) needed to benefit that same organ within your pet. In other words, organotherapy may benefit your pet’s body on a cellular level by stimulating the function of that organ. For example, feed your pet liver (which contains amino acids and vitamins) to improve liver health.¹
Organ and tissue are plentiful in commercially prepared fresh and minimally processed diets where they have not been heat treated and therefore have the most bioavailable nutrients. Most of these diets contain at least 80% meat, organ, and bone, so they are rich in the essential nutrients, omega fatty acids, amino acids, vitamins and minerals that may support healthy organ function. Feeding organs doesn’t have to be complicated or difficult to incorporate into a healthy pet’s diet. For example, many commercially prepared options such as Instinct include amino acid levels like taurine as part of the guaranteed analysis. These can even be added to kibble diets as a fresh topper.
Some dietary supplements, like taurine, are derived directly from beef and pork heart. Digestive enzymes–primarily used to improve pancreatic function–are commonly sourced from pork pancreas.
Freeze-dried organ treats also offer an excellent source of nutrition for your pet’s organ health, particularly single-ingredient options.² Freeze-dried liver, heart, lung and kidney make extremely healthy treats. Liver is perhaps the most popular as it’s frequently used and recommended by dog trainers due to its rich flavor and palatability. Liver is also considered one of the highest value rewards you can offer your pet. Freeze-dried treats are perfect for both cats and dogs.
Organ benefits:
Heart: Taurine, carnitine, CoQ10
Lung: Iron, Vitamins A, D, E and B12
Kidney: Vitamin A, B, and iron
Liver*: Vitamin A, glycogen, potassium, copper, B vitamins, and vitamin D, K and E
Pancreas: digestive enzymes, manganese, insulin and glucagon
Spleen: Vitamins D, K, A, E, plus iron and zinc.
Brain: DHA and EPA, other omega-3 fatty acids
*It’s important to note that liver should be fed in moderation. Excessive amounts can induce vitamin A toxicity.³
Every pet is different and has unique nutritional needs. Supplementing with organ meat for various reasons should be considered on an individual basis. Stop in to speak with us about what options may be best suited for your pet.
This information is provided for educational purposes only, and should not be taken as medical advice. Always consult a qualified veterinarian for treatment options for your pet. We recommend consulting a board certified veterinary nutritionist for disease-specific nutrition information.
REFERENCES:
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Recent FDA Pet Food Recalls & Warning Letters. Images captured from FDA website. Date accessed: 15Mar2023.