Nutrition as Therapy
(general to all species)

Natural Feeding

A healthy diet is the foundation upon which we build health.

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine thy food”
attr. Hippocrates (circa 460 - 357 B.C.)

See also: http://www.naturalfeeding.co.uk (information-only website on natural feeding)

Natural Feeding - Horses (and Ponies)

Natural Feeding - Dogs

Natural feeding - Cats

FAQ Natural Feeding

All patients at the AVMC are offered advice on feeding natural fresh diets, as the basis of a health programme (nutritional therapy) and as part of the holistic approach to a case. This is because there is no clear boundary between nutrition and medicine. The same principles apply, whatever the species. Only the detail is adapted to each species.

What is it?

We have a very simplistic view, at the AVMC. Ideal nutrition is a fresh, varied and preferably organic diet, in keeping with the evolved needs of each species (i.e. species suitable). Anything other than this will be detrimental, to varying degrees. Healing depends upon nutrition as the safe foundation and we believe there is no such thing as good medicine without good nutrition. This is positive health and, when a case is cured, it is good preventive health. When a fresh, high quality, preferably organic diet is fed, there is little need for supplements. However, we often use herbs as a source of natural vitamins and minerals, including various seaweed supplements, brewers yeast and garlic, when considered necessary. We practise holistic veterinary medicine; advising on natural nutrition is an integral part of that approach whenever we are confronted with a sick animal.

The logic is, of course, that feeding such diets, before illnesses occur, makes good common-sense health preservation. We would also prefer to maintain health than to treat disease, rewarding though the latter can be.

An added bonus is that we find that older animals, who have consistently been fed in this way and not over-vaccinated or over-drugged, seem to find a natural, gentle and dignified way out of this world, in the time, place and manner of their own choosing. It seems that they are better able to order their own existence and function.

Manufacturers hold a different view, because there is no money to be made from fresh food diets, sourced and prepared by the owner. They wish to push 'product' (equine compound feeds, canned pet food or freeze-dried complete diets), with its massive and lucrative ‘add-on’ value, advertising in such a way as to make owners feel inadequate and fearful to do anything but feed manufactured products. The price that can be obtained by the manufacturers depends on the perception of value created by advertising, marketing, promotion and convenience.

This engineered cultural block leads to a mental inconsistency. Owners often feel that they and their families would be better on a wholesome, organic diet, yet many do not make the same connection in the case of their animals. Manufactured feeds generally suffer loss of quality in safety and nutrition, during the heavy processing involved, besides the possibility of inclusion of unsuitable ingredients. We believe fresh natural foodstuffs (preferably organic) to be a healthier alternative to manufactured products.

Practical Application

From a client:

"Suffice it to say that my two dogs have now made the change to ‘real’ food and seem to be enjoying it. B----’s crusty nose is looking blacker and shinier than it ever has, if that is anything to go by. L--- is slowly beginning to look a bit less spherical, so it’s worth the effort."

When planning a diet for an animal, the simple rationale to follow is to look at a wild equivalent species and study its diet. Broadly speaking, such a diet or similar is likely to be healthy for our domestic species. This clearly cuts out animal or fish products from a herbivore’s diet, despite the fact that many commercial feeds and supplements fly in the face of this simple wisdom. Added sugar, commonly in the form of molasses, also has an adverse effect on the bowel flora of horses, hence on digestion and metabolism and thereby on behaviour, immune capability and physical health (horses are primarily fibre digesters). Grazing should be on traditional pasture, not adulterated with agro-chemicals. The same applies to grass-based products (e.g. hay, haylage, dried grass, grass nuts), which should not have been fertilised with artificial nitrogen. It also implies that the chewing of large chunks of raw meat and gnawing on bones is healthiest for dogs, in addition to their other fresh dietary components e.g. vegetables (dogs have no nutritional requirement for grain starch).

Wholesome fresh vegetables in a supermarket

Tooth health of all species is critically affected by diet. Manufactured foods for dogs and cats permit or encourage plaque and tartar formation, resulting in gingivitis, gum recession and eventual tooth loss. Sugars in horse diets lead to enamel weakness and concentrate feeding can lead to tartar and to incorrect tooth wear - Teeth (Horses & Ponies) : Teeth & Teething (Dogs & Cats).

Whether feeding dogs, feeding cats, feeding horses or feeding ponies, the principles are the same. Only the special needs, susceptibilities and capabilities of each species have to be considered. Feeding animals is not difficult, until it comes to production animals, who have increased demand for certain critical nutrients. Particularly in the case of dairy cows, dairy sheep or dairy goats, production animals can live on a knife-edge. For this reason, I have studied the nutrition of farm species, allowing a full dietary appraisal for health, as a crucial part of health management on the farm. I studied the Agricultural Sciences Tripos, at Cambridge. In the 70’s and 80’s, when I ran a very busy farm practice, in addition to treating other species, I was personally examining 600 cows per week on routine visits. The health of these cows was mostly achieved through diet, with homeopathic medication for fertility and such-like problems, on an individual basis when needed. Good nutrition work would, however, mostly remove the need for medication.

Some common disease conditions whose causes are likely to have a large, major or sole dietary component are: temperament problems, poor appetite, poor condition, poor doers, poor coat condition, poor body condition, poor hoof quality, laminitis, arthritis, behavioural problems, tooth eruption, dental health, oral hygiene, plaque, tartar, gum health, gingivitis, stomach ulcer (gastric ulcer), bloat, hyperexcitability, nervousness, aggression, chronic diarrhoea, malabsorption, IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), IBD (inflammatory bowel disease), bone development problems, skeletal problems, rickets, skeletal development, exercise tolerance, development problems, tying up, myoglobinuria, setfast, azoturia, pregnancy toxaemia, milk fever, eclampsia, dystochia, birth problems, stamina, heart condition and allergy.

The AVMC's service for farm clients includes the option of in-depth nutrition and diet input, as part of an integrated programme. There is a discount for Soil Association members (organic).

Other Pages of related interest:

Pasture Management
Artificial Nitrogen Fertiliser
Products
Feeds

Supplements
Diets
Poisonous Plants
Food Poisoning
Positive Health
Teeth (Horses & Ponies)
Teeth & Teething (Dogs & Cats)
Organics
Farm Management & Nutrition
Dietary Issues
Recipes
Obesity
Nutraceuticals
Natural Feeding (article)
Feeding Dogs (article) (& see picture) - the holistic vet view.

Books by Christopher Day:

Christopher Day has written a book(let), 'Feeding Dogs the Natural Way' - Chinham Publications, available from the AVMC (see address etc. below).

He has also written a book(let), 'Feeding Horses the Natural Way' - Chinham Publications, which can be ordered from the AVMC (see address etc. below) [Not yet in print].

Other books:

Books by Tom Lonsdale 'Raw Meaty Bones' and Ian Billingshurst 'The BARF Diet' (bones and raw food) have been recommended to us and have a great following but we have not yet read them (so cannot comment).

To view some of the pages (.pdf) on this site, you'll need Adobe Acrobat Reader 8.0 or later - download it here for free: .pdf files can take a little longer to download and will generally open in a separate window. If not, to return to this web site from a .pdf file, press your browser's 'BACK' button.

Holistic, Alternative, Natural or Complementary?

FAQ Natural Feeding

Copyright © AVMC March 2007

Associated websites: http://chris-day.blogware.com/ - www.acupuncture-animals.co.uk - www.holistic-vet.co.uk - www.homeopathic-vet.com - www.veterinary-acupuncture.co.uk - www.veterinary-homeopathy.co.uk - www.veterinary-herbal.co.uk - www.veterinary-holistic.co.uk -  www.alternativeveterinarymedicine.co.uk - www.alternativeveterinarymedicinecentre.co.uk - www.avmc.co.uk - www.naturalfeeding.co.uk - www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~avmc - www.chinhampublications.co.uk - www.equineacupuncturevet.co.uk - www.christopherday.co.uk - www.holisticvetmed.co.uk.

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Last modified: September 26, 2009