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For Those Who Choose To Think For Themselves
Are you irresponsible if you do not follow the orthodox “wisdom” of caring for your animal? If you don’t follow the conventional wisdom on how to care for your pet, will you be causing harm to your animal? The growth of interest in “natural” foods and “alternative” medicine is a sure sign that people are slowly rejecting the way we have been taught to do things. Diet and Supplements There simply is no commercially produced food that can substitute for a basic home prepared diet. It’s what nature intended, and you know it just doesn’t pay to fool with Mother Nature. I have been helping my patients discover a health, vitality, and joy in life that their owners never thought possible, simply by having them alter what they eat, the supplements they were given, and how they exercised. Yet I always assumed that the genetic part of our story had already been written. Like most of us, I believed the genes we inherited from our parents were the cards we were dealt. But I began to discover that we have an enormous power to improve our pet’s lives, even when it comes to their genes. True, we can’t do anything about which chromosomes they got from their parents; we can’t add new genes to the mix or eradicate old ones. But the genes they got at conception are only the beginning of the story. I believe that we have the capacity to turn up the volume on some genes and silence others with nutrition, vastly improving our capacity to provide our pets with good health and happiness. In this era of the Internet there is an overwhelming amount of credible and not-so-credible information. It is nearly impossible to decipher the truth from fiction. Therapeutic Nutrition is broadly defined as the use of nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, amino acids, essential fatty acids, co-factors, enzymes, anti-oxidants, and phytonutrients, to support the body’s immune and healing systems, thereby altering the course and outcome of a disease process. It can be used as a preventative, or can be used as a therapy. It does not focus on food types, calories nor minimum daily requirements, but rather on metabolic and physiological effects of foods on the body’s healing and immune systems. Unlike drugs, nutritional products are not designed to address symptoms or diseases, they are designed to “feed” and “fuel” the cells of the body, using or calling upon the cells’ inherent ability to heal and achieve wellness. The goals of therapeutic nutrition fall within 3 broad categories, which directly help to enhance wellness: 1. The supply of appropriate absorbable
nutrients. The pet food industry attempted to regulate and standardize commercially prepared pet foods. This method is based upon the chemical content and analysis of food, the actual levels of fats, proteins, carbohydrates, and moisture. The regulatory methodology is accomplished via the guaranteed analysis of the food. To qualify as a pet food, the following 4 categories must be listed on the label: crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber, and moisture. Veterinarians were able to put together a mixture containing coal, shoes, and crankcase oil. When chemically analyzed, this mixture met the minimum requirements of pet food. So, it is not only the chemical composition of pet foods that is important, but the bioavailability of the raw ingredients used. Metabolic Testing is based upon the principle that changes occur in the blood before symptoms appear. Since Metabolic Testing identifies nutrient requirements and early warning signs of impending disease, it is the perfect tool to incorporate into an animal’s health care. It provides proactive and early warning opportunities to detect and improve health through specific and tailored nutritional therapies. Clinical Analysis of the Metabolic Testing has affirmed that optimum nutrition helps slow the onset and progression of chronic disease because it restores balance and promotes healing by supporting the metabolic pathways that energize the healing system. In addition, it helps reduce the inflammation that predisposes an animal to disease. Its use, either alone or in combination with appropriate medication, contributes to the day-to-day wellness of your pet. Michel Selmer, D.M.V. is the director of the Advanced Animal Care Center in South Huntington, NY. 631-367-7387. AdvancedCareForPets.com. |
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What makes this
difficult is that billions
of dollars are
spent to convince you, your
breeder, your vet, your government
(all levels), and most
of your pet owning friends,
that you must vaccinate your
animal every year, feed only
scientifically 100% balanced
nutritional pet food, etc.