OUR BLACK FRIDAY SALE IS ON! Sitewide savings PLUS earn $10 for every $100 you spend! Start Shopping!
The Healthy Hound: Raising a Nutritarian Dog
January 17, 2018 by Joel Fuhrman, MD
Attention, dog owners: We are launching a Nutritarian communities thread (membership required), as a new member benefit, that will give you the opportunity to learn techniques, and share advice, on the best ways to train, nurture and ensure the nutritional excellence of your pets. The aim is to help those who follow a Nutritarian lifestyle to extend this health and longevity-promoting eating style to their furry friends.
We also want to initiate data collection for a study on the lifespan and health of Nutritarian dogs, and encourage you and your dog to participate. Please keep track of what you feed your pet, and all health and lifespan parameters. Each year, send us a detailed description of your dog’s diet and his health.
A Nutritarian human eats 0 – 10 percent of calories from animal products, and strives for over 90 percent whole natural plant food.
A Nutritarain canine eats 15 – 30 percent of calories from animal products, and strives for over 70 percent of calories from whole natural plant foods.
In this Nutritarian eating style for canines, animal products are more restricted, compared to most popular and mainstream dog feeding advisors. That is because moderately restricting IGF-1, which comes from animal protein, slows the aging process in all species, including predatory animals. In addition, increasing phytochemical and antioxidant exposure in dogs, while simultaneously and moderately restricting calories to maintain favorable lean body weight, is critical to disease resistance and lifespan enhancement. As with commercially-produced human food, commercial dog food lacks sufficient phytochemicals and antioxidants, and therefore, is lifespan shortening.
However, a few companies produce natural, raw dog food that is primarily made from raw animal products and some plant foods. These are recommended, as they are convenient – and can be used as the source of meat or animal protein, to be mixed with the recommended vegetables, grains and legumes. These recommended frozen, meat-based dog foods typically contain 70 to 90 percent of calories from animal products. If using those foods, mix 1/3 with double the amount of plant food mix that you can make following the guidelines below.
Acceptable Commercial Meat-Based Raw Dog Foods Include:
Answers Detailed
Aunt Jeni’s Homemade
Bravo HomeStyle Complete
Northwest Naturals
Fresh is Best
Wysong Archetype
Primal Patties
Darwin
Bravo Balance
Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Bites
Make sure if using raw frozen dog food, that the food is removed from the freezer the same day as it is served, to reduce risk of salmonella or other harmful bacteria. Chop and mash, mixing in with the other plant foods.
Do not feed your dog onions, garlic, grapes or raisins. He cannot eat your food if it is made with onions or garlic.
Animal products should be mostly raw, and include soft bones and cartilage; they should not be limited to muscle meats. Any wild or organic animal products are acceptable; chicken is favorable, since it is inexpensive, and even small dogs can safely eat raw wings and necks without splintering. Since chicken is high in omega-6 and deficient in omega-3, omega-3 supplementation for dogs is recommended, too.
DO NOT FEED YOUR DOG COOKED BONES, WHICH CAN SPINTER INTO SHARP PIECES. RAW BONES DO NOT SPLINTER.
Foods to Use:
Avoid pits and seeds found in fruits, as most are toxic to dogs. Wash fruits thoroughly, and remove rinds and inedible skins before serving. I no longer recommended brown rice for dogs due to arsenic contamination.
Steel cut oats and quinoa are acceptable grains; however, also use starchy vegetables, such as butternut squash, carrots, peas, parsnips, rutabaga and green vegetables so the meals are not predominantly grains. Frozen wild blueberries are highly recommended, due to their high antioxidant content.
Think about steaming or microwaving your cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage, as they are more difficult to digest when not cooked. Foods in the Nightshade family, such as tomatoes and eggplant, should be avoided or be peeled and seeded before being given to dogs. Cooked tomato products are okay in small amounts. Remove the seeds of red peppers; never use hot peppers.
Leafy greens: blended into a puree or finely chopped and mixed with food, such as: lettuces, dandelion, parsley, arugula, cilantro, beet tops, carrot tops, kale, cabbage, sprouted seeds etc.
Consider the purchase of a baby mill grinder to prepare the vegetables for a small dog.
Plant Foods For Moderate Use:
Do not feed a dog a diet predominantly of only one plant food, but mix some others in there.
Apples, no core or seeds
Almonds or almond butter
Apricots
Asparagus
Avocado (no pit or skin)
Bananas
Beans (cooked or canned)
Beets
Broccoli Stalks
Cabbage
Cantaloupe
Carrots
Cashews
Coconut
Corn (no cob)
Dates
Eggplant (cooked)
Figs
Honeydew
Kiwi
Orange
Pear (no seeds)
Pineapple
Mango
Melon
Mushrooms
Nectarines
Nuts* (except macadamia and walnuts)
Radishes
Raspberries
Seeds (flax, chia, sunflower)
Spinach
Strawberries
Tangerines
Tomatoes (acceptable, in small amounts)
Watermelon
*It is best to grind nuts, or use nut butters and mix with the veggies, grains and animal products. Too many nuts may cause indigestion.
Suggested Nutritarian/Fuhrman veggie mix for dogs — to mix with their raw meat mix
Use some or many of these items below in your plant mix, or vary and rotate them.
Take one of the following cooked root vegetables or squashes:
Sweet potato, carrots, beets, rutabaga, turnips, parsnips, butternut, acorn or winter squash
Mix with a cooked green vegetable:
Broccoli, string beans, zucchini, cabbage, snow peas, okra, frozen peas
Mix with a small amount of raw vegetable (finely chopped or blended):
Kale, lettuce, cabbage, arugula
Add: Some beans or tempeh, mash in well.
Add: Some nuts and seeds, ground or as nut butters (smaller amounts)
Add: Some frozen or fresh fruit (smaller amounts) Use a food processor or blend the above into coarse slurry and mash or mix in with raw meat mix.
Add: A small amount of ground flax seeds or chia seeds and a full dropper of Dr. Fuhrman’s DHA-EPA Purity.
These are foods one should NEVER feed to your dog:
Alcohol
Cat food
Chives
Chocolate
Coffee, Tea and other caffeine
Dairy products
Garlic
Grapes
Grapefruit
Macadamia Nuts
Milk and other dairy products
Onions
Peaches
Persimmons
Plums
Raisins
Rhubarb
Salt
Walnuts
Xylitol (artificial sweetener)
ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center: 888-426-4435
References
Dog owners guide to nuts and seeds www.petmd.com
What veggies are good for dogs by Dr Peter Dobias DVM: Peterdobias.com March 09, 2016
AKC Kennel Club>health>articles December 3, 2015
Trupanion>Pet Care>Fruits and Veggies for Pets: Trupanion.com
Canine Journal www/caninejournal.com
Toxic and Dangerous Food Your Dog Should Never Eat www.Webmd.com
Anna Maria Gardner DVM http://petsynergy.com/
Joel Fuhrman, M.D. is a board-certified family physician, seven-time New York Times bestselling author and internationally recognized expert on nutrition and natural healing, who specializes in preventing and reversing disease through nutritional methods. Dr. Fuhrman coined the term “Nutritarian” to describe his longevity-promoting, nutrient dense, plant-rich eating style.
For over 30 years, Dr. Fuhrman has shown that it is possible to achieve sustainable weight loss and reverse heart disease, diabetes and many other illnesses using smart nutrition. In his medical practice, and through his books and PBS television specials, he continues to bring this life-saving message to hundreds of thousands of people around the world.
The Healthy Hound: Raising a Nutritarian Dog
January 17, 2018 by Joel Fuhrman, MD
Attention, dog owners: We are launching a Nutritarian communities thread (membership required), as a new member benefit, that will give you the opportunity to learn techniques, and share advice, on the best ways to train, nurture and ensure the nutritional excellence of your pets. The aim is to help those who follow a Nutritarian lifestyle to extend this health and longevity-promoting eating style to their furry friends.
We also want to initiate data collection for a study on the lifespan and health of Nutritarian dogs, and encourage you and your dog to participate. Please keep track of what you feed your pet, and all health and lifespan parameters. Each year, send us a detailed description of your dog’s diet and his health.
A Nutritarian human eats 0 – 10 percent of calories from animal products, and strives for over 90 percent whole natural plant food.
A Nutritarain canine eats 15 – 30 percent of calories from animal products, and strives for over 70 percent of calories from whole natural plant foods.
In this Nutritarian eating style for canines, animal products are more restricted, compared to most popular and mainstream dog feeding advisors. That is because moderately restricting IGF-1, which comes from animal protein, slows the aging process in all species, including predatory animals. In addition, increasing phytochemical and antioxidant exposure in dogs, while simultaneously and moderately restricting calories to maintain favorable lean body weight, is critical to disease resistance and lifespan enhancement. As with commercially-produced human food, commercial dog food lacks sufficient phytochemicals and antioxidants, and therefore, is lifespan shortening.
However, a few companies produce natural, raw dog food that is primarily made from raw animal products and some plant foods. These are recommended, as they are convenient – and can be used as the source of meat or animal protein, to be mixed with the recommended vegetables, grains and legumes. These recommended frozen, meat-based dog foods typically contain 70 to 90 percent of calories from animal products. If using those foods, mix 1/3 with double the amount of plant food mix that you can make following the guidelines below.
Acceptable Commercial Meat-Based Raw Dog Foods Include:
Answers Detailed
Aunt Jeni’s Homemade
Bravo HomeStyle Complete
Northwest Naturals
Fresh is Best
Wysong Archetype
Primal Patties
Darwin
Bravo Balance
Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Bites
Make sure if using raw frozen dog food, that the food is removed from the freezer the same day as it is served, to reduce risk of salmonella or other harmful bacteria. Chop and mash, mixing in with the other plant foods.
Do not feed your dog onions, garlic, grapes or raisins. He cannot eat your food if it is made with onions or garlic.
Animal products should be mostly raw, and include soft bones and cartilage; they should not be limited to muscle meats. Any wild or organic animal products are acceptable; chicken is favorable, since it is inexpensive, and even small dogs can safely eat raw wings and necks without splintering. Since chicken is high in omega-6 and deficient in omega-3, omega-3 supplementation for dogs is recommended, too.
DO NOT FEED YOUR DOG COOKED BONES, WHICH CAN SPINTER INTO SHARP PIECES. RAW BONES DO NOT SPLINTER.
Foods to Use:
Plant Foods For Moderate Use:
Do not feed a dog a diet predominantly of only one plant food, but mix some others in there.
Apples, no core or seeds
Almonds or almond butter
Apricots
Asparagus
Avocado (no pit or skin)
Bananas
Beans (cooked or canned)
Beets
Broccoli Stalks
Cabbage
Cantaloupe
Carrots
Cashews
Coconut
Corn (no cob)
Dates
Eggplant (cooked)
Figs
Honeydew
Kiwi
Orange
Pear (no seeds)
Pineapple
Mango
Melon
Mushrooms
Nectarines
Nuts* (except macadamia and walnuts)
Radishes
Raspberries
Seeds (flax, chia, sunflower)
Spinach
Strawberries
Tangerines
Tomatoes (acceptable, in small amounts)
Watermelon
*It is best to grind nuts, or use nut butters and mix with the veggies, grains and animal products. Too many nuts may cause indigestion.
Suggested Nutritarian/Fuhrman veggie mix for dogs — to mix with their raw meat mix
Use some or many of these items below in your plant mix, or vary and rotate them.
Sweet potato, carrots, beets, rutabaga, turnips, parsnips, butternut, acorn or winter squash
Broccoli, string beans, zucchini, cabbage, snow peas, okra, frozen peas
Kale, lettuce, cabbage, arugula
Use a food processor or blend the above into coarse slurry and mash or mix in with raw meat mix.
These are foods one should NEVER feed to your dog:
Alcohol
Cat food
Chives
Chocolate
Coffee, Tea and other caffeine
Dairy products
Garlic
Grapes
Grapefruit
Macadamia Nuts
Milk and other dairy products
Onions
Peaches
Persimmons
Plums
Raisins
Rhubarb
Salt
Walnuts
Xylitol (artificial sweetener)
ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center: 888-426-4435
Joel Fuhrman, M.D. is a board-certified family physician, seven-time New York Times bestselling author and internationally recognized expert on nutrition and natural healing, who specializes in preventing and reversing disease through nutritional methods. Dr. Fuhrman coined the term “Nutritarian” to describe his longevity-promoting, nutrient dense, plant-rich eating style.
For over 30 years, Dr. Fuhrman has shown that it is possible to achieve sustainable weight loss and reverse heart disease, diabetes and many other illnesses using smart nutrition. In his medical practice, and through his books and PBS television specials, he continues to bring this life-saving message to hundreds of thousands of people around the world.