Healthy
Treats for Healthy Dog
by
Doug Freeman and Michael Howell
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Introduction
In a reaction to the high level of preservatives and artificial supplements
in most commercially available dog foods, Michael Howell and Doug Freeman
started preparing a natural food diet for their pet. After reading Fats
That Heal Fats That Kill, they incorporated Udo's Choice Pet Essentials
into a custom recipe. The results were amazing and have led to a business
venture devoted to canine health.
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The
Story
"Our immersion into canine nutrition resulted from concern for the survival
of Noelle, our Labrador Retriever" says Michael Howell. At three years of
age, Noelle began to have seizures. Although at first the seizures were rare,
in the following year they began to increase in frequency and severity.
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The
standard treatment offered by veterinarians to control these
seizures is Phenobarbital. If owners decline treatment, they
are told that it is quite possible that the dog's condition
might continue to deteriorate and the seizures could ultimately
'cluster', resulting in death. "However, the drug can
lead to liver damage," says Michael, "and we were
worried that it would simply be a band-aid solution that
masked the underlying cause of her seizures".
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after some research, Michael and Doug rejected this
option, deciding instead to heal her through better
nutrition. "After scouring the library and the
Internet for information on canine nutrition and
the pet food industry, we were excited to learn that
nutrition was increasingly being used as a healing
tool" explains Michael. |
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realized that a good starting point was to assess Noelle's
usual nutritional intake. "We compared Noelle's
diet of commercially prepared 'premium' kibble to the food
that we consume and realized her food was extremely processed
and deficient in natural nutrients". In order to meet
government standards, commercial dog food must be processed
at extremely high temperatures. This is intended to kill
harmful bacteria. Unfortunately, the heat also destroys
vital nutrients and degrades essential fatty acids. The
government standards for dog food do not address the nutritional
content of the food. If it meets the minimum requirements
for protein, fat, fibre and moisture, it can be deemed
'complete and balanced'. The quality of the proteins and
fats is not regulated. |
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"I
had read Fats That Heal
Fats That Kill, so I knew the importance of essential
fatty acids. Owners might assume that their pets are
receiving sufficient amounts if they read the ingredient
label of a commercial dog food - unfortunately, the
processing of these foods exposes the essential fatty
acids to light, oxygen and heat - the three most destructive
elements for essential fatty acids" Michael explains. |
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Noelle's
kibble was replaced with a diet containing fresher, more
natural foods, supplemented with Udo's
Choice Pet Essentials blend of organic foods, whole
food concentrates, herbs and phytonutrients. Twice a day,
Noelle receives:
· one unit protein (beef, de-boned chicken thighs, or a can of salmon)
· two units vegetables (usually carrots, peas or zucchini)
· one half banana
· one unit of brown rice
· two tablespoons of plain yogurt
· one teaspoon of Udo's Choice Ultimate Oil Blend
· 1 1/2 teaspoons Udo's Choice Pet Essentials
All these ingredients (except the meat or fish) plus some filtered water
are placed in a blender and the resulting puree is topped with the meat.
Noelle cleans her bowl to a shine!
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| Noelle
also received a homeopathic remedy from two very skilled
homeopathic practitioners. Before the homeopathic and nutritional
therapies, Noelle suffered from seizures almost weekly. She
now has seizures only once or twice a year. The seizures
are also shorter and much less severe. |
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| "As
Noelle's condition improved, and I became more convinced
that the combination of homeopathy and nutrition were responsible,
I began baking natural treats for her" explains Michael. "Since
these were an instant hit with Noelle and her canine buddies,
we decided that it would be a great idea to make the biscuits
available to dogs everywhere". K9 biscuit Co, is the result.
What started as a home-based business has grown to full production
in a commercial kitchen with treats being shipped throughout
North America! |
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Biscuit Company is devoted to canine nutrition, so
in addition to its line of healthy dog biscuits and
treats, it also markets Udo's Choice Pet Essentials. "Always
one of our most popular products" says Michael. |
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Doug
Freeman has a Masters Degree in Zoology. Michael Howell's
professional background includes a long stint in culinary
preparation and landscape architecture. His design
firm, Terra Luma Design (www.terraluma.com),
creates healthy green spaces for people and their pets.
Michael and Doug adopted Noelle five years ago. K9
Biscuit Company), their
new storefront, is located at 1707 Fir Street in Vancouver,
British Columbia.
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