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Amy's Animals
Holistic Canine & Feline
Nutrition Center
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CAT HEALTH
Below I have listed some of the most common diet related ailments I see an a regular basis and how to prevent them or treat them holistically.
Although I am not a veterinarian, I have had the opportunity to gather the knowledge of literally thousands of dog & cat medical conditions and treatments over the last 15 years. All of the information and recommendations I have on this site are the cumulation of all this knowledge. This information and the recommendations are not intended to be used as a replacement for good veterinary care, but as a compliment to good veterinary care. I highly recommend my clients to seek out a holistic veterinarian in their area. You can find one in your area by logging on to www.ahvma.org. If you are in the Sussex County NJ area I highly recommend Dr. Sheila Lounsberry DVM CVA. or talk to your current veterinarian about possible holistic treatments.
URINARY TRACT DISEASE/CRYSTALS- This ailment is all too common, especially in male cats. The primary cause is a diet that is carbohydrate based, left out all day and fed dry. The carbohydrates raise alkalinity in the body. The grazing makes the cats body release alkaline directly into the urinary tract(proven by a 2008 study done at Cornell University), and a dry diet causes the cats body to lose hydration, therefore producing a concentrated urine. Because cats are descended from desert dwelling ancestors, they still do not have the instinct to drink much water. Their hydration must come from their food.
The best way to avoid or treat urinary tract disease in cats is to feed a high quality, grain free, raw meat, dehydrated or canned food diet. Dry food should be completely eliminated from the diet. The cat should be fed twice a day. Food should not be left out all day. The cat will get used to the new schedule and will eat everything that is presented to him at feeding time.
KIDNEY DISEASE-This is another disease that is preventable or treatable with the right diet. Like Urinary tract disease, the common culprit is a poor quality, carbohydrate based, dry food diet. Cats, being obligate carnivores, have organs that are meant to process all meat protein diets. They are not made to process carbohydrates at all. The less expensive dry diets, usually sold in the grocery/box stores, use corn or soy proteins instead of meat as their protein source because they are cheaper than meat. The kidneys are made to filter the waste that is produced when protein is broken down to be used by the body. When a poor quality diet is fed, especially in a dry form, the kidneys have to work too hard to process all the waste that is produced by these plant proteins.
There are two different schools of thought on the treatment of kidney disease in cats. There is the conventional veterinary approach and there is the holistic veterinary approach. The conventional approach is to feed a diet that is protein free. The diet consists of carbohydrates and fat. The belief in this is that by feeding no protein, the kidneys would not have to process anything at all ,therefore ,the cat will just burn these alternate sources of energy to survive. The one problem with this approach, is that since the cat has evolved to thrive on protein, their body will start to break down their own muscle mass to make up for the lack of protein in the diet.
The holistic approach is to feed a very high quality, raw meat, dehydrated or grain free canned food. These diets usually contain a good amount of fat so they provide the cat with the energy source it needs. These products are efficiently broken down, create very little waste and help keep the cat hydrated. No dry food should be fed at all. The cat should be fed twice a day and extra water should be added to the diet.
DIABETES-Many cats have a problem with diabetes. This is in many cases diet related. The diet for these cats consists of a grain free, canned, raw or dehydrated diet. Dry kibbled diets should be avoided because of the high glycemic content of the carbohydrates in them. Even grain free dry foods, which are a better alternative than carbohydrate based dry foods, still have starches in them to hold the kibble together, so these are still not as beneficial as wet diets. I only recommend one dry diet for diabetic cats, which used millet as a binder. If your cat has been diagnosed with diabetes, stop in. I have many diets that are great for this disease. Many of my clients have reported their cats to be "cured" after changing their diets!
MORE TO COME! CHECK BACK SOON!
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