januai* ML 2ÛÛ2 • J n t a a t. 23
yield more potatoes but that planting a cooked potato just
yields rot.
Riveriene Farm, a Canadian breeder of champion German
shepherds, began using the natural diet expounded by Pitcairn
in 1989. In Canada, where pet food standards are not regulated
by the government, this breeder felt it was essential to know
exactly what the animals were eating. According to breeder
Don Hagel, “Processed, devitalized food creates disease, while
energetic live natural food offers life and optimum health.”
Years later, he tried one of the first “natural brands” of com
mercial dry dog food. “Thinking this would be an easier way to
feed ‘natural,’ we abandoned raw whole foods and fed commer
cial products for several years. It came to an end when the over
all health of our dogs declined. During this time, we had battled
with immune mediated arthritis, hip dysplasia in several dogs,
intestinal disorders, reproductive failures, countless skin and ear
problems, poor appetites and bad teeth.”
Once the dogs were back on raw food, the health problems
vanished. Hagel points out specific benefits: “A raw meat diet
prevents the formation of plaque on the teeth, and the high
acidity of the oral cavity destroys any harmful bacteria before
they have a chance to contribute to periodontal disease, which
has become almost epidemic in our dogs today and plays a major
role in the creation of ill health in our pets.”
As a holistic practitioner, Judkins sees two diverse groups of
clients: those who have sick pets and have given up on Western
veterinary medicine and those who are already on the natural
food chuck wagon and come to him for preventive care. “1 get a
select cross section of people who’ve run out of options. 1 see a
lot of animals with cancer," he says quietly.
And what about his raw food-eating patients— are they
healthier? “Absolutely. The animals thrive,” he says, the enthu
siasm returning to his voice. “1 see lots of cats 20 or more years
old and dogs that are 18. I do a lot of geriatric medicine now. I
have dogs that come in once a month for acupuncture to keep
For cats he thinks the best approach is to feed chunks of var
ious raw meats— which is good for their teeth— combined with
Instincts, “a mix of nutrients you add with water,” he explains.
Fast food th a t's good fo r them
f you don’t see yourself whipping up Chihuahua chow or
feline feasts anytime soon, Steve Brown and Chris Gelalich
offer an alternative. Steve’s Real Food is the bright idea of
these life partners who saw a need and filled it.
Initially, Brown’s research into canine genetics was as a breed
er, beginning 18 years ago when he and his partner
Chris Gelalich decided to develop their ideal dog, which they’ve named
the Charlee Bear. “If what I want isn’t there I’ll make
(left), Steve
it,” he says, and he clearly means it. “I’m a dog guy, and I
Brown and
wanted
a medium-sized [30-pound] nonshedding dog
their latest
whose only purpose was to give and receive love.”
batch of
That
joy-filled mission accomplished, in 1991 he
Charlee Bears
turned to creating a better dog training treat, some
thing low in calories that could be eaten quickly.
Named for his beloved best friends, Charlee Bear Dog Treats are
now the official treat of the American Dog Training Associa
tion. “The treats use fresh liver, and we found a manufacturer
that would use refrigeration and make them that way.”
Although he no longer is involved with the company, during
the introduction of the product Brown and his dog Zack visited
250 PetSmart stores. “We met thousands of dogs with health
problems and allergies,” he recalls, noting that was the impetus
for his next project.
them going."
Although Judkins is a proponent of feeding raw meat, he
His original theory was that lack of diet variety was the prob
acknowledges: “Some dogs can’t tolerate it. Not every dog is the
lem, so Brown set out to create a better dog food. Under the
same.”
auspices of PetSmart he toured pet food companies and learned
He thinks some grains are fine for dogs but urges variety. “1
Continued on Page 24
recommend rotating the grains.”
I
TASTE TRIAL RESULTS
Afl the dogs hound their keepers for mors!
B
ullet, a 2-year-old Great Dane weighing in at 140 pounds,
went wild for Steve’s Real Food while it was still frozen.
Because of his size, only 25 percent Steve’s Real Food was
mixed into his regular Eukanuba dry food.
Still, whenever he goes into the kitchen, he sticks his head
in the refrigerator and whines for more Steve’s Real Food. One
of his two dads noted, “He’s less aggressive now toward the
smaller dogs.”
Those “smaller” dogs are K atie, a 6-year-old, 120-
pound long-haired Rottweiler, and D uch ess, a
9-year-old, 67-pound greyhound. Because of
their size, they have also been on the 25 per
cent Steve’s Real Food plan. Duchess, who
has a thyroid disorder and is on m edica
tion to increase her sociability, has shown
the most improvement.
“She’s never eaten all her food before; she might not eat at
all for three or four days, but on this diet she always eats. Even
on days when she’s feeling less sociable, she still eats her food,”
her master observed,
adding she’s even
become the alpha
dog of the pack!
“I haven’t seen
any dandruff on
Duchess lately, and it
used to be really bad.
Plus all three dogs
are shedding less,”
the fastidious fellow
reported. And all
three dogs enjoyed
all three flavors: beef,
D uchess has a better appetite
chicken and turkey.
Schnoodle is a 14-
month-old poodle-schnauzer cross who tips the scales at a dozen
pounds and previously ate only Innova dry food. She tried the
beef and chicken flavors thoroughly defrosted and loved diem.
Her person said: “She also likes them frozen as a treat. I also
tried them as treats on the other dogs in the household, a chow
Bullet has
mellowed out
mix and a Heinz mix, and now
they’re jealous, because they also
love them.”
The downside is Schnoodle has
more energy at night. “She used to go to
bed about 9 or 9:30 p.m.; now she’s still up
at 11:30 wanting to play, and it’s been difficult
to get her worn out!”
R ose, an 8-year-old poodle-papillon cross
weighing 14 pounds, had a relatively smooth adjust-
*
ment to Steve’s Real Food, which was introduced
gradually to her regular raw home-cooked food. She did
n’t tolerate it cold, though, so it was always warmed up in a
plastic bag immersed in hot water.
On the first day she picked out the Steve’s Real
Food cubes and ate those first.
Just like humans, dogs' diges
tive systems can have sensi
tivities to certain foods,
which is why she rejected
the beef flavor entirely.
She wolfed down the
other two flavors, how
ever, in about 30 sec
onds flat.
During the adjust
ment period she did
have two episodes of
unscheduled, urgent
indoor pooping—some
Schnoodte’s
thing she had never done
before— but site seems to be over
that. Rose’s coat is softer than
night owl
ever, and she’s been more lively.