DOGGIE DIET

Some people like to spoil their pets with toys. Most owners can be seen at one time or another showering Fido and Fifi with playful affection. And then, there are those who make the cliched mistake of feeding their pups table food. However, these pet owners as it now stands might just be onto something.

According to holistic veterinarian Dr. Martin Goldstein, (Dr. Marty to his clients who include dog lovers Martha Stewart and Oprah Winfrey), commercial pet food may not be the healthiest choice. Martha and Oprah are known to take extremely good care of their pets – even treating them like another member of the family. Under Dr. Marty’s care, these animals are amongst many now being fed as if they were family, too.

Dr. Marty advises against the conventional wisdom of feeding dogs commercial dog food because he believes it goes against their animal nature. Limiting a dog to only dry food is essentially like a human who eats only carbs. Raw meat is at the top of Dr. Marty’s list of healthy dog foods because this is the kind of real food they would eat in nature. He suggests a diet of chicken, beef, lamb, brown rice, potatoes and carrots. The proof here is in the pudding, or the raw meat as it were, because Dr. Marty’s own dog lived to be 19 years old on this diet. Seeking holistic treatment for pets prevents and helps to reverse many ailments that are not properly diagnosed by a standard veterinarian.

However happy your pet may be with this new and improved human diet, there are certain foods that are extremely toxic:

Chocolate/ Coffee/Cocoa - causes staggering, labored breathing, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, tremors, fever, increased heart rate, arrhythmia, seizures, coma, and in extreme cases death.

Onions - cause hemolytic anemia, labored breathing, liver damage, vomiting, diarrhea, discolored urine.

Mushrooms - cause abdominal pain, drooling, liver damage, kidney damage, vomiting, diarrhea, convulsions, coma, and in extreme cases death

Grapes/Raisins - causes vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and lethargy.

In the event your pet does ingest food that may be poisonous, contact the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.

For more information on Dr. Marty’s holistic pet practice, visit www.drmarty.com. For more information about The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Animal Poison Control Center, visit www.aspca.org.