The Quality of Pet Food Ingredients (Part 2 of 2)

The Quality of Pet Food Ingredients

What Does Holistic Mean?

Holistic = Wholistic
By Elizabeth Chandler

“What does holistic mean?” “What is the difference between holistic, organic, and natural”? These
questions are now being asked by pet owners who are diving headfirst into the waters of holistic pet
food in the wake of the recent pet food recall. Frantic pet owners, who never questioned the
ingredients in their food before, are now looking for safe alternatives to the tainted commercial food.
Before the pet food recall, consumers made a lot of assumptions about pet food, such as, “If the
commercials say the food is great for my dog, then it must be true” or “if it is expensive, it must be a
good food.” By not having awareness of the ingredients in our pet’s food, we gave the responsibility
for their nutrition to the commercial pet food companies. Now, those assumptions are being
questioned as pet owners take back responsibility for their pet’s nutrition and that is a very good thing
for the health of our beloved pets.
Let’s start with clarifying the definitions. Holistic, organic, and natural are NOT created
equal. Natural means absolutely nothing; there is no regulation of the term natural, but it is
frequently used in product labeling by companies who are hopeful that consumers will assume
(there’s that word again!) whatever that adjective is referring to is a good thing for them or their pets.
Cancer is a natural process, albeit one that has gone awry, so natural doesn’t necessarily mean good
or healthy. By-products are natural, but that doesn’t mean our pets should be eating them. The
healthfulness of products labeled natural should be questioned.
Organic is a little easier to define, because there are requirements that must be met before a
product can be certified as organic. But, again, buyer beware; just because the word organic is part of
the product name or on the label does not mean the product is, in fact, organic. The ploy of putting
the word organic in the product name when the product is not organic is commonly used. Read the
ingredients and check for organic certification by a bona fide certifying organization.
Finally, Holistic has a huge range of meanings, but the good news is that it is rarely used in
deceptive product labeling or advertising. The American Heritage Dictionary defines Holistic as
follows: 1. Of or relating to holism. 2.a. Emphasizing the importance of the whole and the
interdependence of its parts. 2.b. Concerned with wholes rather than analysis or separation into parts:
holistic medicine; holistic ecology. Simply put, the best way to think of Holistic is to think of it as
Wholistic, i.e., taking into consideration the whole being.
Now that we’ve covered the definitions, let’s look at how to apply this new-found knowledge.
When reading the label of a dry (kibble), canned, or even raw dog or cat food, the first three
ingredients are the primary ingredients in the product. If any of the first three ingredients is corn
meal, corn gluten, or wheat gluten, that means the product is devoid of nutrition that is evolutionarily
in-line with your pet’s health needs. Corn meal, corn gluten, and wheat gluten are fillers and, not only
are absolutely useless to your pet’s digestive processes, they are, in fact, potential killers of your pet
because dogs and cats are not designed to be able to process these fillers.
From an evolutionary perspective, dogs and cats are designed to eat meat (preferably raw,
which contains live enzymes very similar to those they would get if taking down prey in the wild),
cooked vegetables (dogs and cats do not have the ability to breakdown the cell walls of raw
vegetables), and fresh fruit. Anything else in your dog or cat’s diet is, at the very least, nutritionally
useless and, at worst, a potential contributor to your pet’s early demise through disease and organ
failure.
Tainted wheat gluten was the culprit in the pet food recall, so buying holistic food for your pet
(true holistic food should not contain wheat gluten) would ensure elimination of that risk factor.
However, the deeper problem with the tainted pet food shed light on the functionality and safety of
the entire pet food industry; that is, most producers out-source the packaging and/or manufacturing of
their product, thereby really only serving as a name and not a bona fide producer. The problematic
wheat gluten was from China, where many products are purchased for the sake of making it cheap
enough to appeal to consumers. An educated consumer not only has to read the label; they have to
investigate the processes of the company that makes the product. In America, we have given up
responsibility for products we consume for many, many years and have blindly accepted whatever
package labeling and advertising tells us to accept. We now must take responsibility for what
happened in the pet food recall and prevent it from happening again by investigating and questioning,
rather than taking producer’s claims at face value or buying into their advertising claims.
So, from a holistic (i.e., whole pet) perspective, you should make sure your pet has meat as
two or three of the top three ingredients in their food. Also, it is a good idea to mix up your pet’s
exposure to different types of meat, fruits, and vegetables (assuming there are no allergies to be
concerned about). A great way to do that is to serve kibble one meal, canned the next, and raw the
next, or any arrangement of that type of variability. And you can even cook up some fresh veggies to
toss in their food. Because even the best kibble, canned, or even raw food is still a processed product,
it is also wise to supplement your pet’s diet with digestive enzymes, vitamins, and essential fatty
acids. As your pet ages, you’ll want to add Glucosamine and MSM before joint problems present
themselves. You should also provide a chew item in your pet’s diet to help keep their teeth clean.
Some options for this are beef tendons, cow ears, or raw bones (NOT rawhide).
Holistic care for your pet also naturally extends to veterinary care. While conventional
veterinary medicine can often meet many of your pet’s needs, holistic veterinarians are trained in
conventional care as well as having strong backgrounds in nutrition, herbs and homeopathics,
acuptuncture, and a host of additional modalities that will benefit your pet over time. If your pet
develops an illness, the conventional veterinarian approach is often a band-aid type of approach (i.e.,
treat the symptoms); whereas the holistic veterinarian recognizes that the illness happened for a
reason and works to resolve that reason and support your pet’s whole being in the process. Even if
your pet is young and not ill or health-challenged, starting them out with holistic veterinary care
before illness strikes will likely extend their life while also helping to ensure quality of life in the
process.
Now is the time for all of us to take responsibility for what we are putting in and on our pet’s
bodies. We can sit and point fingers and play the blame game all we want, but in the end, no matter
what they are doing in China or anywhere else in the pet food production industry, it is our
responsibility to know what we are feeding our pets.

The Secret of Neem

The Secret of Neem
by Maura B. Thompson

For centuries, the people of India have utilized the neem tree (Azadirachta indica) for its variety of
medicinal uses. The twigs, leaves and bark of the the neem tree provide so many benefits that the
Indian equivalent to the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) believes that “anything
from neem has to be good,” according to RO. Larson, a contributor to the book, Neem, A Tree for
Solving Global Problems.
Neem’s role as a wonder drug is traced as far back as 4,500 years ago. The earliest documentation of
neem mentioned the fruit, seeds, oil, leaves, roots and bark for their advantageous medicinal
properties. These benefits are listed in the ancient documents Caraka-Samhita and Susruta Samhita,
the books at the foundation of the Indian system of natural treatment, ayurveda. Neem has a garliclike
odor, and a bitter taste.
Perhaps neem’s most touted advantage is the effect it has upon the skin. Preparations from the leaves
or oils of the tree are used as general antiseptics, according to a report of The National Research
Council’s Ad Hoc Panel of the Board on Science and Technology for International Development.
Due to neem’s antibacterial properties, it is effective in fighting most epidermal dysfunctions such as
acne, psoriasis and eczema. Ancient ayurvedic practitioners believed high sugar levels in the body
caused skin disease; neem’s bitter quality was said to counteract the sweetness.
Traditionally, Indians bathed in neem leaves steeped in hot water. Since there has never been a report
of the topical application of neem causing an adverse side effect, this is a common procedure to cure
skin ailments or allergic reactions.
Neem’s function as a fungicide depends on the compounds gedunin and nimbidol in its leaf. It is
noted by many observers to relieve athlete’s foot, ringworm and yeast-like fungi that can develop
internally.
Neem also may provide anti-viral treatment for smallpox, chicken pox and warts–especially when
applied directly to the skin. Its effectiveness is due in part to its ability to inhibit a virus from
multiplying and spreading.
In India and Africa, people use the twigs of the neem tree as toothbrushes. This practice has
apparently influenced current dental products that incorporate neem bark extracts in tooth pastes and
mouthwashes.
Neem produces pain-relieving, anti-inflammatory and fever reducing compounds that can aid in the
healing of cuts, burns, sprains, earaches and headaches, as well as fevers. Several studies of neem
extracts in supressing malaria have been conducted, all supporting its use in treatment.
Scientists at India’s Defense Institute of Physiology and Allied Science believe they have found a
neem-oil extract that behaves as a spermicide. More research is being conducted in this area because
of neem’s widespread availability in overpopulated countries unable to afford pricier birth control
methods.
The potential of the neem tree is so great as to encompass the treatment of a variety of physical
ailments including sexually trasmitted disease, blood disorders, heart disease, digestive and nervous
disorders, parasites, diabetes and, possibly, cancer.
Even though millions of neem consumers exist in India alone, the pharmacological effects have rarely
been studied under controlled environments. Neem has never been reported to have an adverse effect
when applied topically or for dental use.
Neem may become toxic if ingested in excessive quantities.
One study of the effects of neem oil on children indicated the development of a disease similar to
Reye’s syndrome. Although this may have been caused by outside contaminants rather than neem
toxins, some observers believe that internal consumption of neem oil should be undertaken with
caution until its toxicity level has been determined through further studies.
Though, the FDA has not approved neem extracts as an acceptable compound in medicine, neem is
manufactured into many health and beauty care products from the leaves, oils and extracts of the tree.
These products include bath powders, soaps, shampoos, creams, powders, extracts, insect repellents,
pet care products, toothpastes and mouthwashes.
Domestic health care products that contain neem are not readily available, as yet, in the United States.
Imports from India, Japan and Germany currently account for the lion’s share of neem
used in the U.S., although there are also a few domestic processors. Local natural products stores, or
perhaps a merchant specializing in Indian imports, might be a likely source for neem products. It is
important, however, to research the source and company from which you decide to obtain your neem
products, says John Conrick, author of Neem-The Ultimate Herb.
Despite all the praise and promise associated with neem, even its proponents are not likely to overpromote
it, In ayurveda, it is extremely rare to rely on one element as a cure-all. This is a system
based on balance within the body and mind. It is believed, therefore, that overuse of neem would
have no beneficial outcomes.
Conrick recommends that personal reaction and tolerance to neem need to be tested at the onset of
use. A neem supplementary regimen should begin with small quantities, with the individual
evaluating his or her body’s reactions. If any unnatural side effects develop, either internally or
externally, discontinue use.
Neem is an environmentalist’s guilt-free natural product. The neem tree grows in abundance and is
quite resilient to surrounding nature. Since it has been transplanted to Africa, the Middle East and
South America, it has thrived in even the poorest of soils because of its ability to extract nutrients
from the ground. Almost every part of the plant is used, adding to its overall efficiency.
With all neem’s offerings branching out to different areas of science, one can hardly dispute the
translation of neem’s Sanskrit name, sarva roga nivarini–”the curer of all ailments.” WF

References:􀀁
Conrick, John. Neem-The Ultimate Herb􀀁
Literature from Pure Gar􀀁
Neem: A Tree For Solving Global Problems, National Academy Press􀀁
FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY
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