Important for your pets
Dear friends,
This is truly an important article to read for the healthy lives of our pets. It certainly was an eye opener for me.
We would often think that feeding our pets with supposedly “human food” would slowly poison them or will make them sick, but it seems like there’s an explanation to contradict that. It turns out to be a big marketing tool so we would buy commercial dog food and it has worked even 50 years on. You have to read about it. Of course salt and sugar is not good for our pets.
Adding fresh vegetables into our pet’s meals seems like a good suggestion. According to studies it helps to slow down the development of cancer cells of which many dogs are developing now. This is quite amazing because if we notice, we humans are exactly the same too, people who consume a lot of fresh vegetables and fruits daily are mostly healthier than those who don’t and this definitely means something.
I hope that this article will come in handy, we should always love and take good care of our pets because we are responsible for them since we have decided to give them a home.
Tsem Rinpoche
HERE’S WHY IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO ADD FRESH “HUMAN FOOD” TO YOUR PET’S KIBBLE
Today, ninety-six percent of pet owners around the globe are feeding dry commercial pet foods. Of those 96%, there is a large majority that believes dried commercial pet food is really all their pet needs and would never stop to consider the benefits of adding fresh “human food”.
( “Human food” definition in this article: clean sources of meat-based proteins and some organic plant matter, not beer and nachos. )
There are many reasons why some of these pet parents feel this way, however the most popular reason today seems to be the 50-year-old rumor that is in existence and still spreading.
You know the one: “Giving your animal table scraps is bad!”
How or when did this terrible rumor start?
Well, if we go back in time, research shows that shortly after the invention of processed pet foods, manufacturers were having a hard time convincing pet parents to make the switch from foods in their refrigerators to their commercial pet foods.
So in 1964, the pet food industry, along with the PFI, joined together with a whole bunch of marketing dollars and launched one of the most influential campaigns the pet world had ever seen: the “Ban All Table Scraps from your Pets’ Bowls” campaign!
Through thousands of newspapers, magazines, and news stations, the public was warned about the dangers of table food scraps or “human food” and the importance of feeding “processed” commercial pet food. From there, the giant smear campaign took off!
Not only did this clever campaign work, but it was so impactful that now, 50 years later, folks are still in fear of offering anything that is not labeled pet food.
SO IS IT A GOOD THING TO ONLY OFFER YOUR PET DRIED KIBBLE?
Not according to ongoing research it isn’t, especially with today’s cancer rates being 1 in 2 dogs!
In a 2005 study conducted at Purdue University on Scottish Terriers, the results showed that adding fresh vegetables to dry commercial kibble actually prevented and/or slowed down the development of transitional cell carcinoma ( aka bladder cancer )!
In the study, dogs ate a diet of dry commercial pet food, while some got an assortment of vegetables added to the mix at least 3 times per week.
When the study was concluded, according to the researchers, they weren’t really shocked by the results.
Here’s what they found:
Dogs that ate any green leafy vegetables, like broccoli, had reduced the risk of developing bladder cancer by 90% and the dogs that consumed any yellow – orange vegetables like carrots reduced the risk by 70%!
Seriously! A lousy carrot helped smash the potential of cancer.
( http://ilarjournal.oxfordjournals.org/content/55/1/100.full ) ( Raghavan, Knapp, Bonney, 2005 ) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/16013542/
Yes, of course cats are obligate carnivores ( must have meat to survive ) and our dogs are facultative carnivores ( carnivores with omnivorous potential if circumstances demand ) so offering clean meat-based protein sources should always be top priority and essential.
However, because today’s world is ever-so changing due to factory farmed livestock being fed genetically modified grains and our planet being contaminated with every type of pesticide, fungicide and larvicide, the importance of fresh, organic plant matter to help detox the body couldn’t be more crucial.
So if the “cancer reducing benefit” doesn’t tickle your fancy enough to convince you to add any “human fresh foods” to your pet’s bowl, then maybe think of it this way:
How bad would it suck if someone forced you to eat dry processed foods your whole lIfe?!
Rodney Habib – Pet Nutrition Blogger
“An educated, informed and well-researchedcommunity of pet owners can only put more pressure on the pet food industry to be better! When pet owners know better, they will only do better!”
Source: https://www.facebook.com/PlanetPawsPetEssentials/photos/a.249776285097261.58478.112437898831101/918097538265129/?type=3&theater
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Recalled back many years ago when my family taking care of numerous dogs, we don’t serve dog food until the recent. During that time, my mom usually cooked dog food with ingredient of doggy rice, table scraps of meat and sugar as dressing. Due to lack of knowledge about health safety, there was one time we added raw garlic slices into their meal for a couple times. Thank Buddha, my dogs didn’t get any poisoning! 😅🙏
After all this experience, now being a complete pet owner, I’m very particular with ingredient of any cat food. I will make sure the food will benefit for my cat’s health and well being. I have read news of some certain pet’s food brand have caused massive harm to animals like kidney stones or kidney failure before. Therefore as Buddhist, we were taught to be compassionate and as well too, be more aware and mindful. Other than providing good food, good place for our fur friends, we also have to remember our Dharma practice to give them blessing and protection. 🙏
A truly excellent diet not only allows a dog to survive, it promotes optimum health and longevity. Some dogs are incessantly food-driven and will devour just about anything that you offer them usually with no consequences. But no matter how much we treat our dogs like people, there are some human foods that should be strictly off-limits for dogs.
Some human foods are toxic to dogs and can potentially lead to an array of scary and expensive medical issues and vet procedures. Thank you for sharing this article and provide us knowledge how to take good care of our pets with healthy food diet.
In Buddhism, we practice for loving-kindness and compassion because we understand the first precept condemns killing. We learn and understand the Karma and reincarnation. We believe all the sentient beings including the animals were once our beloved parents, friends, may be a bodhisattva or future Buddha. If we kill or torture them, we will suffer in the future for any suffering we caused.
Furthermore, animals have feelings and they feel pain like us. Once we have decided to have them as pet, we should respect and give more love to them by providing the basic needs for a pet such as food and shelter.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this article which is good for us to know to take care for the pet’s foods, so that the pet can have good health and less suffer from the disease due to unknown reasons.
Thanks for sharing Rinpoche this informative article.At least i know more knowledge about what to give for my pet poodle. In fact i have been feeding my pet of broccoli and boiled carrot plus dry foods before reading this.Yes my pet is one of my family too. I will continue feeding my poodle with vegetables and fruits to stay healthy.
Thanks again with folded hands.
This is so essential to know and observe for all dog lovers, who want their pets to stay long and healthy, thank you to Rinpoche and the blog team who knows how many dogs could have been saved by such timely advice.
A lot of pet owners don’t really think much about what they feed their pets. They are animals after all. As long as they don’t go hungry and is not sick everything seems fine. We often forget that animals and human are very much alike. They too can contract various diseases and health problems from poor diet and healthcare. They too can feel the pain and discomfort from poor health.
The main difference is they cannot help themselves and they rely on the owner to take care of them. They cannot voice their problems, pain and fear but they do express them if we pay attention.
Due to the internet, there are now many information out there on how to properly take care of our pets. Take time to learn up. Treat them like a friend and not an animal. They may prove to be your best friend yet even more so than other human.
Now I remember, during my childhood times in grandma’s house, our dogs fed with table scraps or food cooked by grandma especially for our doggies. At that time, there’s no dry pet food…Dry dog food is convenience for sure, compare to home cook fresh food for dog.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing, now I can continue feeding my dog with vegetables apart from dry food. 🙂 My dog likes broccoli and cooked carrot.
Totally agreed with rinpoche. A vet advised me to cook fresh food for dogs and I’ve started it few months back, i noticed their skin getting better. Vet taught me to steam and mash mixture of potatoes, carrot, cabbage to feed dog, sometimes could change potatoes to pumpkin or add some steam rice or other fresh vegetables. Not only human should eat healthier food, animal should be treated the same.
I remember long ago we use to feed our dog leftover human food but feeding them with green vegetables or carrots etc was unheard of . However recently I hear people telling me their dogs are vegetarian shocks me a bit. I guess a balanced diet is required for them just like we humans need a variety of nutritious food to keep ourselves healthy . Of course marketers of commercial pet food would want you to believe that only their products are the best .
My niece once fostered a dog from her aunt for a few weeks. This dog was a vegetarian, eating only vegetables and fruits.
It is alarming to know that we have been hoodwinked into thinking that what we eat is not safe for our dogs. Just goes to show what good marketing can achieve.
Thank you Rinpoche for highlighting to us.
I had no idea that this was like that. My dogs eat human food all the time because we have a lot of leftovers but we also mix in dog food whenever we can. I had no idea that they could benefit from human food. It always seemed odd to me when I saw them eat human food but I guess that it is actually good for them. But still I should watch what they eat nonetheless.
It is very important to take care of your pets because they are under your responsibility and care. If you neglect them, you take their chance at a good life and home and steal it from them because by taking them under you, you stop other potential adopters from taking them under a possible better care and to a better life. They are lives too and they feel too. We must care for that and respect that.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this precious article.This important to know what should we give to our lovey mumus. I see Rinpoche always give mumus fresh vegetables time to time.. There are many ways to serve vegetables for our mumus other than raw, such as cooked, steamed, baked, roasted, grilled or dehydrated. Dogs do enjoy vegetables raw as a yummy treat; however, they have short digestive systems and do not get as many nutrients out of eating vegetables raw as we humans. A good way for dogs to get the full nutrients of the vegetables is to break them down in a pureed form. No matter how you prepare the vegetables for our mumus, do not use salt. Dogs don’t always care for it and it is not good for dogs with heart conditions.. hope lots of people will learn and take care their mumus from this Rinpoche article..
In wild nature, where human’s best friends are living, they used to hunt for meats for food and also plants as medince and supplement. However, lately after the heavy loads of advertisements promoting that human should provide a diet of dry commercial pet food for them just to keep them healthy and gain a nicer appearance. Unfortunately, there are certain amount of aftereffects which have been unrevealed until external researches on the processed pet food have been done by professionals. Some of us might missed out the point that these processed pet food are carrying the same negative effects as those junk foods we are having in the market now. One year back, from a short documentary video I watched, there is one lady who change her diet into full vegetarian and she only consume raw vegetables and fruits for quite some time. At that time, she was 60 years old, but her appearance was unbelievable young and nearly flawless. She thanks those vegetables and fruits who have sacrificed for her. This story shows the advantages of taking vegetables and fruits, even though it is on human, but I believe consuming vegetables and fruits will be beneficial for every sentient beings.=)
Hope every animals lover understand the important of Balance and provide their love ones a healthy diet and a happy life.
Thank you,Rinpoche for sharing such blogspot to provide people knowledges.
It goes to show that when you have good marketing done for a product, you can turn something good into something bad just to profit from it!
I grew up with 8 dogs in my family and all the dogs only ate home cooked rice with meat. And all our dogs were healthy with the least problems, they never had to go to the vet for anything except if when they were a pup and needed their jabs. I think my mom did most of the grooming and caring for them.
So the theory that we should only give our dogs dried kibbles is really new to me. So when I heard people saying that I thought well maybe this is something “new” but now we know it is just another marketing gimmick.
But it is really good to know that we can add veggies in to their rice… and this can help reduce the risk of them getting cancer is all the more reasons why we should add veggies in to their otherwise, same old boring meal. At least this way they will get more yummy food plus the nutrients.
I guess we have to wise up and always google and investigate further for what is being marketed is not always true and the best. Thank you Rinpoche for posting this up for us all to know there are better options for our pets and possibly a life saving one too! I always believe in this motto that if it good enough for a human to eat, it is definitely good for a doggie.
It is wonderful how much vegetables are able to benefit the bodies of so many living creatures on this earth. Not only that they help us humans to be healthier, they also help animals too. I was a little bit surprised when I read that eating green vegetables are able to reduce the rate of cancer for dogs by 90% compared to the dogs that eats only dry commercial pet food.
What Rodney Habib said is very true, of course it would suck if you force your pet to only eat only one type of food. How is it possible that dry commercial pet food is so good for your pets that they don’t even need to eat anything else? If commercial pet food are so healthy, I am pretty sure many people would change their diets to only eating them as well.
Just like Jutika has said in the comment below, it is quite annoying that many pets had died due to the false and unproven words of greedy processed pet foods manufacturers. It is bad and nobody should make false judgments or claims without further proves. Thank You Rinpoche for sharing this important article, now I know what dog’s diet should be and I am sure that it will be useful in the future.
Here’s some additional information on the Best-to-Worst types of pet food to feed your dog or cat according to a popular Holistic Vet, Dr Karen Becker.
1. Nutritionally balanced raw homemade diet.
This is the best diet you can feed your dog or cat. It’s very important not to wing it when preparing your pet’s meals at home. I say this because when pet food nutrition expert Steve Brown and I analyzed many of the homemade and prey model diets available, we learned they fall far short in trace minerals, antioxidants including nutrients like manganese, magnesium, vitamin E and D, copper, zinc, iron, choline, and essential fatty acids.
Additionally, if the diet doesn’t have a proper fat or calcium to phosphorus balance, it can actually cause a myriad of health problems, especially in growing animals. So, it’s critically important that you know your homemade diet is balanced. The great thing about homemade raw diets is you get to handpick the ingredients. You know the quality of the meat you’re using. And if your dog is allergic to chicken, for example, you simply pick a different protein source. Another benefit is you can wash the veggies to your own satisfaction to remove any pesticide residue. Making your own pet food can provide peace of mind because it’s becoming increasingly more difficult to find ethical pet food companies that use locally sourced or even US-grown ingredients. With homemade food, you’re in complete control of every ingredient that enters your pet’s body. And of course, raw food is just that. It’s raw and unadulterated. It contains all of the enzymes and phytonutrients that are typically destroyed during food processing. Homemade food also gives you the flexibility to include a lot of nutritional variety in your pet’s diet. You can buy seasonal fruits and veggies on sale. You can use produce that comes from your local supermarket, your local farmer’s market, or even from your own garden.
2. Nutritionally balanced cooked homemade diet.
This option gives you all of the benefits of the homemade raw diet above, minus the benefits of the free enzymes and phytonutrients found in living foods. Interestingly, there are a few nutrients that are actually more bioavailable when cooked, for example, lycopene.
Reasons to cook your pet’s meals include the fact that some animals prefer cooked over raw food, or warm food over chilled food. Also, some pet owners simply prefer to cook the food. And then, there are some medical conditions such as recent GI surgery or pancreatitis for which cooked food is just a better idea.
3. Commercially available balanced raw food diet.
Again, it’s critically important that the diet be balanced. There are a lot of raw diets on the market these days that are nutritionally incomplete. These foods should say right on the label, “For supplemental or intermittent feeding.” I don’t recommend feeding unbalanced foods without adding in the missing nutrients, or your pet can have nutrition-related medical problems in the future.
Commercially available balanced raw food diets are found in the freezer section of small or privately owned pet boutiques. Some big-box stores are now starting to carry a larger selection of frozen raw diets, and you can also find an excellent selection online. There are new raw diets coming on the market every month and vegetable, bone, and fat content vary widely between products. For example, diets range from 0 to 40 percent in vegetable content. This can impact the amount of synthetic vitamins and minerals that must be added to the diet to make it nutritionally complete. In addition, vegetable content impacts digestive and stool health. So if, for example, you have a dog who suffers from chronic constipation, you may want to choose a food with higher veggie content. Commercially available raw food diets also range from low fat to high fat. If you have an obese cat, you would want to select a low-fat diet, but if you have a highly active dog on the lean side who loses weight quickly, it would make sense to choose a higher fat food. Ground bone, bone meal, or a bone meal equivalent is typically added to raw diets for mineral balance. Some raw foods contain bone pieces that are actually too big to be safely cooked, so if you choose a raw diet and want to cook it, make sure it’s safe to do so. When it comes to ingredient sourcing, some raw food companies pride themselves on using only healthy, grass-fed animals and organic veggies. Others use animal meats and produce imported from China or other countries, as well as factory-farmed and GMO-fed animals raised in feedlots here in the US.
Some use whole foods to meet trace mineral requirements, while others use very few ingredients and rely on vitamin and mineral pre-mixes to meet their nutritional requirements.
Another factor to consider is how the raw food is formulated. Meat-based foods like raw diets are almost always calorically dense. They should be formulated on a caloric basis and not on a dry matter basis. This is a more demanding method of formulating. Comparing the formulation on a dry matter basis to caloric basis shows that raw foods formulated on a dry matter basis actually fall significantly short of nutrients.
You know a raw diet is formulated on a caloric basis when the nutrients are listed as a gram or milligram of nutrient per 1,000 kilocalories. Diets formulated on a dry matter basis will have nutrients listed as a percentage of dry matter. I only recommend choosing raw foods that are formulated on a caloric basis.
How companies manage potentially pathogenic bacteria is another consideration, and ranges from manufacturers who do nothing, to those who batch test, use UV treatments, ozone, fermentation, or HPP (high pressure pasteurization).
Fortunately, this sector of the pet food industry is the fastest growing category, which means you should be able to find a food that fits your ethical and financial parameters, with the added convenience of not having to make the food yourself. The downside is the cost – you’re paying for the luxury of having someone else do the work for you. As with all pet food manufacturers, you’ll need to investigate the company you’re buying from to make sure you’re feeding the correct product for your pet’s specific nutritional and medical goals.
4. Dehydrated or freeze-dried raw diet.
If you can’t or don’t want to feed fresh raw food, a good alternative is a dehydrated freeze-dried raw diet that is reconstituted with water. These diets are shelf-stable so they’re very convenient. To make them biologically appropriate, all you have to do is add water.
Dehydrated or freeze-dried raw diets haven’t been processed at high temperatures. In many cases, the nutrient value has been retained minus a balanced fatty acid profile.
Keep in mind that there is a difference between fresh and dehydrated or freeze-dried raw food. Dehydrated and freeze-dried foods by definition are not the same as fresh raw diets, but they can be a great choice for people on the move, people who go camping with their dog or cat, and for pets that go to day care or need to be boarded. It’s really the next best thing to a fresh raw food diet. Make sure the brand you select is nutritionally balanced for all life stages.
5. Commercially available cooked or refrigerated food.
This is a new category of pet food that is exploding in the marketplace. These diets have been gently heat-processed so the proteins are slightly denatured, but the moisture content is excellent. The food is fresher than processed diets, so the nutrient content is better than choices lower on this list. You’ll find these foods in the refrigerated section of pet stores, and in many human grocery stores as well.
The quality of raw materials in refrigerated pet food ranges from absolutely terrible to excellent, so you do need to do some research before choosing which brand to buy.
6. Human-grade canned food.
If the package label or the manufacturer’s website doesn’t say the ingredients are human grade, you should assume they are not. Pet food made with human grade ingredients is a great deal more expensive than feed-grade or animal-grade canned food. These foods will typically be found in boutiques and small independent retailers that focus on high-quality foods.
7. Super premium canned food.
These products are typically found at big-box stores like Petco and PetSmart, or a conventional veterinary clinic. These diets contain feed-grade ingredients (which mean foods not approved for human consumption). But, the moisture content is much more biologically correct than dry food. Many have excellent protein, fat, fiber, and carb ratios.
8. Human-grade dry food.
Dry food is not biologically appropriate for dogs or cats in terms of moisture content when compared to the ancestral diet. Additionally, even grain-free dry foods contain unnecessary starch that can cause inflammation issues in your pet.
Human-grade is very important because the ingredients have passed quality inspection, which means they don’t contain poor quality or rendered unidentified proteins. If the food has been baked, it will clearly say so on the label. Otherwise, you should assume it has been extruded, which means you are probably feeding a small amount of carcinogens to your pet with every meal.
9. Super premium dry food.
These diets are found at big-box stores and conventional veterinary clinics. These extruded dry foods are made with feed-grade ingredients not approved for human consumption but are typically naturally preserved. Most of these foods contain added grains or starches, which are not species-appropriate and may harbormycotoxins.
10. Grocery store brand canned food.
These foods rank below super premium dry foods because even though the moisture content is more biologically appropriate, they usually contain high levels of unnecessary grains and synthetic toxic preservatives such as butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), and ethoxyquin.
11. Grocery store brand dry food.
These diets have all the same issues as grocery store brand canned food, and also do not contain adequate moisture.
12. Semi-moist pouched food. This stuff is really bad. The reason it is so far down the list is because in order to make the food semi-moist, the manufacturers must add an ingredient called propylene glycol. Propylene glycol is an undesirable preservative that is closely related to ethylene glycol, which is antifreeze. While propylene glycol is approved for use in pet foods, it’s unhealthy for dogs and cats to consume.
13. Unbalanced homemade diet, raw or cooked.
Dead last on the list for good reason is an unbalanced homemade diet. Some pet owners believe they can offer their dog or cat a chicken breast and some veggies, and call it a day. Many caring pet owners are unfortunately sorely lacking in knowledge about their companion animal’s nutritional requirements.
Feeding fresh homemade food is a good thing, however, if the diet you’re offering your pet is nutritionally unbalanced, it can cause significant irreversible and even potentially fatal health problems. These include endocrine abnormalities, skeletal issues, and organ degeneration as a result of deficiencies in calcium, trace minerals, and essential fatty acids.
Almost every veterinarian has seen seen patients that have been harmed by well-meaning owners who feed unbalanced diets. It’s heartbreaking and entirely preventable. Homemade pet diets must be done right or not at all.
This piece of article is something I am absolutely passionate about.
The pet food industry found human’s weaknesses which is laziness in preparing food for our pets and use that point to sell their very convenient kibbles to us. We have been brainwash us into thinking kibbles are good for our pets and human food are bad while a load of unwanted ingredients goes into these kibbles which comes from restaurant and supermarket refuse, the dead, diseased, disabled, or dying, pets euthanized at shelters, and so on. Extremely horrifying!
Therefore, everyone should eliminate kibbles from their pet’s diet especially if they can afford it and feed raw, uncooked and balanced diet. Animals did not cook their own food before and will never cook ever. So why should kibbles or cooked food be healthier than nature intended?
From doing many research and experience, I suggest BARF diet (Biologically Appropriate Raw Feeding) to be safest, healthiest and easiest to feed dogs. A typical BARF diet is made up of 60 to 80 percent raw meaty bones, and 20 to 40 percent fruits and veggies, meat, eggs, and dairy foods, along with an abundance of supplements. There are many ready-made ones which can be ordered and kept frozen. All you need to thaw it and feed. It’s much easier than cooking 🙂 (I use this brand – thatpetco.com
The best part about switching to raw feeding is the dog poop is much lesser and less smelly, beautiful fur and teeth, attract less ticks and much fewer visits to the vet (which is likely to cost a bomb). Considering all this, feeding raw is cheaper than feeding kibbles in the long run.
It makes me very annoyed to think that this common misconception that pet owners and especially dog owners should not feed their beloved pets with table leftovers but instead buy their processed food products.
It is upsetting to know of that since 1964, because of greedy processed pet foods manufacturers and a corrupted pet food institute, they have managed to manipulate and still manipulating millions of pet owners in to spending money on dog food.
Until today, pet owners around the world are still conned by this campaign and continue to spend money on processed pet foods.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this article.
We understand how food affects our body and the logic applies to animals as well. As consumers, we should be wise in choosing the items we purchase. It is important that we understand the products we purchase and do research when necessary instead of listening to commercial completely. Commercial is meant to sell the product regardless. Our pets are our responsibilities, so we should make sure their health is well being taken care of.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this precious information. I never knew that the rate of Cancer in dogs was so high! And it was so simple to prevent it just by adding a few raw vegetables in their diet. Will share this with all my friends. I hope everyone can have many good and happy years with their furry friends, and most importantly as a Buddhist, just like how Rinpoche have taught us to think more than ourselves… the longer the years our furry friends stay with us, the longer we can chant mantras and blow onto them. Hopefully in the following life, they can have a more fortunate rebirth and enter the path of liberation.
Commercial dog food producers taught us that just giving our beloved pets a bowl of biscuits will provide them with all the nutrients, vitamins and minerals they body needs.
However, if we reconnect to our natural instincts and intuition, we will see that, animals are made up of living cells just like ours. Hence what is good for us is also good for them.
If we eat fresh vege and fruits because it builds a stronger and healthier body, we should give the same to our pets. Learning more about the works of nature, we are also freeing ourselves from the misguided perceptions inducted into our minds by conglomerates.
To all Pet owners and animal lovers, With you as their kind owners, you are their whole and only hope! If you don’t take good care of them, feed them well, healthily and properly, so that they live long healthy life ever after, who will? Let us pray that this special compassionate article of Rinpoche will make an eye-opener for all pet owners and lovers of animals to contribute towards giving their pets a longer life, by reducing the risks of developing bladder cancer by feeding them with green, yellow or orange leafy vegetables, as said and confirmed in the study as shown in Rinpoche’s blog. As said, “We as rational human beings have an obligation to contribute in whatever way we can towards the happiness of animals and their respective rights.” This is also echoed by Albert Schweitzer who said, “Until we stop harming all other living beings, we are still savages.” Om Mani Padme Hung.
This article is definitely an eye opener, ever since young, I’ve always heard people saying that it’s bad to feed our pet dogs human food but it seems likes it’s not entirely true. When I was young, I used to stay with my grandmother and we had 2 pet dogs. One was a shih tzu named Jessie and the other one was a schnauzer whose name was Christy. Jessie the shih tzu was very intelligent and obedient, you wouldn’t believe this but her favourite food was durian, yes durian hehehe! They swere with us for about 4 years, and later my uncle had to give them away because he couldn’t take care of them anymore. Christy died after a couple of weeks later because the owner left the gate open, she ran off to the streets and was run over by a car. It was a tragic, she was very loud and intelligent.
Dear Rinpoche,
Thanks for sharing….
since many years ago, i try to give my pets vegetables for they meal…
lucky they love it…
it goods less meat for our lovely pets…
Rinpoche really practises what he preaches. For those who don’t know, Rinpoche’s three dogs (Mumu, Dharma and Oser) all eat a diet specially formulated for them, and they are fed specific foods in specific quantities, with specific amounts given at specific times. Beng Kooi consulted a canine nutritionist in Canada, who created this diet for them.
So why is an article like this important, and why should we take canine nutrition seriously? Because our bodies are as good as what we put into it and especially with dogs, their diets can have a direct and immediate impact on their health.
Take Mumu for example, where the results certainly show. There was a period of time when Mumu was very sickly, and his hair was not growing well. The hair on his lower back was so sparse, you could see his skin with black spots all over the place. He wasn’t really keeping down his food either and suffered from constant gastric.
Now that Mumu has been on this diet for a while, his hair’s grown back nice and thick, and if fed at the right times, doesn’t develop gastric.
If we spend so much on good food for ourselves, to me it only seems right and logical to invest the same amount of care and effort in our dogs who are our family.
Dear Rinpoche,
I am really attract to this article and at the same time, shock too. Like most of the pets owner, i really think dogs only eat dry food and meat. Thus not even a single vegetables gave to them. With this knowledge, i can give my dogs some green for them. Else, it is really awful to just eat dry food always.
Thank you Rinpoche
With folded hand,
Freon
有一次我哥哥出国公干，哥哥千叮万嘱要买一些南瓜、西瓜、香蕉、asparagus 等等的东西给我们家里的老板（ 狗狗 ）吃， 当时我还不明白， 只是以为应该是宝贝皮肤敏感。 现在看了明白了。 原来对宝宝们是那么好的。
常常在哥哥家。。。看到宝宝坐在旁边流口水的样子。。。好心疼， 很想给它吃。 还好没有，要不然就祸从口入了。
看了仁波切的这份分享， 让我可以更加小心的照顾宝宝了。
This article makes so much sense. If processed food is bad for humans, how can it be good for animals? Nutrients from natural resources such as vegetables are better. When we get sick what food do we usually eat? Simple, non greasy, and non processed food so that it’s easy for the body to digest and it’s more nutritious.
Below are some of the suggestions from http://www.dogchannel.com
1. Potatoes
Preparation:
Wash thoroughly, and slice into narrow wedges. Don’t peel the potato. Coat with a little olive oil and place on cookie sheet. Roast in oven (425 degrees Fahrenheit) for at least 20 minutes on each side. Roast longer if your dog likes them crispier.
Try Dog-Friendly Potato Skins.
Dog treat portion size: 1 or 2 wedges, depending on dog’s size
Benefits:
Good source of vitamins C and B6, potassium, manganese and fiber.
2. Asparagus
Preparation:
Remove the fibrous ends from the asparagus spears and wash them thoroughly. Toss them with olive oil and grill 30 to 60 seconds on all sides.
Dog treat portion size: Cut into bite size pieces. Feed one to two pieces.
Benefits:
Great source of Vitamin K. Good source of Vitamins A, B1, B2, C and E, folate, iron copper, fiber, manganese and potassium.
3. Broccoli florets
Preparation:
Cut broccoli into small florets and wash thoroughly. Place in a steamer and follow the directions. Using a stove, put florets in an open vegetable steamer in a pot with boiling water and cover. Steam for about 6 to 8 minutes until crisp yet tender and bright green. You can also microwave them by putting 2 cups of broccoli florets in a microwave-safe container along with an inch of water for about 5 minutes.
Dog treat portion size: One or two bite size florets
Benefits:
Great source of Vitamins C and K. Good source of Vitamin A, folate, manganese and fiber.
4. Brussels sprouts
Preparation:
Choose Brussels sprouts that are green, feel firm and don’t smell too strong. Wash thoroughly and cut off the stems, leaving enough stem that the leaves are still intact. Some chefs advise cutting a little X to in the stem to help the core to cook. You can then microwave the sprouts with water for up to 8 minutes, steam them for 5 minutes or boil the sprouts for up to 10 minutes – a little less for more crunchiness.
Dog treat portion size: 1/2 to 2 sprouts, depending upon the dog’s size
Benefits:
Great source of vitamins K and C. Good source of manganese, folate, fiber, potassium and vitamins A, B1 and B6.
5. Carrots
Preparation:
Remove ends and thoroughly wash. Cut into bite size treats and cook in a pot of boiling water for about 10 minutes or steam for two to six minutes until tender.
Dog treat portion size: One or two bite size pieces
Benefits:
Great source of vitamin A. Good source of vitamins K and C, fiber and potassium.
6. Cauliflower
Preparation:
Wash thoroughly. To grill the cauliflower, leave a little stalk intact. Marinate the cauliflower for 30 minutes in olive oil and then grill for 5 to 6 minutes on each side until crisp yet tender.
Dog treat portion size: 1 to 2 florets, depending on the dog’s size
Benefits:
Great source of vitamin C. Good source of vitamins K and B6, folate and choline.
7. Cucumbers
Preparation:
Wash thoroughly, peel, cut in half and remove seeds. Cut into bite size pieces. Place pieces into pot with boiling water for about 5 minutes. Empty pot into strainer. If the cucumbers are a bit bland, you can add dog-safe seasoning. (No salt)
Dog treat portion size: 1 to 2 bite size pieces
Benefits:
Good source of vitamin K.
8. Edamame
Preparation:
Edamame is conveniently available as a frozen vegetable in your local food store. Steam these boiled green soy beans according to the directions on the bag.
Dog treat portion size: One to five unsalted, out-of-shell beans. Note: Always watch your dog eat small food items as he could choke on them in his excitement to gobble them down.
Benefits:
Great source of protein, iron, fiber, vitamin K, Omega-3 fats, phosphorus, vitamin B2, potassium, copper and magnesium.
9. Green beans
Preparation:
Wash thoroughly and cut off ends. Use a covered pot to cook green beans in boiling water for about 10 minutes. Serve when cool.
Dog treat portion size: 1 to 2 bite size pieces.
Benefits:
Good source of vitamins C, K and A, manganese and fiber.
10. Peas
Preparation:
Fresh peas are usually available as snow, sugar snap or English peas. English peas must be shelled. Snow and sugar snap peas’ shells are edible. You can grill sugar snap and snow peas for about 3 minutes on each side, first lightly coating with olive oil if you prefer. For English peas, you need to shell them first. Cook the peas (minus their pods) in boiling water only two to four minutes until they turn bright green. Drain in a colander.
Dog treat portion size: One or two Sugar snap or snow peas. For English, 1 or 2 tablespoons – depending on the dog’s size
Benefits:
Great source of vitamin K, and C. Good source of manganese, fiber, folate, phosphorus, protein, magnesium, copper, iron, zinc, potassium and vitamins B1, A, B6, B3 and B2.
11. Sweet potatoes
Preparation:
Sweet potatoes make a great chew if you dehydrate them. Cut them lengthwise, 1/4-inch thick. Just follow the vegetable dehydration instructions included your dehydrator. You can also feed your dog mashed sweet potatoes. To prepare, peel and wash potatoes. Cut into quarters. Put into boiling water in a large pot and simmer for about 20 minutes. Test potatoes with a fork. When they are fully tender, remove from pot, place in a heat-resistant container and mash with a potato masher.
Dog treat portion size: Half or one dehydrated chew, depending on size of dog. Mix 1 to 2 tablespoons of mashed sweet potato in dog’s dry dog food.
Benefits:
Great source of vitamin A. Good source of vitamins C, B6 and B5, manganese, potassium and fiber.
JP, This is excellent. I like all this food suggestions for dogs. Thanks..
My dogs have been eating a combination of commercial dry processed dog food with cooked rice (not hot). I tried giving them cooked vegetables but they won’t eat them. Maybe I should try giving them fresh vegetables combined with pet food to see how they respond to the change.
This article has shared interesting research done on pet food. I didn’t realize pet food was so similar to human food, in that we also need to take in more vegetable or go vegetarian, to prevent cancerous disease. All pet owners should find out more about this research and change their pet food for prevention of such diseases.
Dear May, I often give my dogs fresh sliced carrots and cucumbers to my dogs as snacks. I do this a few times a week. I make a game with them. I play with them and associate the snacks with fun, play and attention and they love the veggies. Mumu boy at first was not too excited about the fresh veggie slices, but after a while he got into it because it was fun, competitive and stimulating. He associates the fresh vegetable slices as a reward and he eats it fast. This is how I got them to be excited for the snacks. Dharma boy and Oser girl are easier. They like most foods. Mumu boy is picky. Good luck with your’s because we want them to be pain free, healthy and live a long life. I will do what I can even if difficult at first for the welfare of my dogs as they can’t do it themselves and I love them….. Tsem Rinpoche (Photo: Mumu boy, Oser girl and Dharma boy)
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing.
Pet owners should know this – that dribble and nothing but dribble is bad for your pet dogs. In fact, just like humans, they need leafy green fresh vegetables,carrots and the like, as well, if they are to stay healthy.
Indeed, giving your pets genetically-modified food is also bad for them.Pet owners should take note and start a drive for increased intake of fresh food for their pets,if they wish to keep disease at bay from their pets, and ensure they live longer lives.It’s time,we act more decently by our pets. Yes, just imagine humans reduced to eating dried food day in and day out for the rest of our lives!
Thank you rinpoche for sharing this article. I’m glad to see that people are slowly starting to realize the problems associated with feeding kibble to your pets all the time and I hope that everyone who reads this will the recommendations in this article a try. We personally give our pets raw food most of the time, either fresh or freeze dried and we’ve seen big improvements in their health since then. Go on and give it a try yourself.
Dogs that ate any green leafy vegetables, like broccoli, had reduced the risk of developing bladder cancer by 90% and the dogs that consumed any yellow – orange vegetables like carrots reduced the risk by 70%! I think that statement alone should convince us that we should add them into our pets’ diet.
The power of media and propoganda cannot be underestimated. Even today, the concept that table scraps are bad is still very deep rooted. That shows the propaganda of the “Table Scraps from your Pets’ Bowls” campaign is still effective half a century later. What it takes to undermine the power of propaganda is a little education to learn the small differences between human and canine nutritional needs.
Quality of processed dog food is also suspect. They may contain contaminated meat from dead, dying and diseased animals, and corn with high levels of pesticide, that definitely is a recipe for ill health.
Commercial dog food processor operates based on profit, and most will just make sure their products pass the minimal theoretical health requirements for the average dog. Over time, nutrient and enzyme deficiencies are inevitable.
Finally, improving your dog’s diet can add years to your dog’s life and perhaps save you a fortune from the vet. It doesn’t require a lot of work or expenses but a little knowledge and the wish to help our furry friends to have a healthier life.
谢谢仁波切分享的文章，这对很多人增加知识如何给狗狗进行健康的饮食。狗狗也和人类一样需要摄取健康的饮食，那么才能避免癌症的发生。
疼爱狗狗的主人应该要好好的善待自己的狗狗，也可以把以上的资讯和大众分享，让更多人注重狗狗的摄取量。狗粮里都含有很多的化学物含量，往往在多年累积的摄取后，会产生癌症的发生。
广告往往都会混淆大众的意识让大家觉得摄取的是正确与营养的，反之那只不是广告效应。狗是吃任何绿色的叶菜类蔬菜，如西兰花，它可以减少了90％膀胱癌的风险，并且摄取任何黄色和橙色的蔬菜如胡萝卜可以减少70％癌症的风险，胡萝卜有助于打破癌症的潜力。
大家应该认真看待！从新让狗狗们获得健康与快乐。
In recent years we often hear about animals, especially pets, dying of cancer. This has become very common in the modern world. Now we know it could be due to the dry commercial pet food that we feed to our pets. In the old days, we used to give our leftovers to our dogs and most of them lived to a ripe old age. There was hardly any talk about cancer. It’s time we rethink what we feed our pets and find out more about the content of the commercial pet food in the market.
I totally agree. My one dog died from gall bladder cancer two years ago. She was fed completely high quality kibble. After the horrible experience of losing our beloved girl, we switched her daughter to chicken with rice and vegetables on the advice of a former vet, with a very minimum of about 9 kibbles for the vitamin content. So far she is a healthy and happy little schnauzer. Please, please pay attention to Rinpoche’s advice.