Optimizing K-9 Health And Performance


by Robert R Hart - Date: 2007-05-23 - Word Count: 513 Share This!

Every Working Dog handler knows that "Failure to Thrive" and "Hip Dysplasia" are big issues for Shepherds. But do you know why? Genetics and environment. The primary suspects are- pollution (air, water, soil) and a fast food diet.

"Fully 90% of all disease is caused by an unhealthy digestive system!"

The Royal Society of Medicine of Great Britain

Rescue areas can be loaded with airborne pollutants. Often times, their effect shows up long after any immediate connection can be made. Water contaminants can include everything from, chemical spills (transmission and engine coolant are particularly toxic in small amounts) to bacteria from unseen decaying garbage.

Commercial Dog Food Is Fast Food. Canned or dry dog foods are little more than empty calories, which are very difficult to process. Although they satisfy hunger, empty calories do nothing to support health and vitality. Empty calories are hard to digest. Food digestion is a time sensitive process.

Dry dog foods are extruded under extreme heat, destroying any nutritional value they might have had. Although you won't find it among the ingredients, recycled restaurant grease is sprayed on dry dog foods as a flavor enhancer. Yet frying temperatures chemically alters oils, making them carcinogenic!

Canned meats contain meat and meat byproducts unfit for human consumption. Canned meats become rancid quickly. Open bags of dry food attract bugs and rodents who deposit eggs and leave toxic droppings.

Low nutrition food remains in the intestinal tract too long where they putrefy; at the same time it becomes a breeding ground for bacteria and pathogens.

Chlorine not only kills pathogens and bacteria in municipal water, it also kills the good bacteria in your dogs' gut. Untreated water soon becomes stagnant, requiring frequent replacement. Water puddles are likely to contain numerous toxic contaminants like engine coolant residues (carcinogenic), bug larvae, and pathogens.

It's bad enough when the family dog gets sick, but when a K-9 is taken out of action, lives may be at stake.

When a dogs' GI tract is upset, they instinctively know that eating grass and dirt will settle it. Alas, allowing them to do this could actually make matters worse! Why? Today, soil and grass is contaminated with pesticides, insecticides, inorganic fertilizers, chlorine and chemical runoff. Most K9 Disease is Reversible!

The steps to restore (or maintain) health are relatively simple, and far less costly than vet visits, medications, or health insurance!

GI disorders develop when your dogs' GI tract is out of balance. You restore that balance with digestive aid supplements, not medication.

The intestinal wall is the gatekeeper. This is where blood dumps the waste products and picks up the nutrients to feed your dogs' body.

Once the intestinal wall is inflamed, the nutrition/waste exchange is compromised. Until the inflammation is addressed, the benefits of improved diet, supplements, or medications will be negligible! Chronic inflammation leads to immune system breakdown. Herbal anti-inflammatories are natural alternatives to steroids like prednisone.

Working dogs are often placed into highly stressed environments. Routine administration of nutrient rich food combined with bio-available supplements, and digestive aids is essential.

No matter what age they are when you start, you will soon see improvements in mental and physical performance!


Related Tags: dog health, dog food, k-9 health

The author of this article is Robert Hart, the co-founder of Vitality Science, Inc., a company that formulates scientifically proven, all natural supplements to restore and maintain pet health- for cats, dogs, kittens and puppies.

Robert Hart has articles published in Fido Friendly Magazine, The Pet Professor, an on-line pet portal, Ani-Med, and pet newsletters.

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