From Gayle Thompson, a wonderful dog and people healer with Bach Remedies:
I started juicing last July in order to lose weight and get my cholesterol under control. One of the big issues was that I didn’t know what to do with the pulp and there was quite a lot of good pulp every time I juiced!! I would put it on outside plants but it felt like such a waste.
I then posted this question on a Facebook group for juicing and immediately people told me they gave it to their dogs! Now instead of cooking or finely grating veges for Leo he gets a big scoop of pulp. Some is dryer (carrots) but some is wetter (apples/pineapple). Immediately after I started doing this his poops changed and are now a great consistency 90% of the time.
Take your dog pulp to the next level: Add apples, and Organic fed, Free range Chicken, boiled, de-boned, to the mix, and now you’ve got a wonderful healthy meal for your dog, without any of the garbage found in commercial dog food, at far less than store prices!
We started that about 9 months ago, and our 13 year old pit bull got a huge energy lift, lost weight, and tumors, that are typical for pits, began to go away!
We’ve been feeding her organic dog food for years, but at $3 per can, $60 for a bag of organic food, we’re now saving close to 50%, and giving her even healthier food!
Thank you, Bo, for your comment. Yes, you can save money, have a healthy dog and even help the planet be healthier. All yuou who have older dogs with tumors – re-read his post – the fatty tumors are going away!!
I would suggest you do not put the meat in the processor. Dogs (and cats) need to actually use their teeth and jaws, so it is best to feed big enough hunks of meat, or meaty bones, so they can ‘sink their teeth into”. Even if this is done several times a week it helps with dental health. Dental problems are the most common health issue in dogs.
Also, by buying local you know exactly what you are feeding yourself and your companion animals.
Thank you Dr. Christina.
Jasmine gets all these ingredients organic… carrots, beet pulp, apples, zucchini, asparagus, flax seed and boiled chicken. (2 x a day)..Dry and can dog food, even if organic, is still processed and caused teeth, digestion and liver issues.. Her liver enzymes were off the charts, until I started making her food fresh. Within a month we noticed a big difference. PS-besides her bones, she also has an electric toothbrush!
Good for you, Connie. Dr. Epstein said “I do notice that in many dogs and cats, the teeth are better on raw diets and in the case of dogs, home-made diets. This effect is lessened if the animals get even a little dry food, as those minerals are so insoluble they precipitate out on the teeth.”
next, be sure you are working with an integrative veterinarian who can support your choices for a fresh food diet, only the Rabies vaccines, and offer holistic alternatives for any ailments.
Many, but not all dogs switched to a fresh diet will resolve their dental, live and digestive issues as Jasmine did. Sometimes more treatments are needed.
Connie, try feeding large chunks of chicken, turkey, beef, fish and other proteins – raw or cooked lightly – as jasmine can then “sink her teeth” into the meat, strengthening her jaws, tooth ligaments and cleaning the teeth. Then you may not even need to clean her teeth.
Hi, Dr. Christina,
I have followed Dr. Karen Becker’s recipes for raw feeding, but it seems my 6-pound Longcoat Chihuahua does not do well with veggies. It took months, as well as email communications with author Beth Taylor, to eliminate/substitute veggies and fruits.
Definitively no carrots, red peppers nor sweet potato. [His eyes tear and develop red staining even with probiotics] No matter the recipe, he was always hungry and pawing at me and the refrigerator all day [despite three feedings] and seemed to be otherwise low on energy.
I tried three months of Darwin’s raw and he had dissolution as well as loss of hair. I discontinued and began Nature’s Variety RAW Instinct. It’s 95 percent meat protein and five percent veggie/fruit. Hair grew back, but he was still hungry. I added some raw chicken and also rotate with soft-boiled egg [he vomits on raw] and Krill oil.
No more ravenous appetite and great energy level. Apparently, he needs a higher percentage of meat protein.
However, my concern is with bones as well as his “gulping” meat. I have to chop the raw meat. He’s a gulper. Essentially, he’s not chewing and I’d like his teeth [after a dental cleaning] to remain clean and his jaw to get some exercise.
With raw chicken neck, he consistently tries swallowing it whole. I then tried a meaty chicken leg, but again, he was intent on swallowing it whole. He ran from me even while he was choking on it with his neck hyperextended. I did manage to ease it out of his esophagus as we were both wedged under my bureau. I could tell he was pained by it being wedged in his throat, so I did Reiki him.
I’m at wit’s end for him to have a good bone, some chewing experience and good dental health. I clean his teeth daily with a thin sheath of gauze [dipped in Biotene veterinarian] wrapped around my pinky finger. But even with small fingers, it’s nearly impossible to get those molars in the back. And he has still developed some tartar on his teeth. No bad breath.
Any suggestions from you or readers who post here?
Oops! Sorry about my lack of manners and appreciation. Thank you, Dr. Christina, for your magnificent work as a veterinarian, educator and steward of the planet.