The idea that health can be profoundly affected by diet is one that is as old as human civilization. Food has the ability to make us ill, and it may also have the ability to heal some ills. Dogs, as much as humans, are made stronger or weaker by what they eat. Certainly, for both species, it seems apparent that a diet that is healthy and balanced and high in particular nutrients can help the immune system function more efficiently. This is known as “feeding for a strong immune system.”
At that time, in the spring of 1999, the natural/raw diet movement for dogs was in its early stages. Pre-made raw foods were not readily available. Sources for novel proteins like venison, buffalo, elk, and even rabbit were few. Since then, raw diets have claimed a larger portion of the dog food market, and are available to dog owners across the country. As with any product, the costs are higher for pre-made raw food, since the work of chopping and measuring and mixing and balancing is done for you, and that saving of time has a cost associated with it.
Although food can be an essential weapon in the war against cancer, a far better approach is to prevent cancer, and food can also be used to help accomplish that. When I began feeding raw to my Shelties in March 1999, I had, in addition to Sander, two young Shelties: Pippi, who was 16 months old, and Sundance, who was 8 months old. All three dogs were switched to a raw diet. In the years since then – 7½ at this writing – Pippi and Sundance have exhibited truly remarkable health and vitality. They simply don’t get sick. They’ve been to the vet for routine blood tests, but visits for illnesses are so rare that I can’t recall them. I doubt that their robust health can be attributed entirely to their breeding, since my research shows that Pippi was bred in a puppymill and sold in a pet store, while Sundance was the product of a responsible breeding program by a reputable breeder. Rather, my program of feeding for a strong immune system appears to have paid tremendous dividends. Their raw/natural diet, combined with an absolute minimum of vaccines administered to them over their lives, has kept them healthy and encouraged me to think that I may not again hear the dreaded diagnosis of cancer in one of my dogs.
Over the past few years, I’ve adopted several senior Shelties from local rescue organizations. None of them – Angus, Rudy, or Guy – were fed particularly good food in their lives before they came to live with me. All of them were 10 years old, or older, when I got them. And all of them flourished and grew more healthy in their old age, because they were immediately introduced to the raw diet that I feed. Angus died in 2005 at the age of 15. That’s a good, long life for a Sheltie! Rudy and Guy are both still with me, in early 2007, and have lots of arthritis and creaky joints, but no serious health conditions. I fully expect them to reach ripe old ages, too.
Probably the biggest difference you can make in your dog’s life is to feed him a diet that’s species-appropriate and contains the nutrients that will build good health and will not contribute to poor health. In my opinion, the first place to start treating any condition in our pets is in the area of diet.
While everyone should do some reading and research before switching to a raw diet, it’s not a terribly complicated thing to prepare a balanced diet for your dogs, and it’s even easier to choose pre-made raw foods that are of excellent quality. Resources and information concerning canine nutrition, raw diets, commercial dog food, and diets for dogs with cancer can be found at many internet websites. On the Links page, I’ve put links to some websites that I think are especially helpful.
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