The Why, What and How of the Best Nutrition for the Health of Westies

The Why,What and How of the Best Nutrition for the Health of Westies

by Wendell Marumoto, Christine Swingle and Jane Fink

~ Part 3 ~
Doing It:
Is Really It That Simple?
by Jane Fink

It was happening again, the all too familiar feeling of dread encroaching on my every thought as I found myself sitting in a veterinarian's exam room waiting to find out if another of my precious animals was a victim of cancer. As the vet entered the room, I could tell by his sorrowful eyes, before ever seeing the tube in his hand, that it was not good news. The Irish lilt in his voice, usually a comforting tone, could not deaden the pain; "I'm afraid the mass isn't a hernia as first suspected, I drew off some fluid, it is pure blood ... I'm sorry Jane, it's cancer." As if to confirm in my own mind what he was saying I asked to see the tube, nodded, then walked down the corridor to the treatment room where my Greyhound was waiting for me to help her out of her misery ... I did help her ... I held her while she was lovingly eased from a world of pain and suffering to one of peace. It all happened so quickly. Just the week before she had been galloping around the yard, enjoying the early warmth of a late winter's day, then she was gone. For the third time is 17 months I had to say good-bye to yet another of my beloved pets, each one a victim of cancer. This was just too much,. It had to stop.

Brighton's death on February 16, 1999 was a turning point in my life. With remarkable timing I vowed could have only been heaven sent, Westie friends Dee and Wendell Marumoto began discussing the attributes of a remarkable diet they had read about and had begun to feed their Westies. I was curious and, no pun intended, hungry for more information. Eleven months before Brighton's death, I lost a very special Westie, one whom I literally referred to as my soul mate. Her name was Windsor, and she had been diagnosed at the end of October 1997 with bladder cancer. I recalled how healthy Windsor seemed following her diagnosis, how she lived beyond the specialist's expectations, and all without cancer treatments. The only drug she was given was Feldene (Piroxicam) for the pain. So why did Windsor do so well? Referring back to my notes chronicling her illness, I was surprised to read that I had taken her completely off processed dog food. During those emotionally dark days, I struggled diligently to pique her interest in food, just to get her to eat something, anything. I had not put two and two together until I reread those notes.

That was the answer.....I had to get my remaining animals off processed pet foods altogether. I chose raw because cooked food does not contain the enzymes and nutritional value to sustain optimal health, especially in animals. I immediately ordered the two suggested reference guides for embarking on raw feeding, Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats: The Ultimate Diet, by Kymythy Schultze and Give Your Dog a Bone, by Ian Billinghurst. By March 19th, I was ready to begin. As I was preparing the first raw meal of chicken wings and grated veggies, my thoughts drifted to the days on my grandmother's farm where she always fed raw trimmings from wild game and vegetable peelings along with the requisite table scraps. She absolutely refused to waste her hard earned money on store bought dog and cat food when fresh and natural was readily available, and as a result her animals lived well into their late teens with very few illnesses.

As I placed the heaping bowls of REAL food in front of my dogs, I noticed a bit of hesitation on their part, as if I had taken all leave of my senses and made a horrible mistake by offering them this sumptuous feast. However, as Westies (and Sheltie) are generally known to do, they took full advantage of the situation and within less than a minute devoured the food. As I have witnessed with my outdoor farm cats, who are excellent field rat killers, if it doesn't go down right the first time, bring it back and try again. As I watched my dogs eat, my initial nervousness subsided and was replaced with sheer delight as I observed them crunch, chew, swallow and SURVIVE their first raw meal.

It was so easy and it just gets easier, and I think a lot more fun. I thoroughly enjoy shopping for healthy foods, organic when available, and preparing meals for my dogs. As a bonus, I find myself eating healthier than ever before. It is a joy to see my dogs eating and utilizing the food their bodies were meant to receive, and their attitude says it all as they dance with delight when I run the food processor or cut up meat. After my dogs finish an ARF meal, they sleep a deep, sound sleep reminiscent of a pride of satiated lions after a kill, their digestive systems at work shuttling nutrients to all parts of their bodies. The noticeable benefits I am seeing with raw feeding are: sharper cognitive functions (two of my Westies are ten), eyes bright and alert not dimmed by middle age, a higher activity level with the playfulness of adolescent puppies (all of my dogs are over five), profuse coat and brilliant skin. My ten year old Westie, Kelsey, who has suffered from chronic pancreatitis for nine years, is no longer sluggish and wracked with pain, but instead pain free, happy and thriving. With raw feeding I am able to more accurately and precisely gauge her diet to prevent flare-ups. In addition, none of my Westies are suffering from the horrendous skin allergies which had plagued them from time to time, which indicates without a doubt, the immune system is awake, active and functioning.

One of the biggest hurdles with "going raw" is getting rid of all misconceptions about bones and raw food. Animals are equipped to handle raw foods and bones and surely the body screams for the unadulterated nutrients in fresh food. My dogs enjoy a bounty of chicken wings and necks, turkey necks, lamb, beef, calves liver, beef hearts, ox tails, multitudes of vegetables, yogurt, cottage cheese and organic eggs, just to name a few. I will on occasion use grains though never with Kelsey, as grains tend to cause severe problems in dogs with pancreatitis. The expense of feeding raw is not all that daunting. In fact I don't even consider the cost of feeding raw to four dogs and six cats compared to the thousands I have spent trying to get animals well that were fed processed dog food. Observant shopping is the key.

One can only imagine the apprehension of going back to raw feeding (as our ancestors did) in relation to how the generations before us felt about pouring a bunch of dry matter in a bowl and calling it dog food. It's, well, like going back to the future. My advice? Just Do It!

Conclusion

We realize that for most readers to even marginally accept what we have presented requires a paradigm shift of monumental proportions. Each of us went through that experience and know that it isn't easy. But we also know that for us to learn more about and to better understand the remarkable results seen in practicing ARF, we need to be exchanging information and sharing experiences with like-minded people to further build our confidence and avoid pitfalls. The authors emphatically state that they are convinced and firmly believe that the ARF diet is far and away the best diet for the good health and physical condition of Westies, and that a processed dog food diet is the worst and most damaging, over the long haul, to their health.

For this purpose, a website has been developed for an Internet email discussion list called ARF4Westies, at http://www.westielovers.com/arf4westies. There, you will find lists of benefits of ARF, topical books, links to informative articles and websites, and information as to how one can join other Westie owners in exchanging information about "how to practice" and "benefit from" ARF.

If you came to this article from the ARF4Westies website,
click here to return there.
Otherwise, please click on one of the links below to continue browsing through
Westie World.

[ Part 1 ] [ Part 2 ] [ Part 3 ]

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		*The Why,What and How of the Best Nutrition for the Health of Westies* by Wendell Marumoto, Christine Swingle and Jane Fink ~ Part 3 ~ Doing It: Is Really It That Simple? by Jane Fink It was happening again, the all too familiar feeling of dread encroaching on my every thought as I found myself sitting in a veterinarian's exam room waiting to find out if another of my precious animals was a victim of cancer. As the vet entered the room, I could tell by his sorrowful eyes, before ever seeing the tube in his hand, that it was not good news. The Irish lilt in his voice, usually a comforting tone, could not deaden the pain; "I'm afraid the mass isn't a hernia as first suspected, I drew off some fluid, it is pure blood ... I'm sorry Jane, it's cancer." As if to confirm in my own mind what he was saying I asked to see the tube, nodded, then walked down the corridor to the treatment room where my Greyhound was waiting for me to help her out of her misery ... I did help her ... I held her while she was lovingly eased from a world of pain and suffering to one of peace. It all happened so quickly. Just the week before she had been galloping around the yard, enjoying the early warmth of a late winter's day, then she was gone. For the third time is 17 months I had to say good-bye to yet another of my beloved pets, each one a victim of cancer. This was just too much,. It had to stop. Brighton's death on February 16, 1999 was a turning point in my life. With remarkable timing I vowed could have only been heaven sent, Westie friends Dee and Wendell Marumoto began discussing the attributes of a remarkable diet they had read about and had begun to feed their Westies. I was curious and, no pun intended, hungry for more information. Eleven months before Brighton's death, I lost a very special Westie, one whom I literally referred to as my soul mate. Her name was Windsor, and she had been diagnosed at the end of October 1997 with bladder cancer. I recalled how healthy Windsor seemed following her diagnosis, how she lived beyond the specialist's expectations, and all without cancer treatments. The only drug she was given was Feldene (Piroxicam) for the pain. So why did Windsor do so well? Referring back to my notes chronicling her illness, I was surprised to read that I had taken her completely off processed dog food. During those emotionally dark days, I struggled diligently to pique her interest in food, just to get her to eat something, anything. I had not put two and two together until I reread those notes. That was the answer.....I had to get my remaining animals off processed pet foods altogether. I chose raw because cooked food does not contain the enzymes and nutritional value to sustain optimal health, especially in animals. I immediately ordered the two suggested reference guides for embarking on raw feeding, Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats: The Ultimate Diet, by Kymythy Schultze and Give Your Dog a Bone, by Ian Billinghurst. By March 19th, I was ready to begin. As I was preparing the first raw meal of chicken wings and grated veggies, my thoughts drifted to the days on my grandmother's farm where she always fed raw trimmings from wild game and vegetable peelings along with the requisite table scraps. She absolutely refused to waste her hard earned money on store bought dog and cat food when fresh and natural was readily available, and as a result her animals lived well into their late teens with very few illnesses. As I placed the heaping bowls of REAL food in front of my dogs, I noticed a bit of hesitation on their part, as if I had taken all leave of my senses and made a horrible mistake by offering them this sumptuous feast. However, as Westies (and Sheltie) are generally known to do, they took full advantage of the situation and within less than a minute devoured the food. As I have witnessed with my outdoor farm cats, who are excellent field rat killers, if it doesn't go down right the first time, bring it back and try again. As I watched my dogs eat, my initial nervousness subsided and was replaced with sheer delight as I observed them crunch, chew, swallow and SURVIVE their first raw meal. It was so easy and it just gets easier, and I think a lot more fun. I thoroughly enjoy shopping for healthy foods, organic when available, and preparing meals for my dogs. As a bonus, I find myself eating healthier than ever before. It is a joy to see my dogs eating and utilizing the food their bodies were meant to receive, and their attitude says it all as they dance with delight when I run the food processor or cut up meat. After my dogs finish an ARF meal, they sleep a deep, sound sleep reminiscent of a pride of satiated lions after a kill, their digestive systems at work shuttling nutrients to all parts of their bodies. The noticeable benefits I am seeing with raw feeding are: sharper cognitive functions (two of my Westies are ten), eyes bright and alert not dimmed by middle age, a higher activity level with the playfulness of adolescent puppies (all of my dogs are over five), profuse coat and brilliant skin. My ten year old Westie, Kelsey, who has suffered from chronic pancreatitis for nine years, is no longer sluggish and wracked with pain, but instead pain free, happy and thriving. With raw feeding I am able to more accurately and precisely gauge her diet to prevent flare-ups. In addition, none of my Westies are suffering from the horrendous skin allergies which had plagued them from time to time, which indicates without a doubt, the immune system is awake, active and functioning. One of the biggest hurdles with "going raw" is getting rid of all misconceptions about bones and raw food. Animals are equipped to handle raw foods and bones and surely the body screams for the unadulterated nutrients in fresh food. My dogs enjoy a bounty of chicken wings and necks, turkey necks, lamb, beef, calves liver, beef hearts, ox tails, multitudes of vegetables, yogurt, cottage cheese and organic eggs, just to name a few. I will on occasion use grains though never with Kelsey, as grains tend to cause severe problems in dogs with pancreatitis. The expense of feeding raw is not all that daunting. In fact I don't even consider the cost of feeding raw to four dogs and six cats compared to the thousands I have spent trying to get animals well that were fed processed dog food. Observant shopping is the key. One can only imagine the apprehension of going back to raw feeding (as our ancestors did) in relation to how the generations before us felt about pouring a bunch of dry matter in a bowl and calling it dog food. It's, well, like going back to the future. My advice? Just Do It! Conclusion We realize that for most readers to even marginally accept what we have presented requires a paradigm shift of monumental proportions. Each of us went through that experience and know that it isn't easy. But we also know that for us to learn more about and to better understand the remarkable results seen in practicing ARF, we need to be exchanging information and sharing experiences with like-minded people to further build our confidence and avoid pitfalls. The authors emphatically state that they are convinced and firmly believe that the ARF diet is far and away the best diet for the good health and physical condition of Westies, and that a processed dog food diet is the worst and most damaging, over the long haul, to their health. For this purpose, a website has been developed for an Internet email discussion list called ARF4Westies, at http://www.westielovers.com/arf4westies. There, you will find lists of benefits of ARF, topical books, links to informative articles and websites, and information as to how one can join other Westie owners in exchanging information about "how to practice" and "benefit from" ARF. If you came to this article from the ARF4Westies website, click here to return there. Otherwise, please click on one of the links below to continue browsing through Westie World.

		[ Part 1 ] [ Part 2 ] [ Part 3 ]

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