RMB Newsletter 9:5  Introducing Professor Scarr

G’day Reader, Forty one degrees Celsius here today (105.8 degrees Fahrenheit) and hotting up for Christmas. How are you? How are your pets? Are you looking forward to the festive season and then soon 2010? Will the pace of life slow down a bit next year? I hope so and I’m planning to ask Santa. Do you contemplate what’s needed to stop the junk pet-food inspired madness; how to make vets accountable for the mass poisoning of their patients and the cynical exploitation of their clients; how to help pet owners see through the hollow vet profession? For sure there can be many answers. Two things seem to me to be essential to the long term success of our campaign. First, we need a critical mass of pet owners who understand the fundamentals of the three part test: http://secureshop.rawmeatybones.com/newsletter/view.epl?id=44 Second, we need champions who go out and about in the community and in the professions spreading the word. Since the junk pet-food industry and the corrupted thinking arising contaminates many otherwise learned professions, then we need champions in those professions. We need medical researchers, dentists, biologists, ecologists, lawyers, social scientists, politicians and regulators who clearly see the damage done by the junk pet-food cult and see in turn the benefits to be had when we turn through 180 degrees and start rebuilding nutrition, science, medicine and the pet feeding economy based on sound rmb principles. Social scientist Professor Sandra Scarr was Commonwealth Professor of Psychology at the University of Virginia and an award winning researcher in behavioral genetics and developmental psychology. Her Wikipedia entry is here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandra_Scarr. Nowadays Professor Scarr breeds Labradors on her coffee farm in Hawaii. She’s also taken up the pen in support of the rmb cause. Her blog is at: http://rmb4healthypets.blogspot.com/ and well worth a visit. I’ve borrowed her blog entry 'How To Feed A Puppy to Healthy Adulthood' article for this newsletter. It’s an excellent, practical reminder of how easy feeding raw meaty bones can be. (A similar article was published in the December edition of the National Labrador Retriever Club newsletter http://www.nationallabradorretrieverclub.com.) Wishing you a relaxing and healthful Christmas, Tom __________________________________________________________________________ How To Feed A Puppy to Healthy Adulthood __________________________________________________________________________ As a breeder, I offer the following advice to puppy buyers, in the hope they will continue to feed my beautiful puppies a raw-meaty-bones diet that will nourish them to heathy adulthood: History: I began breeding Labs 8 years ago. At first I fed the dogs commercial kibble that I was told was “premium quality”, guaranteed to be “100% compete and balanced”. Several dogs had itchy skin, ear irritations/infections, and poor coats. One had sore joints. Veterinarians prescribed anti-histamines, steroids, and antibiotics. The poor dogs were constantly receiving some kind of medication to alleviate their “allergy” and joint problems. Fortunately, against vet advice, I also fed the dogs some raw meats and raw meaty bones three or four times a week to keep their teeth clean and gums healthy. After 7 months of feeding commercial pet foods, and observing “allergy" problems, ear infections, itchiness and other irritations, I consulted an alternative vet, who told me she will not even treat dogs that are fed commercial pet foods, because those foods cause so many health problems. Thus began my voyage toward raw feeding. The alternative vet recommended a BARF (Bones and raw food) diet, which I prepared at home. Almost immediately, the dogs' “allergies”, ear infections, and itchiness disappeared, and they became notably healthier and happier. The “super-premium”, “100% complete and balanced” kibble that other vets recommend and sell was causing my Labs’ health problems (and even worse health problems for tens of millions of other pets). Today I feed my 14 dogs (and cat) Raw Meaty Bones (RMB). Remember, you are feeding a friendly wolf, whose normal diet consists of whole prey –- raw meat, organs, and meaty bones. Dogs are actually a sub-species of grey wolf. Dogs did not evolve to eat or digest grains and cooked foods. Commercial pet foods are not digested well and come out as huge, smelly poops. RMB-fed dogs have 1/3 as much poop, and it doesn’t smell! The health benefits of feeding a species-appropriate diet are enormous. How To Feed Raw Meaty Bones In Hawaii, we may not find the variety of meats that are available on the mainland or in Australia, especially various kinds of game, but we can feed a healthy variety of meaty bones and organ meats. You don’t have to cook anything. You just shop for meats and meaty bones, and hand your dog large hunks of meat and meaty bones, preferably outside where he’ll make less of a mess. Because I have so many mouths to feed, I buy beef soup bones (very meaty), whole beef hearts, whole beef livers, and green tripe from a local wholesaler. I buy cases of whole chickens from COSTCO. Also at COSTCO, I buy whole beef rounds, beef and pork ribs, and pork loins. At Thanksgiving, I stock my freezer with turkeys on sale. Depending on how many pets and how much freezer space you have, you may want to order wholesale or purchase what you need at your local grocery store. Local grocery stores and meat shops can supply local meats that are not treated with hormones and antibiotics, and local fish, inexpensive beef hearts, meaty bones, fish trimmings, and scraps. Puppies under a year should be fed approximately 2 to 3% of their adult weight (70 lb for a Lab) every day, which is 1.4 to 2.1 lb of food per day. They are growing very fast and need a lot of animal proteins and fats. · From 2 to 4 months, puppies should be fed three times a day, so you can divide 1.4 to 2 lb of food into three servings. If he does not eat it all in 10 to 15 minutes, put away the remainder for another meal. Adjust how much you feed to his appetite. Young puppies do not usually overeat. · Older puppies, 4 to 12 months can be fed twice a day. Again, divide 1.4 to 2 lb of food into two servings. At this age, he will probably eat it all and act like he needs more. If he seems slim, increase his food allowance. If he is chubby, don’t give into his “I’m starving” tactics. Most well-exercised puppies don’t get fat on a RMB diet, because they are growing fast and need all the protein and fat calories to grow. Adult dogs, over 12-months, should be fed 1 to 2 % of their adult weight once a day. WATCH YOUR DOG’S WAISTLINE. DO NOT OVERFEED. Adjust feeding to your dog’s activity level and metabolism. You should be able to feel his ribs as you pass your hand lightly along his side. If you have to press hard to feel ribs, he’s overweight. Reduce his portions. You should not be able to see his ribs, however. If he is too thin, increase the amount you feed. My dogs do not get fat on adult portions of raw meaty bones, but your dog is an individual with his own individual metabolism. Just keep an eye on his waistline. Here are suggestions for a varied diet for a Labrador retriever in puppyhood and adulthood. Vary his food from day to day and week to week, just as you vary your family’s food. You can mix and match within the daily ration. You don’t have to “balance” every meal –- just try to get some poultry with bones, red meats and meaty bones, and organ meats into his weekly diet. Raw eggs three or four times a week are great in the diet. •Ľ to ˝ a Chicken. Raw chicken is a great basic food for your puppy, because he can chew up and digest the meat and bones •Whole Chicken frames (carcasses after most meat is removed, have lots of edible bone) •Meaty Beef Bones (lots of meat to chew off ribs or round bones with marrow). Do not feed hard beef leg or knuckle bones with little or no meat on them, because dogs can break their teeth trying to chew them. •Beef hunks large enough that dogs have to tear them and chew, not swallow them whole. •Beef or Pork Liver, Kidney, and Green Tripe hunks that require chewing. Organ meats should be 10 to 20% of the dog’s diet. More may give him loose stools. •Beef Heart chunks, great for chewing •Whole small Fish and big hunks of larger Fish. Trimmings and guts from large fish are fine. •2 to 4 Raw Eggs with crushed shells (good vitamin and calcium source) •Pork and beef ribs –- meaty slabs of 3 or 4 ribs. He won’t eat all the rib bones, but he’ll enjoy chewing on them. Throw away leftover bones. •Lamb or mutton hunks and meaty bones (expensive here) •Pork loin hunks, pork shoulder, if not too fatty •Whole rabbits, quail, venison parts, and other game you can find. You can add or substitute turkey parts, chicken gizzards, chicken livers, goat, venison, and any large meaty parts. Think whole prey and how to simulate that in your dog’s RMB diet. Some poultry and beef parts are too small to be safe. Puppies will be tempted to swallow them whole and may choke. Do not feed chicken necks, chicken wings, or any small bones he can swallow. Never feed cooked bones –- they splinter and can damage your dog’s throat or intestines. Other Foods My dogs love avocados, which are a good source of vegetable fats and vitamins. Some also like bananas, apples, papayas, and various cooked vegetables. These can be used as treats or occasional supplements to meaty meals. I also add 2 or 3 Fish Oil capsules once a day for more Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids (probably not necessary but an old habit). Do feed kitchen and table scraps occasionally. My dogs love meat trimmings and leftovers, cooked vegetables, pasta, cheeses of all kinds, yogurt, and so forth. Table scraps should be a minor part of the diet, a little variety to round out his nutrition. Dogs do not need sweets, especially chocolate, which is poisonous to dogs. Feeding large hunks of meat and meaty bones cleans his teeth, gets his digestive juices working, and provides all the vitamins and minerals he needs. Remember you are feeding a carnivore, who will live a long, healthy life with a diet that is high in animal proteins and fats and low in carbohydrates. Even the most “super-premium” kibbles and canned foods are largely cooked carbohydrates, an inappropriate diet for carnivores, a diet that causes periodontal disease, that stresses their immune systems, and makes them susceptible to major chronic disorders, such as diabetes, cancers, heart, liver, and kidney diseases. You will save a lot of money on vet bills throughout his life. His teeth and gums will stay healthy and will not need expensive veterinary cleanings under anesthesia. He is not likely to develop chronic debilitative diseases that cost a fortune to treat and cause unnecessary suffering for the poor animal. For more detailed guidance on why and how to feed Raw Meaty Bones, look at www.rawmeatybones.com or read Tom Lonsdale’s books, Work Wonders, and Raw Meaty Bones. There are dozens of raw feeding Yahoo groups that provide helpful advice (NaturalRawDog, rawfeeding, RawPup, to name a few). Your puppy will thank you for his raw meaty bones with great health and happiness. Reproduced with kind permission of Professor Sandra Scarr http://rmb4healthypets.blogspot.com/ __________________________________________________________________________ Widespread Hypocrisy and Public Lynching http://www.rcvs.org.uk/Templates/Internal.asp?NodeID=4502379 __________________________________________________________________________ Under the heading ‘London vet struck off for dishonesty and misleading clients’ the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons reported: (quote) On 19 May 2009, the Disciplinary Committee (DC) directed that Kfir Segev, of the Medivet practice in Stanmore, London, should be removed from the Register, having found him guilty of serious professional misconduct for deliberately concealing from his clients that their dog was terminally ill, whilst at the same time recommending that she undergo expensive and unnecessary procedures. (end quote) I don’t presume to know the detail of the case nor the appropriate sentence for Mr Segev. Being struck off the register is potentially a life sentence that deprives a person of status and opportunity to earn a living. But I do know that the veterinary profession is a bastion of evil hypocrisy where the everyday activity of many vets involves concealment of known facts concerning the life threatening consequences of the diets they recommend and sell. Capitalising on the progressive ill health of the unfortunate animals and their trusting owners, a majority of vets set about offering expensive and unnecessary procedures. Does the public lynching of Mr Segev in some way exculpate the veterinary authorities? Just the opposite, is my view. I would like to see the veterinary authorities prosecuted to the full extent of the law. They are doubly accountable by virtue of their specialist knowledge and position of trust. __________________________________________________________________________ Forum Natuurlijke Voeding __________________________________________________________________________ Back in September I had the privilege of a guest spot on the Dutch Forum Natuurlijke Voeding. As ever it’s a pleasure to confer with friends in Europe. A special thanks to Marieke, Ordell, Janine and Anita for super organisation and making me most welcome. Questions and answers at: http://natuurlijkevoeding.yourbb.nl/viewforum.php?f=23 __________________________________________________________________________ 2009 Ferret Symposium, Sydney, Australia http://www.ferretcongress.org.au/ __________________________________________________________________________ Once again the organisers, Shirley Hewett, Shona Whaite and Saskia Hornig, did a terrific job and arguably it was an even more successful event than in 2008. Sydney tops Melbourne yet again! International guests arrived from the US. Zooarchaeologist Bob Church gave a preliminary report on his wide ranging survey of ferret diets and health in relation to life style and environment. Suffice to say the ferrets living and eating as did their wild polecat ancestors were much the healthiest. Shona and Saskia spoke about their mouse breeding projects. In the space of a year they’ve researched, developed and are running highly efficient breeding programs providing excellent nutrition for hungry ferrets. Drs Lyn Mathison and David Neck showed x-ray images of multiple bone fractures in young ferrets fed calcium deficient diets. Precise dietary details were unknown. However it was suggested that the young ferrets had been fed chunks of raw meat with occasional chicken wings (bones too big for tiny mouths and thus not eaten) and in another instance the young ferrets were fed predominantly day old chicks. Some years ago it was fairly common for butchers’ puppies and kittens, fed exclusively raw meat, to suffer folding fractures. Instead of counselling the butchers to feed their carnivore pets on whole carcasses or a diet based on raw meaty bones, the vets intimidated the butchers into feeding junk food. Drs Mathison and Neck did not recommend junk food as the solution. They cautioned the audience that when feeding a natural diet it’s important to get it right. I was especially gratified that Dr Neck referred the audience to Work Wonders for the basic dietary recommendations: Ideally feed whole carcasses of suitable size or in the absence of whole carcasses feed a diet based on raw meaty bones. __________________________________________________________________________ Raw Meaty Bones: U-turn Seminar (With Chinese translation) __________________________________________________________________________ On Sunday 11 October I had the special pleasure of speaking with the veterinary students at South China Agricultural University http://pet.poco.cn/bbs/thread-372733-1-1.html Haven Qi, pioneer raw meaty bones feeder, did a terrific job arranging the event. Dr Yizhou Chen was our gracious host who introduced the event and then took us for a delightful lunch washed down with cool beer. The room was packed with students for what we believe to be the first rmb seminar in China. Here’s looking forward to many more such events. Thanks to all. __________________________________________________________________________ Subtle Errors Can Be Catastrophic __________________________________________________________________________ In 1983 Korean Air Lines Flight 007 was shot down over the Soviet Union with loss of all 269 passengers and crew. Due to navigational error the plane had strayed into Russian airspace. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_Air_Lines_Flight_007 In a recent Animal Lab News article Barbara Mickelson, Ph.D. talked about minor dietary changes in rodent diets having the potential for significant impacts on the experimental results. http://www.animallab.com/articles.asp?pid=485 But dogs, cats and ferrets, whether or not in research cages, mostly consume diets varying enormously from the natural standard. What about the confounded experimental results being churned out by scientists who feed junk food to their experimental dogs, cats and ferrets? Maybe the consequences are not as immediately shocking as 269 people being shot out of the sky, but erroneous research evidence can have adverse consequences for millions. __________________________________________________________________________ RMB Christmas GIFT SUGGESTIONS __________________________________________________________________________ *** Raw Meaty Bones: Promote Health provides essential reading on carnivore diet, health and the junk pet-food industry/veterinary/fake animal welfare alliance. Ideal gift for pet owners, veterinarians, lawyers, dentists, doctors, teachers, scientists and anyone needing the facts upon which to build a better world for pets, pet owners and the wider community. *** Work Wonders is the easy-reader on canine nutrition suitable for all dog owners, young and not so young. Ideal for trainers, breeders, groomers, dog walkers and other professionals who wish to show their appreciation and help clients better understand the practical and health benefits of a raw meaty bones diet. (Good for cat and ferret owners too!) Bulk orders at wholesale prices available from distributors in USA, UK, NZ and Australia http://www.rawmeatybones.com/order-book.php All proceeds help the Raw Meaty Bones campaign. Merry Christmas Best wishes to all, Tom ___________________________________________________________ We welcome copies of correspondence/emails/faxes for possible inclusion in future RMB Newsletters. Please circulate, distribute or reproduce this newsletter as you wish. ___________________________________________________________ The Raw Meaty Bones Newsletter is published by: Tom Lonsdale Rivetco P/L PO Box 6096 Windsor Delivery Centre NSW 2756 Australia Phone: +61 2 4574 0537 Fax: +61 2 4578 1384 Email: tom@rawmeatybones.com Web: http://www.rawmeatybones.com To subscribe or unsubscribe go to: http://secureshop.rawmeatybones.com/newsletter ___________________________________________________________ We welcome copies of correspondence/emails/faxes for possible inclusion in future RMB Newsletters. Please circulate, distribute or reproduce this newsletter as you wish. ___________________________________________________________ The Raw Meaty Bones Newsletter is published by: Tom Lonsdale Rivetco P/L PO Box 6096 Windsor Delivery Centre NSW 2756 Australia Phone: +61 2 4574 0537 Fax: +61 2 4578 1384 Email: rivetco@rawmeatybones.com Web: http://www.rawmeatybones.com To subscribe or unsubscribe go to: http://secureshop.rawmeatybones.com/newsletter