Diet is arguably one of the most vital components of holistic therapy. It is harder to successfully treat a pet if they are fed a kibble based diet or are eating processed treats (rawhides, milkbones, etc). All kibble diets – no matter how high-quality or expensive – are heavily processed.
Now some brands are “higher quality” and add things like pasture raised meats and organic veggies, but there is no denying that ALL of them are heavily processed using this basic manufacturing method.
Processed foods are harmful since they promote inflammation in the body. Chronic and uncontrolled inflammation (that is usually within the body where you cannot directly observe its effects) can damage cellular DNA leading to the development of cancer. Please see this article by The National Cancer Institute for more specific information.
Most kibbles require synthetic vitamins and minerals after processing to meet minimum nutritional requirements, thereby adding to the toxic burden in the body. In addition, artificial taste enhancers are often added for pallability. Also, preservatives are included for longer shelf-life. More information if you are interested:
Raw diet are often recommended since they are minimally processed and easily digested. They also contain vital enzymes, amino acids, and probiotics due to minimal processing required. There is a very common misconception by most veterinarians that feeding pets a raw food diet poses high contamination risks (Salmonella, E.coli, etc.). The fact is that most recalls for these contaminants occur with kibble based diets rather than commercially prepared raw diets. Companies that prepare food meant to be fed raw take extreme precautions to avoid contamination including the slaughtering and handling of raw meats.
Though I believe raw feeding is a fantastic option for many, it is not the best for all patients especially some with cancer. After a thorough exam and history review, I then decide which diet is best for my patient as an individual. This is based on their energy level, type of condition, age, and temperature preferences among many other factors.
