Holistic Veterinary Nutrition

Introduction

• According to American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association's website "Holistic thinking is centered on love, empathy and respect."

  Correct nutrition is at the heart of holistic care. The food you feed can affect the health and long-term well being of your pets.

Natural Nutrition

• Holistic veterinarian Dr. Nick Thompson recommends that you feed a diet close to that of the animal in the wild, which is both natural and unprocessed.

Pet Food

• Veterinarian Dr. Clare Middle points to an improvement in health for animals who have changed from processed pet food to a raw, fresh diet. She attributes this to high carbohydrates and low nutrient value in commercial foods.

Dogs

• Thompson points out that dogs are by nature hunters and scavengers, eating a varied diet of small mammals. The whole carcass will be consumed, from the gut content to the muscle meat and bones.

Cats

• Cats in the wild are hunters and will eat a whole carcass including fur. However, they do not scavenge in the same way as dogs, and eat a higher proportion of fresh meat. This needs to be taken into account in their diet.

Small Animals

• Feeding rabbits and similar small animals, you should also try and mimic the diet of a wild animal. For a rabbit this would be mainly hay supplemented by vegetables to give variety.