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MicroRNA: Why Food Choices Matter

Food is Not Simply Nutrition. It is also Information! The single greatest disserve to our pets was the invention of commercial pet food and the demolition of their ancestral roots. Following at a close second was the increased belief in the need for unnecessary conventional veterinary practices and intervention along with the creation and extensive distribution of chemical “preventatives.” It is…

HELP! My Dog is Lost!

If the unthinkable happens, be prepared! Probably one of the most dreaded fears we as pet parents can face is when a beloved pet goes missing. The likelihood of a dog escaping, evading, or eluding us and running off at least once in their lifetime is very high. Thankfully, in most of those instances a pet parent will see their tongue lolling faces in a matter of seconds, minutes, or hours as…

Cartilage Is A Nutritional Goldmine

The Importance of Cartilage in the Canine (and Feline) Diet

Cartilage is made up of highly specialized cells and a matrix of proteins. It is more matrix than cells because cartilage does not contain blood vessels to receive oxygen which creates a low-oxygen tissue that is not an ideal environment for cells. The matrix of cartilage is made up of proteins known as collagen and proteoglycans as…

Cartilage is a nutritional goldmine

The Importance of Cartilage in the Canine (and Feline) Diet

Cartilage is made up of highly specialized cells and a matrix of proteins. It is more matrix than cells because cartilage does not contain blood vessels to receive oxygen which creates a low-oxygen tissue that is not an ideal environment for cells. The matrix of cartilage is made up of proteins known as collagen and proteoglycans as…

The Holistic Canine started 2020 off at a lightning pace. Business was booming and I was having some concerns about keeping up with the pace. With COVID-19 now at the forefront of our lives, pet parents have turned their focus to their own health and public safety. During this difficult time, The Holistic Canine will continue to work full-time to help pet parents to continue serving their dogs’…

Ten Facets of Canine Health

A guide to cultivating optimal canine health

Naturopathic medicine recognizes several “doctors” that are vital for health. These “doctors” (also known as needs) are what I have coined facets of health. When it comes to both our health needs and the health needs of our dogs, there are specific requirements that are essential for the prevention of disease. These requirements contribute to the…

Can You Really Detox Your Dog?

Detoxification is not only NOT a myth, it is essential to health!

Several years ago, The Guardian published an article entitled “You Can’t Detox Your Body. It’s a Myth. So How Do You Get Healthy?[1]” The article, unfortunately, grossly misrepresented the physiological process of detoxification and the strategies that can be taken to improve and support the natural detox pathways. The truth is…

The Intimate Human & Canine Bond Demands We Provide the Best

A plea to correctly meeting your dog’s nutritional needs and more

The strength of the bond between a dog and his guardian never ceases to amaze me. It is a beautiful and harmonious relationship between two species remarkably entwined in an intimate connection surpassing the language barrier, the physical dissimilarities, and the purpose that drives life and intention. Both are united…

When Canine Cancer Strikes

An Experience with Thyroid Cancer

One year ago this month my beloved Siberian Husky, Damon (who is also the face of The Holistic Canine), was informally diagnosed with thyroid cancer. His thick and luxurious Siberian coat had hidden a growth that I did not notice until one day last October 2018. I was sitting on my bedroom floor tending to one of our Pitskies when Damon nudged me for some…

Is Your Dog’s Raw Diet Nutritionally Complete?

Supplementing and Balancing a DIY Canine Meal Plan the Correct Way

If you have made the decision to feed your dog a species-appropriate raw diet, then you have chosen to move into the direction of providing your dog with the best possible nutrition plan. With that resolve comes the need for research and learning. After all, we all want what is best for our dogs. In order to know whether or not…

Raw Food Sourcing Difficulties

What you need to know

Sourcing is often the most difficult aspect of raw feeding. Quality and affordability are generally the two most important factors and considerations when searching for nourishing ingredients that will be used to fulfill your dog’s energy and nutritional requirements. I place quality at the top of my list while affordability is often a necessity rather than a choice.

How To Properly Use a Ratio: The Raw Fed Dog

Creating a nutrient balanced meal with a “better” ratio

Let’s talk ratios. Ratios provide a super simple outline or guideline for feeding our dogs species-appropriate foods. The most common ratio is still 80/10/10. What that means is…

80% meat

10% organs (secreting)

10% bone

Simple, right?! The problem with the above ratio is that many pet parents, and especially those new to raw feeding, do…

When Raw Feeding Should Not Be Taken Too Literally

Did I get your attention? Good! There is raw feeding purism and then there is raw feeding done correctly and safely. The truth is, not all foods should be fed raw. While meat, organs, bones, and eggs should be fed raw, foods such as fish, shellfish, and most vegetables should not. In this article we will take a closer look why this is true.

Fish and Thiaminase

Thiaminase, also known as…

Essential Oils for Canines

A quick guide to safe essential oil use

When it comes to providing our fur-kids with relief from minor and chronic conditions, ailments, bumps, scrapes, injuries, anxiety, recuperation from veterinary procedures and surgeries, and from fleas and ticks, one of my favorite remedial therapies is the use of essential oils. Essential oils not only have powerful medicinal and relaxing, energizing,…

Raw Feeding for Dummies

Excerpt Lessons from our Raw Feeding Course

To take advantage of the full course available for FREE, please join The Holistic Canine: Raw Feeding, Naturopathy, & Keto group on Facebook!

What does my dog require? Lesson II

Your dog has several requirements that are necessary for health, health maintenance, healing, and disease prevention. If you are feeding a puppy, his or her needs are…

Cellular Methylation: Canine Health

The Importance of Methylation in Canine Health & Disease Prevention

Cellular methylation is an epigenetic mechanism that affects (controls) gene expression in animal cells and is responsible for the body’s most complex and vital processes. In other words, methylation turns genes on and off which directly affects DNA thereby playing a primary role in health and disease prevention. In my article…

©2019 Updated Version

Offering your dog the best possible nutrition plan does not have to be complicated. Not only that, but it does not have to cost you a fortune nor take up hours of your time providing daily meals. Your number one goal should be to supply your dog with everything he needs to cultivate and maintain optimal health along with preventing internal imbalance. Now this may seem…