Pet Grub: raw meat diet, holistic health and nutrition for dogs and catsPet Grub

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Part 3: Can I Feed Too Much Raw Meat or Protein

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I've got a question for you, which will be asked in just a minute here, but before that, some background info...

I am feeding Bekkie Boo Boo all raw now — raw chicken chunks (mostly deboned thigh meat) with some skin, raw chunks of stew meat, and raw turkey. I add about 1–1.5% chicken liver with each meal as well. I've been doing this for about 2 weeks now. She gets about 1.5–2 ounces in the morning and the evening.

I have found she prefers the raw meat after I have sprinkled on the supplements I got from you, the calcium egg shell, the digestive enzymes, the Rena GO, and the Pet GO. I actually do Pet GO on her morning meal, and Rena GO on her evening meal, and just 1/2 a tab each time — I feed her 2 times a day.

I am thinking of cutting back a bit, since she has been indoors lately because of the cold temperatures here, and not getting much outdoor exercise, and she is not overweight, but definitely not skinny either. But she loves the raw so much, I probably have given her more than she needs.

Since I have been doing all raw, I have never seen her go to her water fountain, but maybe 1 time in all the 2 weeks, and this has not concerned me, since I know she is getting enough water from the food, and when I clean her litter box, if she has been inside all day, her urine clump(s) are all normal.

Tonight I have noticed, she has been drinking a whole lot. She has been at the fountain at least 4–5 times for water, and this has been about 40 minutes after she ate her evening meal. I know because she rarely drinks and when she does it always gets my attention.

My questions are — can it be harmful on the kidneys to feed a cat too much raw meat? Can a cat get too much protein? Am I not giving her enough calcium — is she getting too much phosphorous?

I just want to make sure I'm not doing anything wrong here.

Jesse's Answer

I have to be honest, it appears you might be doing a few things wrong — not seriously wrong, but there appears to be a few areas where we can improve your methodology.

I say this because I want to help awaken you to full realization that Bekkie Boo Boo, your cat, is a carnivore. Once the fact that Bekkie Boo Boo is a carnivore is fully embraced, then things that are potentially being done wrong will be done right.

In my experience, the reason why people do things wrong is because there is some fear or hesitation to fully embrace their dog or cat as a carnivore. People still think in terms of human nutrition, not carnivore nutrition. As such, errors are made.

But when you let go of their fears and/or hesitations, a wonderful freeing experience happens whereby you allow Bekkie Boo Boo to fulfill herself — in this way she becomes not only healthier, but happier.

So first, some background information and thoughts.

To start with, I would give Bekkie Boo Boo 1 full wafer of Rena GO and 1 full wafer of Pet GO every day. You could give Bekkie Boo Boo the suggested dose for sick cats for the next 2 to 4 weeks if you want also because you previously mentioned she had cystitis. As a result, you could give 2 wafers of both Rena GO and Pet Go for the next 2 to 4 weeks while Bekkie Boo Boo detoxifies, gets stronger, healthier, etc.

Second, the protein is not a problem. Cats (and dogs) are meant to eat high protein. The problem with protein happens when the protein is difficult to digest and thus puts unecessary stress on the kidneys. The reason why cats (and dogs) get renal failure today is because they are eating cooked protein, thus putting stress on the kidneys. When a dog or cat has renal failure, the common veterinary approach is to put the cat or dog on a low protein diet. This in turn stops the kidney problem but ultimately kills the dog or cat. Why? Because dogs and cats are carnivores. They need protein. Without the protein, the carnivore will die. This is why, when a dog or cat has renal failure, the vet will say the pet has 6 months to live. The pet then doesn't die of renal failure, but ultimately from a lack of protein.

Believe it or not, but when a dog or cat has renal failure, some holistic vets will not reduce the protein intake, but will usually increase the protein intake. But the holistic vet will provide raw meat so the protein is in its natural state, thus making the protein easier to digest, putting less stress on the kidneys and ensuring the dog or cat will not die from a lack of protein. At the same time, the holistic vet will use things digestive enzymes, ensure the pet is getting enough calcium and will use or do something similar to, if not the same, as Rena GO and Pet GO.

So your concern should not be that Bekkie Boo Boo is not getting too much protein, but rather too little.

A cat is a highly carnivorous animal. A cat is almost as carnivorous as a snake. A cat needs protein and lots of it.

When you add the appropriate amount of EggShellent Calcium, then Bekkie Boo Boo will be just fine.

Saying all of this, a dog or cat eating a raw meat diet can still get sick. A raw meat diet does not guarantee miraculous health. However, without a wholesome diet, the body cannot be healthy — it's just common sense.

With age, the body always begins to break down. If it didn't, we would all live forever. So even with a wholesome and natural raw meat diet, eventually Bekkie Boo Boo can and will have some health problems.

The funny thing about a wholesome diet is that you can never know when it is working — why? Because the health problems don't materialize. With a wholesome diet, we cannot know which problems have been avoided. But people will always see the health problems and say see the raw meat diet doesn't work!. But for all we know, 10 serious health problems may have been avoided before the 1 health problem occured.

Age, genetics, etc, are some things we just have no control over. Eventually the body will begin to break down — such is life. But when you feed a wholesome raw meat diet, you give Bekkie Boo Boo the best opportunity for health and happiness — this is all that Bekkie Boo Boo or any pet asks us humans to do.

Now the following is the possible mistake I was talking about at the beginning and this is the part that I really want to waken you up to.

Feeding — Bekkie Boo Boo must be allowed to eat as much food as she wants at each meal. If you don't do this, Bekkie Boo Boo will remain nutritionally starved. Only when Bekkie Boo Boo is nutritionally satiated will full healing happen. Why? The body needs maximum nutrition to heal the body.

Remember, the body is never starving for food — but rather, for nutrition. Food is merely the source of nutrition.

So avoid thinking of feeding Bekkie Boo Boo in 1.5 to 2 ounce sizes. Instead, feed Bekkie Boo Boo as much as she wants until she walks away from the bowl with some food left on it.

This is important. A carnivore is a gouger not a grazer. A carnivore has a really large stomach. As such, they are meant to eat a lot of food in one meal. Now I know you are concerned about weight, etc. But don't be. I will explain why later.

This concept of feeding as much as she wants at each meal is important. When you feed as much as she wants at each meal, then her body will eventually get nutritionally satiated. This in turn will allow her body to actually reduce its food intake once the body no longer needs as much nutrition. Ironic, isn't it. Feeding as much as Bekkie Boo Boo wants will actually allow her to reduce her food intake. Not right away, but after about 2 weeks or so, her food intake will reduce, sometimes by 50% or more.

Initially, the quantity of food that is needed is higher because the body needs the nutrition for healing. Once the body has a full tank of nutrition, it then requires less nutrition to maintain a full tank.

But right now, it's like Bekkie Boo Boo has a hole in her nutritional fuel tank. So by feeding a wholesome diet, we not only give enough nutritional fuel for her body to heal, but we also give her body the strength to fix the hole. Once the hole is fixed, less nutrition is needed because the rate the body burns the nutrition is lower.

This ties in with my next thought. Bekkie Boo Boo, as a mature cat, only needs 1 meal per day. Let her eat as much as she wants at the 1 meal. She will be content for 24 hours. This is how a carnivore naturally eats. They hunt, catch enough food and eat it fast and as much as they can. They then go away, sleep, digest and then the next day, they start hunting again.

A carnivore, once it has enough food, never hunts twice in one day — that's a waste of energy.

By feeding twice per day, you are keeping Bekkie Boo Boo's digestive system active. Digestion always takes priority in the body. So when you eat food or when Bekkie Boo Boo eats food, the first priority is to digest the food. This means, that the body doesn't have enough rest time to put all of its energy into healing.

The digestion must have a break in it so the body can put its full energy into healing.

So only 1 meal per day for a mature cat or dog (puppies and kittens are different). Let Bekkie Boo Boo eat as much as she wants at the meal. Then wait until the next day, feed the same way again.

Many people have a hard time doing this, but it's the best way for a carnivore to eat naturally.

In the wild, if a carnivore cannot catch a large enough prey, then they keep hunting and eat smaller meals. But ideally, the carnivore tries to catch one large prey, eats as much as they can, rests and relax before starting the process again.

Lions, as an example, hunt primarily at night. Thus every 24 hours, at night, they go hunting and then eat.

A lion can and does walk right by a zebra and not attack as long as its stomach is full.

We want to fill up Bekkie Boo Boo's stomach so she is content for 24 hours. Then she can rest and heal.

Saying all of this, what I do with my cats is I feed them the amount they normally eat, but I add a little extra. I add enough so that over the next 2 or 3 hours, they come back and squeeze in just a little bit more food.

This is how a carnivore would eat in the wild. They catch their prey, eat as much as they can, then they sit by their prey protecting it. When they have some more room in their stomach, they eat a little more and then a little more. Eventually, they walk away for good or their stomach is just so big, they can't move and just sleep by their prey!

Okay — so how does all of this relate to weight.

Well, you don't need to worry. When you feed a wholesome diet, Bekkie Boo Boo will naturally eat only as much as she needs. Since the food is wholesome in nature, rather than processed, the food will benefit the health of the body rather than going or turning into fat.

The fact is that most cats sleep 18 hours per day. It's natural for a cat to sleep a lot. Cats are naturally lethargic in this way. Bekkie Boo Boo will never go for a walk like a dog. Cats hunt more on stealth and surprise than a dog who literally chases their prey.

The weight issue is actually a non–issue (:

So relax when it comes to the feeding. Really just get into the 1 meal per day routine while letting Bekkie Boo Boo eat as much as she wants.

Now, as for the drinking of the water.

Although you have been feeding twice per day, the reality is that Bekkie Boo Boo has been eating wholesome food for about 2 weeks now. Although her body is probably not nutritionally satiated yet, she has been getting more and more nutrition into her body.

This ultimately allows her body to begin detoxifying.

The increase in water probably indicates that her body is detoxifying and that her kidneys want more water to flush out something — perhaps crystals.

The healing of the body is a fascinating thing. When the body gets proper nutrition, the body responds and it's amazing how the body responds, how it heals itself, how it guides you to do things without knowing, etc. Actually, this reminds... earlier I mentioned that digestion takes priority. If the body is always eating, then healing cannot happen. I wanted to tell you that this is why people or pets often vomit their food while sick. The body doesn't want to waste energy on digestion and so the body vomits the food so it can put all of its energy into healing. Once back to normal, then body can eat food without vomitting — so that's an example of why it's better for Bekkie Boo Boo to eat one meal per day — and don't worry, she won't be stressed, etc. She will be quite content with 1 meal as long as you let her eat as much as she wants at the meal.

Anyway, the vomitting is also an example of how the mind guides the body into doing what needs to be done and when.

But the body can go into really deep healing and our pets show us how the body heals. If you watch Bekkie Boo Boo, then you will observe how the body works to heal itself. You will see the order in which things are done, etc. Of course, you can't see it all because a lot of healing happens internally.

But one thing you can see is the importance of wholesome and healthy nutrition — and the impact that it can have on your life too.

Chances are Bekkie Boo Boo is detoxifying now. Things might get worse before they get better. It's part of the healing process.

Hering's law of healing states:

  1. Things get worse before they get better (this is because the body will often flush out the problems).
  2. Things heal in reverse order (the most recent symptom goes first, the first symptom goes away last).
  3. Things heal from top to bottom (the body always heals the mind first and then works its way down to the feet and hands).
  4. The body heals from inside out (the internal organs are a priority, the skin is the last priority — inside out).

So as Bekkie Boo Boo heals, don't be surprised if things do get worse before they get better.

Ultimately, the amount of calcium, phosphorus, etc — it's all good and that's why she is now healing and getting healthier.

However, I always tell people to watch the symptoms because sometimes, the body tries to heal itself and just can't fully do it. Thus we then need some veterinary help.,/p>

I suspect though, that everything will be fine. Just pay attention. She may still detoxify for a few days or even a week.

She may loose her appetite (remember, digestion takes priority and so the body looses its appetite so it can heal itself), she may vomit, she may have frequent and uncontrollable urination, she may have loose bowel movements, etc.

The ear mites indicate her immune system is weak and so I wouldn't be surprised if she had worms too... which can come out — alive and moving.

Giving Bekkie Boo Boo some extra Pet GO and Rena GO, at the sick pet dosage, will help her body heal and respond a little faster.

Overall, you are doing a good job. Just always think in terms of carnivore nutrition (:

The fact that Bekkie Boo Boo is drinking more water now, after about 2 weeks of eating a wholesome diet, generally indicates detoxification. But just watch and pay attention. Her body will work to eliminate crystals. Usually the body will shrink them and then once the proper size, will work to eliminate them.

Don't be surprised if you see red urine too as this is the body flushing out kidney sediment (:

  1. Bekkie Boo Boo: Part 1
  2. Bekkie Boo Boo: Part 2
  3. Bekkie Boo Boo: Part 3
  4. Bekkie Boo Boo: Part 4
  5. Bekkie Boo Boo: Part 5
  6. Bekkie Boo Boo: Part 6
  7. Bekkie Boo Boo: Part 7

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