Best Wolfish Dog Breeds the Whole Family Will Adore (Including Grandma)

Utilizing Food Therapy As A Holistic Approach

A certified food therapist discussed holistic advantages to certain diets during a lecture at the 2024 Fetch Coastal conference.

FurryFritz/stock.Adobe.Com

Susan Bohrer, DVM, CVA, CVFT, an integrative small animal practitioner and owner of Chi Dog pet meal service in Claremont, California, shared a holistic perspective on pet diets during a lecture at the 2024 Fetch dvm360 conference in Atlantic City, New jersey. During her talk on whole foods, she discussed different ways that individual foods affect patients, emphasizing that what works well for one patient may not be the best course of action for another.

According to Bohrer, Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) is comprised of 4 branches: acupuncture, herbal therapy, Tui Na (therapeutic massage), and food therapy. In learning TCVM, she became more interested in food therapy when she saw improvements in patients with chronic conditions such as pancreatitis, liver disease,and irritable bowel disease, as well as those with skin conditions and obesity, she said.

She then compared raw and cooked foods for canines and felines, from the perspective of holistic medicine. She noted that although cooked food is easier to digest than raw food, raw food is appropriate for some patients. "Raw is most suitable for healthy, strong dogs and cats because raw requires more energy (or Qi) to digest. This is why the young, active dog or cat with a good body condition thrives on raw food while the senior or sensitive dog or cat does not," she said.

Bohrer noted that older dogs, young puppies and canines with sensitive stomachs may fare better with cooked food, rather than raw. She said cooked food can help strengthen the spleen and gastrointestinal (GI) microbiome in these pets.

A pet's dietary needs may need to be amended as they age and their bodies change, Bohrer noted. She used the example of a dog that is on a raw diet for 10 years and is suddenly losing weight and having GI issues. "They won't eat that raw [food] that they previously loved. And the client is usually very committed to the raw, so they want their dog on it, and they're frustrated," she said. "Why isn't this dog doing great on it anymore? So usually I'm just telling clients, 'This is just, you're going to feed your dog differently.'"

Bohrer also educated attendees on the energetics of food, which is how an individual food affects the body. When a patient is imbalanced with too much heat, for example, therapy would be feeding cooling foods, and vice versa. Additionally, an internal dryness requires hydrating foods, she noted.

Warming foods, such as chicken , lamb, venison, oats and winter vegetables, are considered gentle foods in TCVM. Cooling foods such as turkey, rabbit, duck, barley, brown rice, and summer vegetables, are anti-inflammatory, and neutral foods are hydrating and include, for example, beef, port, salmon, eggs, potato, cauliflower], and carrots.

"So I always think about chicken and rice," Bohrer said. "You know, the dog has GI upset. They go home. Client makes chicken and rice. They feel better [and are] looking good. They just needed a gentle chew tonic, right? It's just easy on the tummy. [The combination of] chicken and rice is always a version of, like, chicken soup, right?"

Seeing the benefits that food therapy brought to patients in practice, Bohrer began providing home cooking recipes to her clients. These recipes included food toppers for cats and easy, balanced meals for dogs. "Over and over I saw improvements as I brought in food therapy my patients. Especially for those chronic disease patients who were already on the recommended treatments," she said.

Reference

Bohrer S. Healing with whole foods: TCVM food therapy, using real food not processed food. Presented at Fetch

Americans Reveal The Weirdest Things Their Dogs Have Eaten

Thousands of Americans have come together to answer a burning question—What are the weirdest things your dogs have eaten?

Many dog owners will have stories of their pups eating their shoes, phones, garbage, or essentially anything they can get their teeth into. However, a survey commissioned by Darwin's Natural Pet Products and conducted by Talker Research between September 20-25, asking 2,000 dog owners for the strangest things their dogs have ingested, has revealed there are things much worse than a pair of bitten shoes.

One respondent revealed that their dog had got into the holiday spirit by eating a Christmas tree ornament, while one snapped up dentures—and one particularly devastating answer was the dog who pulled a "winning lottery ticket out of my purse and chewed on it."

That wasn't the only monetary loss. One owner recalled their dog chewing up money, another got into their owner's wallet and credit cards, while one pup had to be rushed to the emergency veterinarian after eating the tail from a fabric squirrel.

Barbie doll heads, a box of tampons, Vaseline and their owner's Social Security card also all made an appearance.

A dog is seen surrounded by chewed up household objects. A survey of 2,000 American dog owners found some of the strangest things their pets have eaten. A dog is seen surrounded by chewed up household objects. A survey of 2,000 American dog owners found some of the strangest things their pets have eaten. Wavetop/Getty Images

Among the weird answers, there were some concerning ones including a dog attempted to eat an entire stick of butter, another ate two trays of cookies and half a bag of flour, and one ate onions.

Some human food can be dangerous for dogs. The Kennel Club warns bread dough can bloat and cause stomach twists, while chocolate contains a chemical called theobromine, which is poisonous to dogs.

Onions and garlic also contain a substance that can cause life-threatening anemia in dogs, and any sweet or sugary things can lead to pancreatitis if eaten in large amounts, according to the Kennel Club.

The survey also found respondents had to stop their dog from eating something they shouldn't every three days, with this behavior peaking when the animal was 20 months old.

Seventy-seven percent of respondents worried about their dogs' health when they ate something they weren't supposed to, and 59 percent fear they don't always notice when it happens.

It also found that while 78 percent of owners are confident they know what a healthy diet for their dog should be, only 45 percent admitted feeding their dog a "very" healthy diet.

Some owners reported their dogs eating onions or other things harmful to dogs. Many worried their pets were eating things they weren't supposed to without their owners noticing. Some owners reported their dogs eating onions or other things harmful to dogs. Many worried their pets were eating things they weren't supposed to without their owners noticing. Talker Research / Darwin's Natural Pet Products

Over half would prefer to feed their dog a healthier diet, but 46 percent of people found healthier dog food options too expensive, and 32 percent described their dogs as picky eaters who didn't like other brands they had tried.

"A pet food ingredient list should read like a home-cooked recipe, not a chemistry equation," Gary Tashjian, founder and CEO of Darwin's Natural Pet Products, said. "Pet parents want their pups to be happy and healthy, and that starts with having confidence in (and being able to pronounce) everything that goes into the dog's food bowl."

He added: "If you're on a journey to improve your pet's nutrition, that's wonderful. It might not happen overnight, but you can help them benefit from healthier options by sticking to a consistent feeding schedule and limiting treats in between meals. Aim for the highest-quality ingredients you can afford, including real meat (not meat by-products) and a variety of vegetables."

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.Com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.

Pet Wants Store Set To Open In Roanoke In 2025

Pet Wants owners Charlie and Cora Baker expect to have a brick-and-mortar location in Roanoke by spring of 2025.

The details

Charlie said Pet Wants specializes in providing fresh, small batch, slow-cooked natural dog and cat food, natural chews and treats. The couple got into the pet food industry because of health issues their own pet faced.

"Our dog, Nacho, had serious medical complications that were exacerbated by his diet," Charlie said. "Pet Wants never uses sugar, corn, wheat, soy, artificial colors or animal by-products. We love that Pet Wants provides wholesome, quality food for our beloved dogs and cats, helping them live longer, healthier lives."

Charlie said he and his wife Cora are currently operating Pet Wants as a mobile business at local markets and events. They also serve customers through online orders and offer delivery.

By Mark Fadden

Education Reporter

Mark joined Community Impact in November 2022 after spending almost 20 years as a freelance writer. He covers education for Grapevine-Colleyville ISD, Keller ISD and Northwest ISD. When he's not writing, he enjoys the outdoors, making his wife laugh and trying to keep up with his two teenage sons in the gym.

---