The topic of Dog Nutrition was the subject of discussion at The Orphanage Teachers Centre, in Adelaide South Australia, on Monday 26th January 1998. This function was held in conjunction with the Fourth National Rhodesian Ridgeback Championship Specialty Show and Restricted to Breed Obedience Trial, which took place over the previous two days. As convenor of this forum I prepared the following article for publication in the newsletter of the Rhodesian Ridgeback Club of South Australia.

Our guest speaker from Bathurst NSW, was Dr Ian Billinghurst, the author of the book "Give Your Dog a Bone", who gave an information packed presentation which was enthusiastically received by the 130 people who attended. The unique venue for this forum, a character filled old building surrounded by open lawned areas and shady trees, and the scrumptious food served by the caterers, all combined together to produce a highly successful function, which has been the recipient of many words of thanks and praise.

Dr Billinghurst believes very strongly in the principle of feeding dogs raw natural foods throughout their lifetime and believes that commercial dry and tinned foods slowly cause damage to internal organs and structure leading to disease and early death. Health problems such as arthritis, skin problems, allergies, cancer, kidney disease, bladder problems and problems related to nerve function etc., are an everyday occurrence for any vet, in dogs which are only in the middle years of their lives.

On this occasion Dr Billinghurst was offered the opportunity to put forward his viewpoint, however, I am aware that different people have different viewpoints on matters such as these. I hope that you find the following information of interest, and leave you to make up your own mind as to what you will feed your dog. The following is a summary of some of the main points put forward and discussed on the day.

THE COMPLETE AND BALANCED MEAL

In nature nobody serves up complete and balanced meals to wild dogs. Over a period of two or three days wild dogs eat a variety of foods of different types and remain perfectly healthy. There is no need to make every meal "complete and balanced" or to even attempt to achieve this. Dogs fed a variety of foods from day to day will have all of their nutritional requirements met, and remain perfectly healthy. We need to relax about this whole concept, because advertising has been telling us the exact opposite for so many years.

RAW NOT COOKED

Raw foods contain rich sources of healthy nutrients such as proteins, carbohydrates, fatty acids, enzymes, anti-oxidants, and vitamins. Cooking causes changes to nearly all of these nutrients. In the wild, dogs feed exclusively on raw foods and their digestive system is designed to process raw foods. Many people make up a home cooked stew for their dog not understanding that the cooking process makes many of the nutrients change, or combine together with other chemicals so that they can, no longer be digested, or become unavailable for use.

The food intake of a dog needs to consist of supplies of Proteins, Carbohydrates, Fats, Vitamins, Minerals, and Water.

Proteins are needed for building new structures and chemicals in the body and are easily found in a large variety of foods including meats and vegetables. The body is able to build its own proteins from food materials supplied if they contain all of the essential Amino Acids. Lack of protein is not usually a problem, however, oversupply leads to larger quantities of toxic ammonia compounds which need to be excreted from the body.

This places extra stress on the kidneys as they perform this function. One indicator of this is the urine burnt patches on the lawn. An adequate supply for most dogs is 10 to 12% of daily food intake, with most dry dog foods containing from 25% to 35%. A small quantity of quality protein from egg, cottage cheese, or lean beef and other fresh meats will do the job. We Australians seem to have an unrealistic belief that the more protein the better.

Carbohydrates are most beneficial in the form of fibre, which is essential in the maintenance of a healthy functioning digestive system. They are also needed for energy supply and are easily found in a large variety of foods, and the body is able to break down excess supplies of proteins and fats to function like carbohydrates as an energy source. Lack of carbohydrate is not usually a problem, however, excess supplies will be converted to fat and stored, leading to an overweight dog.

Fats are needed for a large variety of functions in the body, and can be found in a large variety of foods including meats and vegetables. Both Omega-6 and Omega-3 essential fatty acids must be part of the regular food intake. The Omega-6 group is more stable and more easily found in foods, and the Omega-3 group is less stable and less common. All fats and oils are affected by light, heat, and air, leading to breakdown, and they become more and more rancid with time. For these reasons the supply of essential fatty acids in the diet can be a problem, and may lead to health problems if deficiency remains over a period of time.

The main cause of many skin problems which commonly occur in dogs is the lack of all required essential fatty acids in the diet, in adequate quantities. Many of the so called allergies and rashes, are in fact an essential fatty acid deficiency. Any processing of foods such as cooking, and exposure to heat, light, and air, will contribute to the breakdown of essential fatty acids. The age of food is therefore very important, the fresher the better, as storage of foods where light, air, and temperature variations occur, will contribute to its deterioration. The only alternative is to add preservatives to foods to slow down this breakdown process. The body is unable to manufacture the essential fatty acids.

Dr Billinghurst highlighted the essential fatty acids during his presentation, particularly the Omega-3 group, recommending the need to pay attention to this component of daily food intake. You can supply all necessary essential fatty acids in adequate quantities by choosing foods containing high quantities of them.

Essential fatty acids are found in raw meats such as, chicken, rabbit, and beef, with chicken containing the best balance of both types. Animal sources high in Omega-3's are lamb's liver, raw eggs, and brains, and plant sources include oats, mushrooms, baked beans, spinach, and bananas. The addition of oils containing even higher concentrations of the essential fatty acids is another alternative.

Cod liver oil is also an excellent source of the Omega-3 group, but it must be fresh, and once again free from exposure to heat, light, and air. Vitamin A toxicity may result from the over use of cod liver oil as a food. How long has the bottle been sitting on the shelf ? What temperature variations has the bottle been exposed to during transport and storage ? Has heat been used during the extraction process ? Is the container opaque to prevent transmission of light, and totally air tight ?

Linseed oil or Flax Seed oil as it is also known, has the highest concentration of Omega-3 essential fatty acids without the vitamin A problem. It must be food grade quality and not the rancid variety from the hardware store. The oil used should be extracted by cold pressing in the absence of light and air, and stored in a refrigerator or freezer (it will not solidify). Your local health food store should have some in the fridge, either Melrose brand which is also organically grown, or Stoney Creek brand which has two types, organic and non-organic. These are premium products, and at $19.50 per 500mL they are not cheap, however, one teaspoons a day should be all that is needed to ensure that no deficiency exists, so it will last for a reasonable period. Goodies and Grains, at the Central Market has a range of cold pressed oils in bulk drums, including Linseed. Take your own container to purchase these oils at even lower prices. I have found a supply at $6 per 500mL, which requires one additional filtering process to make it food grade. This product is perfectly suitable for use, and outstanding value for money

Other sources of Omega-3's with lower concentrations, and lower cost, are Hemp Seed oil, Rape Seed oil (Canola), and Soya Bean oil. Corn oil and Soya Bean oil have a good balance of both the Omega-6 and Omega-3 groups. Once again these should be labelled as cold pressed. The oils on the supermarket shelf will have been extracted using heat or steam, or dissolved by hydrocarbon solvents. They are treated with sodium hydroxide to improve the taste, and bleached with chemicals or heat to give a lighter more appealing colour. These processes will greatly reduce the essential fatty acid content.

Do not let the dogs be the only ones in the household to benefit from an oil supplement. If your skin and hair are dry take one or two teaspoons of Linseed oil or similar per day and watch for improvement as a deficiency in essential fatty acids is rectified. Add to cereal or salad dressings.

The grains such as wheat, corn, and rice are not suited to the digestive system of the dog, and they get very little benefit from eating them. Overweight dogs can be fed rice to fill up the stomach and make them feel full without fattening calories. The grains are the only food group which needs to be cooked, and quick cooking oats or porridge is recommended because they have been processed so that the dog can get some nutritional benefit from them, and they contain a small but significant level of essential fatty acids. Many dry dog foods contain more grain than any other ingredient.

---

FEEDING YOUR DOG

The following is a recipe for your own home made dog food, supplied by Dr Billinghurst. The mixture you make can be frozen as patties, or in containers of a size to suit your needs.

Start with 1kilogram of mixed vegetables.

Carrot, pumpkin, sweet potato, spinach, broccoli, celery, outer lettuce leaves, zucchini, are some examples. Keep away from the cabbage group. You do not need to buy the best, e.g. horse carrots, and you can collect discarded leaves and stems at no cost. These must be finely grated, or best of all put through a juice extractor so they are turned into mush. A vitamiser, food processor, or blender, may also do the job. In the wild, dogs eat the stomach contents of other animals which have ground and chewed these plant materials into a pulp. Dogs are unable to digest vegetables unless the grinding has been done for them. Another alternative is to freeze grated vegetables so that when they thaw they are soft, mushy, and juicy.

It is suggested that this be served as the evening meal, while the morning meal should consist of raw meaty bones. Raw chicken necks, wings, or carcasses, raw lamb flaps, raw beef brisket bones, in that order in terms of quantity, are recommended.

Other items which may be added to the evening meal are cottage cheese, baked beans, sardines, quick cooked oats or porridge, over ripe fruit, and any left overs from the kitchen. Apple cider vinegar may also be added to acidify the meal, and as a general tonic containing electrolytes. It needs to be fresh from the health food store with the mother culture present - $2.20 per litre, take your own container - and not the filtered, pasteurised variety from the supermarket. Two teaspoons - 10mL - should be adequate, and why not take a daily dose yourself in half a glass of warm water. Many people praise the health benefits of apple cider vinegar as a tonic and "pick me up".