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News for You and Your Pet
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August 15, 2013
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Dear ,  We had a fabulous time at last weekend's National Capital Cat Show! It was wonderful to meet so many readers in person. I'd like to extend a warm welcome to all our new subscribers. In this issue:Nutrition is the foundation of good health, and it's one of the few things we can control when it comes to health, both our own and that of our pets. And just like with humans, the less processed the food, the better it is for our pets as well. In fact, it is quite possible that processed foods may be at the root of all feline illness. I don't usually talk about book reviews in this newsletter, but a recent review of Purrs of Wisdom in Best Friends Magazine was so fantastic, I just have to share it with you.
Wishing you purrs and wags,
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Are Processed Foods at the Root of All Feline Illness?
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Diabetes, arthritis, kidney disease, heart disease, low immunity, even cancer - all of these diseases are ultimately caused by chronic inflammation. Inflammation is the body's natural response to healing by bringing an increased immune response to the site of an injury or infection, but when inflammation becomes chronic, it damages the body and causes illness.
It has long been accepted in human medicine that processed foods cause and aggravate chronic inflammation, and this is also true for our cats. Highly processed pet foods may well be at the root of many of the degenerative diseases we're seeing in pets. Ironically, many veterinarians recommend these diets to their patients as the ultimate in "complete, balanced" nutrition. "Most small animal veterinarians spend the majority of their time as clinicians treating inflammation," says Dr. Steve Marsden, one of the chief educators of veterinarians worldwide in complementary veterinary medicine, with board certifications in Chinese herbology, acupuncture, and naturopathic medicine. "For some, it is disheartening how they have to continually reach for the same old anti-inflammatory drugs, with all their attendant side effects. More alarming, too, would it be, if they realized the diets they sell in their front office were actually the cause of all that inflammation."
A processed diet high in fat or carbohydrates creates a vicious cycle of sustained oxidative stress and damage from inflammation, which can eventually lead to insulin resistance, obesity and cardiovascular disease. This is often referred to as Metabolic Syndrome. This has been well documented in human medicine, and is probably even more true for an obligate carnivore like the cat.
Once Metabolic Syndrome is present, inflammation becomes more entrenched and less likely to resolve itself. Conventional treatment with corticosteroids only amplifies insulin resistance, and can result in full-blown diabetes.
Genetics also play a role in the development of disease, but cat guardians have no control over that. They can, however, control what they feed their cats.
Could unprocessed diets cure and prevent recurrent inflammation?
Studies on the human side have shown that food processing plays a major role in creating Metabolic Syndrome. In a study conducted in New Zealand on overweight, hypertensive humans, one group was asked to consume 62% of their daily calorie intake in the form or raw food, the rest as prepared or cooked. The control group ate a normally cooked or processed diet. After six months, the two groups were switched. While on the raw diet, participants experienced dramatic declines in metabolic syndrome markers and demonstrated weight loss and a reduction in blood pressure.
Unfortunately, raw foods have been much maligned by the veterinary medical establishment, and a recent position statement by the American Veterinary Medican Association essentially advised member veterinarians to discourage the feeding of raw diets. "Raw foods are the pariahs of the pet food industry, and are generally dismissed out of hand as unproven at best, and dangerous at worst, by the majority of veterinarians," says Dr. Marsden. "This professional antipathy seems to have resulted in studies of raw pet foods to date being strikingly unimaginative. Research into raw meat diets has almost exclusively and repetitively focused on their potential as a source of bacterial exposure, despite this largely being common knowledge among veterinarians and consumers."
What the AVMA and veterinarians who speak out against a raw diet overlook is that food processing does play a major role in the inflammatory process. Raw diets have a lower glycemic index, which helps reduce insulin resistance, inflammation and post-oxidative stress. Says Dr. Marsden "While outbreaks of food borne illness have not been identified despite the abundant use of these diets, there is no question that some risk exists. No attempt has been made, however, to hypothesize what kinds of benefits the diets might provide that, in owners' minds, justifies assuming this risk."
Cat guardians who are feeding raw diets usually find some pretty dramatic benefits even after just a few meals. For these cat parents, who witness anything from clearing up chronic skin conditions and diarrhea to improved hair coat and a stronger immune system, these benefits more than justify the perceived risk of feeding these diets - a risk that can be minimized by following simple common sense principles of basic food handling.
Even though the raw food segment of the petfood industry is growing, it is unlikely that the industry will embrace the message that food processing causes illness. It is up to cat guardians to educate themselves about the dangers of overprocessed foods, and make an informed decision about what they feed their cats for optimum health. Hopefully, as more cat guardians demand better nutrition for their feline family members, veterinarians and the petfood industry will find ways (and fund studies) to make safe, unprocessed foods to end the vicious cycle of inflammation in our cats.
A raw diet may not be for every cat, or every cat guardian. However, the argument for minimally processed raw or home-cooked diets is compelling.
Photo: istockphoto©Ingrid King, 2013. All Rights Reserved. |
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Purrs of Wisdom Reviewed in Best Friends Magazine
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It's always a thrill to see your book reviewed in a national magazine, especially when the review is as wonderful as the one Purrs of Wisdom received from Sally Rosenthal, who reviews books for Best Friends Magazine. Best Friends Magazine is published by Best Friends Animal Society, one of the largest animal sanctuaries in the world. Their Angel Canyon sanctuary in Kanab, Utah, houses more than 1,700 animals at any given time.
The fact that my book's review was featured on the same page as A Street Cat Named Bob by James Bowen only added to my delight.
Since it's a little hard to read the text on the image above, here's the full review:
"One of the loveliest memoirs about the ways cats can change one's life for the better is Ingrid King's Buckley's Story, which stayed with me long after I reviewed it a few years ago. So, I was more than pleased to receive a copy of Purrs of Wisdom, King's latest cat centered work. Readers familiar with the author's blog, The Conscious Cat, will find, in Purrs of Wisdom, many of the same themes about finding balance in one's life, living mindfully, and discovering reasons to be grateful for the small but essential gifts in daily life, from an early morning cup of coffee to a sleeping cat nearby. Although books featuring advice from cats abound, many of them are humorous and fanciful. The short essays that comprise Purrs of Wisdom, however, shine with integrity, thoughtfulness and grace." This is the kind of review that makes an author's heart sing.
© Ingrid King, 2013. All Rights Reserved.
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Highlights from The Conscious Cat
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 September 29, 2012
Paradise Springs Winery
Clifton, VA
October 6, 2013
Purcellville Public Library
Purcellville, VA
October 21, 2013
Middleburg Library
Middleburg, VA
March 12-14, 2014
Global Pet Expo
Orlando, FL
May 8-10, 2014
BlogPaws Pet Blogging Conference
Las Vegas, NV
Please visit the Events Page on my website
for more information and directions.
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