Raw & Natural Nutrition for Dogs: The Definitive Guide to Homemade Meals »

Lew Olson has written for numerous dog magazines, including The New Zealand Dog Gazette, The Rottweiler Quarterly, Mein Hund Naturich Gesund, and The Total Rottweiler. An AKC judge and the president of two dog clubs, Olson has designed several dog supplement blends. She lives in Magnolia, TX.

***The first guide to both raw feeding and healthy homecooked meals for dogs.

In the whirlwind of information about local, organic, and whole foods, it’s easy to forget that our canine companions can also benefit from—and deserve—a more natural and nurturing diet. Preparing Fido’s food at home may seem daunting, but it’s really not, says Lew Olson in Raw & Natural Nutrition for Dogs. Olson discusses canine nutritional needs and explains the research on how home-prepared foods, particularly raw foods, can meet pets’ needs better than commercial, processed dog food. Step-by-step instructions and recipes make preparation easy. The book includes charts with the recipes, instructions on keeping diets simple and balanced, guidelines on preparation, suggestions for finding ingredients, and how much to feed a dog by body weight. There are recipes for healthy adult dogs as well as guidelines for puppies, senior dogs, and dogs with health conditions including pancreatitis, renal problems, gastric issues, allergies, heart disease, liver disease, and cancer. Pet owners seeking to give their dogs a better coat, better skin, and healthier teeth and gums, as well as longer lives and more stable temperaments, are sure to welcome this book.

Introduction ix

Part I Nutrition Basics 1

Chapter 1 The Untold History of Dog Food 3

Chapter 2 Canine and Digestion Anatomy Made Simple 13

Chapter 3 Protein Is a Dog's Best Friend 17

Chapter 4 The Real Low-Carb Revolution 23

Chapter 5 Fats for Canine Health 29

Chapter 6 Getting the Mineral Balance Right 34

Chapter 7 Vitamins and Supplements for Canine Health 45

Part II Feeding Your Dog the Easy Way 55

Chapter 8 Feeding Homemade Diets the Easy Way 57

Chapter 9 Feeding Raw the Easy Way 64

Chapter 10 Feeding Cooked Diets the Easy Way 72

Chapter 11 No Quibble with Kibble 78

Chapter 12 Feeding Your Puppy 82

Chapter 13 Feeding Senior Dogs 92

Chapter 14 Diet and Pregnancy 95

Chapter 15 Feeding on the Go 101

Chapter 16 Working Dog Diets 105

Chapter 17 Why Your Dog Is Not a Vegetarian 110

Chapter 18 Picky Eaters 115

Part III Remedial Diets Made Simple 121

A Guide to this Section 122

Chapter 19 Heart-Healthy Diets 123

Chapter 20 Diets for Dogs with Cancer 132

Chapter 21 Diets for Kidney Needs 141

Chapter 22 Diets for Liver Needs 150

Chapter 23 Diet and Pancreatitis 158

Chapter 24 Low-Glycemic Diets 165

Chapter 25 Diet and Skin Problems 176

Chapter 26 Diet and Joint Problems 180

Chapter 27 Diets for Bladder Health 187

Chapter 28 Diet and Gastric Problems 198

Chapter 29 Diet and the Immune System 207

Notes 213

Index 219

About the Author 227