Cats and dogs should not live by meat and fish alone

Better Nutrition, Dec, 1996 by Patricia Andersen-Parrado

Even though cats and dogs are carniverous, they still need to eat their vegetables.

In fact, the August 1996 issue of Dr. Bob and Susan Goldtein's Love of Animals: Natural Care and Healing for Your Pets, Susan Goldstein points out ways in which your cats and dogs may be trying to tell you that they need their greens, writing: "It pains me to watch a person pull on their dog's leash to prevent the animal from eating grass." While she acknowledges that the dog is likely to come in and throw up that grass on the living room carpet, she believes that the desire to eat the grass is an indication that the dog is trying to tell you something about his or her natural needs. She says that this same message is being given by cats who insist on chewing on your houseplants.

How to help your cats and dogs get their greens

"Your dog eating grass or your cat eating houseplants is their desperate way to feed their bodies the enzyme-rich substances they crave. But munching on grass or plants can never restore their enzyme reserves. Their digestive tracts are too short to break down the nutrients in these plants," explains Goldstein.

Instead, she advises feeding your pet raw greens. She recommends a daily dose of fresh, chopped greens to dogs and cats of all ages, as well as chopped carrots or garlic. (Use organic vegetables whenever possible.) In addition to the health benefits your pets will reap from eating vegetables regularly, Goldstein says it is also likely that he or she will stop craving grass and your plants.

Chlorophyll helps your pets in many ways

Enzyme-rich green foods for your pets are also recommended by the authors of Are Your Poisoning Your Pet? They say, "Green foods are so important to your pet's diet because of the beneficial enzymes added and life giving force. For example, chlorophyll is an internal antiseptic, a cell stimulator, red blood builder, and rejuvenator. It relieves respiratory troubles and discomforts in the sinus and lungs and is beneficial to blood and heart conditions." They say that the best sources of chlorophyll are alfalfa, barley grass, wheatgrass, bluegreen algae, and spirulina. Another great benefit of chlorophyll is that it freshens breath.

Among the vegetables Goldstein advises feeding your pets are watercress, kale, dandelion greens, parsley, and Swiss chard. Optimal dosages are:

Cats and Small Dogs (1-12 lb): 1/8 cup daily

Medium Dogs (15-35 lb): 1/4 cup daily

Large Dogs (50 85 lb): 1/2 -1 cup daily

Giant Dogs (85 lb): 1 to 1-1/2 cups daily

You should avoid giving your pets rhubarb, spinach, or tomato vine.

Protect your pets from dangerous plants

Another good reason to discourage your cat or dog from eating plants, grass, or trees not meant for their consumption is that many plants are actually dangerous or poisonous to pets.

The following list of house plants, flowers, shrubs, trees, and wild plants which should be kept away from your pets was excerpted from Are You Poisoning Your Pets?:

House Plants: Daffodil, Philodendron, Indian rubber plant, Dieffenbachia, Poinsettia, and Mistletoe;

Flowers: Delphinium, Foxglove, Monkshood, Iris, Lily of the valley, Amaryllis, Morning glory, Daffodil, and Easter and Tiger lilies (cats);

Shrubs: Daphne, Azalea, Rhododendron, Lantana, Holly, and Wormwood;

Trees: Oak, Peach, Cherry, Elderberry, Black locust, Apple (seeds), and Oleander;

Wild plants: Jack-in-the-pulpit, Moonseed, May apple, Duchmans breeches, Water hemlock, Mushrooms, Buttercup, Nightshade, Poison hemlock, Jimsonweed, Pigweed, Locoweed, Lupine, Halogeton, Poison ivy, and Poison oak.

Be especially careful this holiday season to keep decorative plants and shrubs, such as poinsettia, mistletoe, and holly, away from your pets.

While shopping for your human loved ones this holiday season, also check out the wide assortment of all-natural pet treats and supplements available at the health food store to keep your four-legged friends healthy.

REFERENCES

Anderson, Nina, and Peiper, Howard. Are You Poisoning Your Pets? Murdock, Fla.: Nature's Publishing Ltd., 1995.

Goldstein, Robert and Susan. "Stop Fighting the Grass-Eating Battle by Giving Your Pet the Living Food Nature Intended," Dr. Bob & Susan Goldstein's Love of Animals Natural Care and Healing for Your Pets 2(8): 4-6, August 1996.