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A review by ela_lee_
The Forever Dog: Surprising New Science to Help Your Canine Companion Live Younger, Healthier, and Longer by Rodney Habib, Karen Shaw Becker
3.0
3.5 stars rounded down to 3. Although I agree with/understand most of the points made regarding the importance of dogs’ nutrition, 90% of this book was about diet. I was hoping to learn way more about dog health in general: exercise, mental stimulation, training, relationships with other dogs/humans, etc. It was very repetitive, very heavy on the biology, and I ended up skimming the last couple chapters, oops.
The main take-away from this book is that the same goes for dogs as it does for humans: eat less processed food, eat more whole foods, exercise, play outside and enjoy the natural world. Our dog’s food (even the expensive brands) are highly processed under extreme heat, unnatural, and aren’t required to undergo any standard metal/chemical testing. Pet grade is what can’t pass for human grade and that’s about it…kind of scary. So, feed your dog some produce, herbs, and organic proteins. Also, let dogs experience free will through "sniffaris" (an outing where your dog sniffs whatever they want and leads you where they want to go,) and let them attempt to practice zoopharmacognosy (the behavior in which animals self-medicate by selecting/ingesting plants, soils, insects, etc.) :)
New calculations show that genes account for well under 7% of peoples’ lifespan, not the 20-30% of most previous estimates. That means that the majority of your longevity is in your hands and based on your lifestyle choices.
(In reference to Colgate becoming one of the largest brand due to its sponsorship by dentist.) Soon enough, Science Diet replicated its arrangements with dental schools in the veterinary world, striking contracts with vet schools and even funding nutrition professorships. Today, every veterinary school has partnerships with one of the top five pet food brands.
We’ve inadvertently let the massive world-wide fast food industry dictate what constitutes healthy food and snacks, for both us and our pets.
Fifty years ago, vets saw patients mostly for acute injuries and infectious diseases. But these days, most patients we see are suffering with GI problems, allergies and skin issues, musculoskeletal issues, and organ dysfunction. It’s an epidemic.
FEDIAF.org publishes the most accurate science-backed information regarding food toxicity in pets. Significantly, it lists only three foods being toxic to dogs and cats: grapes/raisins, cocoa/chocolate, and members of the onion family.
If you’re going to buy dog food, we make one solid recommendations that applies to all dogs regardless of age, lifestyle, and geographic location. Avoid the dirty dozen list if at all possible:
-Any type of “meal” (meat meal, corn gluten meal)
-Menadione (synthetic form of Vitamin K)
-Peanut hulls (a significant source of Mycotoxins)
-Dyes/colors
-Poultry or animal digest
-Animal fat
-Propylene glycol
-Soy bean oil, soy flour, ground soy beans, soy meal, etc
-Oxide and Sulfate forms of minerals
-Poultry or beef byproducts
-BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin (authentic preservatives)
-Sodium selenite
Ultra-processed diets cause parallel damage. Repeated heating of food eliminates nutrients and bioactive compounds that prevent disease and degeneration, and it creates bio toxins that accelerate the cellular aging and dying process.
The main take-away from this book is that the same goes for dogs as it does for humans: eat less processed food, eat more whole foods, exercise, play outside and enjoy the natural world. Our dog’s food (even the expensive brands) are highly processed under extreme heat, unnatural, and aren’t required to undergo any standard metal/chemical testing. Pet grade is what can’t pass for human grade and that’s about it…kind of scary. So, feed your dog some produce, herbs, and organic proteins. Also, let dogs experience free will through "sniffaris" (an outing where your dog sniffs whatever they want and leads you where they want to go,) and let them attempt to practice zoopharmacognosy (the behavior in which animals self-medicate by selecting/ingesting plants, soils, insects, etc.) :)
New calculations show that genes account for well under 7% of peoples’ lifespan, not the 20-30% of most previous estimates. That means that the majority of your longevity is in your hands and based on your lifestyle choices.
(In reference to Colgate becoming one of the largest brand due to its sponsorship by dentist.) Soon enough, Science Diet replicated its arrangements with dental schools in the veterinary world, striking contracts with vet schools and even funding nutrition professorships. Today, every veterinary school has partnerships with one of the top five pet food brands.
We’ve inadvertently let the massive world-wide fast food industry dictate what constitutes healthy food and snacks, for both us and our pets.
Fifty years ago, vets saw patients mostly for acute injuries and infectious diseases. But these days, most patients we see are suffering with GI problems, allergies and skin issues, musculoskeletal issues, and organ dysfunction. It’s an epidemic.
FEDIAF.org publishes the most accurate science-backed information regarding food toxicity in pets. Significantly, it lists only three foods being toxic to dogs and cats: grapes/raisins, cocoa/chocolate, and members of the onion family.
If you’re going to buy dog food, we make one solid recommendations that applies to all dogs regardless of age, lifestyle, and geographic location. Avoid the dirty dozen list if at all possible:
-Any type of “meal” (meat meal, corn gluten meal)
-Menadione (synthetic form of Vitamin K)
-Peanut hulls (a significant source of Mycotoxins)
-Dyes/colors
-Poultry or animal digest
-Animal fat
-Propylene glycol
-Soy bean oil, soy flour, ground soy beans, soy meal, etc
-Oxide and Sulfate forms of minerals
-Poultry or beef byproducts
-BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin (authentic preservatives)
-Sodium selenite
Ultra-processed diets cause parallel damage. Repeated heating of food eliminates nutrients and bioactive compounds that prevent disease and degeneration, and it creates bio toxins that accelerate the cellular aging and dying process.