Customer Reviews

Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

This is an only slightly revised/updated version of Schultze's original spiralbound book "The Ultimate Diet." There are several books on feeding natural/raw/whole foods to dogs, and Schultze's book is the most restrictive, as it does not allow any grains, dairy products, blackstrap molasses, or raw honey (which many experienced breeders using holistic methods consider a "must" in dog rearing). Unfortunately many people new to raw feeding read Schultze's book and become convinced that giving their dogs even small amounts of whole grains or a little yogurt with raw honey is tantamount to poisoning them! Those of us who have been feeding a fresh foods diet for decades know that nothing is farther from the truth, but Kymythy believes that *all* dogs do better without grains, dairy, honey, etc., and of course her book includes testimonials only from people who agree with her. While it's true that some dogs do indeed fare better on a no grains/no dairy diet, others do much better on a more varied diet that includes small amounts of whole grains, yogurt or kefir, blackstrap molasses, and other foods Schultze feels should be avoided.
My biggest problem with this book, however, is that Schultze repeatedly passes of some rather controversial opinions as scientific fact. Not surprisingly, no footnotes are provided to back up any of her claims. She also uses the cancer research from Colorado State's veterinary school to imply that feeding grains and dairy products causes cancer. While it's correct that a diet high in certain fats and low in simple carbs is recommended for dogs with cancer (as well as those in remission), there is absolutely no evidence that a diet without grains and dairy products helps to *prevent* cancer. In fact, even the cancer diet recommended by Colorado State includes small amounts of whole grains. Cancer causes metabolic changes in the body which makes what is optimal for dogs with cancer not necessarily optimal for healthy dogs.
Of course I'm not recommending a grain-based diet (I agree that raw muscle and organ meats and meaty bones should make up the bulk of the canine diet), but small amounts of whole grain and cultured dairy products (e.g., yogurt, kefir) can add variety and valuable nutrients to the diet. Dogs, like humans, are individuals and it's important to remember that there is no one diet that is perfect for every dog.
Depending on the exact composition of Schultze's diet, deficiencies in certain nutrients are quite possible, and I would definitely not recommend a diet so low in carbohydrates for in-whelp bitches. On the other hand, if you have a dog with cancer or allergies to grains/dairy, this diet may be just what you've been looking for. It's easy to follow, but I do suggest reading a little more on canine nutrition.

If you are, I highly recommend this book. It's written in a easy to read style and is a great introduction on what is needed to successfully implement a raw food diet. This book covers a variety of material, including nutrition aspects, how to make up a meal, how to switch your animal over, and a basic guideline with amounts of various ingredients listed.

The book itself is spiral bound, making it easy to set on the counter the first couple of times you try the menu. There are 118 pages, which includes a natural care yellow pages at the end. Included in these pages are a list of books and newsletters to further your understanding.

The last chapter of testimonials from various people who have switched their pets over to a raw foods diet are touching and inspirational. This book made it easy for me to understand the benefits and the mechanics of a natural diet, that I've been left wondering why I didn't switch my dog over sooner.

I was new to RAW feeding prior to buying this book. I had done some research and reading on the Internet and already understood the concept of RAW feeding - the core food groups and the recommended proportions of each. However, I needed a book that would help me make the transition from just reading to actually preparing the meals for my pets. This book did not do it for me. It is more of a very basic "theory" book than a "practical" one. I bought the book online - if I had had a chance to flip through it first, I would have gone with another book.

This book pretty much just explains what the food groups are, how they contribute to the health of your pets and the respective pros and cons. But, like I said, you can get this information for FREE on the Internet! Schultze only gives ONE easy recipe for BOTH dogs and cats, with varying amounts of ingredients depending on the weight of your pet. After joining a few RAW feeding discussion lists, I was told that most of the things I read in the book are NOT recommended by fellow raw feeders (eg: feeding GROUND meat, veggies, kelp & alfalfa supplements and BOTH cod-liver oil and fish oil, etc.) Even I knew going in that you can't use the same recipe for both dogs and cats and yet Schultze only provides one recipe. Cats, I am told, especially don't need veggies, kelp or alfalfa and they don't need cod liver oil.

This book would have been more useful had I not done any of my own research first so overall I found the content to be quite disappointing. Somewhat informative but NOT very practical.

I've heard this book mentioned so many times, I decided to pick up a copy. The first thing I noticed was the absence of an index. That should have been enough of a red flag for me to give up on the book, but I read on. It took me about twenty minutes to finish the whole thing. I skipped the thirty or so pages of pointless one-sentence testimonials from random pet owners who feed their pets raw.

Who is the target audience for this book? It isn't people who are already feeding raw. All of the useful information can be found in other, older, far better books than this one. In fact, you can easily obtain all of the books Schultze copied her info from. It can't be for people who are new to feeding raw, because there is very little practical advice on how to go about feeding *your* dog. And it sure isn't cat owners, because the book is really geared toward dog people.

There's nothing really wrong with "Natural Diets," but there really isn't any reason to read it, either. Next book, please!

My Golden Retriever has suffered from allergies most of her life.She has been on the diet in this book for six months. After a detox period(explained in this book) which lasted 6-8 weeks,her overall health has improved tremendously.My dog is off all of her previous medication(antibiotics and prednisone), and her skin is clear,her coat is soft and thick, and her attitude is great. I would definetly recommend this book.I would also recommend seeking help from a homeopathic vet when switching to the diet.

Schultze's book attempts to provide "the ultimate pet diet," and it may be that raw or natural foods are wonderful for pets. But her book contains so much misinformation that it's impossible to rely on it at all.

On page 4, while summarizing the results of a study she does *not* provide any citations for, she states:

"The cats that were fed cooked food swiftly deteriorated in health until, by the third generation, they could no longer reproduce."

Unless there is something she's not telling us - like that the cats were also deprived of critical nutrients - this can't be true. If it was, we wouldn't have to worry about spaying and neutering pet cats - we'd have to worry about bringing them back from the edge of extinction. Virtually all commercial cat foods are cooked, whether kibble or canned, and many cats eat nothing else their whole lives - even for generations - and yet somehow we still have cats.

On page 5, she states:

"When the first- and second-generation cooked-food cats were placed on a raw food diet, it took four generations for their line to recover from the ill effects of consuming cooked food."

Unlikely. For any diet to have an effect as strong as the one she describes beyond the second generation after cessation of use, it would have to cause *genetic* change. Feline genes aren't so susceptible to mutation that a diet of good food that is cooked in a normal way - food like humans eat - could cause it, and if genetic change did occur, the cat line wouldn't have recovered.

These are just two examples, culled from the first pages of the book, but there are many others. I simply do not feel comfortable trusting my pet's health to a diet based on such unreliable information.

this book is a nice intro to the ultimate diet. the downside to this book is that it does not go into enough detail. also, half of the book is filled with testimonies on how well the diet has worked. i would like to see more scientific proof, as well as common sense recipes/ways to feed your pet the barf diet.

I read this book several years ago and have been feeding my dogs this diet for almost 2 years. They have never looked better! I found the book to be very well laid out, easy to read and gave me information I wanted and needed without being full of scientific jargon.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning more about feeding their pet a species appropriate diet- your pet will thank you for it!

I have read more literature on natural diets and "raw food" then I'd like to admit, and I like to think I know a little about the subject, so I approached this book with the "here we go again" mentality. I was pleasantly surprised!

Kymythy Shultze is very straightforward in her presentation of the facts surrounding commercial pet food. She lays everything out on the table in a matter-of-fact way which I find refreshing. It isn't the biggest book, nor is it a "complete guide" but I believe it is an accurate and enlightening book.

Best Features:
· Easy-to-read style
· Honest author who seems "friendly" and definitely credible
· Compiled facts for maximum information
· Short and to the point, yet not too superficial

Other reviewers have mentioned that you can find all of the information contained within its pages in other ("better") books. No, Shultze doesn't have any astonishingly new or outrageous views that can't be found in other natural pet food books or articles... and it is definitely geared more towards dog owners.. But this little book is a great introduction for the curious. Like any book pertaining to dogs, you will want to read more than just one before you consider yourself "informed" and I think this is a good book to begin with. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is partially familiar with natural pet diets or any dog owner willing to learn. I also think it would make a great gift for someone you love who has pets!

This is an easy and fast read. I found it incredibly interesting and a great starting point to putting my cats on a raw food diet. Unfortunately, this book left me with more questions than answers. There is no index so trying to find something again is a bit of a challenge. I recommend it for anyone thinking about going raw.