Customer Reviews

The Whole Pet Diet: Eight Weeks to Great Health for Dogs and Cats

5 star:		(45)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

After my always-healthy mini dachshund became suddenly very ill last year (with a mysterious "sterile inflammation" of the bladder - she couldn't pee), which cost five thousand dollars and put her through a week of torture at my vet and the local emergency care hospital, I picked up this book in a local bookstore, when I was searching for answers about what had really happened to my dog. Then I picked up her bag of Hill's Science Diet R/D chow, and discovered that in addition to byproducts, it contains a low grade pesticide! No wonder her immune system was going bonkers. I started cooking for her last November, and so far, she is doing great - her skin issues have cleared up, she is bright eyed and energetic, and her coat is glossy and soft. Once you get your ingredients together the recipes are easy to follow. I prepare a batch that lasts for three days and keep it refrigerated - easy. I highly recommend this book because commercial pet foods are really bad news, as the government doesn't care what ends up in it and doesn't regulate the manufacturing processes - if you can't eat it yourself, you shouldn't be giving it to your pet.

This book isn't bad, it has a lot of useful information in it about home-cooking for your pet. However, at times it does seem like vehicle for this woman to sell her company's products. Sure, she tells you how to make most things for yourself but at the same time for every feeding recommendation she makes, its her company that sells some miracle product that will fit in perfectly.

Other things I didn't like about this book were that there's no nutritional analysis given for the recipes. The book also doesn't advocate feeding variety strongly enough for my liking. She actually states that its better to feed animals your dog could actually hunt. My dog is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel... she can hunt paper towel rolls and that's about it! If you are going to be home-cooking for your animal you should be sure to use a variety of protein sources on a regular basis. Unless your animal is allergic to every other source, you shouldn't just give chicken all the time. That's a diet that's guaranteed to be deficient in some nutrient.

Dr Pitcairns Complete Guide to Natural Health is a better book. Whole Pet Diet is more readable and possibly more accessible but the quality of the information just isn't as good. Pitcairn, unlike Andi Brown, is actually a vet and pesonally that makes a difference to me when evaluating the quality of the information offered. If you are serious about homecooking, get both books. Or if you just want one, get Pitcairn. If you are more interested in finding out about dog food and the pet food industry itself then read Food Pets Die For.

Just for the record, I homecooked for a few months. It is expensive and quite complicated since you must use supplements and feed the correct balance of nutrients. You won't learn about this balance from Whole Pet Diet BTW. I did a lot of research, read several books and various online resources. In the end I switched to raw feeding. Less complicated, cheaper, nutrient quality is guaranteed and much more fun for my dog! Whole Pet Diet doesn't advocate raw feeding (though Pitcairn does) but that's probably because Halo doesn't sell a premade raw product... yet.

Ironically, I ordered this book for my overweight dog just prior to the big scare with rat poisoning in the various commercial dog and cat foods. I think that incident is making a lot of pet owners rethink their position on cooking for their pets.

Almost everyone originally thinks that there is NO WAY that they would have time to "cook" for their pet. The recipes contained in The Whole Pet Diet couldn't be EASIER. (And I'm SURE that they are less expensive than commercial food.) The primary stew for dogs or cats makes 20 cups and you are urged to divide it into portion Ziploc servings and freeze the servings that you don't use in a 3-day period.

HOwever, this book is MUCH MORE than just recipes. It is an 8 week plan to bring play and nutrition and well-being to your cat or dog. It is filled with WONDERFUL success stories. I highly recommend it and have sent copies to several of my friends.

I barely have time to cook for my husband and myself, so there's no way I'm going to spend what's left of my free time making chicken stew for my dog...however, having said that, I did find this book to be a wealth of information about the kinds of things that need to be in her diet and the kinds of things that are actually contained in commercial brands of dog food. It prompted me to switch to a premium, organic meat-and-vegetable brand of dog food (sans grains, which I now know to be hard on her digestive system.) Yes, it's more expensive, but she's worth the extra money, and I feel more secure buying her food from a small, independent producer than getting huge sacks of kibble containing God knows what detritus from God knows where.

I was fascinated with the stories and the philosophy that Andi Brown has presented in her book. It all makes sense that man's best friend should enjoy fresh food without the poison that our government allows to be sold as nutritional. Andi Brown shares her recipes in a very generous way. As for me, I hate to cook, which is why it's great that she started her holistic food company 20 years ago for terrible cooks like me. In essence, the book has inspired me to make sure that my dog Rufus will always enjoy wholesome food. Makes me want to eat healthier too!

I found this book after I fed my dog contaminated pet food. There were some really great starter tips on your pets diet "do's and don'ts". Since dinner time rolls around quickly, I initially did some quick skimming for a suitable recipe,I did find the book user for this sort of occasion. Although I was initially overwhelmed with many ingredients, some of which I never heard of before. Nonetheless, I love my dog and I was off on a scavenger hunt. The downfall to this book (for me)was, lack of substitutions offered, Only few recipes offered. It is difficult to substitute ingredients when you don't even know what they are, much less their purpose in your pets diet. All in all, it was a learning experience that has peaked my interest for more knowledge.

If you are looking into this book, it is obvious that animals are important to you. I love animals... our home is an "animal home": 2 dogs, 4 cats (1 special-needs cat) and fish. I have always felt that I have provided "the best" for the animals we have taken in and loved. Even so, the recent pet food scare was a serious wake up call. Prior to the scare, I selected only "high-end" foods for our crew. After the scare, I switched to organic foods - thinking that would be a solve all - and started to do more research. And that research was SCARY. In addition to not trusting pet food sources and supply, I needed to address health issues for two of our gang: one diabetic cat and a Cardigan Welch Corgi who was experiencing allergy and health problems no matter what food we tried. Our Corgi wasn't even 2 years old, and slowly was developing many health issues: chronic ear infections, skin infections, skin lesions, irritated eyes and ears, no energy, depression, vomiting, malaise (I could go on and on). It kept getting worse. Our trips to the vet involved treating symptoms, and food trials to address his food allergy. This is when I started to look into a home diet.

I researched home diets that were developed by veterinarians. After nailing down the main components and needed supplements, I purchased Andi's book for additional input and recipe variations. Within ONE WEEK of trying the chicken stew, our Corgi Silas had a dramatic turnaround. Now I know other reviewers have mentioned a week turnaround as well - I was skeptical that something could happen that fast - but for us it really did! My husband and I were amazed and so thankful at the difference our home-cooked food was making. Our Corgi suddenly had the energy of a puppy, stopped scratching, his ears, eyes and skin started to clear. After many, many months now of cooking for my animals, our dog's health issues have been resolved. Even now I am still amazed.

I actually am very surprised that many vets still recommend food that clearly is not sound for our pets (even prescription diets were affected by the recall!). On another interesting note, as a test, I occasionally feed our pets "commercial" food. Without fail every time, one of the animals will continually throw up after eating (never happens with homemade), our cats' coats and skin start to get flaky and greasy, and our allergy-ridden dog will immediately start showing signs of food allergy - even with high-end organic food.

I know that one reviewer commented that their dog would never eat such a soupy food - I always cook the stew for long periods to thicken it. Also, this is certainly NOT an inexpensive route... especially if you are used to "supermarket pricing." However, if you currently buy holistic or organic pet food/ products, I worked out the cost and cooking homemade (for my animals at least) costs me just as much as I was spending before, maybe a tiny bit less. I make huge vats at a time and freeze into portions.

Every animal will have some preferences (our cats prefer the other cat recipes over the stew) but with trial and error, it's easy to find the right fit for your pet. I myself am very glad Andi Brown took the time and effort to research and write this book. I know her efforts have helped us to make a huge difference in our pets' lives. I strongly recommend this book.

If you haven't gotten your hands on Dr. Pitcairn's New Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats, this is a nice alternative to that book. Andi does a great job of going over what is in commerical kibbles and what the components mean.

Andi includes several meal recipes as well as treat recipes to keep your cat(s) and/or dog(s) happy. Andi also goes into details about the various supplements that she suggests that you use along with the meals. Included is information on various grains that are beneficial to use in the diets.

Andi encourages you to use a journal to first evaluate your animal's current state of health and then track the weekly progress you make. Many people find this part the hardest to do. My suggestion - start a diet blog for your pet.

The only big difference between the books is the size. Dr. Pitcairn's includes a section on how to deal with emergencies or diagnosing illnesses. If you're looking for strictly a diet book, this is the book you want to get.

I thought I knew a tremendous amount about healthful feeding of critters. I've given home and refuge to horses, dogs, cats, guinea pigs, gerbils, hamsters, handicapped turtles, iguanas, fish, and more. Then I read the Whole Pet Diet, and realized how limited my knowledge was.
Too often we trust the pet food mass production companies to provide our animal family with the proper amount of vitamins, minerals, supplements and treats. But now I understand the importance of organic, holistic, and home-made ingredients. Andi Brown has clarified the pathway to good health in a simple and sensible step-by-step program. You can take charge of your pet's well-being, and you come to realize that truly "you are what you eat". This book will ensure my pet's healthful future.

God Bless Andi Brown! We had an itchy Wheaten terrier with extremely thin hair. After following her diet, the results are amazing! I can hardly say enough about the essential fatty acid recipe! Daisy is so much calmer and really looking great. Thanks again Andi !!