Natural Pet Care

01/02/2026

Great article Dr C

CHECK OUT THIS PHD ON THE IMPORTANCE OF ANIMAL FIBRE...

We are all guilty of applying human nutritional research to dogs, because in many areas it absolutley applies. However, in some areas, the application of omnivore principles to a carnivore do not cut the mustard. Plant fibre is one of these areas.

Studies in cheetahs show us that "animal fibre", the more indigestible parts of prey, including hair, hide, fur, feathers, skin, bone collagen, connective tissue, keratin, elastin, bone material, etc, is important / vital to the digestive health of big cats.

Then, in 2024, D’Hooghe verified the same effect in domestic cats. Her PhD was entitled "The feline carnivore and their prey: how important is animal fibre and its structure in their diet?". You can find it online.
www.hdl.handle. net/1854/LU-01J99R153EHD7K5KW4DB76JGZ8

She defines animal fibre as poorly digestible nitrogen-rich tissues (fur, feathers, skin, bone collagen, connective tissue, keratin, elastin, bone material, etc) and evaluates its effects on digestion, fermentation, stool quality, and microbiome activity in the cat.

Her experiments reveal:

1. Animal fibre lowered harmful fermentation metabolites in cats

2. Including animal fibre ingredients resulted in a more beneficial short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) balance in the bat, including a higher acetate : propionate ratio

3. Animal fibre improved stool quality and faecal structure in the cats, increasing faecal bulk, producing firmer, more consistent stools and resulting in reduced stool variability (including less episodes of diarrhoea).

4. Animal fibre resulted in better regulation of gut motility and transit, boosting colonic distension (triggering peristalsis) and normalising passage rate and stool regularity

5. Also, animal fibre promoted a more stable microbial ecosystem consistent with wild-type carnivore microbiomes, likely explaining the lower toxin load and improved fermentation pattern seen in whole-prey feeding models.

6. Finally, D’Hooghe emphasises that animal fibre’s three-dimensional protein-keratin-collagen matrix. The net result is it persists longer in the gut, providing better mechanical stool scaffolding and delivering slower, steadier microbial fermentation.

In this way, D’Hooghe shows us that while animal fibre may appear different to plant fibre (one is made of tough meat protein, the other of tough plant carbs), what matters is not their origin but their function to the digestive health of the animal in question.

If fibre is important because it adds necessary bulk to the stool, stimulating motility, and shaping stool, and if its also "vita" for the gut flora, creating fatty acids etc, then fur, feathers, cartilage, connective tissue, and bone matrix do that just fine, at least in cats.

This is why my fibre talk concludes that fibre should be defined by function, not by source.

And all this is before you consider the proven DOWN SIDES of plant fibre in the diet, including aggravating diseases such as constipation, IBD and bloat, not to mention the fact the dogs / cat's rapid digestive system does not need to be "slowed down" by plant fibre. In fact, studies show plant fibre binds their taurine-conjugated bile, resulting in nutritional deficiencies, not least of all taurine, a major risk factor for DCM in meat eaters.

***
If you like this, you're going to LOVE my FREE 3hr lecture on plant v animal fibre...link in comments!

19/01/2026

Great news more BS are we all reassured?

27/11/2025

Thanks Nick good advice

Get • Not all cooking oils are created equal 🍳🛑
Some boost your health—others fuel inflammation.

✅ Cook with: butter, ghee, tallow, coconut oil, virgin olive oil.
❌ Avoid: sunflower, canola, grapeseed, corn oil & plant-based butter.

Choose smarter fats for better health.

27/11/2025

Thanks Lise great reminder

Researchers in the U.K. researched outcomes from homeopathic prescribing in veterinary practice in a prospective, research-targeted, pilot study.

Practitioners submitted data regularly and punctually, and most data cells were completed. 767 individual patients were treated (547 dogs, 155 cats, 50 horses, 5 rabbits, 4 guinea-pigs, 2 birds, 2 goats, 1 cow, and 1 tortoise). Outcome from two or more homeopathic appointments per patient condition was obtained in 539 cases (79.8% showing improvement, 6.1% deterioration, 11.7% no change; outcome not recorded in 2.4% of follow-ups). Strongly positive outcomes (scores of +2 or +3) were achieved in: arthritis and epilepsy in dogs and, in smaller numbers, in atopic dermatitis, gingivitis and hyperthyroidism in cats.

Source: Mathie RT, Hansen L, Elliott MF et al. Outcomes from homeopathic prescribing in veterinary practice: a prospective, research-targeted, pilot study. Homeopathy 2007; 96 (1):27-34.

14/07/2025

"Our research indicated that dogs fed a non-processed meat-based diet during the weaning period, puppyhood, and adolescence, which corresponds to the age range of 1 month to 1 or 1.5 years, were associated with a significantly lower risk of developing DC later in life. Conversely, dogs consumed an ultra-processed carbohydrate-based diet during the same periods was associated with a significantly higher risk (p = 0.01, p = 0.001, and p = 0.02 for weaning, puppyhood, and adolescence, respectively). Additionally, residing with other dogs was significantly associated with a decreased likelihood of DC development later in life (p = 0.015). Moreover, from the non-modifiable factors model, a maternal history of DC and small size of the dog were strongly associated with an increased risk of DC development later in life."

11/07/2025

This is particularly a problem I perceive in my professional work. Both conventional vets with fixed views about treatments and diets but also many followers of alternative medicine who see no good in allopathy. Always question

The problem in today's education..

27/06/2025

Never mind the reduction in skin disease and so much more

Good Morning Friday 😁

We've always known it 🥰 And with the number of raw brands we always have in stock there has never been a better time to swap to raw.... worried about your vet???

Show them this!!

We’re excited to share new, science-backed insights that support what many of you already believe: a raw diet sets dogs up for a healthier life.

A 2023 study published in Scientific Reports, based on data from over 16,000 dog owners, found that puppies raised on non-processed, real foods, like raw meat and bones, were far less likely to suffer from chronic enteropathy (CE), a common but serious gut condition.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-27866-z?utm_source=Klaviyo&utm_medium=campaign&utm_campaign=Scientific%20Research%20June%20-%20B2B&utm_id=01JTTP3ZR1SGANVBV97XF383G6&utm_term=01HNDCKKSYVM71RPWVWG6QANG0&_kx=Ts0t9v5ZVsGchQz1a903CCQ6Vfbth8OOTdVQYpb1h5XBsyaixVIao7Bqr_VTG-DR.SmWxds

It's a bit of a read, so I will cut to the chase.... here is the conclusion of the study 🙌👏👌

Conclusions
World-wide, companion dogs are increasingly considered as family members, and consequently there is a growing focus on the health benefits of their diets. While studies on metabolome, microbiota, etc. have started to emerge, more scientific studies are needed to evaluate the overall benefits and risks of canine diet styles, especially regarding their impact on health and lifespan. Diet choices during puppyhood and adolescence are modifiable factors which, according to our results, might lessen or increase CE incidence later in the dog’s life. Our study provides proactive dog owners with information on healthy diets and of what food items to use and to avoid. The key findings from the present study confirm the tested hypothesis as we found a significant association between companion dog puppyhood and adolescence diet and the tendency to develop CE in adulthood. Feeding NPMD, even as an addition to UPCD, and giving the dog human meal leftovers and table scraps were found to be protective against CE later in life. Especially raw bones and cartilage, berries and leftovers were found to be beneficial. Therefore, we conclude that providing a variety of fresh, “real” foods for the dog especially during puppyhood, but also at young age, was identified as a significant potential protective factor of CE incidence later in life. On the contrary, feeding mainly or exclusively UPCD, namely dry dog food or “kibble”, during puppyhood and adolescence, or rawhides at least a couple of times in a month during puppyhood were found to be significant potential risk factors for CE later in life. A home-cooked diet was not significantly associated with CE incidence later in life in this study.

18/06/2025

Even the prescription or premuim types avoid uktra prcessed foods for you and your pets please

Posted • Kibble: A slow recipe for disease, masked with synthetic flavor. 🐾

Visit www.billinghurst.institute. Link in bio🌟

Also, don’t forget to follow us on Facebook to stay connected. 🐾

20/05/2025

10/05/2025

Is this for real. Tell us of your experiences with librela, cytopoint etc

LIBRELA TRAGEDY
Can't stop thinking about the results of that Librela study by Farrell et al. (2025), published yesterday.

Ligament/tendon injury, polyarthritis, fracture, musculoskeletal neoplasia (new bone growth) and septic arthritis were reported NINE TIMES more frequently in Librela-treated dogs than the combined total of dogs treated with the comparator drugs for osteoarthritis.

Again, 9 times more than all the other drugs combined.

The 18-member expert panel unanimously concluded a strong suspicion of a causal association between Librela and accelerated joint destruction.

Many, like vet Josie Beug, have been warning us for a year to pay heed to the fact Librela managed to accumulate many times more adverse event reports since its release in the US in Oct 2023 (12,234 serious adverse event reports in just 18mths in America alone) than its nearest competitor, Rimadyl has EVER.

Bedinvetmab (Librela) was unleashed on the US pet market in October 2023 with an enormous budget from Zoetis and two small (highly questionable) studies (conducted by them). And that's all it took for, it seems, the worlds vets to start recommending it.

Because that's how it works, isn't it? A brand new, patented drug, shat out by the industry, accompanied by two little studies (run by them) and off we go to the races.

The first study, a safety and tolerance study, looked at varying doses of Librela (1mg/kg, 5mg/kg, 10mg/kg) in young, healthy, intact dogs aged 11-12 months. There was just 8 dogs in each group. After 6mths they did neurological tests, checked their vitals and that was that.

See, the manufacturers tested their drugs on young, robust dogs with no joint issues.

Farrell et al. (2025) were looking at side effects in older dogs with joint disease.

And they can do that little trial as often as they like AND they don't have to publish all the negative ones.

This was followed by, if you can believe it, a 6-month in-field study of 89 client-owned dogs WHO HAD PREVIOUSLY DEMONSTRATED A POSITIVE RESPONSE TO LIBRELA. After 6mths, the few adverse events noted were within predicted norms.

Veterinary Evidence took a look at these couple of studies prior to Librela's launch and concluded the supporting evidence was "weak", that any decision to use bedinvetmab "remains dependent on the judgement and experience of the clinician".
https://veterinaryevidence. org/index.php/ve/article/download/598/903?

See that? The onus is shifted to the clinician.

Do you know why? Because time and time again, once enough money is paid to the right people, dangerous drugs WILL get to market in the full knowledge that our doctors appear completely unable to notice / track side effects from the medications they are recommending.

Much like the absolute explosion in adverse events reported to VAERS following the introduction of mRNA gene therapies into the population five years ago, it's literally incredible how clinicians today will consistently ignore any and all adverse event reporting systems that we have put in place to FLAG ISSUES (since the Thalidomide scandal) until someone else tells them to stop.

Why is that?

In 2021, there was 717,577 adverse event reports submitted to VAERS for all COVID-19 vaccines combiines (nearly 300 million were administered to Americans that year), when typically VAERS receives between 30,000 and 50,000 adverse event reports annually for all other vaccines combined (150 million administered in the US in a given year).

And remember, studies show the figures that are reported to adverse event reporting systems are approximately 1-5% of the ACTUAL events that are going on.

So, for context, that 12,000 adverse events for librela in just 18mths in the US would become 240,000.

Folk say, but 25 million doses were given!! Yes, GLOBALLY. If we guess that maybe half those were sold in the US, it means potential ruin for a dog every 1 in 50 doses. Dogs are taking it monthly.

But worse, it was very predictable that this was going to happen. The drug couldn't pass human trials due to side effects.

Bedinvetmab, marketed as Librela, is a monoclonal antibody designed to alleviate osteoarthritis pain in dogs by targeting nerve growth factor (NGF).

While bedinvetmab itself was not developed for human use, its mechanism of action is similar-bordering-identical to other anti-NGF monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that have been investigated in human clinical trials, namely tanezumab, fasinumab, and fulranumab.

Exactly like mRNA gene therapies before they were forced through in 2021, ALL trials for NGF monoclonal antibodies revealed major safety concerns that blocked their prior release, mostly concerning patients developing rapidly progressive osteoarthritis and accelerated joint degeneration. Even when adjusting the dose down and placing restrictions on concurrent NSAID use, the risks persisted. The US FDA had no other choice but to halt all trials of all anti-NGF monoclonal antibody treatments in 2012.

As folk will inevitably point out, there's no doubt Librela works for some, yes, the same way the mRNA gene therapies MAY have been useful in the initial stages for older, at-risk folk, maybe (although, side effects aside, studies show the more you took the more likely you were to get Covid...) but when you look at the data overall, its clear there is gong to be a lot of dogs very negatively impacted for life by this one.

At a minimum, please ask your vet for any other options in the osteo-arthritic pain relief department.

There are a plethora of things you can do to help osteoarthritis, the first is by reducing inflammation in the body. This means no more kibble as, studies show, it's inflammatory. Raw dog food is full of fresh calcium, glucosamine, chondroitin, hyaluronic acid, etc, all of which joints NEED. Moreover, the higher protein diets will reduce obesity, shown to greatly aggravate OA. You can jack up the omega 3, add some muscles. And this is all before you consider antiinflammatory, pain-relieving herbs like boswelia, devils claw. There is nutraceuticals. There is red light therapy. There is acupuncture. Massage. Hydro.

Has your vet done all of this with you before reaching for the NSAIDs and pain meds?

I doubt it. It's not vindictive. They know little about all those "alternative" (cheap, effective) treatments.

If you want some more options for osteoarthritis pain, askbradi .com.

If you feel you have been harmed, you can fill in the adverse event report yourself, doesn't need a vet.

UK folk here www. gov. uk/report-veterinary-medicine-problem

US folk here www. fda. gov/animal-veterinary/report-problem/how-report-animal-drug-side-effects-and-product-problems

REF
www.frontiersin. org/journals/veterinary-science/articles/10.3389/fvets.2025.1581490/full

14/04/2025

Exaactly but its the future for us all!

Posted • Kibble: A slow recipe for disease, masked with synthetic flavor. 🐾

Visit www.billinghurst.institute. Link in bio🌟

Also, don’t forget to follow us on Facebook to stay connected. 🐾