Blackwatch Feed Program - Enhancing Prescription Diets

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Blackwatch Feed Program - Enhancing Prescription Diet

We are really faced with a nutritional dilemma, when we have to use a prescription diet for our pet. The quality of these diets definitely leave much to be desired and the cost is through the roof. Why aren't there holistic or natural prescription diets available to us? Because in order to be called a prescription diet used by veterinarians, the companies have to fund considerable research trials to prove their diets do what they say the are supposed to do.

Many natural/holistic dog food companies simply can't afford to do this kind of extensive research, and many are fairly new to the pet food industry. Hills' Science Diet has been around the longest and therefore is the most used by veterinarians, but we see Eukanuba and Purina on the scene as well, neither of which is a super premium pet food.

For a time there was a natural prescription diet called Innovative Veterinary Diets that I would recommend and it was made by Nature's Recipe. and available online. But now Royal Canin has purchased the company, so frankly there goes the quality. I simply would never recommend any Royal Canin products to my puppy buyers.

So what are the options?

We can use the prescription diets recommended by the veterinarians, and enhance the diet with supplements that will not disrupt the balance of that food. Or we can cook a homemade diet, but it's critical to find a recipe that is equivalent to the prescription diet you need to be using. Then you can enhance the diet with whole food vitamins, ionic trace mineral, digestive and dietary enzymes and of course probiotics.

Blackwatch Feed Program for Enhancing RX Prescription Diets Kit#17

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Homemade Diet Options for Renal/Kidney Support

Below are two homemade diets for dogs with kidney problems and the supplement kit that will enhance this program.

Blackwatch Feed Program for Kidney/Renal Support Kit#19

The recipes are from The Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook by Griffin, MD and Carlson, DVM. They offer theses two homemade diets for chronic kidney failure.

It states:

"It is important to have your vet do special tests to determine if this ailment is reversible. It is important in the management of kidney failure to replace salt lost in the urine by giving them sodium chloride tablets by mouth, to feed a high-quality, low protein diet and to give vitamin supplements to replace vitamins lost by the kidneys".

HOMEMADE LOW PROTEIN DIET #1 (large batch to divide up for smaller meals)

1 lb of lean ground beef or lean ground turkey or chicken (or a mix)
4 hard boiled eggs chopped
8 cups of cooked rice - white
12 slices of whole grain bread (crumbled)
A balanced vitamin/mineral supplement & sodium chloride tablets

OR You can use Hills Prescription diet k/d

Editorial comment on diet #1.

There are supportive functional foods you can add to this diet to enhance it, but not raise the protein levels. I will make some suggestions at the end of these recipes. Since you are instructed to use sodium chloride tablets (discuss with vet for amount, I suspect what is recommended on the bottle for an adult would be ok for a large/giant breed). I would also use some broth to make this more palatable to the dog, because it sounds pretty flat in flavor and dry to eat!

I would also offer fruits and veggies in moderation, either as a treat or part of the food. Berries, carrots are good options or you can purchase Honest Kitchen Preference - a dehydrated raw fruit/veggie mix that you could add in moderation to the daily diet once it is rehydrated.

I would be concerned about fiber content so using 50% brown and 50% white rice might be a better idea in this recipe.

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HOMEMADE VERY LOW PROTEIN DIET #2

10 cups of cooked rice
4 ounces of oil *
4 large hard boiled eggs
A balanced vitamin/mineral supplement & sodium chloride tablets

OR you can use Hills Prescription diet u/d

Editorial comment on diet #2.

Again, there are supportive functional foods you can add to this diet to enhance it but not raise the protein levels. Since you are instructed to use sodium chloride tablets (discuss with vet for amount, I suspect what is recommended on the bottle for an adult would be ok for a large/giant breed). I would also use some broth to make this more palatable to the dog, because it sounds pretty flat in flavor and dry to eat!

I would also offer fruits and veggies in moderation, either as a treat or part of the food. Berries, carrots are good options or you can purchase Honest Kitchen Preference - a dehydrated raw fruit/veggie mix that you could add in moderation to the daily diet once it is rehydrated.

I would be concerned about fiber content so using 50% brown and 50% white rice might be a better idea.

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Foods to Enhance Homemade or Prescription Diets:

Fresh garlic crushed would enhance the flavor of both of these diets and be good for them--- and yes it is safe to use, contrary to what you read on the internet it is used all the time by holistic practitioners.

* I would also use some UltraOil for pets so there is a balanced Omega ratio of oil in this diet - especially in diet #2 which calls for considerable oil, I would use Ultra Oil and I would add it to Diet# 1 as recommended on the container for a normal daily dosage.