Pet Profiles ? Urine ph, Allergies and Energetics
Published on February 10, 2023
So many WONDERFUL resources!
"What matters MOST to YOU will always be our priority." - Ashlee Luke, owner of Hare Today
Have you ever hoped for a resource or an easy way to keep track of your pets' health and wellness information?
Information at our fingertips can undoubtably be one of the biggest benefits of technology and we hope our Pet Profiles provide a centralized way to keep all of the important details regarding your pet. If we missed a data element that you would like to see, let me know!!
Why did we develop Pet Profiles?? I'm glad you asked!
First, I wanted to offer a safe place to keep track of birthdays, microchip IDs, weight, medical information and more.
To share a quick story, in the past we have experienced heartbreaking situations where a customer had passed away, leaving their pet behind. In a few difficult situations, we heard from their relatives and were able to help assist them with food orders and provide support. Pet Profiles were also developed with these individuals in mind. As I age, I often think about creating ease regarding my responsibilities and how I can make those easier for others.
I have already began adding my dog's favorite foods and see myself sharing those details with our house sitter, if we should travel. Let's face it, raw feeding takes planning and why not jot down favorite foods, quantity fed, etc. to make meal planning easier as you develop your ideal meal plan.
How will you use our Pet Profiles?
Share your ideas on our social media:
Email me! We would love to hear your ideas!
Coming soon, I also hope to create a fridge magnet, with a QR code (quick response), our website URL, and space for your login information.
How to add a Pet Profile:
- To add a pet profile within your account, log into the website using your email and password. Select "My Account" on the top-right side of the website, above the red banner.
- Next click on "Add New Pet" to begin your pet profile.
- Once you select "Add New Pet", the following Pet Details will appear:
- Add your details and "Submit".
- Below is an example of Remi's Profile, our 3 year old (at the time) Silver Lab.
The bullets above cover the basics, but we didn't stop there!
I also wanted to include tables for Weight and Urine pH overtime.
As you may already know, Hare Today products are labeled for supplemental or intermittent feeding only. The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) establishes nutritional standards for complete and balanced pet foods. When considering some of the foods that are labeled as "complete and balanced" and comply with AAFCO nutrient requirements, we may agree, to disagree on these guidelines which is the main reason why we choose not to submit our foods for food trials.
Diving a bit deeper on "complete and balanced" and a raw diet.
When creating a successful raw diet, I believe it's important to use an evidence based approach in establishing, reviewing and monitoring our animal's health and wellness. Our Pet Profiles offer a means to do just that and will assist in being diligent, clear and will help document our success and shortfalls.
Did you know:
Canine and feline maintenance feeding trials for AAFCO’s “complete and balanced” approval can be done on just 8 animals and needs to last 26 weeks or six (6) months. The same food formulation must be fed through the trial, but AAFCO allows 25% (2 dogs or cats) to be removed from study for “non-nutritional” reasons, or poor food intake and in turn, data from these animals does not need to be reported to AAFCO. If the remaining animals in the feeding trial maintain their body weight or lose less than 15% of their body weight than the trial is considered a success. Unfortunately, there are not any standards on how much weight an animal can gain in the trial. Growth and reproduction trials are like maintenance food, except the trial is ran for 10 weeks.
Susan Thixton also has an informative article on Complete and Balanced here: Complete and Balanced via Feeding Trial or Nutrient Profile? – Truth about Pet Food
Urine pH
If we could collect data on the pH of a kibble fed dogs, cats or ferrets, with the assistance of our customers, and then again over time, that could provide us with science-based information that could support the raw industry as a whole! This concept is cutting-edge for a raw manufacturer and very intriguing to me.
Keep in mind that the FDA encourages the pet food industry to use a kill step for bacteria and we chose not to as good bacteria is also eliminated. Rather, we have a focus on food safety with strong prerequisite programs such as supplier controls and humanely raising animals, well established Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs). At Hare Today we handle our raw materials as close to frozen as possible to minimize any bacteria growth and believe in offering natural products, as our Creator intended.
pH is important and we have more information here.
In short, most animals' pH naturally becomes more acidic when fed a raw diet. On the contrary, animals fed a kibble diet have more alkaline pH. When pH is alkaline, this can predispose animals to bladder infections and other issues can arise.
A normal pH for a raw fed dog is around 6.5-7, for example and the standard pH of raw meat, is typically 5.8 to 6.3.
To find out your animal's pH: use the following link: Amazon.com: pH Test Strips for Testing Alkaline and Acid Levels in The Body. Track & Monitor Your pH Level Using Saliva and Urine. Get Highly Accurate Results in Seconds. : Industrial & Scientific
Last, I wanted to touch base on the Health Info chart, and Allergies in particular.
Typically, allergy testing can be unreliable, and I believe the best way to know if a true allergy exists, is by doing an elimination diet. Elimination diets must be considered and planned with care and alongside a knowledge vet, preferably a holistic vet.
- A lot of the poultry (as well as pork) offered these days are enhanced. An enhanced solution is injected into the meat. Typically, this is salt, sugar, possibly MSG, etc. The solution is what causes skin and allergy issues NOT the meat itself. It is very rare for an animal to be allergic to meat. Read sodium contents if purchasing meat form the grocery store or contact the manufacturer if buying pre-made, the sodium content should be less than 100 mg per 4 ounce serving. Any more than that it is enhanced. Even labeling can be tricky as some producers’ label "all natural" and still enhance with salt which is a natural ingredient. Also, if buying kosher meats this also is very high in sodium.
- Pre-made raw or dehydrated products usually contain added ingredients (Hare Today products do not). These added ingredients are fruits, vegetables, herbs, yeast, etc. You must read ingredients. Fruits and root-based vegetables such as carrots and sweet potatoes are high in sugar. Sugar converts to yeast which can cause skin and ear issues. There is no nutritional need for either in a carnivore’s diet.
What is an elimination diet?
An elimination diet can be accomplished by feeding one meat only (can also contain bones and organs) for 2 months. Remember, allergens can take 3-5 weeks to fully leave the system. With an elimination diet, ideally a novel protein is chosen and one that your pet has not had before. After that, introduce one new meat into the diet every couple of weeks and rotate your well-established proteins. This way if your pet has a true allergy, it is very easy to pinpoint, but again this is rare.
Allergies and Energetics
Given sensitivities and allergies can occur, our Pet Profiles include a space to document those occurances as well. Within the Health Info section you will be able to select allergies by protein.
Dr. Judy Morgan is the leading expert on Energetics and she explores that topic in depth here: The Energetics Of Food – Dr. Judy Morgan's Naturally Healthy Pets (drjudymorgan.com). Below is also a visual illustration.
Questions, please let me know and I'm always happy to help!
Ashlee Luke
Wife, mother, passionate owner of Hare Today, and follower of Jesus
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