Bulldog Put on a Paleo Diet to Lower Vet Bills

Bulldog Put on a Paleo Diet to Lower Vet Bills

Meet My Mom’s Bulldog Zeus:

My Mom has an English Bulldog that is almost two years old and the light of her life. When my mom heard that dogs should not be eating grains she was excited to get Zeus on board. She was concerned that his health was not optimal and wanted to see if going Paleo would help her beloved Bulldog.

Bulldogs are especially prone to skin infections, allergies and breathing problems which can be exacerbated by eating grains. Zeus was born with an abnormal trachea and needed lots of x-rays when he was an infant.

Why Dogs Should Not Eat Grains:

Eating grains can irritate the intestinal lining which weakens the immune system. When the immune linings break down dogs are more likely to have allergies, rashes and arthritis. Another problem is that grains have powerful cancer causing molds called aflotoxins that grow during storage. Is that something that you want to feed your furry best friend? Eating grains such as wheat and rice will turn to sugar which can lead to obesity and diabetes in dogs.

What Dogs are Meant to Eat:

Dogs have acidic stomachs that are made to break down raw meat and bones, which they have naturally eaten for millions of years. Dogs are descendants of wolves and do not have the digestive machinery to digest grains.

Pay Now or Pay Later:

At first my Mom was concerned that feeding her dog an all meat diet would be too expensive but when Zeus had a skin infection that cost over $200 at the vet she was convinced to give it a shot.

Making An All Meat Diet Affordable:

My Mom worked for a while at a restaurant where she put a bowl near the trash can for leftover meat scraps. This worked really well and she was able to feed Zeus an all meat diet for free. Then she stopped working at the restaurant and had to switch to dog food. She found one from Blue Wilderness that is grain free. She also feeds him lots of leftover chicken broth, skin and beef fat. Mom found that her dog also loves coconut oil which fights infections and is a natural fat burner. She also buys organ meats that are marked down at the grocery near the expiration date and feeds them to him raw. Liver and kidneys are full of energizing vitamins and minerals essential for a shiny coat and strong bones. She also feeds him cans of tuna, salmon and sardines packed in water or olive oil. Sometimes she finds canned meats that are a little out of date that are on sale. Zues also eats Blue Buffalo grain free dog food available here.

 

Improvements  in Zeus Since Going Grain Free:

My mom noticed that Zeus is calmer and better behaved since going grain free. My Mom noticed that he is more alert and responsive since he started eating an all meat diet.  She also finds that his breathing is less labored and he is able to go father on walks. The dog has not had anymore skin infections and has not needed to go to the vet since going grain free about 6 months ago.  Like dogs people can avoid disease and find a healthy weight when they eat mostly meat and vegetables !

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Listen to a veterinarian talk about the benefits of an all meat diet for dogs and cats on the Livin’ La Vida Low Carb Show here