WHAT DOES DIET HAVE TO DO WITH BEHAVIOR?

When a behaviorist firsts meets with a client they often surprise the pet owners with all the questions they ask. Many owners are confused by the number of questions asked about their pets, the living situation, day to day activities, and other related topics. The topics covered will range greatly, but will often include a fairly complete history on the animal, environment, and the humans involved.

One of the most overlooked items in an assessment by an owner is the diet. People do not think that we are serious when we ask what they are feeding their animal or how the feeding schedule is. Many times they leave the whole section blank!

Diet is not the sole cause of any behavior problem, however it is often a big influence on behavior. Most behavior abnormalities have multiple contributors that stem from different areas; these areas can be the dynamics in the household, socialization, training (or lack of), and genetics or behavioral predisposition. However, all factors can influence behavior and it is important to look at the whole picture.

Why would diet be a concern? An often overlooked area, the diet is a critical factor in assessing many behavior problems. Sometimes a poor quality diet can contribute to hyperactivity, loose bowels, nervousness, self mutilation, pica (eating non-food items), and a variety of other habits.

Hyperactivity can be complicated by fillers and additives to many brands of animal food. It could be compared to feeding a child a bowl of sugar cereal instead of a bowl of oatmeal with raisins. What you put in affects the energy and activity of the animal. Some of the other nasty and unnecessary additives can create other complications too.

Loose bowels, or house-training difficulty, is another problem complicated by poor diet. Some foods can be too rich; others can be so full of fillers that they create loose stools; many will increase the output of fecal material since most of the product is not usable by the animal.

Nervousness or self-mutilation can be a direct effect of allergic reactions to additives or dyes in the food. Marketing cute shapes, colors, or putting toys in the package is geared toward the human not the pet! The more pure the food is, the less chance of any allergic reactions to it from your pet.

Pica can be caused by, or complicated by, a lack of the proper balance of nutrients and lack of chewing occupation that can be often filled with a proper diet and feeding schedule. Knowing what makes up a good diet can get confusing and is also a matter of preference and ease.

Many people will purchase food for their pets from a grocery store. The store buys food from a particular source and has little regard for what people need for their pet. Pet stores are a better source and have some higher quality products with a knowledgeable staff to assist you. But what about the so called "Natural" diets?

If you do a little background research into the area of nutrition you will become more than a little disturbed by what you find. Quality control and the brokers who sell their product to the pet food manufacturers are lacking in their understanding of our animals and their needs.

Many people still view animals as lower critters who do not deserve the best in quality. This is not true! However, since our own food manufacturers are using chemicals, hormones, and other disturbing additives to our foods and they are regulated --What makes us think it would be any better for our pets?! When you get into it, the picture is pretty ugly.

When looking at the anatomy and development of our pet carnivores, they are adapted to eating raw whole foods. Also, those whole foods are other animals. Who was it that came up with the idea of cooked meats (partial foods that are chemically altered by cooking) or grain foods (dried foods that have grains and other bulk material that carnivores do not eat)?

We have only been feeding these inappropriate diets for something like sixty years. Along with that has come an increase of allergies, skin, coat, hip, joint, and bone problems, and many other complications such as odd diseases. Even the reproduction rates have decreased from generation to generation.

There was a formal study done on the effects of diet on felines here in the United States. It was conducted by a group now known as the Price-Pottenger Nutritional Foundation. At that time they were doing some research that required they keep domestic cats in good health, but they were having problems doing so!

Over a ten year period, with something like 900 animals in multiple generations, a controlled nutritional study was conducted. The results showed increased health and vigor from feeding raw, whole foods, versus prepared diets or combinations of the two. Not so good results from cooked or processed diets. The diets greatly affected each generation.

There is both a video tape and book available on this study from the firm, located in La Mesa, California. Since this study was done in the early 1930’s and 1940’s, it is amazing that those results did not effect the market created from animal foods at that time! It is also a sad statement that we are just now paying attention to it!

Many other countries still feed natural diets (Australia & New Zealand for example) and there are now pet nutritionists teaching about feeding a balanced natural diet of whole, raw foods. It takes a little bit of work, but often the longevity and health of animals can be transformed.

If you have not yet attended a seminar on this topic, and are seriously concerned with the health of your animal, plan on attending one in the near future. If you have no idea where to start your search, contact me via email for a good contact via the internet.