In this article:
- Supplementary Food Stuffs That:
- You can add to your dog’s and cat’s daily diet to help your companion animal’s immune
system and body naturally repel insects and parasites;
- Fight
infestations of insects, parasites, and;
- Associated
diseases;
- Apple Cider
Vinegar – Organic, unpasteurized
- Beets,
Carrots and/or Turnip
- Brewer’s
Yeast
- Coconut Oil
- Garlic
- Honey –
organic, raw, unpasteurized
- Kelp
- Lemon
- Omega-3
Fatty Acids
- Papaya
- Pumpkin
(Pepita) Seeds or Oil
- Yogurt,
Kefir or Fresh sauerkraut
- Additional Precautions to Ensure a Healthy Immune System
Supplementary
Food Stuffs
Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) - Organic Unpasturized
for dogs and cats...
Dogs and cat’s that are fed
a diet of commercially made dry dog food/wet food usually have an out-of-natural-balance(acidified) blood PH level. Disease, parasites and
insects are attracted to
acidified blood.
- By adding Organic Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) to your dog’s and cat’s diet:
- You can help
re-balance his/her blood PH level.
- ACV
is a prebiotic and helps maintain the proper acid/alkaline balance of the
digestive tract.
- Inhibits
the growth of bad bacteria;
- Helps
to clean the blood and liver of toxins;
- Helps
prevent dry skin;
- Promotes
the growth and maintenance of healthy fur.
- ACV
can also be used topically to repel insects – you can make your own all-natural, toxic-free insect repellent spray;
- Read here about:
- Many more benefits of ACV;
- Understand how to choose a good quality ACV;
- How to add ACV to your dog’s and cat’s diet;
- Daily Dosage;
- Cautions for some medical conditions and drug
interactions.
Beets,
Carrots, Turnip
for dogs and cats...
Add to each meal one of the following (fresh,
grated or finely chopped – organic is best) to help cleanse the digestive tract
and scrub parasites away in combination with using a natural dewormer…
Daily
Dosage
- Carrots ½ tbs to 2 tbs a day, or;
- Beets ½ tbs to 2 tbs a day, or;
- Turnip ½ tbs
to 2 tbs a day.
Brewer’s
Yeast or Nutritional Yeast (not baker’s yeast!) and B-Complex Vitamins
for dogs and cats...
Brewer's Yeast
Brewer's
yeast is created from a single-cell fungus called Saccharomyces
cerevisiae. Brewer's yeast is used to make beer. It is also a prized
supplement as it is rich in minerals - particularly chromium (chromium helps in the maintenance of normal blood sugar levels),
selenium, protein and B-complex vitamins. B complex vitamins also
support the health of eyes, hair, liver, mouth, nervous system and skin.
Brewer's
Yeast does not contain vitamin B-12. To ensure your dog or cat is
getting sufficient B12 you can supplement their diet with select dairy products
and meat. If your dog or cat is on a commercially prepared dog of cat
dry or wet food, make sure you supplement their diet with some real
meat.
Brewer’s Yeast is high in B complex
vitamins - B1 (thiamine, B2 riboflavin, B3 - niacin, B5 - pantothenic acid, B6 - pyridoxine, B9 - folic acid and B7 - biotin.
B complex vitamins help the body be less appealing to insects such as
fleas. Brewer’s
yeast can be added to your dog’s or cat’s daily diet in capsule from or lose
powder form.
A
half teaspoon of nutritional brewer's yeast daily can provide the B complex
vitamins a dog and cat needs.
Daily Dosage:
- 1
teaspoon per 30 pounds of body weight.
B-Complex Vitamin Supplement
Some
dogs and cats that are prone to food sensitivities and yeast infections are
also sensitive to Brewers’s yeast. Other dogs and cats that are prone to yeast
infections can tolerate Brewer’s Yeast without any issues. For dogs and cats
that are Brewer’s Yeast intolerant you can use a B complex vitamins supplement.
Daily Dosage:
- Cats
and smaller dogs - 50 mg once a day;
- Medium
to large dogs – 50mg twice daily.
You can also
add other fresh foods that are high in Vitamin B
complex – you can read about that here.
Coconut Oil
for dogs and cats...
Coconut
oil offers a wide spectrum of health benefits including properties that
help support a dog and cat in the fight against insect and parasite
infestation and related diseases. Coconut oil is
- Anti-bacterial;
- Anti-fungal;
- Anti-viral;
- Anti-parasitic.
Coconut oil helps to clear-up:
- Flea
allergies,
- Itchy skin, and,
- Supports healing required as a result of insect bites and stings.
Coconut oil supports fur and skin health.
Read here about:
- Many more benefits coconut oil;
- Understand how to choose a good quality coconut oil;
- How to add coconut oil to your dog’s and cat’s diet;
- Daily Dosage;
- Cautions for some medical conditions and drug
interactions.
Fresh Garlic
for dogs...
You may have heard or read that garlic is bad or toxic
to dogs – this is only the case if garlic is consumed in unreasonable
quantities. When added to the daily diet in a safe quantity garlic is very
beneficial to your dog. In addition to having many other health benefits…
- Garlic contains multiple forms of sulphur – sulphur is
a natural insect repellent!
- Garlic cleanses the blood which helps in fighting
disease spread by some parasites;
- Garlic is an:
- Anti-allergen;
- Antibacterial;
- Antibiotic;
- Anti-carcinogen.
- Anti-fungal;
- Antioxident;
- Anti-protozoan;
- Read here about:
- How to add garlic to your dog’s diet;
- How to prepare the garlic;
- Daily Dosage;
- Cautions for some medical conditions and drug
interactions.
Honey - Raw Unpasturized, Organic
for Dogs
and Cats
Raw
unpasteurized organic honey (and bee pollen and/or bee propolis) is
beneficial to dog's and cat's when provided in the correct dosage on a
daily basis, Honey helps to protect the body from
bacteria and viruses – including those caused by insects and parasites.
- Read here about:
- A few more of the many benefits of honey;
- Understand how to choose a good quality honey;
- How to add honey to your dog’s and cat’s diet;
- Daily Dosage;
- Cautions for some medical conditions and drug
interactions.
Kelp
for Dogs and Cats
Adding Kelp to your dog’s and cat’s diet helps to
protect against fleas and can mediate the irritation caused by flea-bite
allergies. Kelp also reduces skin inflammation – itchiness resulting from other
allergies and improves the health of skin and coat.
Kelp also
supports your dog’s and cat’s health in other ways. Kelp…
- Helps to keep the GI tract
clean and promotes a healthy balance of GI fluids;
- Is high in bio-available
iron which helps supports blood health and heart health;
- Kelp is also high in Vitamin
C, iron needs the presence of Vitamin C to increase its absorption rate by the
body;
- Speeds healing as the amino
acids present support repair of injured tissue;
- Helps to avoid and treat
thyroid problems as kelp is rich, natural source of iodine – low iodine levels
are a trigger for thyroid problems;
- The high-levels of iodine
and other nutrients (i.e. manganese, folate, magnesium, tryptopan, copper,
calcium, vitamin B2) also support the health of the adrenal and pituitary
glands.
The best kelp is that which is most contaminant and
toxin free:
- Deep sea kelp;
- Norwegian kelp.
Maximum Daily Dosage:
- Small size dogs and cats - ¼
tsp
- Medium size dogs - ½ tsp
- Large size dogs – 1 tsp
Fresh Lemon
for Dogs
Lemons
are a very alkaline food that helps the body balance PH levels – as noted above
dogs that are fed a diet of commercial dry dog food have acidified blood PH levels which
attracts insects and parasites.
- Lemon
is a detoxifier and can kill undesirable microorganisms in the GI tract.
- Lemon
is a natural dewormer.
- Lemon
can also be used topically to repel mosquitoes and other insects;
- You
can make your own all-natural safe sprays
and collar drops for your dog;
- Read here about:
- The many more benefits of lemon;
- Understand how to choose a good quality lemon;
- How to add lemon to your dog’s diet;
- Daily Dosage;
- Cautions for some medical conditions and drug
interactions
Omega 3 Fatty Acids
for Dogs and Cats
Ensuring that your dog and cat are getting enough good
quality Omega-3 fatty acids on a daily basis helps to ensure that you dog’s and
cat’s skin and fur are healthy and that their immune system is properly
supported.
A proper daily intake of Omega-3 fatty acids also offers a vast
number of other essential health benefits that you can read about here.
Remember that insects and parasites are attracted to animals that have weakened
immune systems. Animals with strong immune systems have their own natural
defence against infestations of parasites and associated diseases.
I am not aware of any commercially made dog or cat food (and I
have looked at many from all over the world) that provides the proper balance of
Omega-3 to Omega-6 fatty acids for a dog’s or cat’s daily diet. Make sure you
add good-source Omega-3 fatty acids to your dog’s and cat’s diet on a daily
basis. You can read about that here.
Fresh Papaya
for Dogs
and Cats
Benefits
- The enzymes in papaya:
- Help to irritate and destroy worms in the animals
GI Tract;
- The enzyme papain aids in the digestion of
proteins and also helps alleviate allergies;
- Papaya promotes the health of the
cardiovascular system;
- Papaya helps provide protection against
colon cancer;
- Papaya has anti-inflammatory qualities
(important if your dog suffers from conditions such as asthma, rheumatoid arthritis,
cancer, etc.);
- Helps to prevent macular degeneration;
- Papaya is:
- A rich source of antioxidants including:
- B vitamins;
- Carotenes;
- Flavonoids;
- Folate;
- Vitamin A, C and E;
- Minerals:
- Magnesium;
- Potassium, and are:
- And excellent source of fibre.
To Prepare the Papaya...
-
Remove the skin of the papaya;
- Remove the seeds;
- Finely chop or mince by hand or using a food
processor or blender;
- Or use in powder form (in which case dosage would
be as per manufacturers’ instructions).
How To Add
Papaya to Your Dog’s or Cat’s Diet