Veterinary Nutrition Specialists

[RHEBDEN]

Breakthrough is basically Val's diet also called the Serotonin diet which has been a regime working for many years but never before had they managed to create a premade food. Val is behind the diet and the Oscar's head of nutrition helped her make it into a meal format. The only challenge I see is the if the dog eats something outside the diet it can offset all the work done. It should be monitored and instructed on by a COAPE diplomat to get the best chance. The behaviourist may be that person. It works on ensuring tryptophan and Tyrosine make in to the brain in appropriate balanced amounts to deliver the effect. If someone feeds protein or carb at the wrong time in addition it will throw out all the science. Also only works if that is the issue in the 1st place hence the behaviourists assessment and monitoring.

[Dottie]

The initial thread about Breakthrough is here and it was followed by  this thread. Unfortunately in this case our member did not find the product useful. It is interesting to know a bit more about the background to it.

[RHEBDEN]

Its good to know about the course you are sitting, sounds very interesting. My only query would be - 'what conclusion does the course come to regards feeding a manufactured dog food?'  - does this come down to actual brands or is it blanket recommendations?

It doesn't recommend anything as it is learning about the science behind every part of anatomy, illnesses, nutrients, behavioural impacts, etc.

Manufactured food - I presume you mean anything that isn't homemade. Not a simple one to answer but I will try.

Homemade is not normally produced by an expert in laboratory conditions so is very likely unbalanced. Animal will survive in but may develop health conditions later in life.

Wet - many branded options with dreadful ingredients in but dog will survive. There are good options out there but it will cost you more as you are buying 72%+  water. Verdict some good some bad, some thrive some survive. Mostly the later!

Dry - Similar to wet loads of brands with poorly digestible ingredients in but overall there is a wide spectrum to choose from. Every talk I go to they focus on digestibility and quality of ingredients. So if you look at the feed rate the less you feed the more digestible it is. Also lots of marketing gimmicks with words like 'full of' or 'chicken & rice' yet only 4% of each present. They also use the term fresh which is the meat value before it is made into a meal.  Its the biggest market so the big brands focus on it. Again some good some bad. Good brands and bad.

Raw - another varied feeding regime and is only as good as the expert who made the mix. Misconceptions that dogs are carnivore or are wolves drive this market and raw feeders are vocal and passionate. Dogs need a balanced diet and this can be achieved by raw feeding but there are well documented risks that are debated widely. Yet again good and bad.

Overall theme is all can be good and bad but focus on digestible and balanced diet appropriate to lifestage and lifestyle. A bit more knowledge for the general public would be good but where do you stop as a little info is also open to misunderstanding. All food companies put on what they want within the law so if you add up analytical constituents it rarely = 100% and they don't often give you the percentage of the ingredients. If people don't like seeing eg sodium and they don't have to put it on they won't but it is essential.

Hope that helps without waffling on too much

[Pegasus]

Have to disagree with a couple of points.
quote 'Homemade is not normally produced by an expert in laboratory conditions so is very likely unbalanced' - I think a lot of homemade feeders would strongly disagree with this. If you go to the trouble of homemade then you are more than likely to research well. I'm sure most would agree fresh over laboratory prepared processed food.
quote -  'Misconceptions that dogs are carnivore' - you seem to have ended the carnivore/omnivore/opportunityvore argument that has raged for years!
quote - 'marketing gimmicks with words like 'full of' or 'chicken & rice' yet only 4% of each present.' - sorry, this is wrong. If a label states 'chicken and rice' it has to be 26% chicken and 26% rice minimum - agreed this is not a legally binding definition but it would read 'with chicken and rice' to be 4%.
quote ' digestible and balanced diet appropriate to lifestage and lifestyle' although I don't see anything wrong in the theory it does seem to be the tag line to many a vet recommended foods and leaves many things open to interpretation.
quote 'so if you add up analytical constituents it rarely = 100%' the analytical constituents shows the levels of certain things (ash, fat, protein etc) in the food and so could never add up to 100%
Your course sounds good but it it does focus on what and how the dogs feeds rather than what feed to recommend  - which goes back to my original posting of there not being an independent nutrition course on what to feed.

[Dottie]

My Pet Nutritionist

The Dog Nutritionist

Vet Chef

[Dottie]

The Canine Nutritionist (Gerald Pepin).   Gerald is the owner of We Cook for Dogs and besides providing recipes, sells the necessary supplements needed to create balanced and complete home cooked  dog food.

[Dottie]

The Raw Vet website.

Veterinary Formulation Services
Dr Charlotte Gray MA hons VetMB MRCVS at Companion Nutrition (Founder of the Raw Vet Ltd)[/url]

[Dottie]

Dr Conor Brady (Dogs First)