The News At Home
If you're looking for a very brave dog, the Cavalier is probably not right for you. While they bark when there's something to bark about, bravery, in the true sense of the word, is not their best event.

Cassie was in the yard selecting the perfect potty spot when a slight gust of wind rolled a leaf to her backside. In sheer horror, her tail tucked underneath so it was flat to her stomach, she ran toward the house as fast as her legs could carry her. Zoey, seeing such a horrified dog, followed suit.

I removed the danger from Cassie's bottom and have been elevated to hero status ever since but it doesn't end there. We seem to have a new threat in the yard, commonly known as a garden hose. When it's not moving, it's acceptable although the dogs make a point of keeping away from it. However, when we water the lawn and the hose moves, it's to be avoided at all costs. Yet, when there's water trickling out of it, the hose is a friend providing some fun. Go figure!

What’s New at monicasegal.com
Cooked Diet Recipes
If you're feeding or want to feed a cooked diet to your dog, this is the booklet for you. Nineteen balanced diet plans based on five pound increments of body weight and energy levels are geared toward variety over time. Your dog is going to appreciate home- made meals and you will appreciate knowing that the guesswork of balancing the diet plan has been eliminated.

This booklet is also available as part of our Bundled Savings packages.

Seminar News

Grand Rapids Agility Club
Grand Rapids, here I come! I'm very much looking forward to meeting you and discussing your concerns.

The Grand Rapids Agility Club is hosting my next seminar in Grand Rapids Michigan on October 9, 2005. Registration is available through Karen West (westdal3@yahoo.com) or by phone at 616-485-1023.

As with all seminars, my focus is on nutrition and the varied interests of participants. While dogs performing in Agility may have their unique needs, we expect to have a diverse group of people who may have other interests and questions. Your input is what makes each seminar different from the next. You are given the opportunity to state your interest and any problems that your dog may be experiencing, by completing a questionnaire after registration through Karen West.

Don't wait until the last minute! October is only three months away and seating is limited.

Fact of The Month

The Value of Cooked Foods
Cooking foods can result is some loss of vitamins. However, light and air also play a role in vitamin loss. Therefore, raw foods may be also be compromised. Minerals are not affected by the cooking process. While it's true that some minerals may leach into the cooking water, the obvious answer is to include the water when serving food or steam them.

One of the positives to some cooked foods is that resistant starch is formed by cooking. While the word "resistant" doesn't seem to be a positive, consider the effect it can have.

"What we didn't know before this study is that a fair amount of legume starch does not get digested in the small intestines, but travels with the fiber component to the large bowel" said lead researcher George C. Fahey Jr., a professor in the animal sciences department at the University of Illinois.

Unlike normal starch that's digested, resistant starch eventually settles in the colon, Fahey said. There, it's attacked by bacteria and ferments, producing butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid that's been associated with anti-cancer activity.

Fahey and his team worked with dogs to compare the amount of resistant starch found in legumes with that in cereal grains such as barley, corn and rice and in flours. "We wanted to separate out how much of the fiber was actually starch and then determine how digestible that material was," he said.

The legumes packed a double punch, with substantially higher percentages of both dietary fiber and resistant starch, the researchers say.

The cereal grains also contained resistant starch that traveled to the colon, but, unlike the legumes, the grains lost their fiber content significantly along the way, the study says.

The fact that there's a resistant starch that can be fermented and goes on to promote bowel health is a good reason to include it in the diet, Pazder said. (You can read even more from here.)

How much nutrient loss actually occurs through cooking? Sometimes, not much at all and sometimes, it actually increases. A quick glance at the USDA website, comparing the same food raw and cooked, tells the fuller story.

100 grams of beef liver, raw vs. cooked:
calories: 135 vs 191
protein: 20.36 gr vs 29.08 gr
carbohydrate: 3.89 gr vs 5.13 gr
fat: 3.63 gr vs 5.26 gr
calcium: 5 mg vs 6 mg
iron: 4.90 mg vs 6.54 mg
magnesium: 18 mg vs 21 mg
phosphorus: 387 mg vs 497 mg
potassium: 313 mg vs 352 mg
sodium: 69 mg vs 79 mg
zinc: 4 mg vs 5.30 mg
copper: 9.75 mg vs 14.28 mg
manganese: 0.310 mg vs 0.356 mg
selenium: 39.7 mcg vs 36.1 mcg
vitamin C: 1.3 mg vs 1.9 mg
thiamin: 0.189 mg vs 0.194 mg
riboflavin: 2.75 mg vs 3.425 mg
niacin: 13.17 mg vs 17.525 mg
pantothenic acid: 7.17 mg vs 7.11 mg
vitamin B-6: 1.08 mg vs 1.017 mg
folate: 290 mcg vs 253 mcg
vitamin B-12: 59.3 mcg vs 70.58 mcg
vitamin A: 16,898 IU vs 31,714 IU

The bottom line, of course, is that cooked or raw, foods need to provide nutrients in the amounts a dog needs, foods must be well tolerated and the owner must have their comfort level met.

Treat of The Month

Our discussion group, K9Kitchen at Yahoo Groups, has files and links that provide good information on many health issues and topics of interest. One of the more fun ones is a long file of treat recipes that group members have donated in the pursuit of their dog's smacking lips. I haven't tried this one myself but have heard rave reviews from one of my neighbors who admits that he himself eats a few.
   1-3/4 cups flour
   1/4 cup sesame seeds
   1/4 cup brown sugar
   3 tsp butter
   1/2 cup ground walnuts
   1 egg yolk
   1/2 tsp vanilla extract
   2 tbs. toasted wheat germ

Combine ingredients, knead until thoroughly blended. Roll out till 1/2" thick. Cut into shapes or just squares. Bake at 375F on ungreased cookie sheet for 12-15 minutes. Cool. Store in airtight container. Keeps 2 weeks.

Until later...

Monica

"Man is an animal that makes bargains; no other animal does this--no dog exchanges bones with another."
-- Adam Smith 1723-1790 Scottish Politician and Economist