Holistic

kenRC51 · 05-08-2008, 01:04 AM

What is Holistic food? I see that in some brnad of foods. Does Holistic food mean it has less ingredients and made a little different so the dogs wont get allergies?

What are the reason you guys are feeding Holistic food to your dogs?

Willowy · 05-08-2008, 12:48 PM

I honnestly have no idea what makes a dog food "holistic". From what I know of holistic doctors, when they treat a sick person, they treat the whole person, paying attention to diet, lifestyle, mental state, etc., instead of just suppressing the symptoms. I don't think there's any restrictions on who can put "holistic" on their dog food label. I wouldn't pay attention to that, just look for a good dog food with a named meat as the first ingredient, and other high-quality ingredients.

UrbanBeagles · 05-08-2008, 04:52 PM

The way the food is advertised plus the addition of a stick of parsley or some other such herb into the mix, lol. They are not better or worse for allergy prone dogs, becuase dogs can be allergic to any protein source. Also keep in mind that most dogs who are thought to suffer from allergies (dry skin, hot spots, etc) are not really allergic to the food - rather, it did not meet the nutritional requirements of the dog. Which is why I always place such emphasis on the vitamins and reseach/development/feeding trials & not ingredients.

sillylilykitty · 05-08-2008, 09:28 PM

It's kinda sad the way companies can just throw around the words holistic and especially "All Natural!"....It means nothing (especially natural). If you really want a good holistic food call a holistic vet and ask them for recommendations. Most holistic vets know wayyy more about nutrition then a modern medicine vet.

UrbanBeagles · 05-08-2008, 09:48 PM

EXACTLY! The ONLY "natural" food is either raw or cooked. Otherwise, all kibble it processed, it's simply a matter of which one works for the dog's indivigual needs.

kenRC51 · 05-08-2008, 11:44 PM

Thanks for you opinions guys but I still like to know what is Holistic food? or what makes it Holictics.

Willowy · 05-08-2008, 11:53 PM

I guess the answer is---we don't know. If you're looking for brands that claim to be holistic, I believe Chicken Soup says "holistic" on the bag. I think it's used interchangeably with "healthy". Which is another term with no set meaning. Dog food manufacturers can make all kinds of claims about their products.

Derek O · 05-09-2008, 01:43 PM

Holistic means the ingredients of the food create a certain "alogorithm" if you will to achieve nutrition balance. The recipe creates a matrix of nutrition based on how the ingredients react and perform in combination or conjunction with each other. So, if you were to take some of the ingredients of the recipe and feed them without their counterparts, they wouldn't have as nutritious of an effect on the dog.

luv4gsds · 05-09-2008, 02:36 PM

Holistic pet foods are suppose to be all natural with no food additives, no by-products, and no fillers. It is suppose to have foods that are easily digested and hypo-allergenic. The foods are suppose to help maintan the pets health and wellbeing.

Holistic or organic pet foods that are on the market today are no different than a good quality kibble.