Keto pets ~ anyone have one?


(Sara Lamberto) #62

I’m so sorry for your loss :cry: we have a 9 yo golden retriever. She is in pretty good health currently and I would like to be proactive. Do you know approx how much they fed her? That is the primary reason I haven’t switched over from dog food. I don’t know how much to serve! Our vet told us dogs will eat until they are sick if we let them.


(Sara Lamberto) #63

The Ketovanelist just did an episode on keto for dogs. https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ketovangelist-podcast/id999487887?mt=2&i=1000385352583


(Sara Lamberto) #64

Can you share some of your resources, please? I have 2 mature dogs (9 & 15).


(eat more) #65

i don’t think this is true and a drastic generalization

there’s food in my dog’s bowls pretty much at all times…they eat a little and walk away until they eat again.
they’ve always been “free fed” so they don’t have anxiety that there won’t be more…

some dogs do this…usually when they are puppies until they learn how uncomfortable it is


(Nick) #66

I agree with you: research on keto in dogs is certainly not exhaustive. There may well be a part of the ketosis tale we’re missing. Even so, the good evidence I’ve seen that we have at the moment suggests that dogs continue gluconeogenesis in many more contexts than we do, so that ketosis is reserved for fewer situations than it is in humans. In a sense, our wide use of ketosis is our species’ special hack :slight_smile:

As you mention, we don’t usually test our dogs’ actual keto status at home. Because of this, I wonder whether we can really know that the benefits we see (with which I completely agree!) are based specifically on keto rather than the excellent stuff we are feeding them, and the crap we’re not? What do you think?


(Todd Allen) #67

We could all train our dogs to pee on sticks and then post the pictures for Brenda to review.


(L. Amber O'Hearn) #68

Of course not. I only think it shows that dogs (and all other species it’s been looked at) don’t get into ketosis through carb restriction alone.


(Cathy) #69

Sara_Lamberto3d
The Ketovanelist just did an episode on keto for dogs. https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ketovangelist-podcast/id999487887?mt=2&i=10003853525832

Sara, thank you for sharing that episode and link. I really enjoyed it and thought that there was some good information around the whole subject.

I also now have another podcast show that I have subscribed to. I really like the interviewer!


(Cathy) #70

When listening to the above noted podcast, I finally understood why raw food is so important to dogs (at least one reason) is that they apparently can’t digest cooked fats. This would explain why my dogs (had 2 at the time) had chronic diarrhea when I was cooking their food. It was mainly ground meat with a bit of cooked spinach and sweet potato. But always cooked through. I guess this would be true of canned dog food as well…


(Mary Ann) #71

My little one, Peanut, had allergies for years. I started to cut out grains and she’s completely better. Her skin/hair are gorgeous now. My vet seems leery to take her off the prednisone.

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I also put my very old chocolate lab on the same diet. It must be good for her too :slight_smile:Bella


#72

Not a dog obviously :slight_smile: I just wanted to post a cat pic.

Had her from 12 weeks, completely raw food since. It’s the highlight of her day. I’ve never met a kitten so full of curiosity and vigor.


(Cathy) #73

Raw rocks!


(L. Amber O'Hearn) #74

Another quick follow up.

I spoke to a staff member at the sanctuary. She confirmed that all of their dogs under treatment are both calorie restricted and taking MCT oils. She said this is the only way to maintain ketosis in dogs and that the more muscular and fit the animal, the harder it is to maintain ketosis, even on a diet of all meat at high fat to protein ratio. She said it takes constant measuring, adjusting, and definitely restriction.

So I would say if you think your dog needs to be in ketosis, because of cancer or other health condition, you should be measuring serum BOHB, calorie restricting, and giving MCT oil. If you just want the benefits of a natural canine diet, then feeding raw meat is an excellent strategy.


#75

@clackley Do you have any recommendations on books or articles I can read? I want to switch my dogs to raw real food, but I want to have all the information before doing so. Specially on how much of the different things they should eat, I’m assuming the raw diet for dogs includes offal too.


(Cathy) #76

BARF offers some good information. I do not follow their recommendations in full but some of the guiding principles.


(Cathy) #77

Thanks amber for your follow up. I am not sure what your motivation is to discount this thread but always appreciate further info.

Because keto pet sanctuary is specifically addressing dogs with existing cancers, I would think they are interested in providing data in a very specific way.

However this thread was intended to share with other pet owners, the experiences we may have with feeding a keto style diet to our relatively healthy pets.

My dog demonstrates great improvements with her keto style diet. I don’t feel the need to demonstrate to anyone that she is actually keto or not. That misses the point as does many folks who are eating a keto style diet and may or may not be ketogenic but are experiencing health improvements. That is great and they don’t need to demonstrate to anyone their ketones. Again, that misses the point.

I wish you and your pet success with what ever diet you choose for that animal.


(L. Amber O'Hearn) #78

I’m genuinely sorry that you feel that I’m trying to discredit this thread! I think it’s wonderful to feed our pets their natural diets. I wish everyone would do it.

My sole motivation was to correct a misconception about ketosis. I’m highly motivated by scientific accuracy, not just for its own sake, but for practical purposes.

One important reason to be clear on this is that if your pet is sick and you want to use keto for treatment, it’s crucial to understand that reducing carbs is not enough to achieve that.

Again, I’m sorry you take this as a personal affront. I had only the most sincere intentions of collaboration for the benefit of everyone involved.


(melinda) #79

I feed my dogs taste of the wild grain free food. I would love to feed them a natural diet of raw meat but i think it’s out of the budget at the moment.

I have a lab/beagle and a mini schnauzer



(Nick) #80

Your mildly pained response to @amber suggests you prize your pet theories (pun not intended) above the honestly investigated truth; you thus react with passive-aggressive hostility to those who calmly reveal that truth.

You’re not related to Ancel Keys are you? :wink:


(Nick) #81

It was gracious of you to apologise after that response to you, but I think apologising to people who become annoyed merely by the telling of a truth is not only unnecessary, but may be counterproductive: hostility and belligerence thereby become successful strategies to oppress honest researchers.