What are the top 3 reasons why grass fed raw milk changes in flavor and consistency? FIND OUT HERE.

Why a raw food diet for dogs and cats may be the best

written by

Marie Reedell

posted on

December 16, 2022

At Miller’s Bio Farm, we believe in raising animals the way nature intended… and that includes pets. However, the modern conventional pet food industry doesn’t seem to agree. Let’s take a step back to understand why.

Domesticated dogs and cats are descendants of wild animals. 

Dogs are descendants of wolves and would hunt for larger mammals like elk, deer, and rabbit. Cats are descendants of wildcats and would hunt smaller mammals like mice, rats, and voles as well as fish and birds like ducks, turkey, and small perching birds. 

Dogs and cats wouldn’t make a fire and cook their prey. They would eat it raw. This is what their bodies are naturally designed to digest and what is biologically appropriate. 

Thousands of years ago, dogs and cats were domesticated, bred to live closer to humans and have certain traits. Humans did this for a couple reasons: (1) They enjoyed their companionship; and (2) They provided a service for their caretakers.

Some dogs are fantastic protectors. They will bark to alert an intruder or guard livestock. On our farm, we have dogs to guard the chickens and turkeys. Some dogs are great trackers and retrievers, which can be a great help if you are a hunter or sailor. 

Cats are wonderful hunters. They are natural pest control. By keeping the mice population down, they can help save your animal feed and human food and maintain a more sanitary environment. We have cats on the farm for exactly this reason.

Once dogs and cats became domesticated, they continued to hunt as their primary food source but would also be fed scraps from their caretakers’ meals - whole meats, fruits, vegetables, and grains. 

Over the past hundred years, processed dry and canned foods have become the standard. This is for convenience and cost savings. However, it takes millions of years for significant evolutionary changes (dogs and cats are 99% identical to their wild descendants). 

This trend has damaged the health of our pets. Just like with humans, with a conventional processed diet, nutrition is simply not as bioavailable. And, I mean, dogs and cats aren’t designed to digest soy protein, pea protein, potatoes, synthetic vitamins, etc. Dry food is a big concern and can lead to dehydration, urinary tract issues, and kidney disease (if your pet is not drinking enough water). This is a high concern for cats who are not naturally drawn to drink water.

A species-appropriate raw diet is what dogs’ and cats’ bodies handle best. It makes all nutrition bioavailable, supports a long life in good health, and can help heal from an array of health issues.

Raw diets are naturally low in carbohydrates and high in moisture. The idea is for meals to mimic what a wolf or wildcat would eat in the wild. A species-appropriate meal for most healthy adult dogs and cats can be 80% muscle meat and fat (with 10-15% fat), 5% liver, 5% other offal, and 10% soft bone. 

Please keep in mind that, just like with humans, no pet diet is "one size fits all". The "foundation numbers" (80% meat, 10% organ, 10% bone) can vary for each pet's individual needs. Here are some examples:

  • Bone percentages can vary from 6-15% for adult cats and dogs.
  • Puppies and kittens need special care and their percentages are completely different and will change as they continue to grow. Puppies may need up to 20% bone.
  • Some pets have health conditions, which require different diets. For example, a pet with pancreatitis will need to be fed less fat. Another example is a pet with kidney disease, which should be fed a "low phosphorous diet".
  • Some pets will also require different sources of calcium (such as eggshells) for optimal health.

The amount you should feed will depend on your particular pet. How old are they? How much do they exercise? How fast is their metabolism? The latter two may change with the season. A good amount is usually 1.5-3% of an adult animal’s ideal body weight, fed in 2-3 meals per day. 

Keep in mind that feeding rotationally (in other words, not the same thing every day or week) and supplementing may be necessary to reach optimum nutrient levels. Adding in some kelp, whole veggies, egg yolks, or raw dairy is great for adding extra nutrition, healthy fats, and probiotics. 

You can purchase pre-made raw diets or make your own at home. 

Premade is obviously easier, but making it at home has some benefits:

  • Can be made in bulk quantities and frozen. When frozen for more than a month, this should also kill parasites, if there are any. 
  • Can be more cost effective when you source individual ingredients in bulk.
  • You have complete control over quality and ingredients. This may be particularly important for picky eaters or pets with allergies. 

If you’re currently feeding processed dry kibble or wet food, please don’t be stressed. There are easy ways to add some raw food or transition to a raw diet. 

Here are some things to try:

  • Put a raw egg yolk on top of the food.
  • Pour some raw half-and-half or milk or yogurt over the food. Raw A2/A2 dairy can boost your pet’s health.
  • Mix some of the scraps from the meat (or myoglobin, the red liquid left in the bag) left from trimming into their food.
  • Pour unseasoned bone broth over the food. I know this is cooked, but it provides lots of moisture and nutrition. Make sure to avoid onion, which is toxic for dogs and cats.

You can continue to feed raw and cooked foods together. That’s perfectly fine. The more raw food you feed, the better your pet’s nutritional needs will be met.

Or, you can continue to add more and more raw foods to their meals until you are feeding 100% raw. A slow transition to raw is best. This will avoid shocking your pet's digestive system. 

And, by the way, mixing up your pets’ food with some variety is excellent pet enrichment.

Just like for humans, there is no one diet that is appropriate for every individual animal. But, just like humans, quality matters. Be sure you are feeding your pets high quality and “human grade” foods.  

By “human grade”, I don’t mean feeding your pets human food. I mean that you should feed them foods produced to the same standards as your food. 

For example, the pet industry allows sick animals or animals that mysteriously died to be made into pet food. The human food industry does not allow that.

Another example is that the pet industry allows tainted raw milk with dyes and additives to be sold as pet food. The human food industry does not allow that. And, that’s why we go above and beyond to produce our A2/A2 pet dairy to the highest standards.

You might be wondering - what about e. coli and salmonella? The internet tells me that it’s a risk for my pet.

Keep in mind that your pet’s digestive system is different from a human’s. It’s shorter, food moves through it more quickly, and the stomach juices are much more acidic. All of these factors help neutralize potentially harmful bacteria. A healthy dog or cat with a normal immune system should have no problems. 

One more thing to keep in mind - when you start adding raw foods to your pets’ diet, you may notice a change in their stool. 

Because nearly 100% of the nutrients are bioavailable, pets on a raw food diet typically have smaller, firmer stools. And there may be some inconsistencies when you’re transitioning to a 100% raw diet.

I recommend just getting started. I know when I did, I was amazed at how my pets preferred the raw diet.

What do you feed your pets? Have you tried a raw food diet or will you consider it in the future? Have you figured out any tricks for making pet food at home?

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Top 3 reasons why grass fed raw milk changes in flavor and consistency.

Top 3 reasons why grass fed raw milk changes in flavor and consistency.

Have you ever noticed that the flavor and consistency of our raw milk varies from week to week and especially season to season? This is 100% normal! You see, when you raise animals naturally on pasture (and especially when they're 100% grass fed like our cows and buffalos), the milk changes. This is starkly different from pasteurized milk you'd find in stores, which is usually from grain fed cows in feedlots. With that level of unnatural control, the milk can be consistent (or maybe I should call it boring). Here are the top 3 reasons grass fed raw milk varies: 1- Butterfat changes with the seasons. It's highest in the colder months. From the anecdotal experience of myself and our farmers, butterfat is highest in the spring. That's when milk is the creamiest, the most yellow, and the most flavorful (after all, fat holds the color and the flavor). That's when you get a hefty creamline in your jug of milk after sitting in the fridge for a few days. But then... I found an interesting study on this. It's from 1931, before dairy farming got seriously messed up. It tracked hundreds of cows over many years. The researchers found that butterfat and outdoor temperature have an inverse relationship. And they found that it didn't really matter when the cows give birth and the age of the cow. Fascinating! In short, the higher the temp outside, the less butterfat. The lower the temp outside, the more butterfat. Check it out: Another interesting note on the graph is they found that Jersey cows produce milk with the highest butterfat. We noticed this, too, and it's why Aaron's herds are 80% Jersey and 20% Jersey crosses. That's why our milk is so darn creamy! It does make me wonder why, anecdotally, we feel butterfat is highest in spring. Maybe it's because our cows produce the most milk in the spring and least in the winter...? We feel like we're swimming in butterfat in the spring. We make sooo much butter at that time of year. 2- Flavor changes with the feed. When the forage, the weather, and the seasons change, so does the flavor. When cows are outside on pasture, eating a diversity of plants, the flavor of the milk they produce is more robust. Mostly this is a good thing. In my opinion, our pastured milk is more flavorful and tastes better than conventional grain-fed feedlot milk. But, sometimes this can kick us in the butt. For example, when a cow finds a little patch of onion grass, that can create an odd flavor in the milk. The weather affects what the cows are grazing on, too. For example, when we're in a drought, the grass doesn't grow as voraciously. It's has less moisture and protein and isn't as fully developed. That can change the flavor of the milk.  And finally, there are, of course, the seasons. When the cows are eating fresh pasture in the warmer months, the milk will have a different flavor than when they're eating dry pasture (AKA hay) in the colder months. It's hard to predict what the final flavor will be. But, I sure do love tasting the differences in milk throughout the year! 3- How long it lasts changes with cleanliness. Clean milk lasts longer! Milk safety is a top priority here at Miller's. Our strict milk safety standards go beyond what's required for a raw milk permit in Pennsylvania. We test every batch on site for general bacteria counts. Not many raw milk farmers do that, but we sure hope more hop on board! Since we test every batch, we're able to keep a close eye on how well the team is cleaning. Even a small thing like a cat licking equipment in the barn, a tiny hairline crack somewhere, or water not being hot enough can make a big difference.  Because of our constant monitoring, we're pretty confident in saying that our milk is the cleanest around. There's no manure in our milk!  And because of this, our milk lasts longer than most. It's raw milk and will sour (no way to prevent that). But, it should last at least 2 weeks after you receive it before it becomes too sour to palate. Do you value milk consistency over naturalness? Have you noticed changes in our raw milk over time? What about milk makes it "the best" for you? I'd love to hear from you. Comment below to share your thoughts with our community (no account requred). Or, contact us to keep it private 😊 PS: Did you know that we make our fresh raw cow dairy in house? That's right. Our team does it in our creamery! Our goat and buffalo farmers make their own fresh raw dairy in house, too. ----- Sources THE INFLUENCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL TEMPERA- TURE ON THE PERCENTAGE OF BUTTER FAT IN COW'S MILK*

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Gut strengthening colostrum: What is it? Powder vs liquid? How to use it?

Colostrum is the first milk a cow produces after it gives birth. All mammals make colostrum as the "first milk". Yup, human mommies too!  Also known as "liquid gold", colostrum is a super special dairy item. It's not only important for newborn health. It also has some amazing gut healing and immune boosting properties for older mammals, too. Because of this, some people choose to take colostrum as a supplement or give it to their furry family.  But, gee, there are a bunch of colostrum options out there! And each has its own pluses and minuses and dosing recommendations. And, when it comes to raw liquid colostrum, there isn't much info out there at all.  So, I made this resource for you that answers these questions. I hope it helps you make the best choice for you when it comes to food and natural healing 🙏 Here we go! What is colostrum? Colostrum is the first liquid a mammal produces within the first 4 days after it gives birth. You can think of it like it's a super charged milk. 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These can help prevent, treat, and even destroy harmful bacterias and viruses.  Gut issues are typically fraught with an overpopulation of bad microbiology and an underpopulation of the good microbiology. Removing the bad stuff can immediately reduce inflammation. And creating better balance can allow for gut healing, Growth Factors = Promote Healing and New Growth Colostrum contains so many kinds of growth factors, from the common peptides to things that can fall into categories like glutamine, nucleotides, and polyamines to super important insulin-like growth factors, too. Growth factors do exactly what they sound like they do - they encourage growth. So let's say your gut lining is damaged (or really anything in your body is damaged), colostrum can help it rebuild more quickly. What's the difference between powdered and liquid colostrum? Liquid colostrum is simply straight colostrum. It's milked from a cow and either consumed immediately or frozen for later use. It's the purest, most bioavailable, and most potent form of colostrum. All of the healing powers are intact. Powdered colostrum (and the capsules and tablets made from it) started as frozen liquid colostrum. Then, it's generally pasteurized and freeze dried. Now both of those processes can reduce, inhibit, or destroy certain healing properties of colostrum. In short, the less processing, the more healing powers. Plus, with powdered colostrum, the final product may be altered from its original composition. For example, it might have the fat removed, or maybe they put additives in there for anti-caking, preservation, etc. This can negatively affect the synergistic healing qualities of colostrum. With liquid colostrum, is there nutritional loss with freezing? The longer colostrum is frozen, the more probiotic loss. For this reason, I don't recommend freezing colostrum for more than 3-6 months. I mean, it will still have some good stuff in it. 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This is because we don't know the exact day cows give birth (that's nature's decision). And probably more importantly, the calf always gets first dibs. We never know how much will be left for us (sometimes there's none). The bottom line is that you've got to get our colostrum when it's available. Is colostrum part of your life? Powder or liquid? If yes, what benefits have you seen? I'd love to hear from you. Comment on the blog to share your thoughts with our amazing community, or just click reply to keep it private 😊 ----- Main Source Bovine Colostrum: Its Constituents and Uses

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OUR VISION is to end sickness by enhancing health, nutrition, and happiness.

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