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Dietary and Lifestyle Recommendations: The Natural Way Cataracts are the leading cause of impaired vision and blindness in pets today. Cataract descries a loss of transparency of the eye lens. The origin of cataracts formation is free-radical damage to some of the sulfur-containing proteins in the lens. These delicate protein fibers form white spots when they are damaged. The damaged lens cannot transmit light effectively to the retina. Some causes of cataracts include: Aging Diabetes Heavy metal poisoning Exposure to radiation Injury to the eye Use of certain drugs such as steroids. The main symptom of a developing cataract is a gradual painless loss of vision. Dietary and Lifestyle Recommendations: The program outlined below are general guidelines to follow. Each pet is an individual and has it's own particular needs. Therefore I highly recommend a consultation before beginning the program. Purely Pets offers consultations at no charge and at your convenience. 1. Diet is very important in preventing cataracts as foods nourish the entire system. Eliminate animal products in the diet (poultry-by-product meal, meat meal, meat-by-products, etc.) Avoid dairy products, saturated fats, and any fats or oils that have been subjected to heat, whether by cooking or processing. These foods promote formation of free radicals, which can damage the lens. Use cold-pressed vegetable oils only. A homemade diet is highly recommended, however, if this is not possible I suggest a high quality dry food. The dry food should contain chicken meal, turkey meal or lamb meal, whole brown rice, whole barley, whole oats and other high quality ingredients. If you decide on home cooking concentrate on fiber rich plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes. Serve quality water, preferable distilled. This is absolutely necessary in cataract prevention. Avoid fluoridated and chlorinated water. Even water from deeply driven wells may not be safe, since many underground water sources, especially those located near or under farmland, are contaminated with toxic residue from farm runoff. 2. Supplementation Cataracts can be very frustrating to treat because the lens resides inside the eye. It is difficult to get adequate medication to the area because the topical medications that are applied to the eye are not well absorbed through the cornea. Vitamin C-zinc eye drops have been used with some success, it may not improve the condition but prevent it from getting worse. Vitamins are a must in preventing further damage to the eyes. The products recommended are: Mega Pet www.purelypets.com Mega Pet contains many of the nutrients essential for cataract control. Some of the ingredients include: Cooper and Manganese -- important for proper healing and retarding the growth of cataracts. Glutamic Acid -- An antioxidant that aids in maintaining a healthy lens and protects against toxins. Shown to slow the progression of cataracts. Selenium -- Maintaining proper selenium levels appears to be especially important, and studies have shown that low selenium can greatly promote cataract formation. Super C 2000 www.purelypets.com Studies have shown that pet given foods or supplements high in vitamins C have a much lower risk for developing cataracts than do pets with lower intakes. Several clinical studies demonstrate that vitamin C supplementation halts cataract progression and in some cases significantly improves vision. Grape Seed Extract capsules OR NutriBiotic www.purelypets.com Grape seed extract is a powerful antioxidant beneficial for almost any ailment. Eye Clear E's Capsules www.purelypets.com A natural herbal relief for the eyes that can be fed in the diet to strengthen the eyes or used as a wash. It is excellent for dry eyes and allergies. Stimulates circulation of blood and nutrients to the eyes, helping to protect them from cataracts and glaucoma. Contains: Eyebright, Golden Seal Root, Bayberry Bark (Bilberry), Red Raspberry leaves and Cayenne. 3. Exercise Exercise is very important, however, direct sunlight hitting the lens of the eye will damage it. Pets love being out in the sun on a beautiful day, and they should not be denied. However, be aware that at some times of day and at some times of year, sunlight is very dangerous. The sun is most damaging in the middle of the day. Therefore, early morning and evening is a good time to take your pet out to exercise. Cataracts can create a tremendous financial burden on the owner. Therefore, it is important to feed a high quality diet and supplement the diet before your pet suffers from the beginnings of cataract or any other health problem. If you need further help, I now do consults. A consultation will include a personalized diet and holistic program suggestions, all custom-tailored to your pet's personal needs. While I continue to provide and even add educational articles on the website, these are just general in nature. I therefore encourage you to tailor a program specifically for your pet's needs. This is particularly imperative in pets with complicated health issues, or if you've done a lot of outside reading and have conflicting information. This new service is easy to use! Simply email me at darleen@purelypets.com and give 3 convenient times for you to schedule the consultation Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. EST. I will email you back, selecting one of those times. I will then email you a health questionnaire to be filled out and emailed back prior to the consultation. This will give a health history of your pet and also pinpoint some problems or changes that need to be made which will be discussed on the phone. I am now offering my services at a nominal fee of $35.00 per consultation (no time limit), with a one time no charge follow-up. If you would like further information on how to initiate a valuable private consultation, please email me at darleen@purelypets.com . Feel free to contact me about your pet anytime. Darleen E. Rudnick http://www.purelypets.com Nutritional Pet Consultant, Purely Pets ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* A Place Where Your Pet is Number One Email: darleen@purelypets.com Phone: 804-748-7626 Hours: M-F, 8:00-5:00 p.m. EST Schedule a consult : http://www.purelypets.com/main/expert.htm ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the author is prohibited. |
This page was last modified on 03/30/07