Give a dog a bone...Dr Tom Lonsdale and Jed wrestle with a joint of raw
meat – the most natural food available for a domestic dog. Photo: Dave
Rankine
A meaty read for dog lovers
Louise McMahon
Wednesday, 6 September 2006
DR TOM Lonsdale wants to change the world. And he believes the best place to start is with what we put in our dog's bowl.
"We need to understand that at one time the predators controlled the
Earth. They were the regulators of the other mammals, and by
controlling the number of mammals, indirectly they controlled the
condition of the vegetation the mammals fed on," Dr Lonsdale said.
"It's likely tooth and gum disease was the way balance was maintained
between the ratio of predators and their prey. If predators fail to eat
for a few days, plaque builds up on their teeth and gum disease begins.
It looks like a handy device that helped regulate the predators in the
wild.
"Our dogs are modified wolves. They need to eat real food like chicken carcasses, rabbits, raw meaty bones.
"Most dogs are rotting on the inside because of the canned food and dry biscuits we feed them.
"Periodontal disease (gum disease) in dogs and cats runs at epidemic proportions and veterinarians know this.
"But they earn their money from providing medicine and remedies to sick
animals. It suits them that our dogs continue eating the wrong food so
they will continue to get sick and need vet services."
Not surprisingly, Dr Lonsdale's views have seen him savaged by his
veterinary peers, and in 2004, after 13 years of activism, he was
finally 'kicked out' of the Australian Veterinary Association.
Based in Richmond, he no longer has a veterinary practice. He now
travels the world giving guest lectures where he can to get his message
out. This week he returned from a three-month trip that took in
Holland, Belgium, Britain and China.
Dr Lonsdale says the link he identified between periodontal disease and
other pet illnesses has now been taken up by scientists researching
human health.
"The link between periodontal decay and heart disease, diabetes,
Alzheimers and a range of other diseases is beginning to be made by
other scientists," he said.
He cited a 2004 Time Life magazine article reporting on a wide range of
scientists who were looking at the link between dental decay and human
health problems.
"This is what I was saying from 1991 concerning dogs. Why is the idea
so far-fetched? After all, for years we have drawn all sorts of
conclusions after studying mould in a petrie dish."
Dr Lonsdale said the global pet food industry was worth an estimated $30 billion annually.
Dr Lonsdale has written two books: ‘Raw Meaty Bones' and ‘Work Wonders:
Feed your dog raw meaty bones'. Both titles are available from
Wiseman's Books at Richmond.
