The Holistic Canine

Home
United States
Macon, GA
The Holistic Canine

The Holistic Canine provides individualized canine nutrition formulation & clinical-grade dietary plans to support health, chronic conditions, & performance.

Evidence-informed, precision-based professional nutrition consulting for discerning pet parents. Kimberly Styn Lloyd, PhD, BCHHP, CNHP, CHNP, is a Board-Certified Holistic Health Practitioner, Doctor of Holistic Nutrition, Naturopath, Certified Canine & Feline Nutritionist, Certified Professional Holistic Animal Healer, and Certified Canine Raw Food Nutritionist. Kimberly holds a doctorate (PhD) in Holistic Nutrition and Naturopathy. Kimberly has been professionally certified as a Natural Health Practitioner (CNHP) and a Holistic Nutrition Practitioner (CHNP). Her professional canine & feline nutrition education from Southern Illinois University is approved by the American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB). She is board certified through the American Association of Drugless Practitioners (AADP) earning the title Holistic Health Practitioner (BCHHP) whereby she abides by the strict code of ethics for practitioners. Kimberly holds a National Provider Identifier (NPI) number for qualified pet insurance holders. Kimberly’s holistic education is recognized by the International Practitioners of Holistic Medicine (IPHM) and the International Institute for Complementary Therapists (IICT). Her education and training as an Animal Holistic Healer includes species-appropriate nutrition for canines, felines, equines, birds, rabbits, livestock, and other small animals. Kimberly practices nutrition therapy, herbal therapy, and aromatherapy on animals and people. Kimberly also holds a Master of Divinity (MDiv), a BS in Nutrition, and is a Certified Fitness Trainer. Board Certification # 70643412

03/13/2026

Spermidine: A Longevity Nutrient Hidden in Whole Foods

📢 Need another reason to feed a fresh, whole-food diet to your dog?

In recent years, scientists studying aging and longevity have begun paying close attention to a naturally occurring compound called spermidine. While the name may sound unfamiliar, spermidine is not new. In fact, it exists in every living cell and plays an essential role in cellular health.

What makes spermidine particularly interesting is its connection to a biological process known as autophagy, the body’s internal system for cleaning up damaged cellular components. 👇

🧹Autophagy acts as a kind of cellular housekeeping mechanism. It helps remove worn-out proteins, damaged mitochondria, and other cellular debris that accumulate over time. Efficient autophagy is associated with healthier aging, improved cellular resilience, and reduced accumulation of dysfunctional cells.

Researchers studying aging at institutions such as Graz Medical University have found that higher dietary intake of spermidine in humans is associated with improved markers of longevity and lower mortality risk❗️ While these findings come from human observational research, the underlying biology of spermidine and autophagy is highly conserved across species, including dogs.

What Exactly Is Spermidine❓️

Spermidine belongs to a group of compounds known as polyamines. Polyamines are critical for many cellular functions, including:

✔️DNA stability
✔️cell growth and repair
✔️mitochondrial function
✔️regulation of inflammation
✔️activation of autophagy

The body can produce small amounts of spermidine on its own, and gut microbes may also contribute to production. However, dietary intake is an important contributor to total availability.

This is where nutrition becomes relevant.

🫀Species-Appropriate Sources of Spermidine

For dogs, the most natural sources of spermidine are animal-based foods, particularly those that contain metabolically active tissues.

Many of the foods commonly used in balanced fresh diets already provide spermidine.

Examples include:
▪️Liver
▪️Heart
▪️Kidney
▪️Spleen
▪️Muscle meats
▪️Eggs

Organ meats tend to be especially rich because these tissues are metabolically active and naturally contain higher concentrations of polyamines.

This is another reason that properly balanced fresh diets that include organ meats can offer nutritional advantages over diets composed solely of muscle meat or ultra-processed ingredients.

🍄 Secondary Food Sources

While dogs are biologically adapted to derive most nutrients from animal tissues, spermidine also occurs in certain plant and fermented foods.

These include:
▪️mushrooms
▪️wheat germ
▪️legumes
▪️fermented foods
▪️aged cheeses

These foods are frequently highlighted in human nutrition research on spermidine. However, for dogs, they should generally be considered secondary contributors, not primary dietary staples.

In a species-appropriate diet, the majority of spermidine intake would naturally come from animal tissues rather than plant sources.

---
Do Dogs Need Spermidine Supplements?

At this time, there is no established requirement for spermidine supplementation in dogs, and controlled canine studies examining supplemental doses are limited.

Fortunately, supplementation may not be necessary in many cases. Whole foods already provide this compound naturally.
Dogs consuming a balanced diet that includes:

✅️fresh muscle meat
✅️secreting organs
✅️heart and other nutrient-dense tissues

are very likely receiving dietary spermidine as part of their normal nutrition.

This highlights an important principle in nutrition:
many biologically active compounds are already present in whole foods, long before they appear in supplement form.

🔬
Interest in spermidine reflects a growing scientific focus on nutritional factors that influence cellular aging.

Rather than thinking about individual nutrients in isolation, it is helpful to consider how whole foods contribute to complex biological systems such as:
✔️ autophagy
✔️ mitochondrial health
✔️ metabolic resilience
✔️ cellular repair mechanisms

Fresh, minimally processed foods provide a diverse array of compounds that work together to support these processes.

Spermidine is simply one example of how whole foods contain far more than the basic nutrients listed on a label.

📌
Spermidine may play an important role in cellular health and healthy aging through its influence on autophagy. While research in dogs is still emerging, the compound occurs naturally in many foods already included in species-appropriate diets.

Organ meats, muscle meats, and eggs provide natural sources of spermidine, reinforcing the value of balanced fresh diets that incorporate a variety of animal tissues.

Sometimes the most powerful nutritional tools are not new discoveries, but nutrients that have quietly been present in real food all along.

Feed fresh, feed longevity!

— The Holistic Canine 🐾 theholisticcanine.us

Board-Certified Nutrition Practitioner
Certified Canine & Feline Clinical Nutritionist (AAVSB approved)
NPI Registered Provider

03/12/2026

🫀 “Like Supports Like”: Ancient Wisdom or Nutritional Myth❓️

If you follow ancestral nutrition, you’ve probably heard the phrase “like supports like.”

The philosophy suggests that eating a specific organ nourishes the same organ in the body.

Examples often shared include:
▪️ Heart → supports the heart
▪️ Liver → supports the liver
▪️ Kidney → supports kidney health
▪️ Pancreas → supports pancreatic function

This idea has existed for centuries across cultures and healing systems, including traditional medical systems and early naturopathic practices.
But what does modern nutrition science actually say about this concept?

Let’s break it down.

🧬 The Truth: Organ Meats ARE Nutritional Powerhouses

From a nutritional standpoint, organ meats are among the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet.

Compared to muscle meat, organs contain much higher concentrations of vitamins, minerals, and bioactive compounds.

Examples:
🔹️ Liver – extremely rich in vitamin A, B12, folate, iron, copper
🔹️ Heart – high in CoQ10, iron, B vitamins
🔹️ Kidney – provides B12, selenium, and trace minerals
🔹️ Spleen – very rich in heme iron

These nutrients play essential roles in energy production, cellular repair, immune health, and metabolism.

This is why traditional diets often prized organs and practiced “nose-to-tail” eating.
In that sense, ancestral cultures were absolutely right about one thing:
👉 Organs are incredibly nourishing foods.

---
❌️ The Myth: Organs Directly Heal the Same Organ

Here’s where science diverges from the philosophy.
There is no clinical evidence showing that eating a specific animal organ directly treats or heals the same organ in the body.

For example:
▪️ Eating heart does not specifically repair heart disease
▪️ Eating kidney does not restore kidney function
▪️ Eating pancreas does not fix pancreatic disorders

While organs contain beneficial nutrients, the body digests them into amino acids, fats, vitamins, and minerals, which are then distributed throughout the entire body, not targeted to one organ.

The body doesn’t send nutrients only to the matching organ.
Instead, it sends them wherever they are needed.

🤔 So Why Does the Idea Feel True?
Interestingly, there may be an indirect reason this philosophy persists.

Many organs are rich in nutrients that happen to support the function of that organ system.

Examples:
✅️ Heart contains high levels of CoQ10, important for cardiac energy metabolism

✅️ Liver is rich in choline and vitamin A, nutrients important for liver metabolism

✅️ Brain tissue contains DHA and cholesterol, important for neurological health

But this does not mean the organ specifically targets that tissue.
It simply means the organ contains nutrients that the body uses broadly.

---
🐺 What This Means for Our Dogs
From a canine nutrition perspective, organ meats are extremely valuable components of a balanced diet.

They provide:
✔ Highly bioavailable vitamins and minerals
✔ Essential amino acids
✔ Unique bioactive compounds
✔ Nutrients that are difficult to obtain from muscle meat alone

However, they should be viewed as nutrient-dense foods, not targeted organ therapies.

In other words:
✅️ Feeding heart provides valuable nutrients
❌ It should not be considered treatment for heart disease.

🧠 The Holistic Takeaway
The ancestral philosophy of “like supports like” isn’t scientifically accurate in the literal sense.
But it likely evolved from an important truth:
Organ meats are nutritional gold.

When used appropriately in a balanced diet, they can provide powerful nutritional support for overall health.

Just not in the mystical way the phrase suggests.

📌
Feed organs because they are nutrient-dense superfoods, not because they are organ-specific medicine.

And as always in canine nutrition:
Balance matters more than ideology.

— The Holistic Canine 🐾 theholisticcanine.us

👉 Fresh feeding explained—finally.
"Fresh-Food Feeding Explained" eBook
https://theholisticcanine.us/ebook/
Available NOW on my website.

03/11/2026

If you're thinking about transitioning from kibble to a balanced raw or fresh-food diet but aren't sure where to start, you're not alone.

Creating a nutritionally complete raw diet can feel overwhelming, especially when you want to do it right.

That's exactly why we created The Holistic Canine.

We help dog owners build science-backed, balanced diets that support long-term health and confidence in what you're feeding.

📩 Message us anytime if you'd like guidance. theholisticcanine17@gmail.com

theholisticcanine.us

Photo: Kimberly Styn Lloyd, PhD, BCHHP
Board-Certified Nutrition Practitioner
Certified Canine & Feline Clinical Nutritionist (AAVSB approved)
NPI Registered Provider

03/11/2026

🫀 Nutrient Spotlight: Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) & Ubiquinol

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is one of the most important nutrients for cellular energy production and heart health. Every cell in the body relies on it, but organs with the highest energy demands, like the heart, liver, kidneys, and brain, contain the greatest concentrations.

CoQ10 functions inside the mitochondria, the tiny energy factories within cells. There it helps generate ATP, the molecule that powers nearly every biological process in the body.

Without adequate CoQ10, cells simply cannot produce energy efficiently.

⚡ Why CoQ10 Matters

CoQ10 has two key physiological roles:
▪️Mitochondrial energy production: required for ATP synthesis
▪️Antioxidant protection: helps defend cell membranes from oxidative damage

Because the heart is one of the most energy-demanding organs, it relies heavily on adequate CoQ10 availability. In fact, heart muscle cells contain some of the highest concentrations found in the body.

🔬 CoQ10 and the Active Form: Ubiquinol

CoQ10 exists in two forms:
🔹️Ubiquinone: the oxidized form
🔹️Ubiquinol: the reduced, active antioxidant form

Inside the body, ubiquinone is converted into ubiquinol, which is the form that actively participates in antioxidant defense.

However, aging, chronic disease, and oxidative stress can reduce the body’s ability to convert CoQ10 efficiently, which is why supplemental ubiquinol is sometimes preferred in older dogs or those with illness.

---
🐾 CoQ10 and Canine Heart Health

CoQ10 has been widely studied in both human and veterinary medicine for its role in cardiovascular function.

Research has shown it may help support dogs with conditions such as:
✅ ️Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM)
✅️ Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)
✅️ Age-related cardiac decline

By supporting mitochondrial energy production in cardiac muscle, CoQ10 may help improve cardiac efficiency and resilience in dogs with compromised heart function.

Even in healthy dogs, maintaining adequate CoQ10 levels supports long-term cardiovascular health and cellular energy metabolism.

🥩 Natural Food Sources of CoQ10

CoQ10 occurs naturally in many foods, with the highest levels found in organ meats, particularly those involved in energy metabolism.

Rich dietary sources include:
✔️ Heart
✔️ Kidney
✔️ Liver
✔️ Beef and pork muscle meat
✔️ Sardines and mackerel

Because these tissues have high mitochondrial activity, they naturally contain more CoQ10 than plant foods.

This is the reason why animal-based, properly balanced fresh diets naturally supply meaningful amounts of this important nutrient.

🧬 Why This Matters in Fresh Feeding

Dogs eating balanced fresh diets that include organ meats and a variety of animal tissues are more likely to receive naturally occurring mitochondrial nutrients like CoQ10.

These nutrients work synergistically with others involved in energy metabolism, including:
▪️B-vitamins
▪️iron
▪️copper
▪️magnesium

Together, they support healthy cellular respiration, cardiovascular function, and overall vitality.

📌
Coenzyme Q10 is a powerful mitochondrial nutrient and antioxidant that plays a central role in:
💚 energy production
💚 cardiac function
💚 cellular protection from oxidative stress

Supporting adequate intake through nutrient-dense foods or targeted supplementation when appropriate can help promote long-term heart health and metabolic resilience in dogs.

— The Holistic Canine 🐾 theholisticcanine.us

👉 Fresh feeding explained—finally.
"Fresh-Food Feeding Explained" eBook
https://theholisticcanine.us/ebook/ available NOW on my website.

03/10/2026

The Oxalate Question: Are Spinach & Beet Greens Dangerous for Dogs❓️

Many pet parents add leafy greens like spinach to fresh meals because they are rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber.

But these greens also contain oxalates, which often triggers concern about kidney stones.

🔍 So what does the science actually say?
What Are Oxalates?

Oxalates (oxalic acid and its salts) are naturally occurring compounds found in many plants.

In the digestive tract they can bind with minerals, especially calcium, forming calcium-oxalate complexes.

This interaction is important for two reasons:
✔️ Mineral Binding
Oxalates can reduce the absorption of calcium when present in very large amounts.

✔️Kidney Stone Formation
In susceptible animals, absorbed oxalate can contribute to calcium oxalate urinary stones.

❗️However, the context of the entire diet matters greatly.

When Oxalates Are Usually Harmless ➡️
In a properly balanced fresh diet, oxalates are rarely a meaningful concern.
Why?

Because most fresh diets include adequate calcium (bone, eggshell, or a formulated mineral source).

Calcium in the digestive tract binds oxalates before they are absorbed, allowing them to pass harmlessly through the stool.

In practical terms:
▪️Small amounts of spinach or beet greens
▪️Balanced calcium intake
▪️Normal kidney function
➡️ This combination generally poses minimal risk.

When Oxalates Can Become a Problem:
Oxalates deserve more attention in dogs with specific risk factors, including:

1️⃣ Calcium Oxalate Stone Formers

Certain breeds have a higher risk of oxalate stones, including:
▪️Miniature Schnauzers
▪️Shih Tzus
▪️Bichon Frise
▪️Lhasa Apsos
▪️Yorkshire Terriers

2️⃣ Dogs With a History of Urinary Stones

Previous calcium oxalate stones dramatically increase recurrence risk.

3️⃣ Diets Low in Calcium

If a homemade diet lacks sufficient calcium, oxalates may remain more bioavailable for absorption.

In these cases, limiting high-oxalate vegetables is a prudent step.

---
The Preparation Trick Most People Miss

Cooking dramatically reduces oxalate levels.
Studies in human nutrition show that boiling or steaming leafy greens and discarding the cooking water can reduce soluble oxalates by 30–87%.

This means:
Raw spinach = high oxalate load
Steamed spinach = much lower oxalate load

For pet parents who want to include spinach occasionally, light cooking is a simple way to reduce oxalate exposure.

✨️ A Better Low-Oxalate Green
If you want a leafy green that carries fewer oxalates, kale is a much safer choice.
Compared with spinach, kale contains significantly lower oxalate levels while still providing:
✅️ Vitamin K
✅️ Vitamin C
✅️ Carotenoids
✅️ Fiber

Other low-oxalate vegetables include:
✔️ squash
✔️ zucchini
✔️ broccoli
✔️ green beans

📌
Oxalates are not inherently dangerous, but they are context dependent.

For most dogs eating a balanced fresh diet with adequate calcium, small amounts of leafy greens are unlikely to cause harm.

But for dogs prone to calcium oxalate stones, limiting high-oxalate vegetables, and cooking them when used, can be an important preventive strategy.

Nutrition is rarely about eliminating foods entirely.
It’s about understanding when they matter and when they don’t. 💚

— The Holistic Canine 🐾

👉 Fresh feeding, explained—finally.
"Fresh-Food Feeding Explained" eBook
https://theholisticcanine.us/ebook/
Available NOW on my website.

03/09/2026

Is Your Dog’s Bowl Missing a Piece❓️

7 Subtle Signs of a Nutrient Gap

Many chronic symptoms in dogs are blamed on allergies, aging, or “just bad genetics.”
But sometimes the issue is simpler.
The diet may be missing a key nutrient.

Vitamins and minerals function as enzyme cofactors, meaning they allow thousands of metabolic reactions in the body to work properly. When one becomes limiting, the body often shows early warning signs.

Here are seven clues that the bowl may be missing something important:

1️⃣ Red or constantly irritated paws

Zinc plays a major role in skin barrier integrity and immune regulation.

When zinc intake or absorption is inadequate, dogs can develop chronic paw irritation, redness, or recurring skin issues.

2️⃣ Unusual upward staring or disorientation

This abnormal neurological posture can occur when the nervous system is under metabolic stress.

Nutrients commonly associated with neurological function include:
▪️ Thiamine (Vitamin B1)
▪️ Magnesium
▪️ Sodium / electrolyte balance

Thiamine in particular is essential for brain energy metabolism, and deficiency has been documented to cause neurological symptoms in dogs.

3️⃣ Dull, brittle, or slow-growing coat

Hair follicles require specific nutrients for proper keratin formation and pigmentation, including:
▪️ Zinc
▪️ Copper
▪️ Manganese

When these become limiting, coats may appear dry, faded, thin, or slow to regrow after shedding.

4️⃣ Loose joints or ligament weakness

Connective tissue depends on minerals involved in cartilage formation and collagen metabolism, especially:
▪️ Manganese
▪️ Copper
▪️ Vitamin C (for collagen synthesis)

Low manganese intake has been associated with poor cartilage development and ligament laxity in growing animals.

5️⃣ Low energy or poor stamina

Minerals involved in oxygen transport and cellular energy production include:
▪️ Iron
▪️ Copper
▪️ Magnesium

When these nutrients are insufficient, dogs may appear easily fatigued or less willing to exercise.

6️⃣ Eating dirt, grass, or unusual objects

This behavior, called pica, can sometimes occur when animals attempt to compensate for nutritional gaps.

Minerals sometimes linked with this behavior include:
▪️ Iron
▪️ Zinc
▪️ Sodium

7️⃣ Dry skin, dandruff, or excessive shedding

Healthy skin requires proper intake of nutrients involved in cell turnover and skin barrier function, such as:
▪️ Zinc
▪️ Vitamin A
▪️ Essential fatty acids

When these nutrients are low, dogs may develop flaking skin or increased shedding.

⚠️ Important:
These symptoms can have many causes, and they do not automatically mean a deficiency is present.

But they do highlight an important reality in canine nutrition:

✨️Small nutrient gaps often show up in the body before they show up in bloodwork.✨️

💬 Are you seeing any of these signs in your dog? Let us know! 👇
theholisticcanine.us

— The Holistic Canine 🐾
Board-Certified Nutrition Practitioner | PhD
Certified Canine & Feline Clinical Nutritionist (AAVSB approved)
NPI Registered Provider

03/08/2026

🐕 Is Your Dog “Hangry”… or Is It Chemistry?

Sometimes behavior isn’t just about training.
It can also be about biochemistry.

Here’s something fascinating about canine nutrition and behavior: 👇

Serotonin, the neurotransmitter associated with calmness, mood stability, and impulse control, is made from the amino acid tryptophan.

But there’s a catch.

Tryptophan has to compete with several other amino acids to cross the blood-brain barrier and be used to make serotonin in the brain. In very high-protein meals, tryptophan can sometimes lose that competition.

This is where nutrition strategy can matter.

When a small amount of complex carbohydrate is included in the meal, insulin helps shuttle competing amino acids into muscle tissue leaving relatively more tryptophan available to enter the brain.

The result❓️

Potentially better serotonin production, which may support calmer behavior in some dogs.

Foods naturally rich in tryptophan include:
▪️ Turkey
▪️ Eggs
▪️ Chicken
▪️ Dairy

Pairing them with a small amount of whole food carbohydrate like:
▪️ Cooked sweet potato
▪️ Squash
▪️ Oats
may help improve the tryptophan ratio available to the brain.

Now here’s another interesting piece…

Your dog’s gut microbiome communicates with the brain through what scientists call the gut–brain axis...meaning digestion, inflammation, and microbial balance can influence behavior as well.

So the next time your dog seems unusually reactive, anxious, or irritable…

It may not always be a training issue. Sometimes it’s a nutrition signal.

🐾 Behavior starts in more places than we think.

— The Holistic Canine 💚 theholisticcanine.us

03/07/2026

☀️ Your Dog Can Sunbathe All Day…
And Still Be Vitamin D Deficient

Let me ask you a strange question.

If a dog lies in the sun for hours…
stretching out on the deck…
soaking up every ray…

Do they make vitamin D the way we do❓️

Most people assume the answer is yes.
But the biology of dogs says absolutely not.

⚛️ The Hidden Hormone Most Dog Owners Never Think About

Vitamin D isn’t just a vitamin.

It functions more like a pre-hormone, regulating the activity of over 200 genes involved in:
▪️ immune defense
▪️ cardiovascular health
▪️ bone metabolism
▪️ cellular growth and cancer protection

In humans, UV light converts compounds in our skin into vitamin D₃.

Dogs?

Their skin lacks the ability to efficiently perform this conversion.

So while humans can rely partly on sunlight…
Dogs must get nearly all of their vitamin D₃ from food.

The bowl, not the backyard, is what determines their vitamin D status.

🔍 The Quiet Problem in Many Homemade Diets
Here’s where things get interesting.
Many DIY diets rely heavily on standard muscle meats like:

✔️ beef
✔️ chicken
✔️ turkey
✔️ pork

While these foods provide excellent protein, they contain very little vitamin D₃.

Without intentional inclusion of vitamin-D-rich foods, a diet can slowly drift into deficiency territory.

And because vitamin D acts hormonally in the body, chronic shortfalls can affect far more than just bone health.

🌞 The Foods That Actually Provide Vitamin D₃
Two whole foods quietly do a lot of heavy lifting here.

🥚 Egg yolks
🐟 Oily fish like salmon, mackerel, sardines, and herring

Most people add them for omega-3 fats.
But they’re also among the most concentrated natural sources of dietary vitamin D₃ available in whole foods.

Think of them as part of your dog’s nutritional hormone support system.

📌
Dogs cannot “sunbathe” their way to vitamin D sufficiency.
Their biology requires that this critical nutrient, this hormone precursor, comes from what we place in their bowl...

Which means thoughtful diet design matters more than most people realize.

Because sometimes the nutrients that matter most…
are the ones we can’t see working❗️

---
💬 Curious how much vitamin D dogs actually need vs. what food provides?

That number surprises most people....👇

According to the National Research Council (NRC) nutrient guidelines:

Recommended Allowance (RA):
▪️13.8 IU of Vitamin D per kg of body weight per day

👉 Expressed per energy intake:
Approx. 125 IU per 1,000 kcal of food

— The Holistic Canine 🐾💚 theholisticcanine.us

Board-Certified Nutrition Practitioner | PhD
Certified Canine & Feline Clinical Nutritionist (AAVSB approved)
NPI Registered Provider

03/06/2026

What 1,000 Calories Looks Like in Your Dog’s Bowl

What does 1,000 calories actually look like in your dog’s bowl?
The answer might surprise you.

Because 2½ cups of kibble can equal the same calories as an entire bowl of fresh food.

But calories alone don’t define nutrition.

Let’s compare.

🥣 Bowl #1 — Commercial Dry Food (Kibble)

Approximately 1,000 kcal from kibble typically equals:
▪️ about 2½ cups of dry food
▪️ ~10% moisture
▪️ often 40–55% carbohydrates
▪️ highly calorie-dense

Kibble must contain significant starch so it can survive the extrusion process and hold its shape.

During manufacturing the ingredients are:
✔️ ground into a meal
✔️ mixed into a slurry
✔️ cooked under high heat and pressure
✔️ extruded into shapes
✔️ dried and coated with fats and a vitamin premix

The end result is a shelf-stable product that is very concentrated in calories but extremely low in moisture.

---
🥩 Bowl #2 — Balanced Fresh Food Diet

A balanced fresh diet providing 1,000 kcal might include foods such as:

🔹️ fresh muscle meat
🔹️ liver and other secreting organs
🔹️ an appropriate calcium source
🔹️ omega-3 rich foods like sardines
🔹️ fiber-rich vegetables
🔹️ trace nutrient support when needed

Fresh diets typically contain:
✅️ 65–75% moisture
✅️ higher biological protein content
✅️ lower carbohydrate load
✅️ nutrients coming primarily from whole food sources

Because fresh food contains much more water, the portion size for the same calories is larger and more hydrating.

🔍 Why This Matters
Dogs don’t just consume calories, they consume nutrient matrices that influence:
▪️ digestion
▪️ nutrient absorption
▪️ metabolic response
▪️ gut microbiome health

Two diets may deliver 1,000 calories, but the nutritional experience for the body can be very different.

🤔 Something Many Pet Parents Don’t Realize
According to established canine nutrient requirement models, dogs do not have a dietary carbohydrate requirement.

Yet carbohydrates often make up 40–60% of many commercial kibbles because starch is necessary for the extrusion process.

I’m Curious…
What does your dog’s bowl look like right now❓️

▪️ Kibble
▪️ Fresh food
▪️ A mix of both

Tell me below, or better yet, show me! 👇

— The Holistic Canine | Nutrition grounded in biology, not trends 🐾

theholisticcanine.us

03/05/2026

Vitamin A & Liver: Why Percentage Feeding Falls Short

Vitamin A is essential for dogs. It supports:
✔️ Vision
✔️ Immune function
✔️ Skin and epithelial health
✔️ Reproduction and growth

But unlike water-soluble vitamins, vitamin A is fat-soluble and stored in the liver. That storage capacity is what makes both deficiency and excess possible...depending on how liver is used in the diet.

🔬 What the Science Says
According to the National Research Council (NRC), dogs have:
▪️A dietary requirement for vitamin A
▪️A safe upper limit designed to prevent long-term accumulation

True hypervitaminosis A is uncommon, but chronic oversupply, especially from high-vitamin A organs, can lead to sub-clinical toxicity over time, affecting joints and bone remodeling.

This is not about fear.
It’s about dose over time.

🔍 Closer Look at NRC Guidelines
The NRC uses energy-based nutrient benchmarks. For dogs, a vitamin A intake of roughly 1,200–1,300 IU per 1,000 kcal ME is considered sufficient to meet physiological needs. Chronic intakes far above that, especially approaching 12,000 IU per 1,000 kcal ME and beyond, enter ranges where toxicity effects have been observed in research.

Feeding liver by fixed % without considering its actual vitamin A yield vs. the dog’s energy intake can inadvertently push a diet well above these levels.

Not All Liver Is Created Equal
Liver is often grouped into a flat percentage (commonly 5%) in popular ratios like 80/10/10. The problem❓️
Vitamin A content varies dramatically by species.

Approximate vitamin A values per 100 g raw liver:
Liver Source Vitamin A (IU / 100 g)
Beef ~31,000 IU
Lamb / Goat ~28,000 IU
Pork ~14,000 IU
Turkey ~13,000 IU
Chicken ~11,000 IU

Feeding 5% chicken liver is not nutritionally equivalent to 5% beef or lamb liver.

Same percentage.
Very different vitamin A delivery.

Why the 80/10/10 “5% Liver” Rule Can Miss the Mark 👇
The 80/10/10 model is a framework, not a nutrient analysis.

When liver is fed strictly by percentage:
🔹️Vitamin A intake is assumed, not calculated
🔹️Species differences are ignored
🔹️Accumulation risk increases when high-A livers are fed consistently

This doesn’t mean liver is dangerous.
It means liver must be adjusted to nutrient yield, not locked into a fixed number.

A More Accurate Way to Think About Liver
✅️ Liver is a vitamin supplement made of food
✅️ Its inclusion should reflect:
▪️Species of liver
▪️Total diet composition
▪️Rotation frequency
▪️Presence of other vitamin A contributors (fish oils, whole prey, supplements)

For higher-vitamin A livers (beef, lamb, goat), less liver may meet requirements than the traditional 5%.
For lower-vitamin A livers (chicken, turkey), slightly higher inclusion may be appropriate, depending on the rest of the diet.

📌
Vitamin A is essential and stored. Liver is invaluable, but potent.
Feeding liver by habit or ratio alone can overshoot needs.
Nutrient-informed adjustment protects both safety and balance.

Nutrition isn’t about rigid rules.
It’s about understanding what the food actually delivers.

theholisticcanine.us

— The Holistic Canine | Nutrition grounded in biology, not trends 🐾
Board-Certified Nutrition Practitioner
Certified Canine & Feline Clinical Nutritionist (AAVSB approved)
NPI Registered Provider

Address

Macon, GA
31216

Website

http://www.theholisticcanine.us/, https://theholisticcanine.us/ebook/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The Holistic Canine posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to The Holistic Canine:

Shortcuts

Want your practice to be the top-listed Clinic in Macon?

Our Story

Health is a state within the body that encompasses the physical, mental, and spiritual well-being of the animal. It must be cultivated with care and requires an ongoing process of maintenance and effort. Holistic health care necessitates knowledge and wisdom. An ongoing self-education and awareness of current research is recommended for preserving optimal health. We not only keep continually abreast of the latest research and developments in the natural health field for animal care, but we put into practice what we have learned, honing it to produce vibrant health. Only species-appropriate fresh raw foods and natural health care can produce a true state of health. Any introduction of processed foods, poison, chemicals, or synthetic substances to an animal's body, as well as altering their physical body, directly disrupts and disturbs the natural flow and rhythm of health maintenance. Kimberly is a doctor of Holistic Orthomolecular Nutrition and is a board certified holistic health practitioner (BCHHP). She is certified further as a Natural Health Practitioner (CNHP), a Holistic Nutrition Practitioner CHNP), and Raw Dog Food Nutritionist. She practices with dogs as well as people, giving nutrition and health care advice to canine pet parents. Together with her husband, Andrew, they raw feed and naturopathically care for their six dogs.

03/13/2026

03/12/2026

03/11/2026

03/11/2026

03/10/2026

03/09/2026

03/08/2026

03/07/2026

03/06/2026

03/05/2026

Address

Website

Alerts

Contact The Practice

Shortcuts

Share

Our Story