Healthful Pet Food Is a Natural
by Sheba R. Wheeler
January 16, 2008
Animal communicator Sonya Fitzpatrick’s new Sirius Satellite Radio show is called “Animal Intuition.”
It gives Fitzpatrick, formerly on “Animal Planet,” a platform to challenge manufacturers whom she believes create harmful products for pets. The Denver Post reached her on the telephone to find out more.
How does your radio show differ from what was included on the Animal Planet program “Pet Psychic?”
Talking to animals, sorting out their problems and being able to help animals was very important (on the television show). With the radio show, I can say whatever I want to and talk about issues I never covered on the TV show.
Like what, for instance?
Very dear to my heart is feeding animals the right food. I became very aware of the problem recently when one of my own pets died when it was only 9-years-old. When I was a child, our dogs lived for 18 to 20 years. Why did they live for so long?
So I started doing research on this wonderful Internet, and it started me to thinking about how our dogs are fed. When I was younger, my mother would feed our dogs whatever she cooked for the family, including raw and cooked meat and veggies and potatoes. The dogs were never given dog food, primarily because there weren’t that many products on the market. One day I looked at the dried and wet dog food I was feeding my pets and thought to myself that it didn’t look very good.
What do you feed your pets?
I wouldn’t give them anything now that I wouldn’t feed myself. Whole grain brown rice is extremely good for them, as well as pasta. I usually add chicken to it, and throw in some lentils and carrots and peas. …Sometimes I give them nuts, and fruits such as melons, apples and pear, but I don’t use any more store-bought treats. I like to give them the kind of beef jerky humans consume.
If I can’t cook, I feed my dogs organic food or products made my Paul Newman or Wellness. I give them HealthGuard vitamins and Omega oil supplements from the Pet Parent Network.
What should pet owners look for in store-bought dog food?
Meat should always be the first product, such as chicken or lamb. Also, do some research to know exactly what goes into the dog food. I recommend (reading) “The Nature of Animal Healing” by Martin Goldstein because it tells you everything that is inside pet food and how it’s made.
You also favor cleaning with “green” products?
(Some household cleansers) contain harmful ingredients that animals inhale and get sick from… Using bleaches, candles and other things that smell (can) … turn your house into a vacuum of poisons that your animals inhale. It’s one of the reasons pets pee on the floor; they are trying to cover up those awful chemical smells.
Go green, particularly when you have pets, and look for nonscented organic cleaners. Use natural lavender oil, which is great for cleaning wooden floors. I use vinegar, water and tiny bit of soap powder for cleaning, and when my cleaning people come, I give them what they will use.
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