We first interviewed animal nutritionist Dr. Richard Patton, for a show that aired on April 2nd, 2016. As I reviewed that show preparing for our 2021 interview with Dr. Patton, it was clear that everything we discussed five years ago is still an issue. I'm encoring the 2016 show because It serves as an excellent introduction to our 2021 interview with Dr. Patton.  

If you want to learn how you can improve your pet's health and extend their life by changing what and how you feed them, you do not want to miss this show.

We start our discussion from these three points; 1) nutrition is never a crisis, but poor nutrition often impacts health and then can cause a medical crisis, 2) we need to accept that we can either have optimal nutrition or convenience and economy, but not both, and 3) we should never be afraid to feed less. From there, we discuss what Dr. Patton calls the 900lb gorilla in the room; the presence of excess soluble carbohydrates in pet food. As Dr. Patton states, "The majority of our nutrition problems can be traced back to the feeding of excess soluble carbohydrates. So until we fix that, it's kind of esoteric to get into an involved discussion about whether salmon is better than trout or kangaroo is better than alligator. My mantra is to reduce the caloric intake, particularly from soluble carbohydrates and starch and sugar." 

Recommended Resources

Articles on Don's Blog
( http://www.words-woofs-meows.com  )

Book Review – Ruined by Excess, Perfected by Lack – The paradox of pet nutrition by Richard Patton - http://www.greenacreskennel.com/blog/2016/03/16/book-review-ruined-by-excess-perfected-by-lack-the-paradox-of-pet-nutrition-by-richard-patton/

GAKS Philosophy on Pet Nutrition – http://bit.ly/GAKS_Nut_Phil

What I Feed My Dog and Why I Feed What I Do – https://bit.ly/WhatIFeedAndWhy

Things I Wish I Had Known… The Importance of What I Feed My Pets - – WWM-MAR2019 – http://bit.ly/Things-Nutrition-1

Pet Nutrition: Some Myths and Facts – Part 1 – My story with Gus – Maine Dog Magazine – Winter 2017 – http://bit.ly/Gus-Nutrition The Science and Dogma of Pet Nutrition with Dr.

Richard Patton with link to 1-hour video –http://bit.ly/Video-Dr-Richard-Patton