Gussy’s Intestine Q&A: Are fermented meals good for my canine?


November 28, 2022

Gussy's Gut Q&A: Are fermented foods good for my dog?

What’s been lacking from canine diets ever since we began feeding them processed pet meals? Naturally occurring probiotics from entire meals, says Dr. Ian Billinghurst, the daddy of biologically applicable, ancestral vitamin for canine. Thirty years in the past, he taught us in regards to the evolutionary eating regimen for canine along with his e book, Give Your Canine a Bone. He additionally famously coined the time period “BARF” (Biologically Applicable RAW Meals).

Dr. Billinghurst and Rob Ryan, the founding father of GussysGut.com, discuss good micro organism. Additionally they deal with why counting on probiotic dietary supplements might not be one of the best long-term reply for our pups.

IN THIS POST:

Rob Ryan's Black Labrador Gussy

THE BENEFITS OF FERMENTED FOODS FOR DOGS 

INTERVIEWER: In a nutshell, why ought to our canine’s eating regimen embody fermented meals?

ROB:  It’s truly quite simple. Fermentation makes meals each extra nutritious and scrumptious for canine because it does for us. 

INTERVIEWER: Are you able to inform us extra about fermentation, particularly for canine?

DR. BILLINGHURST: Completely! Our favourite and most well-liked sort of fermentation for canine is what we name “wild fermentation”. Wild fermentation makes use of the naturally-occurring, fermenting organisms on meals. 

Gussy’s Intestine merchandise include a combo of plant and animal primarily based ferments, resembling grass-fed goat kefir. In each instances, we depend on lactic acid-producing micro organism, which happen naturally within the RAW meals we ferment. This is named lactic acid fermentation (also called Lacto-fermentation).

These lactic acid-producing micro organism are present in and on the vegetation, berries, and prey animals the ancestors of our canine ate for hundreds of thousands of years. Immediately, many canine that free-range on household farms additionally eat this manner. This microbe-rich meals consists of the intestine contents of prey animals. These intestine contents are extremely fermented. That is the type of fermented meals that our canine’s our bodies cry out for, and that is what Gussy’s Intestine supplies in a really clear, secure, and health-promoting approach. 

INTERVIEWER: What are the advantages of including fermented meals to our canine’s meals?

ROB:  I must say “optimization”. This wild fermentation course of transforms superfoods into much more priceless, digestible, and helpful vitamin for our canine. Some folks like to make use of the phrase “bio-available”. However your canine can not profit from what it can not entry.

Wild fermentation makes vitamins in superfoods extra accessible. In essence, it creates these little “microfactories” that generate vitamins and bioactives with particular dietary and well being functionalities. Many of those don’t exist in unfermented meals, together with RAW Meals. These vitamins embody vitamin K2, short-chain fatty acids, enzymes, and quite a few others — most of which haven’t as but been totally investigated by trendy science.

In fact, what we’re speaking about right here once we converse of those “microfactories” are the probiotics. They’re good or useful micro organism and are a significant a part of the microbiome. These microorganisms additionally break down meals. so it’s simpler for our canine’s physique to digest, take in, and make the most of. One other approach to consider this: what good are any vitamins we predict we’re feeding if our canine aren’t totally absorbing them?

INTERVIEWER:   Are you able to inform me a little bit bit in regards to the science behind fermented meals? 

DR. BILLINGHURST: Certain. The advantages come from the large variety of reactions that happen in the course of the fermentation course of. These are catalyzed by the untold variety of enzymes produced by the organisms that participate within the fermentation course of. These reactions are capable of not solely break down the cellulose of plant cell partitions. However they’ll additionally produce many new bioactives not current within the authentic materials. On the identical time, they make the vitamins which can be there much more bioavailable in some ways. Generally, it is so simple as breaking them up into smaller, extra simply digested molecules, resembling peptides and amino acids. At different instances, it’s the addition of a service molecule. It will increase their bioavailability, permitting them to go extra simply from the digestive tract into the bloodstream. 

 

INTERVIEWER: How can fermented meals enhance your pup’s total well being and intestine microbiome?

Merely put, fermentation improves digestion and assimilation of our canine’s meals. On the identical time, it creates a myriad of health-enhancing vitamins not initially current within the meals. 

Which means that if we evaluate fermented meals to their non-fermented counterparts, fermented meals confer multi-level advantages to canine not supplied by the unique meals. These advantages embody:

    • Enhancements in digestibility

    • A rise in glucose tolerance, which implies a lower in insulin resistance

    • Inhibition of the expansion of doubtless pathogenic bacterial

    • A discount of gastrointestinal issues

    • A lower within the dangers of quite a few degenerative illness processes, starting from heart problems to allergy symptoms to most cancers

FUNCTIONAL FOODS FOR DOGS 

INTERVIEWER: In accordance with Healthline, “Useful meals are meals that provide well being advantages past their dietary worth.” Would you say that Gussy’s Intestine could possibly be finest described as a useful meals?

DR. BILLINGHURST: It is dependent upon what you imply by useful meals. Should you imply a meals that has a profit nicely past what’s at the moment identified — then sure — undoubtedly! As soon as the components we use in Gussy’s Intestine are fermented, they grow to be super-wellness meals. For instance, within the case of RAW greens, our canine can not extract their vitamins by way of regular digestive processes. Our canine should not have the digestive enzymes to interrupt down the cellulose in plant cell partitions. They don’t chew their meals. Canines are gulpers! Breaking down cellulose can solely be achieved by way of juicing or grinding — utilizing a Vitamix, for instance. Nonetheless, as soon as fermented, their worth drastically will increase.

 

ROB: Useful meals are a sizzling matter within the pet meals sphere. However let me inform you what I consider them. Gussy’s Intestine works backward from the specified results or advantages. Then we have a look at what vitamins assist them. Then we painstakingly analysis what meals include these vitamins and are enabled by fermentation. 

THE DOWNSIDES OF PROBIOTIC DOG CHEWS AND SUPPLEMENTS 

INTERVIEWER: That’s fairly spectacular. So why not then simply use probiotic chews and dietary supplements as an alternative?

ROB:  Dr. B and I perceive that naturally occurring fermenting organisms are much better for our canine than the monocultures of probiotics utilized by some meals producers or grown in laboratories and integrated in tablets, powders, capsules, and canine chews. These probiotics are mass-produced in laboratories — which they need to be so as to deal with shopper demand and to be handy, shelf-stable, and deal with varied temperatures and humidity. In a lab, you may replicate infinite copies of the great micro organism and encapsulate them. So that they make it by way of the packaging, shelf, and in the end by way of the digestive tract. So, this can be a good reply to a shopper drawback. That is actually good for this specific use. 

Nonetheless, whenever you ferment entire meals, you’ll get trillions of probiotic organisms in only a handful of those meals — in comparison with only a few billion in a bottle of probiotics. In different phrases, these fermented meals are superior in each approach. The variety of organisms current is way higher and their worth is enhanced exponentially by their nutrient-producing and assimilating talents as a further bonus.

Sadly, comfort can get in the way in which of individuals benefiting from these advantages. For some pet house owners, it’s a lot simpler to offer powders, tablets, or chews as an alternative of feeding fermented meals. I’d add that it is usually cheaper. However we imagine this a behavior that may be solved by training. 

The probiotic producers have brilliantly addressed shopper desires. We contend this comfort will not be a very good long-term answer. Science exhibits that unchanging supplementation can result in intestine imbalances and dysbiosis (Leaky Intestine) in completely wholesome canine. In different phrases, feeding a set, small set of the identical species week after week after week has nowhere close to the advantages of feeding a continually altering supply of useful micro organism. We’ve developed Gussy’s Intestine to fill that dietary hole. That is what our canine’ our bodies have developed to require. Microbial range by way of dwelling entire meals.

INTERVIEWER: What about fecal transplants and tablets by way of canine fecal materials (or CFM)?

ROB: Ah, sure, there’s spectacular proof these work very nicely for acute points, therapeutically. However there are 3 questions it’s best to contemplate earlier than giving them to your canine as a preventative.

  1. What are the genetics, epigenetics, variety of vaccinations, and eating regimen of the supply canine of this fecal materials?
  2. Is that this product able to passing on genetic materials to my canine that might not be useful?
  3. What testing and purification has this product undergone?
For folks and canine, fecal transplants and poop tablets is usually a huge lifesaver. Within the absence of different choices, I could contemplate it as a final resort. I’m not positive I might for a much less pressing therapy choice. 

PROBLEMS WITH PROCESSED PET FOODS

INTERVIEWER: Rob, you mentioned earlier than we started this interview that our canine are satiated however ravenous. Are you able to elaborate on this?

ROB:  Sure, positive. Our canine are overfed and undernourished. Vitamin will not be about trying or feeling fed or glad – or merely surviving. It’s about being given the vitamins to thrive. Most canine meals available on the market are simply maintaining our canine alive — and even that’s far shorter than it ought to be. The final years of their lives are sometimes full of a number of degenerative ailments. What their our bodies want is the kind of vitamin that may allow them to dwell lengthy wholesome lives. This lack of vitamins has reached epidemic proportions with most canine now being fed synthetic meals primarily based on carbohydrates.  

DR. BILLINGHURST: Can I say one thing about this as nicely?

INTERVIEWER: Sure, please…

DR. BILLINGHURST: I wish to echo what Rob has mentioned and in addition say that all over the world, we now have remoted our canine from their pure world. We not feed our canine the meals they’re designed to make use of. We’ve sterilized their setting and thus, their microbiome. We’ve overcooked, over-cleaned, over-sprayed, and overused vaccines and antibiotics. Between dangerous meals, the fixed must medicate, and the indiscriminate use of vaccines, we at the moment are seeing an epidemic of ailments in our canine, the like of which has by no means occurred earlier than, and we’re seeing this in youthful and youthful canine.

Most cancers, diabetes, arthritis, and plenty of different degenerative circumstances, as soon as thought of to be ailments of previous age at the moment are showing earlier than our canine attain maturity. This consists of uncommon and distinctive cancers by no means seen till now in younger canine. My life’s work has been to revive our canine’s our bodies to the situation that nature has prescribed. This will solely be achieved by returning our canine to their authentic or ancestral eating regimen. Put merely, we should “rewild” our canine’s eating regimen and intestine. That is the one technique to genuinely guarantee their most resistance to the illness and sicknesses rampant within the canine inhabitants immediately.

These issues are triggered largely by a very inappropriate eating regimen. The trendy pet eating regimen will not be solely utterly mistaken when it comes to its carbohydrate base, however it is usually critically missing in real vitamin. Our canine are certainly ravenous for vitamins. They’re missing, most significantly, in protecting vitamins. These vitamins are solely present in RAW entire meals. This consists of fermented meals.

 

THE MISSING LINK IN MODERN CANINE NUTRITION 

INTERVIEWER: Whereas manufactured canine probiotics are in style, they might not be the long-term answer. Are you able to inform me a little bit extra about what it’s you and Dr. Billinghurst are doing to handle this unmet want?

ROB:  Certain. We’ve created a pet product that’s simply as handy as tablets, powders, and chews. However it’s in a dwell, entire meals kind. It is usually far safer and much much less uninviting than the kind of fermented meals a canine might select if given half an opportunity. And by that, I imply things like a buried bone, all rotten and smelly, or roadkill. It may be the intestine contents of a prey animal, feces, and even one thing putrefying from a trash can.  If left to their very own gadgets, these are all examples of the much less interesting supplies that canine will naturally supply to get their microbiome “repair”.

Gussy’s Intestine replaces all of those in a handy secure and wholesome method. We ferment 19 superfoods collectively for two weeks after which freeze-dry them right into a powder to make an excellent probiotic-rich meals topper anybody can add shortly to any pet food.

INTERVIEWER: Nice. So, are you able to inform us a little bit extra about how Gussy’s Intestine is made?

ROB: Sure. We use solely human-grade natural produce from natural, biodynamic, and regenerative farms and as I mentioned, ferment them for two weeks. We then transfer the product onto trays and freeze-dry them slowly for 30 hours. This methodology is essential for preserving the probiotic worth of our product. It additionally provides at the very least $500 value to every batch of product for that 30 hours. However it isn’t simply price it, it’s important.

Air dried or dehydrated powders will kill off all the advantages we’re creating. From there, we gently floor the components and add a splash of natural cheese. Which I ought to point out can be a fermented product. Then we bundle it for quick sale. We produce solely small batches on demand. This ensures our canine clients are getting the freshest product and never one sitting on cabinets for 6-12 months like most pet meals merchandise.

INTERVIEWER: How did this come about?

ROB: Properly, I used to be taught learn how to feed my canine by one of the best again in 1999, Dr. Ian Billinghurst. He and I did cellphone consultations. So, I’ve all the time included tripe and RAW grass-fed kefir, RAW goat milk, and so forth in my canine’s RAW diets.

However when my present canine Gus was affected by Intestine points after getting within the trash and swallowing a plastic bottle cap that wreaked havoc on his GI tract, I turned to make my very own fermentation for him. I imagine it saved his life. Then I received an increasing number of elaborate and added an increasing number of components. I seen his power and stamina improved on his outings. He wished to go on longer and longer hikes with me. Individuals began to inform me his black coat regarded so luxurious and “moist”. His stools had been perfection. And he beloved to eat it. But it surely received costly, and I needed to make a ton and provides at the very least half of it away. I additionally received actually bored with all of the chopping and enormous 3-pint glass jars in my pantry fermenting for two weeks. I knocked a jar over a time or two, which pissed off me much more.

So, I took my experiences to Dr. Billinghurst. I knew he would perceive. I wished to ask him if this might profit different canine, if we might mass produce it, and if I ought to cease making it in my kitchen only for Gus. His suggestions was one in all shock and pleasure. 


DR. BILLINGHURST:  Sure, precisely. I instructed Rob this was the lacking hyperlink to the ancestral eating regimen I had prescribed some 30 years in the past. This was the alternative we wanted for all these smelly and terrible issues that canine like to eat. 


ROB:  Sure, in actual fact, you instructed me, that is essentially the most profound improve to canine vitamin in over 25 years.   


DR. BILLINGHURST:  That’s proper. 


ROB: So, this was one of the best affirmation I might ever have.  I knew proper then, we wanted to work collectively on this.

Rob Ryan's dog Gussy or Gus.

GUSSY’S GUT FERMENTED DOG SUPERFOOD TOPPER

 INTERVIEWER: What an important story. So, what are your merchandise? 

DR. BILLINGHURST:  Properly, we now have been targeted on one unbelievable product, we name “Every day”. I’ll allow you to guess why we name it that. And as Rob has mentioned, it incorporates 19 biologically lively vitamins.  

  1. Spinach
  2. Kale
  3. Parsley
  4. Cabbage
  5. Cauliflower
  6. Broccoli
  7. Beets
  8. Cilantro
  9. Dandelion
  10.  Grass-fed Goat Kefir
  11.  Wild Blueberries
  12.  Milk Thistle
  13.  Rosemary
  14.  Oregano
  15.  Turmeric
  16.  Artichoke
  17.  Decaffeinated Inexperienced Tea
  18.  Alfalfa
  19.  Kelp 

ROB: All of these are each natural and fermented. 


DR. BILLINGHURST: 
Sure! Crucial. We designed this components very rigorously. We wished one thing completely fitted to every day use. And with every ingredient doing greater than double responsibility in its function or perform, we now have produced a really useful meals that’s preferrred as a meals topper — it doesn’t matter what you might be feeding your canine.

This meals, you may say, has all of it. It is stuffed with prebiotics, antioxidants, phytonutrients, polyphenols, detoxifiers, and rather more. With all of this, it’s an unbelievable assist for the liver. It’s arguably one of the crucial essential organs within the physique when it comes to digestion and assimilation of meals. We wished to assist intestine well being, wholesome getting older, resilience, and above all, fill within the vitamin gaps of even one of the best diets on the market. This product does all that after which some. I’m proud to place my identify and status on it. 


INTERVIEWER: Wow. That could be very useful. Thanks, Dr. Billinghurst. Rob, do you could have something you wish to add to that?

ROB:  Properly, that was fairly darn full. I feel the one factor I can add to that’s, what we got down to do was present a wholesome spectrum of 180 entire food-derived nutritional vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, fatty acids, amino acids, and enzymes. This goes approach past different canine dietary supplements that use the restricted nutrient vary instructed by AAFCO and different authorities.

INTERVIEWER: Nice thanks for that, Rob. You talked about to me earlier that making a pet product like this comes at an important expense. Are you able to share a little bit extra about this?

ROB:  Oh, positive, sure. Properly, from the best high quality components you should buy – actually – to the labor and freeze-drying. Making our Every day product is dear. We make all of it by hand in an natural licensed kitchen. We reduce no corners. Even the salt we use to ferment is the costliest and finest from a vitamin perspective.

We use Redmond’s Actual Salt, which is mined from deep inside the mountains of Utah. These had been historic sea beds freed from any contamination from air pollution or microplastics. We researched the heck out of salt and historic sea salt was one of the best. It is usually very excessive in hint minerals. Our canine are mineral poor like us. So although we solely use a little bit bit, it’s additive to our nutrient profile. We additionally imagine in paying above a dwelling wage for our folks.

As I discussed, our freeze-drying methodology is essential and provides an enormous value to every batch. However all of this stuff we do, we imagine translate into a really premium pet product. We created Every day to be one of the best there’s, and we plan to proceed enhancing it over the months and years so it stays that approach.

INTERVIEWER: Does this exchange including fruits and veggies to your canine’s meals bowl?

ROB: No, under no circumstances. It fills a dietary hole that has been for essentially the most half lacking since canine ceased to have entry to bones, gardens to bury them in, and all these smelly objects we talked about earlier. I nonetheless add seasonal veggies to a few of Gus’s meals. I add in components not in Gussy’s Intestine although. Additionally, as a result of not all vegetation or fruits ferment nicely, these are sometimes those I give him.   

DR. BILLINGHURST: Let me step in right here for a second. Greens of their RAW, unfermented kind have a separate function to play as a part of the canine evolutionary program of vitamin. They grow to be significantly essential within the combat in opposition to degenerative ailments resembling most cancers and kidney illness. Nonetheless, that may be a dialogue for one more time. What I wish to emphasize presently is the significance, when feeding greens, to take action in a state that makes them helpful for our canine. Complete or chopped will not be that state. 


ROB: Sure! They should be processed in both a blender or a juicer till they grow to be like child mush. That is the one approach our canine can reap the advantages of RAW greens. Feeding them in chunks or slices and even grated confers fewer dietary advantages. In truth, Gussy’s Intestine does nicely when combined with pulverized greens and when used as a topper for RAW meaty bones or at mealtime.


We perceive the important significance of selection. Figuring out that dietary steadiness is finest achieved over a time period relatively than at each meal. Taking 1-2 days off from feeding Gussy’s Intestine may be useful. However not than that. In truth, from the perspective of economics, Gussy’s Intestine can every so often exchange different issues in your canine’s bowl.

INTERVIEWER: What canine dietary supplements and wellness merchandise can Gussy’s Intestine exchange?


ROB: For instance, due to its sensible properties for liver assist and cleansing, it may be used rather than different merchandise that do this job. For instance, if used to switch a preferred detox product made by Metagenics, it can save you round $3.75 per serving.

If you’re utilizing an antioxidant complement, then you might really feel assured utilizing Gussy’s Intestine as an alternative. This will prevent round $1 per serving. And in case you are changing a probiotic complement, this will add as much as a saving of round $2-$3 per serving per day, relying in your canine’s weight, in fact! One other one is Golden paste, which is absolutely in style. With our natural turmeric being fermented, contemplate Gussy’s Intestine as a alternative for that turmeric.

And naturally, Gussy’s Intestine can be an considerable supply of fiber, so it has a task to play in creating these wholesome agency stools canine dad and mom a lot choose to cope with. So, you too can save on fiber or stool-firming dietary supplements. Which means that the preliminary value of Gussy’s Intestine is very inexpensive whenever you keep in mind what may be saved rather than different dietary supplements — as much as $8 per day is completely attainable. And on high of Gussy’s Intestine’s worth, it’s a entire meals and dwell complement. 

 

INTERVIEWER: That’s nice. So what does Gussy’s Intestine Every day value per serving?

ROB:  Sure, we predict it’s actual worth for cash, given all these additional advantages. It retails for $89 if you happen to purchase one pack at a time (135 teaspoon servings). We advocate 1 teaspoon per 20 kilos of your canine’s weight.


That works out to about $0.32 per day for small toy breeds below 20 lbs. About $0.66 per day for say a Jack Russell or Boston terrier. And for Labradors and Australian shepherds, about $1.97. Bigger breeds vary from $2.63 to as a lot as $4.50 per day for the actually massive canine. And I might argue that it’s the actually massive canine who want nutrient-dense entire meals merchandise essentially the most. 


It takes loads to dwell in a giant canine’s physique! So, because of this even with bigger canine, our clients can nonetheless get monetary savings with all that Gussy’s Intestine can exchange. And naturally, it’s a one-and-done complement. You might be doing loads in your canine in a single straightforward step. 

DJANGO Dog Blog-charlie the cutest golden

INTERVIEWER: Pet food prices hold going up together with most issues. How can canine house owners feed Gussy’s Intestine on a finances? 

ROB: For anybody on a finances and particularly with actually massive canine, all meals and dietary supplements that assist the well being of our canine can get costly.  So, we advocate giving our Every day components each different day and even 1 teaspoon per 30 lbs. You can even get Every day for much less by becoming a member of our e-mail e-newsletter for particular gives.


Conversely, for canine that would use additional well being advantages, you may add extra by giving them double the quantity – 1 teaspoon per 10 lbs. of their physique weight. 


DR. BILLINGHURST: The essential factor is that it’s given frequently. That is significantly so for canine being fed processed canine meals. Nonetheless, it doesn’t matter what is being fed, the cumulative impact is profound.  


INTERVIEWER: That could be very useful. Is there anything you wish to share with DJANGO Canine Weblog readers?

DR. BILLINGHURST:  Nothing is extra essential than vitamin in your canine’s well being and size of life. If you may get that addressed, you can provide your canine an opportunity for a brilliant, full life with you. If you wish to take a step in direction of good well being in your canine, begin utilizing Gussy’s Intestine Every day.


And I strongly recommend switching your canine to a RAW entire meals eating regimen. I assure you’ll not be upset! Correctly-formulated RAW entire meals mixed with Gussy’s Intestine is the holy grail of canine well being. 

ROB:  I welcome everybody to hitch our e-mail e-newsletter to be taught extra. We additionally promote a smaller 3 oz pattern measurement, which is usually a good jumpstart trial measurement in your canine. Simply go to www.GussysGut.com. It’s all there. And thanks for the chance to talk with you immediately! 

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