Keto Info & Videos- New Members Start Here!

There is a lot of information to sift through and read and I know it can be overwhelming and that is why I have created the Custom Meal plan program for those who wish to streamline all of this in one easy to follow online course which includes personal 1-on-1 coaching 7 days a week and guidance the entire step of the way. I have taken the guesswork out of the entire process and have helped hundreds of people get their dogs on a properly balanced Raw Ketogenic Diet. Info on that service can be found on the KetoPoweredK9 website HERE

-All new members coming into this group, please be aware that this group does not hand out recipes/diet plans. They must be specifically calculated to your dogs needs and the exact foods you intend to use/your dog likes and will eat etc.. These diets are not “universal” diets-

Below you will find a ton of useful information about Ketosis/Ketogenic diets. If you are new to this, I highly recommend you take the time and absorb all of this information as it is all very important to know and will help to answer many of the most commonly asked questions! Ketosis is about more than just simply lowering sugar/glucose.

And please be aware that Ketogenic diets for dogs are NOT just for sick dogs! The idea is to “prevent the car crash” so to speak. Maintain optimal health in an effort to PREVENT diseases that may be metabolically influenced. Such as Cancers, obesity, diabetes, epilepsy etc. So YES, healthy dogs can benefit from a ketogenic diet too!

If you are feeding a ketogenic diet in hopes of it being therapeutic for your dog , here is some of the best advice I can give anyone “Treat metabolic Therapy like any other therapy- it is NOT “just food” – patients need to understand they must follow directions in the same way they do for medicines”- Dr. Adrienne Scheck

This is a very powerful statement. Although Dr. Scheck is referring to humans using the ketogenic diet for cancer therapy, and humans have a much harder time being compliant to the diet. Dog’s on the other hand don’t have options to “cheat” on the diet unless we let them. As I’ve said time and time again, if you’re going to do these diets they have to be done right if we want them to have any chance of being effective. So what does that mean?, well for starters the diet has to be calculated right. We need to have the right ketogenic ratio for what we’re dealing with. If a dog with epilepsy is put on a 1:1 ratio, well chances are you’re not going to see results and the owner will get frustrated, throw their hands up and say “these diets don’t work!” , or maybe someone took a 1:1 diet, substituted some of the ingredients because they figured it would be “close enough” for what the recipe called for and now they unknowingly took that 1:1 ratio and turned it into a .5:1 ketogenic ratio. Now there’s really no chance that .5:1 diet is going to have any effect of reducing seizures in an epileptic dog. or maybe the dog is receiving an additional supplement that has hidden sugars or carbs in it, further hindering any chance of the ketogenic diet being effective. And the same goes for Cancer, the ketogenic ratio has to be right. We can’t just guess or hope that it’s “close enough”

Or maybe someone is feeding the right ratio, but overfeeding the dog with calories still coming in from excess treats given throughout the day, and maybe that same person is not testing glucose/ketones and they will never know that the dog is never getting in ketosis. Testing the blood would tell us whether or not the dog is in ketosis and if not, we can take a step back and figure out why. Sometimes investigative work has to be done. I’ve had clients come to find out that their dog who hasn’t been able to get into ketosis, has been eating their other kibble fed dogs poop in the backyard. Had they not been testing the blood , they would have never known there were issues going on.

Maybe someone is already a Raw feeder, they figure they can reduce some of their dogs normal daily raw fed diet and substitute those calories with fat, and viola! “I’m feeding keto now!”. Well, I can guarantee you that you’re probably not…. We can’t just “add some fat” and cross our fingers and hope we’re hitting the proper targets for the right ketogenic ratio.

Perhaps most important of ALL, These diets also have to be properly formulated to ensure all nutrient levels are met. When I formulate a diet for a client, there are over 50 areas of macro & micronutrient levels that need to be addressed. They are all important and they all work together. Just a few examples, Vitamin D has an interrelationship with calcium and phosphorus. Maybe you’re “winging it” and doing the basic 3 ingredient keto diet and adding some seaweed calcium in an effort to help cover your bases for calcium in the diet. Well, for starters seaweed calcium will not yield you the proper calcium to phosphorus ratio with these ketogenic diets, and if you’re not providing adequate Vitamin D, which the basic 3 ingredient keto diet falls 84% low of even meeting MINIMUM Vit. D levels , now we’re compromising the body’s ability to regulate metabolism of calcium and phosphorus in the body which is essential for muscle contraction, blood clotting, nerve conduction and intracellular signal induction. This is just one example of the interrelationship of how nutrients work together in the body. Vitamin D must come from the diet for dogs as they have very limited ability to convert 7-dehydrocholesterol in the skin to vitamin D3 like humans can when they get sun exposure. Iron is low in a Raw high fat ketogenic diet, all of your electrolytes are low, essential amino acids are low, and there are many, many OTHER nutrient factors that MUST be properly addressed. With a more traditional raw diet we are able to kind of get away with and don’t see these kind of nutritional deficiencies, but this is not the case with high fat keto diets. So if you are doing a home prepared Raw Keto diet for your dog, it is crucial that it has been properly formulated to ensure all of the proper nutrient levels a canine needs are being delivered by the diet.

These are all just a few real life scenarios I see happen running this group over the years . Pet owners have the right intentions and mean nothing but the best, But if these diets aren’t done right and followed to the “T” , we can’t expect them to deliver results to their full potential . And they can , without a doubt cause more harm than good if they are not done right.

Feeding your dog “Keto” is only half of the equation. If you’re not following through with the entire process then there is a lot that could be overlooked.

HEY! where are the keto recipes in this group?

Recipes are not shared/given out in this group. No two dogs will be on the same protocol. Here’s a perfect example for a dog dealing with Epilepsy. No two Epi dogs may require the same ketogenic ratio. there are multiple variables why these diets are not freely handed out. they must be formulated specifically for the dog at hand if we expect to see maximum results. your dog’s age/weight/body condition score/current diet/past diet all plays a factor in our approach with the new keto diet we choose.

This also expands beyond the diet itself; it is a complete lifestyle commitment. everything that your dog may be consuming, from treats, supplements, other family members “sneaking food” to your dog can detrimentally affect they keto diet’s ability to work for your dog.

Dr. Adrienne Scheck. said it perfectly ““Treat metabolic Therapy like any other therapy- it is NOT “just food” – patients need to understand they must follow directions in the same way they do for medicines”

And this includes following a meticulous keto diet plan formulated for your dog’s exact situation. Which is why I have spent years revising my ketogenic meal plan program to offer Keto diet consulting services for those looking for the best way to get started on a Raw, home prepared ketogenic diet plan my service leaves no stone unturned in making sure you learn “all the ins and outs” of this diet so you can obtain the results you are looking for. more information on that service HERE

Do these diets really work?? Countless Real-world examples from members of Ketogenic Dog Group: Visit the links below to see their stories on the KetoPoweredK9 website LINK HERE

World renowned Dr. Karen Becker supports the ketogenic approach–
checkout my interview with her below

How do I even begin to get started? warning! Basic Keto Diets are NOT properly balanced! The very simple 3 ingredient home prepared keto diets that you may have found on the internet are far from delivering the proper nutrition for a canine. They don’t even begin to come close to providing your dog the proper nutrition they need. I can’t stress this enough, if we expect a dog to have optimal health , the diet must be spot on. The basic keto diet of a very few ingredients does NOT even begin to deliver proper nutrition. More info HERE KetoPoweredK9 has spent years developing their program to help pet owners learn how to properly feed a nutritionally complete Raw Ketogenic diet for their dogs. There is a LOT that goes into ensuring the diets are formulated right, prepared right, and fed right. If we expect these diets to have a chance to be effective , then no stone must be left unturned. And that’s what the KetoPoweredK9 program offers. Info on that program can be found HERE

Ketogenic diets for cancer explained By Dr. Angel Poff: sugar feeds cancer, but there is also more to the story than just sugar…… What, Why, & How: Ketogenic diet for Cancer- Reducing carbs and sugar is just part of the story here! MAKE SURE YOU WATCH THIS VIDEO! THIS IS THE BEST PRESENTATION YOU WILL FIND TO UNDERSTAND WHY WE ARE USING A KETOGENIC DIET ESPECIALLY FOR CANCER 1. What are the aspects of cancer behavior and cancer metabolism that we are trying to target? 2. Why do tumors behave like this in the first place? 3. How do we think that ketosis can influence those phenotypes (behaviors) of the cancer ? An important thing to point out is that she mentions that glucose levels don’t lower all that much , now keep in mind that she is referring to human subjects, but with canines we do see glucose levels lower IMMENSELY. Anywhere from a 50-70% reduction !

Ketosis reduces insulin levels. Why is this important with cancer? “ you are limiting glucose availability to the tumor, *suppressing insulin and *insulin signaling, and also elevating ketones which we know have an anti-cancer effect and are quite healthy fuel for normal healthy cells. And cancer cells have metabolic abnormalities that prevent them from using the energy source (ketones) for fuel” -Dominic D’ Agostino PhD https://www.facebook.com/mike.battaglia.77/videos/10219745921632993/

Dr.Becker talks about gluconeogenesis – Why a “standard” high protein Raw Diet can STILL “Feed” cancer *added 6/25/21 Restricting protein in the diet is a major component when we are dealing with a Raw Ketogenic Diet for Cancer. Because the body can also derive glucose/sugar from excess protein in the diet through the metabolic pathway known as gluconeogenesis. So a “traditional” or “standard” Raw diet may not contain carbohydrates, but it contains exorbitant amounts of protein, which can in turn be converted into glucose through gluconeogenesis. A Raw Ketogenic diet used for cancer is restricting protein to very, very low amounts. https://www.facebook.com/mike.battaglia.77/videos/10213458338727350

What does a Raw Ketogenic diet for my dog look like? It “looks” like most any other raw meal with. But we are targeting an entirely different set of macronutrient ratios. Make no mistake, a “standard” or “typical” Raw diet is NOT at all the same as a Ketogenic Diet. photo below is an example of a nutritionally complete Raw Ketogenic Meal for a Canine. This group does not hand out any recipes as there are no accurate “universal” ketogenic recipes. These are not universal recipes. They must be meticulously calculated for each individual dog.

CAN I FEED A KETOGENIC DIET TO MY PUPPY/GROWING DOG? Generally speaking, no.
A ketogenic diet is NEVER appropriate for a growing dog. UNLESS it has been formulated specifically for growth stages of life. When we think of a ketogenic diet, most of them are higher in fat and restrictive in protein than a “standard” canines diet. We cannot restrict protein during growth stages, and growth stages have a higher demand for nutrients and thus require a higher level of nutrients than an adult canines diet. If you are thinking, or attempting to do a home prepared ketogenic diet for your growing dog, please make 100% sure you know exactly what you are doing, or reach out to us for a custom tailored plan. If you are buying a premade dog food that is being marketed as “keto” you must make certain that it has been formulated for growth stages. Validating Ketosis in my dog/Do I HAVE to test their blood?! The ONLY way to validate ketosis is to test their glucose and ketone readings by a simple blood test you can do at home. Just as a diabetic routinely tests their glucose levels at home with a simple inexpensive handheld meter, we simply use a small lancet/needle, prick the skin, get a droplet of blood, take our glucose/ketone meter with a test strip inserted, dab that blood droplet and the meter quickly tells us our glucose and ketone readings (2 separate test strips required- 1 for glucose 1 for ketones) this simple test is the ONLY way to accurately validate ketosis in our dog. Simply feeding a ketogenic diet does NOT ensure ketosis as there are MANY other underlying variables that can affect our blood serum levels of glucose and ketones! more info HERE

Can I take a premade commercial food and add fat to make it keto? NO ! This group absolutely does not endorse this method. either do these diets right or don’t do these diets at all is the best advice I will tell anyone. As mentioned in the opening paragraphs up top, “We can’t just “add some fat” and cross our fingers and hope we’re hitting the proper targets for the right ketogenic ratio” furthermore, in attempting to do things this way we are creating a huge nutrient deficiency in the diet that would then be fed! you can’t take a nutritionally balanced/complete commercially available raw food and essentially reduce that amount of food and increase your own fats in an attempt to increase the ketogenic ratio. You have now just created a huge deficit in the overall levels of nutrients your dog would be receiving. This nutritionally deficiencies can very easily either A) cause existing symptoms to become worse B) Bring on minor subtle health issues or C) cause some Major health issues. There’s an entire page on my website dedicated to explaining exactly what each and every nutrient required in a dogs diet and what can happen if those requirements are not met. Link to that page HERE NEW! 2/2/2021- FAQ- Frequently Asked Questions https://www.facebook.com/groups/ketogenicdoggroup/permalink/1448693868803011

MYTH: You can’t feed Raw to a dog while on Chemo. YOU CAN ABSOLUTELY FEED RAW TO A DOG WHILE IT’S ON CHEMO! IN FACT, THIS IS THE BEST TIME TO HAVE THE DOG IN KETOSIS Group file here VERY IMPORTANT TO MONITOR WEIGHT!!!!!! RAW Ketogenic diets for Dogs with cancer usually start out calorie restricted, which means the dogs will lose weight. so it’s up to the pet parent to monitor their weight extremely close and make any necessary calorie increase adjustments to maintain a healthy weight! YOU CAN NOT LET YOUR DOG DROP BELOW A SAFE HEALTHY WEIGHT! YOU MUST STAY ON TOP OF THIS AND START INCREASING CALORIES BEFORE THIS HAPPENS!

Info on keto/high fat diets https://www.facebook.com/mike.battaglia.77/videos/10219737429180687/

What we’re NOT feeding on a Ketogenic diet We don’t want to be feeding high glycemic fruits or vegetables or starches . ( high glycemic foods that are broken down quickly by your body and cause a rapid increase in blood glucose) Here are a few examples of what we want to be staying away from: Any and all berries, any potato’s, any squash, any pumpkin , any milks- goat milk, kefir etc as these milks contain lactose which can be converted into sugar. Certainly never any honey, or rice. Examples of vegetables that we DO want to be feeding: Broccoli, Spinach, Green beans, Cauliflower, Red cabbage, Kale, Brussels sprouts, are all good examples of vegetables that we routinely use in these diets.

Great interview with Dr. Dominic D’Agostino fast forward to about 37 minutes if you want to get straight to the discussion about Keto and Cancer and you can listen to him mention how Keto plays an important role in Suppressing Insulin and Insulin Signaling. Why is this important you may ask? Insulin , which is a hormone, can stimulate cells to proliferate (good if we’re talking about healthy cells, but obviously very bad when we’re talking about damaged cancer cells) , and Insulin also has what is known as “anti-apoptic” activity, meaning it that it inhibits cells from initiating steps leading to cell death (apoptosis= programmed cell death) again, a bad thing if the body’s natural defense to kill off damaged cells is not working) https://omny.fm/shows/the-lab-report/your-brain-and-body-on-ketones-with-dr-dom-dagosti?fbclid=IwAR1nzrGzBfCve5MVLnQ7s6zydEY0-rATGKsvbldnQ9dp2OQvQyaLS2PovC4

More info on Cell Replication https://ketogenick9.wordpress.com/fasting-mtor-cell-division-replication/

How to get stared feeding a home prepared Ketogenic Diet for your dog? This group offers a service of Raw Ketogenic Diet consultations to ensure your dog is getting a properly balanced home prepared diet. more info here

Adding salt to the diet can be very important for some dogs. Read why here https://ketogenick9.wordpress.com/2018/02/03/maintaining-electrolyte-balance-when-starting-a-ketogenic-diet/

One of the number 1 questions and misconceptions is about pancreatitis from high fat diets. As of Feb 2022 I have been feeding my dog Emie a properly balanced home prepared Raw ketogenic Diet for over 5 years exclusively, with no issues of pancreatitis- please note: she is on a BALANCED diet- the basic single protein/1 veggie/1 fat recipe you get from keto pet is not meant to be fed long term! it is not balanced more info on nutritional deficiencies in the basic keto diet can be found here https://ketogenick9.wordpress.com/meal-plans/) Zero cases of pancreatitis in Ketogenic dog Group, or Keto Pet Sanctuary. I don’t know of a single dog that has been diagnosed with pancreatitis from a RAW ketogenic diet. Key word here is RAW https://www.facebook.com/mike.battaglia.77/videos/10219726737033390/ Video on cooking and risk on pancreatitis here update:March 2021. The ONLY reported cases of pancreatitis have been when people took it upon themselves to cook these meals. NEVER COOK THESE MEALS. I repeat. DO. NOT. COOK. THESE. MEALS

KETOACIDOSIS: Don’t confuse ketoacidosis with Ketosis. They are not the same. Ketoacidosis is associated with Diabetes where insulin is not working like it should, glucose levels are VERY high, over 200mg/dl* and ketone levels are uncontrolled and very high , over 15-25mmol* and the acidity of the blood also increases. “The most common form of ketoacidosis is diabetic ketoacidosis. This usually occurs in type 1 diabetics but can occur in type 2 diabetics. Whats the difference? In type 1 diabetics, the pancreas does not produce insulin. In type 2 diabetics, the cells of the body are resist and to insulin and/or the pancreas produces inadequate amounts of insulin. “ – *The Ketogenic Bible Whereas when a dog is in a verified state of ketosis (verified by glucose and ketone readings), our glucose levels are VERY LOW, 30-70mg/dl, and our Ketone levels we see in these dogs are controlled and are rarely EVER higher than .8-1 mmol

We’ve never had one single case of any dog on a properly formulated Raw ketogenic diet going into a state of Ketoacidosis. As you can see, ketoacidosis and Ketosis are actually polar opposites I heard that Dogs with Cancer, And on Chemo Shouldn’t eat Raw food? -Well, you heard wrong- A lot of people have this misconception, there are “survival guides” published that warn not to feed raw to a dog on chemo, this group does not follow that protocol . This group has NEVER had single instance of a dog on chemo having an issue eating raw food. Not one single issue. I’ve personally worked with hundreds of clients of the years with ketogenic diets for their dogs with cancer, many of which were on chemo at the same time. I have never had one single reported instance of a issue of feeding raw while their dogs were on chemo. Keto pet , who were the pioneers in implementing a ketogenic diet for dogs with cancer, had every single one of those dogs on a Raw Keto diet also, and this included dogs on chemo and/or radiation. In fact, the risks associated with cooking these meals far outweigh the risks of feeding Raw. THE ONLY TIMES WE’VE EVER HAD REPORTED CASES OF PANCREATITIS IN THIS GROUP IS WHEN OWNERS TOOK IT UPON THEMSELVES TO COOK THE MEALS. Video on cooking and risk on pancreatitis here Another Top Concern is if glucose levels can get too LOW?! This is a common cause for concern and panic in some pet parents when they take their dogs glucose reading and it’s 50,40,30 mg/dl and the first thought that pops in their minds are, oh my god! it’s too low! But the short answer is No. Glucose really can’t get too low while on keto as long as ketosis is verified with measurable amounts of ketones too. A prime example of why its equally important to be testing both ketones and glucose! In ketosis, we can see very low blood glucose levels, which ordinarily would be a very alarming condition in a dog fed a standard high carb diet. A dog on a standard diet (kibble) would typically be well over 100 mg/dl on glucose levels, I’ve had my dog as low as 30 mg/dl on Keto. A dog on a standard high carbohydrate diet with a reading of 30, 40, 50 mg/dl on glucose would be in a state of hypoglycemia which is a major medical emergency but the fact that we are NOT experiencing hypoglycemia in a dog on a Ketogenic diet validates that ketosis is in fact working, the brain is relying on ketones instead of glucose at this point.

Raw fed dogs will have different blood reading values The “normal” ranges for blood readings are based on dogs fed a standard diet “kibble”, so we can expect to see some of the blood values in a Raw fed dog to be different and above the “maximum” range. We may expect to see Hematocrit, BUN (Blood Urea Nitrogen) and Creatinine level elevated in a Raw fed dog. For more information on this checkout Dr.Jean Dodds who is a renowned expert in this field. So if your vet is not experienced with Raw feeding, some of these values may be alarming should your dogs readings come back elevated in the above mentioned fields.

Keto meals are meant to be fed RAW or at the very MOST warmed or SEARED. we do not condone COOKING meats in this group. Visit this link to watch video explaining why https://youtu.be/j52JwrGxr4Q

More info on why the meals must be served Raw https://www.facebook.com/notes/ketogenic-dog-group/why-keto-has-to-be-served-rawmy-dog-wont-eat-raw-/943704655968604/

When we feed and how often we feed matters! *NEW- added 8/23/21* Ideally, the less frequently we feed, and feeding within a “smaller window” matters. If you feed 2x a day, ideally we would want to feed those 2 meals within an 8 hour window which gives us 16 hours the dog fasts and metabolic “house cleaning is done” better yet, feeding 1x per day is often more ideal giving the dog 24 hours of fasting between meals. –This isn’t always possible for dogs that may be on medication that must be given multiple times per day with food etc.- More info on why this is important can be read HERE Cooking the meals can cause pancreatitis ! https://www.facebook.com/mike.battaglia.77/videos/10219726737033390/ Using Keto for epilepsy/Seizure control GROUP FILE INFO HERE Neuroprotective effect of the ketogenic diet For those looking for custom formulated Balanced Raw Keto recipes for your dog, I offer a custom service tailored to your needs. This takes all the guess work out of wondering if your dog is getting all the nutrients it needs. which it won’t be if you’re only feeding the “basic keto meal” of limited ingredients. More info on this service can be found HERE

What keto pet has been doing with their keto research https://youtu.be/0vRr65_6dOE

Why protein is restricted https://www.facebook.com/mike.battaglia.77/videos/g.507688502903557/10212406114782409/?type=2&theater&ifg=1

Dr. Karen Becker explains Nutritional ketosis (13minutes) https://youtu.be/Be0CBfu73_0

Importance of Exercise- Do not overlook this aspect! it’s vital! for so many reasons. https://www.facebook.com/mike.battaglia.77/videos/10219872008465085/

Explanation of what ketosis is and how it works, please watch these videos here (these are long videos) https://ketogenick9.wordpress.com/truth-about-cancer/ https://youtu.be/0vRr65_6dOE https://youtu.be/MpiyQ_2EbF0 Travis Christofferson- a short clip talking about keto and cancer cells & keto strengthening healthy cells https://www.facebook.com/groups/507688502903557/?multi_permalinks=541794862826254&notif_id=1532866650754231&notif_t=feedback_reaction_generic

Instructions/tips/advice on how to start feeding a Keto diet https://ketogenick9.wordpress.com/making-a-keto-meal/

Daniel Orrego interview about ketogenic feeding https://soundcloud.com/user-818381161-464424568/daniel-o-interview-drjudymorgan-10-2-17

DOG CANCER VIDEOS- OVER 7 HOURS OF INFORMATION HERE! https://www.facebook.com/notes/ketogenic-dog-group/dog-cancer-doc-previews/623344051338001/

For More details on how to get your dog started on a properly balanced home prepared Raw Ketogenic Diet, click here for more details.

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