Years ago, it wasn’t uncommon for owners who chose to feed a raw diet to their pets to face harsh criticism from their veterinarians.

I began feeding my dogs a raw diet almost twenty years ago, and when my veterinarian (who I’d been taking my pets to for almost a decade) learned about it, he ‘fired me’ from his clinic. He told me that I and my raw fed dogs were no longer welcome there, and that I’d need to find a new veterinarian.

How much things have changed over two decades!

Recently, Oprah’s celebrity veterinarian, Dr. Marty Goldstein, spoke on the Dr. Oz show about how a raw meat based diet was essential for pet health.

Dr. Goldstein said that pet owners should:

Buy pet food made with raw meat. Dr. Goldstein says cats and dogs are carnivores, but today’s popular pet foods are made from byproducts of the cereal industry. The grain-heavy food is not good for the health of your animal, he says. “It plugs the system up, it overdoes the pancreas [and] it serves as a basis for allergies.”

All Pets4Life Home Made Pet Cuisine recipes are based on wholesome, whole, Grade “A” or better meat, fish or poultry. No by products, no cereals, no grains.

We also add healthful vegetables, fruits and supplements like natural sea kelp, because, as Dr. Goldstein says:

Don’t feed your pet an all raw meat diet. Because cats and dogs have not been on an all raw meat diet for generations, putting them on one could be dangerous, Dr. Goldstein says. “A raw meat diet balanced with either a proper calcium supplement or with crushed bone with some vegetation is the ideal way to go,” he says.

Dr. Goldstein also suggest giving your pet a daily, antioxidant supplement. Our Essentials 4 Life is the perfect balance of anti oxidants, pro and pre biotics, minerals, vitamins and fibre. It makes any diet more complete, and enhances the nutritional value of your pet’s food.

Read more from Dr. Goldstein on alternative health for pets on Oprah.Com