Do you make many trips to the vet’s office? Are you spending your hard-earned money on vet bills because your dog suffers from chronic illnesses? Give your dog or cat the nutrition it needs, and chances are you can spend your money on other things instead of giving it to your vet.

Nutritional deficiencies are often the cause of chronic food in pets. Most holistic veterinarians believe that improving a pet’s diet will increase health and vitality and often restore health to chronically ill dogs.

Pets need to eat a variety of fresh, whole foods. A balanced, raw, homemade diet provides the nutrients pets need to heal from the inside out.

If you don’t have time to feed a homemade diet, buy the best commercial pet food you can find, one made with human-grade ingredients and free of chemical preservatives, by-products, and fillers. (These foods can be hard to find in supermarkets and pet stores, but they are easy to find and buy on websites.) Then improve them. Fresh juice and raw liver are two of the healthiest foods you can add to your pet’s diet:

**Fresh juice (for dogs only):

Use a juicer if you have one. Carrot juice is loved by most dogs and contains zinc, vitamin E, beta-carotene, copper and other immune-boosting ingredients. It’s best to use organic carrots, and you can add celery, parsley, or apple. Feed directly or mix with your dog’s food. Try to feed 1/2 cup of juice for every 25-30 pounds of weight each day.

**Raw liver (for both dogs and cats):

Liver is considered a miracle food by some veterinarians due to its ability to save lives and improve health. Raw beef and chicken liver is rich in amino acids, protein, phosphorus, potassium, copper, and vitamin A and B complex.

Feed the liver only organically raised livestock and poultry because the liver stores toxins. You can add raw liver to fresh juice you make or add it to your dog’s food. To help sick pets, feed small amounts of organic beef or chicken liver once or twice daily (one teaspoon per 10 to 20 pounds of body weight).

If your dog has multiple health problems, supplements may also help:

**Digestive enzymes such as pancreatin and bromelain help replace enzymes destroyed by heat. Give enzyme supplements between meals.

**Probiotics and prebiotics contain bacteria that help with digestion and fight infection. They replace bacteria destroyed by improper diet or antibiotics.

**Colostrum and lactoferrin enhance immune function.

**Vitamins and minerals are especially helpful when pets have multiple infections. Choose a vitamin and mineral supplement made from whole food sources. Pets can easily assimilate them.

**Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, and protein is necessary to build every cell in the body.

**Garlic fights infection, helps prevent cancer, expels tapeworms, prevents blood clotting, and makes pets less attractive to parasites like fleas.

If you provide your pet with the nutrients it needs, you should see a much healthier and happier pet. And maybe that money that used to be spent on vet bills can now be put towards a new car, home improvements, a vacation, or even a savings account!