As animals age, the production of these enzymes often slows down. Deficiencies can also be genetically-related and symptoms will show up among kittens and puppies. Michael Lemmon, DVM, at his Highlands Veterinary Clinic in Renton, Wash, employs many nutritional approaches in his practice and is a long-time advocate of digestive enzymes. Pottenger found a strong relationship between cooked meat and allergic reactions. Compared to cats fed raw meat, the animals on cooked diets developed skin problems and allergies that became progressively worse from one generation to the next.
Raw foods contain their own built-in supply of enzymes, which facilitates the process of digestion.
When food is cooked, the naturally-occurring enzymes are destroyed, causing the body to activate its own enzyme production to break down the food. According to Dr. Edwin Howell, a pioneering biochemist and researcher in enzyme nutrition, this situation robs enzymes for use in other important metabolic functions, such as helping the healing and immune systems of the body. Many years ago, Howell talked in terms of an enzyme bank account, a reserve that we are born with but that becomes depleted by use over time. Otherwise, the resulting metabolic dislocations could contribute to serious disease. If you do introduce raw food into your pet's diet, do it slowly, advises veterinarian Brennan.