| RAW DIET Why feed raw??? Clean Ears - say goodbye to nasty yeasty ears Clean Teeth - no more vet dental bills No Fleas - Apparently this only applies to *some* dogs - but my dogs do not have them :) Less Allergies - grains are usually the cause of skin allergies Less trips to the vet - because of the above It's muscle, not fat *under there* Soft, shiny coat and no doggy odor - less baths, more fun! Less water consumption - they are getting water in their food now Increased Energy Levels - ok, so this could sound like the downside, but those who rawfeed puppies say the pups are calmer than those that are kibble fed Much less poop - and MUCH LESS STINK!! Poo that turns white after a few days in the sun and then goes into the soil. Your dog is utilizing more of his food and thus outputting less. Dogs can't digest grains, which is what most kibble is. After you get used to cleaning up raw poo, kibble poo will knock you over :) Another benefit is that you control what your dog eats. This is a great benefit if your dog has a special needs diet. If your dog has cancer, it is easier to starve cancer cells with a raw diet. Many skin allergies are also diet related; get rid of the grains, get rid of the allergies. If you are worried about bones, GRIND! I grind and still feel they keep their teeth clean. We have the heavy duty grinder from Northern Tool (model 168632) as we grind 120# at a time and it is much quicker. For beginners, or small dogs, the Maverick grinder is highly recommended. (I have attached the links, just click on the grinder name for the website.) READ, READ, READ. Before you jump into preparing your dogs diet, READ! A very good book to start with is "Switching to Raw" by Sue Johnson. Her book includes sample diets. The others (Pitcairn, Billinghurst, Lonsdale, Schultze) are good reading guides but don't really give you details on *how* to do it. There are also many websites that give very detailed information and pictures as well as many lists that can guide you through. These can be found at the bottom of this page. Don't panic about raw meaty bones (RMBs) -they are not what you have been warned about all these years. It is COOKED bones that you can not give your dog as they splinter. Dogs can choke on bones, make sure they are supervised if you give bones (vs. grinding), also give the appropriate size for your dog. My dogs are gulpers and that is why I have decided to grind. I just feel more comfortable this way. Veggies - the big debate. Some do not feed them, I feed them in moderation. Dogs cannot process nutrients through the veggie cellulose walls unless those walls are broken down. Through pulping, blenderizing, or grinding. We use a food processor and feel it is the most efficient way to break down the veggies. If your dog does not want them, do not force them! You can also use green tripe, the stomach of a ruminant animal. SUPPLEMENTS: Anoter debate. What is added by those who supplement? Vitamins C, E, and fish oil. Others use digestive enzymes and probiotics; however, you can use yogurt or dairy if your dog is not lactose intolerant. Bacteria? Dogs have a much stronger stomach than we do. Bacteria is not in the dog's system long enough to cause any problems. Once again, if this is something you are very concerned with, you can add Grapefruit Seed Extract in your dogs food to kill any bacteria or salmonella. WARNING: We do need to wash after handling the dogs food as we can get salmonella from it. Wash counters, bowls, hands, anything that comes in contact with the raw meat. I only feed organic, human grade meat. We make enough food for a month and freeze it. So I make a trip to our local poultry shop once a month and buy 120# of chicken necks and backs and organ meat (hearts and livers.) I also feed canned mackeral once a week; ground turkey once or twice a week (purchased in frozen food section of local grocery store.) I also try to get rabbit, cornish game hen, goat, lamb and anything else I can find for variety. IT IS BALANCE OVER TIME... Each meal should not be 100% balanced. You should look over a period of time to have a balanced diet. You can start out with one things (chicken necks or turkey necks) and get your dog used to them and then add one more thing, etc. But there must be variety, don't just feed the same ground meat at every meal. What can you feed? Beef, chicken, turkey, pork, rabbit, kangaroo, ostrich, mackeral, ostrich, duck, cornish game hen, goat, salmon, venison.... COST? Most people who feed raw diet can feed for cheaper than kibble. If you live near a slaughterhouse you can practically feed your dog for free. Or have a good relationship with the local butcher... I can feed my boys for less than $1 per pound and that is with human grade organic chicken along with organ meat and veggies. Not to mention all the other things we feed for variety. LINKS: Here are links to other raw diet sites: http://www.njboxers.com/faqs.htm http://www.bestfrisbeedogs.com/diets.html http://www.willowglen.com/barf.htm http://www.barfers.com/ http://www.switchgtoraw.com http://www.drianbillinghurst.com http://www.rawmeatybones.com http://www.weim.net/riley/raw.htm http://www.k9rawdiet.com http://www.bullovedbulldogs.com http://www.geocities.com/~paisleydals/barf.html http://www.simplyschnauzer.net/sshnnutrition.html http://www.auntjeni.com/barf.htm |
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