I searched for brands that didn't include BHA and ethoxyquin. I insisted that the top ingredient wasn't corn. I experimented with feeding brands that were based on turkey, chicken, lamb and even fish. All the time, I felt there must be something better.

Then I met a few people that fed a homemade Raw Natural diet. At first I was a little surprised, but then I got to thinking. If my dogs ever got sick then I would give them rice and hamburger. When I would wean a litter of puppies, I would start them on babyfood barley cereal, chicken and rice. So, why not feed all the dogs this way all the time?

I went out and got every book I could find on the subject and talked to everyone I could. I gradually started to switch the dogs over to a modified version of the BARF diet. BARF is the acronym for Bones And Raw Food. At first I would just give the dogs raw meaty bones once in a while. Then we progressed to adding some vegetables in with their kibble. Then I would give a chicken neck and back with the bowl of food. Eventually I progressed to feeding more and more natural and only feeding kibble every other day, then 1 day a week, then quit altogether. We have been feeding a completely home made natural diet ever since October 1998.

I feed all meat and bones completely raw. I feed all grains soaked so that they are already fully expanded, and won't expand further inside the dog's stomach. I feed all fruit raw, and for the vegetables, I do a mix of raw and cooked. I personally find cooking the vegetables easier, as I will buy in bulk when they are in season, then I will cook them up and mash them and freeze them. This way I can store the food longer, and on days that I don't have anything fresh to give, I can just pull a baggie out of the freezer and feed it along with the meat.

When feeding vegitables raw, I put them through my food processor. With the hard vegitables like carrots, I run them through the grater first, on the finest setting. Then I put them back in with the chopping blade and mix in the other ingredients and grind until it is a mash. In order for a dog to process vegitables, they have to be broken down as much as possible first.

Now, our diet is extremely varied. I believe in feeding my dogs a wide range of items, but not everything every day. With this I try to feed a diet that is balanced over the span of a week, not every day. I do include grains in their diet, as well as vegetable, fruit, meat and bone and even some dairy. The following is a list of all the various items that we will feed. Again, these are not all fed every day, but are a long list of things that I will pick from. What I feed one week to the next will greatly depend on what is in season, or what is on sale.

Meat

Beef meat bones…usually sold as soup bones
Pork necks
Chicken neck & backs
Chicken legs with back attached
Turkey necks
Organ meat - liver, kidney or heart
A pet food ground mixture that my butcher makes up….this consists of various left over cuts of meat and organ meat and is ground together into a hamburger and frozen in blocks

Vegetables

Carrots
Potato
Yams
Pumpkin
Celery
Broccoli
Bok choi
Spinach
Peas
Beans
Beets
Turnips
Parsnips
Lettuce
Basically anything we eat, I will give the peelings or cuttings from

Fruit

Apples
Oranges
Bananas

Grains
Oats
Brown Rice
Barley (cooked with the vegetables)
Rye flakes
Left over pasta
Wheat Germ

Other items that may be included once or twice a week

Eggs …..added raw with shell
Yogurt
Raisons
Cranberries
Some nuts
Cottage cheese
Olive oil
Apple Cider Vinegar

Supplements I will give

  Flaxseeds ground up
Glucosomine (to Rocky who is showing some stiffness with age)
Salmon oil caplets
Kelp powder
Alfalfa powder
Brewer's yeast with garlic

  Now, I know that I am missing things in here in this list. I feed such a wide variety of things I can never remember everything when I sit to write it down. I'm sure I will be back on here adding things to the lists as I remember them. Like I mentioned, I feed what I can get on sale and what is available at the time I go shopping.

1. Aren't bones dangerous to feed dogs, especially chicken?

Yes and No. Bones are dangerous to dogs if they are fed cooked. NEVER FEED COOKED CHICKEN BONES. The cooking process changes the consistency of the bone and causes them to shard. It is these shards that are easily stuck in a dog's throat and can puncture intestines. If fed raw they are easily broken down and digested.

2. What about germs and bacteria, is raw meat safe for my dog to eat?

If you think about it, humans are the only creatures on earth that cook their food before eating it. A dog's digestive juices are extremely strong. They can kill off most germs and bacteria found on raw meat. Their bodies are designed to process meat raw.

3. If you feed the meat raw, why do you cook your grains and vegetables?

I do feed a mix of both raw and cooked. In the wild, a wolf generally doesn't go around pulling carrots out of the ground to eat. Most of it's vegetable and grain diet comes from eating the stomachs and intestines of it's prey. So, deer and rabbits eat vegetable matter…and a wolf kills it and eats it. There for it is eating matter that is already partially broken down in that animal's stomach. The act of cooking the vegetables starts this break down process, making it easier for the dogs to more fully digest. If feeding vegetables raw, then I grate them up to as small of particles as I can.
I also feed cooked as I find it easier to store the meals. I can spend a day in the kitchen cooking up a few pots of vegitables and mix in the grains and such, and then I will freeze in baggies that I can pull out and unthaw later. This way, if I don't have time to prepare the vegitables fresh, or want to give something that is no longer in season...I can just pull them out of the freezer. When I have time and ingredients fresh, then I will feed them raw as well.

Now this is my personal views, there are many people that feed everything completely raw, and never cook anything.

4. I heard that feeding raw eggs is harmful….it causes a biotin deficiency in animals?

This problem could develop if fed high quantities of raw eggs on a continual basis…but one raw egg a few days a week should not be enough to cause any serious biotin deficiencies. Some people do feel more comfortable cooking the egg slightly before feeding. It is a personal preference.

5. Can I just switch my dog over immediately?

With any change in diet it is best to do it gradually. Some dogs, if only ever fed a commercial diet, will turn their nose up at a homemade diet at first. It may take them a while to get a taste for it. But I must say, my dogs now do cartwheels when I approach with a bowl full of veggies for them.
You may notice your dogs develop diarrhea at the start too. This should not last too long, it is just their bodies way of cleansing itself and adapting to the change in food. If it persists please visit your veterinarian. Some people have done a complete switch cold turkey so to speak, and it has worked for them, but I felt more comfortable taking my time with it and seeing how my dogs reacted to it.

6.What do Veterinarians think about this diet?

Well, it all depends on the veterinarian. I have found many of them are opposed to owners feeding a raw natural diet. Holistic vets generally will support you and be able to answer your questions.

7. Doesn't this take a lot of time to prepare?

Yes, it takes longer than simply sticking your hand in a bag of kibble and filling a bowl for your dog. BUT....it does not take as long as some people think it does. The meat is usually pretty quick, the most I may have to do is cut something in half to split between the dogs. For the vegetable and grain portion...I have a large pot that I fill with everything cut up and enough water to boil. As the vegetables cook, I will add the grain to the pot to soak up the water. Then just a matter of letting it cool enough to feed. I will make enough to last a few days at a time, and then just store the remainder in the refridgerator. If feeding totally raw, then it's the same only I spend the time grating everything up and mulching it in my food processor. Again I do a few days up at a time, and store the rest in the fridge. So, most days it is just a matter of scooping it into the bowl, and one day a week or so spent preparing enough for the week. Of course time will varie depending on how many dogs you are preparing food for.

In the fall, when most of the vegetables are very cheap, I will spend a few days in the kitchen, cutting and cooking and then freezing them, so I can just pull out a baggie and unthaw later in the year.

8. Do you recommend everyone feed this diet?

It is a personal choice, and each person has to do what they feel most comfortable with. I have found this to be the best diet for my dogs and I will never go back to commercial foods, but it is your decision what you do with your own dogs. I can only say what works for me. I do recommend people read up on this type of diet and then decide for themselves if they want to switch their dogs over. It is not something to just jump into. You can't just read this page and decide to do it. Read as many books as you can on the subject, and then make up your mind if you feel it is right for you. This page is only meant as a response to all those who have asked me what I feed my dogs. I am not a Doctor or Veterinarian. This diet is working for my dogs. I can not guarantee how your dog would do on this diet.

FURTHER RESOURCES

I will be adding a list of further resources on this subject shortly. Please check back again ! Here are some to start with:

There are a few e-mail lists that are devoted to feeding this diet. I am on the GSD Rawplus list found on onelist.com. This list is devoted strictly to those people already feeding the BARF diet to their German Shepherd Dogs.
BARFCanada is a multi-breed list for those people living in Canada who feed their dogs BARF. Rather active list with great resources.
BARF This is a large list devoted to BARF for both dogs and cats.
If you do a search on BARF at onelist you will come up with many options, and one should be right for your situation. There are lists created for many specific breeds of dogs as well as geographical locations. These lists are an incredible resource of knowledge as well as moral support for those just starting out and those who have been at it for a long time.