What Are Your Opinions On Raw Feeding For Dogs ?
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Sep 29th, 2009 |
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Healthwise… as opposed to kibble feeding dogs ?
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I’ve been raw feeding for over 15 years. My dogs are healthy and happy. I find it less expensive than feeding high quality kibble (although I do use kibble as training treats).
Things that improved in my dogs with raw feeding:
Clean teeth
No anal gland issues ( I was having a LOT while feeding kibble).
Better coat quality
Larger litters (same bloodline.. has to be attributed to what I changed which was only the food).
Less itching/dry skin issues (none now)
Increased life span (jury is still out, but my dogs are staying healthier longer… and in 2006 I had an 11.3 year old b*tch win a Specialty show over 100 younger dogs of her breed)
HUGE decrease in number of vet appointments (see anal glands and itching)
Edit: Oh… and I no longer do ANY yard clean up. The poop disintegrates within days and the rain washes it into the soil… I do, however, have a bumper crop of lush thick grass where the dogs usually go.
There are some items that are beneficial, as a part of a healthy diet, when fed raw.
As a breeder, (yes, I am, and proud of it) I feed my dogs, raw ground beef, mixed with a number of nutritious items, daily. It’s a mixture called Satin Balls, and it puts on weight and is great for their coat. (English Springers) I also feed them raw chicken backs and necks. Raw bones are soft and don’t splinter (beef & chicken). Cooking them releases some toxins and makes them brittle.
Any change of diet should be approved by your Vet for your breed, started slowly over a period of a week or two, and closely monitored for adverse effects.
A lot of people swear by it but I think to do it right involves more work than the average dog owner is willing or even capable of doing. I prefer feeding a very high quality kibble (California Natural is the brand I use). I have extremely healthy dogs.
I think raw feeding is great and I agree that it is less expensive than a high quality kibble. I have been a raw feeder for 5 years and my vet bills have decreased a lot. There is also no need for expensive teeth cleaning, I no longer have problems with allergies (my dog had lots of allergy problems when I fed kibble) and the dogs are a lot easier to clean up after because food is completely digested so there is very little poop to pick up, that sure was not the case with kibble.
Research is needed to feed correctly and once you get the hang of it, raw feeding is not the chore people believe it is.
Something else to consider and that is that dog food has only been around for the past sixty or seventy years and before it was introduced dogs thrived on raw foods and they lived longer. I believe that kibble is just a convenience for the dog owners but that does not mean that it is especially good for the dog.
I think it comes down to dental health more than anything. I would stick with kibble that can make up for the nutrient value of raw meat. Every once and awhile give the mutt a nice big soup bone (preferably beef – bone is harder). Instinctively they will want to bury it (no kidding) but if not – they will get a good dental work out.
my opinion is, you have to really be sure of what you are doing first, feeding the right nutrients and right amounts.
i just prefer something like Innova or EVO
Its great if done properly. There is much more to it than just a meat diet. You actually have control over the food that your dog eats. You can tailor the food to personal tastes and needs more so than kibble.
The biggest downside is the increased risk of disease. Since the food your getting intended to be eaten cooked it is sometimes not handled in the best way. We go with a homemade cooked diet for this reason, but raw is excellent if youre willing to do a bit of research first and put the work into it.
(E.Coli is the main disease that happens-track greyhounds are fed raw and tend to get E.Coli more than other dogs. Since we have goats we decided the further increased risk of E.Coli was not worth it, otherwise he would be on raw rather than cooked).
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Important note about raw bones. They are what your dog is designed to chew on. Any cooking of the bone will cause it to splinter (all bones do this). Raw bones however (yes, even chicken bones) crumble and are completely dog safe. Even if you feed kibble or cooked food, raw bones (not boiled, smoked or cooked in any way) should be the prefered chew.
In the wild, dogs (wolves, coyotes, etc…) eat protein, rodents, rabbits, squirrels – occassionally carbs, like berries or nuts. However, we feed our dogs 80% carbohydrates in kibble. I have a large malamute/wolf dog – very kind and gentle. I feed him holistic kibble and supplement with boiled chicken. I thought that it would be more “natural” to give him raw chicken, with bones – but he got weird and would grab it out of my hand, gulp down his, then take the other dogs. I decided that wasn’t good and now feed him boiled chicken w/o bones. However, commercial processed chicken may have salmonella, e-coli and other contaminents, so I no longer feel good about feeding raw chicken. You should feed your dog high protein, good quality kibble, and add protein, like boiled chicken. Also, give him a vitamin/mineral supplement and fish oil capsule. The fish oil is for good coat condition and skin. If you can feed holistic kibble that is best. BTW, canned food has just as much carbohydrate as kibble.
I feed honest kitchen preference. I mix it 2 cups pref with 2lbs raw meat (chicken or bison) with 1 egg, 1/4c olive oil and 4 pumps salmon oil. Each dog (25lbs) gets 1/4c twice a day. They have never looked better and my corgi who has always had a problem with being over weight has not had another problem. He also threw up about once a week before we started raw. He has not thrown up since. I work at a natural pet food store and sell many brands including canidae and solid gold. Every dog I have seen on honest kitchen or urban wolf (just like pref) are in wonderful shape and I have seen it save lives. I have even seen fatty tumors disappear and dogs live for years with pancreatitis. Be careful about making your own homemade diets because you will need to be very careful about fiber and vitamins. I use pref because it is all done for me. I also use fresh local organic meat that is raised for our shop. The web sites for pref and urban wolf are below. I have used both and they are about the same.
edit: plaqu is caused by excess carbs in the diet. this is a grain free diet so the teeth stay white. you can also give them raw bones to keep them that way. as far as the person that gave their dog a single raw bone and it was sick for three days, limit marrow bones to once a week. they are very rich and some dogs can not handle it. if your dog can’t handle a marrow bone than try ham or rib bones. these have less fat in them marrow is full of fat. Also start dogs on bones as puppies and that will help too.
also it takes me about 20min per week to make food for my two dogs. I make up four pounds at a time, measure out and freeze. they get it frozen so they don’t eat it all in one gulp. its that good.
I wouldn’t do it because you’re dog’s system isn’t used to the raw food, which can contain bacteria and disease. Equally dangerous to your dog are MOST commercial dog foods, even the ones your vet pushes, like Science Diet! Science Diet pays your vet to sell this! These foods contain many chemical preservatives, their first ingredient is often corn or cheap grain fillers, and the only meat in them comes from meat by-products, the rejected stuff from the rendering plant not fit for human consumption. Also, Los Angeles county sends 2000 lbs of euthanized dogs and cats per MONTH to a rendering plant, to make, u guessed it, pet food. Not only are the animals cannibalizing themselves, the chemical used in euthanasia, sodium phentobarbital, does not cook off, so you are poisoning your pets! As a third generation pit bull breeder (though not my full time occupation, just runs in the family to be a devoted fan of these dogs) I will tell you that dogs lived longer in previous generations, and had less health problems, when they were fed a natural diet. Now, there is a kibble out there, Pet Promise, whose whole shtick is that they are anti by products. My pits will eat this kibble. However, I strongly recommend that you do a little research into the nutritional needs of your breed, and then supplement their kibble with a diet like this: steak, lamb, turkey or chicken, plus brown rice, plus carrots and other vegetables good for your breed. I also recomment a vitamin supplement, which usually contains Omega-3 acids and other requirements, and comes in a powder form which you can stir into your dog’s food. Also, steamed bone marrow is a tasty, nutritious treat. Simply ask your butcher or deli section for cow bones, they should have the humerus cut up into 5-10 inch lengths, boil this until the marrow inside turns brown, then let cool and offer to your dog. She will go to town licking the marrow out, this is THE natural kong treat! Just don’t do this without supervising, as bone fragments have been known to splinter off (never happened to me) and can harm your dog’s GI tract. I always wonder why us humans think we know better than god. A NATURAL diet is best for ALL living creatures, and a good rule of thumb is: If you wouldn’t feed it to your children, don’t feed it to your pets! Good luck, and god bless you for giving a damn about your dog!
I feed a raw diet to my dogs and they LOVE it. I get comments all the time about how healthy and active they are. I also got a comment the other day about the lack of the “dog” smell. What she didnt know was that I havent bathed my dogs in a year. They stay clean (I even live on a horse farm!), their coats are extremely healthy, teeth are white white white, and they have a lot of energy. I had a dog that had chronic ear infections. Once I switched to raw they disappeared. As for dogs needing fruits/veggies/grains…well, yes, but they are supposed to get those from the organs of the prey meat. A dogs system cannot process raw veggies…they should be blanched. As for E. Coli and Salmonella…dogs are not succeptable to the illnesses that humas are from these bacteria. You are, though, so you have to keep a clean kitchen. My dogs are still not aggressive, I can take the bones away from them myself. I feed a very large variety…from beef, chicken, turkey, duck, fish, kangaroo, ostrich, buffalo, etc. I do buy it from Omas Pride and it is USDA inspected meats. It is not for the average pet owner…as it is a bit more work than feeding kibble…but you’ll see a difference in your dog overall. You’ll also spend less money on vets. My dogs have never been to the vet for anything other than vaccinations.
My dog was on the BARF (acronym for Bones and Raw Food) for years. He thrived. His teeth were absolute snow white.
I think raw feeding is great IF you know what you’re doing, and you have the time to do it. I personally prefer to feed my dogs high quality kibble. I think it depends largely on the dog and owner/caretaker whether the dog is fed raw or kibble. I think both are equally good options, assuming that the kibble in question is a high quality.
I started my dog on this diet as soon as I got her and within 5 months she has gone from a skinny weak poor coated dog to a very healthy strong dog. Her coat shines and her teeth have lost all the brown plaque that the Vet said would need removal under anaesthesia. I also fed my last German Shepherd on it after she had twice been treated for Bloat (a common problem in the breed) she never had it on the BARF diet.
I also feed my Cats this way though getting them to accept Vegetables was tricky. I have a very healthy 15 year old that people think is only about 8 and an even healthier lively 3 year old.
My friend introduced me to the diet and her own dog is a very healthy still active 12 year old which for a GSD is amazing. It’s the equivalent of someone being 100!
I actually pay less for their food as my butcher provides most of the meat (50pence a kilo) and bones free. Dont ever use bones from a Pet store, they are cooked and too hard for the dog’s teeth!
I’d recommend it to anyone. I certainly will never go back to ‘commercial’ feeding!
My Bull Terriers and JRT were fed on dry complete food very expensive stuff I thought they were doing OK on it but not as well as they could be. I am totally obsessive about doing the best for my animals (dogs, cats, horse) so money is not an object I would bankrupt myself for my babys.
Anyway back to the point I tried various types of dry complete food and the only thing that was blooming was their teeth they were fab but the dogs weren’t as tip top as they could be.
I gradually weaned them on to fresh minced tripe and biscuits to pick at in between meals, they are all really blooming and my bully boy has really come on leaps and bounds he is enormous like he should be and my little lady has really picked up after having her puppy’s and my little JRT has really improved I’ve never seen him with alot of fat on his body but he’s always been on the lean side but he is actually well covered and really happy bless him.
It is expensive but the brand I use are very good and the meat is fresh and I now bulk buy and fill up my chest freezer as it works out a little cheaper.
In my opinion we all try and do our best for our dogs and if the dogs look healthy and happy then you must be doing something right!!
Its not something I would do, as dogs need a lot of ruffage as well as meat.
Best thing you can do for your dog. I’m talking about home made raw.
P.S. The fiber is of course a part of the diet. Both fruits and veggies.
Best thing I did for senior dog she loves eating chkn and vegies and she runs like a puppy and her coat is great!
It sounded like a wonderful idea to me, until I gave my dog a raw bone (from a pet store)… she was sick for 3 days