How Many Of You Feed Your Dogs Only Raw Foods, And If Not, Why Not?
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Feb 27th, 2010 |
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WHen I say raw, I mean whole raw chickens and necks and feet and organs or other animals and whatnot part of most animals/fish.
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No, I don’t and won’t feed raw. Although, I briefly tried it…before looking into it enough. The reason being, dogs are far removed from wolves…externally and internally. They’re not the same, even reproduction differs greatly. I also haven’t seen any research proving what raw feeders claim. Plus, I recently read on YA (I believe) an article from someone with a wolf sanctuary who wrote that wild wolves are typically malnourished…they eat to survive, not to be healthy. We can survive on fast food, but it doesn’t mean it healthy. I’ll try to find the link and add it if do.
Edit: Found it & another: http://www.pheasanttracks.com/raw.htmhttp://www.secondchanceranch.org/trainin…
Edit: My understanding is “malnourished” in the sense of poor nutrition, rather than a lack of food. Like my fast food example, lol. Apparently, many wolf sanctuaries include kibble in the diet. Also, it’s parasites, splintered bones, etc. In the end, I believe *all* of us (kibble, homemade & raw feeders) have the best intentions and are doing what we feel is right. Thanks for reading too.
I dont. For one: its way to expensive, we have a german shepherd, a boxer, and a rott, we would go broke or starve just to feed those three. For Two: We live on a farm where we have chickens and cows are all around us, feeding raw meat to predatory animals such as dogs will incourage them to kill our chickens or try to take on a calf or something, which would inadvertently lead to the farmers down the road to shoot our dogs (I know it seems cruel, but farm logical says that you cant have dogs running around killing your livestock, and the things that make you money).
I feed raw because my dogs are healthier when I do.
I don’t feed my dogs raw anything. Regular dry dog food. I never really thought of giving them raw food. I figure if it’s not safe for me to eat, it can’t be for my babes. Plus, my male gets all crazy around “human” food.
I do not feed my dog any raw meats at all. I just don’t think that can be very healthy. I choose to feed her all natural food instead. She is very happy with it and extremely healthy. She refuses to eat dog treats and who can blame her. Dog treats are full of so much crap that they don’t need. Instead I give her raw fruit and veggies. She LOVES it!
I feed my 2 dogs raw twice a week. It’s far too expensive to feed them raw all the time. I tried doing it with one dog, and I couldn’t keep up with the expense since the only place to get it around here is the stores. So I feed my dogs raw 2 days out of the week. I also feed them a high quality dog food, and the raw is mainly to keep their teeth clean and just to keep them in good condition. =)
I have fed all the dog diets except raw. Why? Because I have never been convinced that raw is even equal to a top quality home prepared or commercial diet, much less better. BARF’er are very fanatical in promoting this diet but never produce any studies or qualitative facts that BARF is superior. The usual argument for BARF is that commercial is bad, huh?
the only down side is in some dogs Raw foods can bring out the predator nature, and that can be dangerous if you have small kids. i had a friend that only fed his boxer raw foods, and was fine until one day the dog was alone with his 1 year old for a few mins, long story short the dog chewed the kids foot off, and was put down, and the baby lost a foot. i would stick to a good quality dog food like Iams or Science diet.
No my dog gets cooked stuff for sure.Raw stuff goes in the garbage. Hey we humans dont eat raw meat why subject to dogs to have ‘ta eat ‘em?
the BARF diet has possitives and negitives, first off working with raw meats. Contamination and u getting sick can happen if you are not meticulus. I have worked with dogs that thrive on the BARF diet, most of the Schutzhund kennels that I have associations with do use this form of diet. I personality dont because of the reasons above and I have kids. If u r educated enough on the proper preperations then I would say yes, It does solve alot of health problems.
we were feeding our pitbull puppy raw chicken and then we stopped cuz we were told they could get salmonella……still not sure if that is true let me know what you find out
no, because it’s bad for them, even though they have different digestive systems than ours, its still unhealthy for them because they have evolved more than wolves and other wild dogs that can eat raw meat. and it brings out they’re predetor instincts, which is bad if you have other pets(and i do) or small kids.
I feed my Great Dane all raw foods, except for a little cooked liver (he refuses to eat it raw). He’s 19 months old, extremely healthy, in great physical shape, and his coat has the most beautiful, glossy shine.
No my dog gets cooked stuff for sure.Raw stuff goes in the garbage. Hey we humans dont eat raw meat why subject to dogs to have ‘ta eat ‘em?
My dog had numerous infections when he was a pup. He suffered tremendously and it was hard to nail down the exact causes. All I could think of was that I needed him to get healthy NOW or he wasn’t going to make it. So I decided – No more meds, no more tests and examinations and blood work and stool samples, no more medical trial & error.(My gosh he’s a dog – not a guinea pig- I said to my vet!)
Thanks to discovering raw feeding, my young dog is the right weight and height for his breed now. His stools are textbook perfect, his coat his ultra shiny, his teeth are gleaming and his breathe is breezy clean. He has energy and strength and did not react severely to his vaccines either. His colitis was in remission within 2 weeks of raw feeding. My vet was sincerely impressed at the quick improvements to his health.
The clincher: The only time he had a relapse was because I was feeling lazy one day and reverted to feeding him kibble. He was in terrible shape for 3 days after just one serving. So it was easy to see first hand how he reacted to even the most expensive commercial kibble on the market.
To be fair and unbiased, like people, dogs are not all the same. Some folks can eat anything and some cannot tolerate certain foods at all. In this instance, raw feeding works for my pet.
It’s true that it may not work for yours.
My dog loves any fish, whole, frozen, giant, small, guts & eyeballs, ocean, fresh water, live or dead…but he doesn’t like it cooked or canned. Whether that’s a primordial behavior or simply his personal preference…it’s not for me to say. I simply take note.
So are you positive that what you are feeding your pet is working for them or is it really only working for you?
Kibble sure is easier for humans. I can attest! Talk about a no brainer > Pour into bowl and you are done.
Honestly, I certainly did not like buying chicken carcasses & necks or even handling them. Oh then the mess on my floors. Fish slime can be really gross too. Woosh and that organ meat is not always pretty either! Making veggie mash and storing and freezing and separating and blah blah blah…it’s all extra work for me. No mistaking that.
Then I got over myself.
Once I got over my own personal issues I was able to see the improvements in my pet. Today, the chores and anxiety I had relating to raw feeding have been replaced by pride and pleasure. Raw feeding has bonded me to my dog in a way I cannot express in writing effectively except….
Raw feeding made me see my dog as a dog instead anthropomorphizing the relationship.
Raw feeding compels owners to be more engaged with their pets.
Raw feeding, if it works for your pet, can actually be a joyful experience. Especially when you witness the healthful benefits.
PS: I think it’s a total crock and shows how irrational fears prevent people from seeing the obvious when they say stuff like “Raw feeding increases a dogs predatory instincts and will attack livestock/other critters (or why not small children while we are at it.)” Unless you have witnessed this first hand, or show me clinical studies I will be more forgiving of this statement. What? Is your dog so starved it has to go hunt down a chicken on it’s own now? Goodness gracious me – it’s not rocket science!
Feed your dogs and feed’em well – they will have no need to hunt on their own.
My dog had numerous infections when he was a pup. He suffered tremendously and it was hard to nail down the exact causes. All I could think of was that I needed him to get healthy NOW or he wasn’t going to make it. So I decided – No more meds, no more tests and examinations and blood work and stool samples, no more medical trial & error.(My gosh he’s a dog – not a guinea pig- I said to my vet!)
Thanks to discovering raw feeding, my young dog is the right weight and height for his breed now. His stools are textbook perfect, his coat his ultra shiny, his teeth are gleaming and his breathe is breezy clean. He has energy and strength and did not react severely to his vaccines either. His colitis was in remission within 2 weeks of raw feeding. My vet was sincerely impressed at the quick improvements to his health.
The clincher: The only time he had a relapse was because I was feeling lazy one day and reverted to feeding him kibble. He was in terrible shape for 3 days after just one serving. So it was easy to see first hand how he reacted to even the most expensive commercial kibble on the market.
To be fair and unbiased, like people, dogs are not all the same. Some folks can eat anything and some cannot tolerate certain foods at all. In this instance, raw feeding works for my pet.
It\’s true that it may not work for yours.
My dog loves any fish, whole, frozen, giant, small, guts & eyeballs, ocean, fresh water, live or dead…but he doesn\’t like it cooked or canned. Whether that\’s a primordial behavior or simply his personal preference…it\’s not for me to say. I simply take note.
So are you positive that what you are feeding your pet is working for them or is it really only working for you?
Kibble sure is easier for humans. I can attest! Talk about a no brainer > Pour into bowl and you are done.
Honestly, I certainly did not like buying chicken carcasses & necks or even handling them. Oh then the mess on my floors. Fish slime can be really gross too. Woosh and that organ meat is not always pretty either! Making veggie mash and storing and freezing and separating and blah blah blah…it\’s all extra work for me. No mistaking that.
Then I got over myself.
Once I got over my own personal issues I was able to see the improvements in my pet. Today, the chores and anxiety I had relating to raw feeding have been replaced by pride and pleasure. Raw feeding has bonded me to my dog in a way I cannot express in writing effectively except….
Raw feeding made me see my dog as a dog instead anthropomorphizing the relationship.
Raw feeding compels owners to be more engaged with their pets.
Raw feeding, if it works for your pet, can actually be a joyful experience. Especially when you witness the healthful benefits.
PS: I think it’s a total crock and shows how irrational fears prevent people from seeing the obvious when they say stuff like “Raw feeding increases a dogs predatory instincts and will attack livestock/other critters (or why not small children while we are at it.)” Unless you have witnessed this first hand, or show me clinical studies I will be more forgiving of this statement. What? Is your dog so starved it has to go hunt down a chicken on it’s own now? Goodness gracious me – it’s not rocket science!
Feed your dogs and feed’em well – they will have no need to hunt on their own.