Before I began feeding my dogs a raw diet, I had
heard of a couple of people who were doing it and, frankly, I thought they were
nuts. I said I would NEVER give my dogs a raw chicken bone. Then I kept hearing
more and more and more about the diet. So I decided to open my mind and think
about this. Would I feed my family the same processed food day after day after
day? No, of course not. Then why did I do that to my dogs? Think about it,
doesn't it make sense to feed fresh wholesome foods?
Veterinarian Alfred Plechner in "Pet Allergies: Remedies for an Epidemic"
states;
"There is mounting evidence that a lifetime of eating commercial pet foods can
shorten your pet's life, make him fatter than he ought to be and contribute to
the development of such increasingly common disorders as cystitis and stones (in
cats), glaucoma and heart disease (in dogs), diabetes, lead poisoning, rickets
and serous vitamin-mineral deficiencies (in both dogs and cats)."
Dogs are physiologically the same as wolves. They differ in their gene sequences
by only 1 - 2%. Their digestive tracts have not changed in the last 60 or 70
years since the dog food manufacturers have come on the scene. Designed to eat
various prey species they have very strong stomach acids (dogs have a pH of 1
with food in the stomach compared to a human's pH of 4 - 5) and a short
digestive tract. The dog's digestive tract is 1/3 to 1/2 the length of a humans.
This is because they are designed to eat raw meat and bones, not grains like an
herbivore such as a cow, or an omnivore, such as a human. If dogs were meant to
eat corn, wheat, soy or rice, they'd be built internally like a cow or sheep or
even a human, with a long digestive tract. Besides, did you ever hear of a wolf
building a little campfire and cooking their venison before they ate it? And
they don't leave little skeletons lying around either. They eat the bones too.
Raw food is full of enzymes, vitamins, minerals and stuff the scientists haven't
even discovered yet. All commercial kibble, by nature, is cooked. Cooking
destroys these vital nutrients. Sure the dog food companies try to add them back
in, as evidenced by the long list of vitamins and minerals added to each dog
food, but that is a pitifully small amount compared to what they took out in the
processing of the food. It can never replace the nutrients found in raw food.
That is assuming they started out with wholesome, nutritious meat to begin with.
Ever read a dog food label? Notice how many times, corn and corn products, rice
and rice products, wheat and/or soy are mentioned? The dog food manufacturers do
something very clever. They break the grains down into several components, then
list them each separately. Why? Because they are required by law to list the
ingredients in order of volume. If they didn't break the total volume of grain
down into smaller parts, the grains would be listed first, second, third, etc.
and the meat would be WAY far down the list because the quantity is so small
compared to the amount of grains. Of the first 5 ingredients, I bet the majority
are grains anyway, even using this method. Another problem with a grain based
kibble is that the amino acids (the building blocks of protein) are not the same
as the amino acids in meat. Essential amino acids are lacking in grains. This is
a tragedy for your dog as he cannot make these amino acids, he has to get them
from his diet.
Pat Lazarus, in her book, "Keep Your Pet Healthy the Natural Way", says;
"To begin with, let us look at what commercial pet foods are composed of in
general. The Pet Food Institute says; "Forty percent of all pet food is meat
by-products and offal (wastes)." One would think that the other sixty percent
would have to be better than that, but the Pet Food Institute goes on to say
that the other sixty percent is grain and soy meal not used for human
consumption because of foreign odors, debris, germs, etc."
Dog food takes about 15 hours to digest. Raw meaty bones (RMB's) take about 4 -
6. Why? Because dogs were not designed to eat grains. They have a very difficult
time breaking down the complex carbohydrates found in grains. In fact, most pass
through undigested resulting in large, smelly stools. Yeast thrives in an
environment supported by grains. Most chronic ear infections will clear up if
all grains are removed from your dog's diet. Your dog's system has to work
overtime to extract the nutrients it needs to survive. This eventually can lead
to kidney and liver problems, chronic ear infections, diabetes, chronic skin
problems, teeth and gum problems which can cause heart disease. Even cancers are
attributable to diet.
So first of all, the dog foods contain way too many grains. (Dogs should be fed
a grain free diet.) Secondly, the little bit of meat that is in kibble is
cooked, removing what little nutrition it had. If that isn't bad enough, the
meat is of extremely low quality. Did you see the phrase "meat by-products" on
the label? That can mean almost anything and literally does. By-products include
heads, beaks, feathers, feet, guts, euthanized pets... What? Euthanized pets?
Yes, rendering companies pick up the dead bodies from your vet's office and
animal shelters and throw them in the vat too. This includes their flea and tick
collars and the plastic bags they are in also. It includes the drug used to
euthanize the animal. This drug is not destroyed by heat. Which means that the
kibble you are giving your dog is giving him a low dose of a fatal drug daily.
What are the long term effects of this? Just look at all the chronic diseases
our dogs suffer from and you will begin to get an answer.
Ann Martin, in her book, "Food Pets Die For", states;
"The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) states that there
are no restrictions limiting the use of animals for meat meal, tankage, and
digest. AAFCO does not prohibit rendered companion animals in pet foods or
livestock feed-it is a source of protein."
Oh and don't forget the spoiled meat from the grocery store. That goes in there
too, along with the styrofoam tray and plastic wrap. Yum. It would be too labor
intensive to remove the wrappings. And what about all the meat that didn't pass
inspection for human consumption? The cancerous tumors, the diseased carcasses,
the sick and dying animals, that all goes in your pet's food too. And then
there's all that lovely fat from the fast food places. If you look out back
behind any McDonald's or Wendy's for example, you will always find a large vat
of the oil that is used for deep frying. This sits outside until the vat is full
(regardless of weather) and then is picked up by the dog food companies. This is
spoiled, rancid oil. That is what is used to coat the outside of the kibble so
that your dog will eat it. Now that's nutritious hey?
Preservatives are also a concern. Ethoxyquin, BHA and BHT are all known
carcinogens. Ethoxyquin was developed as a rubber preservative! From Ann
Martin's book, "Food Pets Die For";
The Farm Chemical Handbook lists Ethoxyquin as a pesticide. Hawley's Condensed
Chemical Dictionary, Eleventh Edition, list Ethoxyquin as "Hazard: Toxic by
ingestion." The Consumers Dictionary of Food Additives lists Ethoxyquin as a
"yellow liquid antioxidant and herbicide. It has been found to cause liver
tumors in newborn mice." Ethoxyquin is sold by PennWalt under the name of
Deccoquin and has a very prominent skull and crossbones on the label that reads
"Caution/-Poison" in large print.
Pet food companies need not state on the label that Ethoxyquin has been added to
the food unless the pet food company itself added the substance. If it is added
to the fat at the rendering facility, or added to the grain as the feed mill, or
added to any pet food ingredient before it arrives at the pet food company, the
label does not need to list Ethoxyquin.
Many of the grains used in commercial pet food contain levels of herbicides,
pesticides, and fungicides that are cancer-causing agents. Little, if any,
testing or research is undertaken in this area as data are limited.
If you see any of these on a label, DON'T buy the product. Unfortunately, these
chemicals can be in the dog food without being listed. So one never really knows
if they are present but chances are, unless you are buying a very expensive
human-grade ingredient kibble, they probably are in the dog food.
Other hidden hazards in pet foods are; Penicillin, (used extensively as an
antibiotic in livestock), Chloramphenicol, (another, very powerful antibiotic,
linked to aplastic anemia in humans), Sulfonamids, (another antibiotic), growth
hormones (Bovine Growth Hormone), insecticides (used on grains and also on
livestock, are stored in fat, some are more toxic than DDT), salmonella and
E-coli, mycotoxins (some of the most toxic substances know to man), and lead
(canned cat foods can contain up to 2.4 times the amount of lead considered
unsafe for a child).
Sorry if I'm grossing you out. But it's important that you realize just what's
in that beautifully packaged bag of dog food. It is literally garbage. Don't be
fooled by the advertising hype. You can't take rotted, diseased product, cook it
for 2 days, add in a few vitamins and minerals and think it is nutritious. It
just can't be. But don't take my word for it, for more information, read Ann
Martin's book, "Food Pets Die For".
So what to do instead? It's not difficult so don't be dismayed. Dr. Tom
Lonsdale, Dr. Ian Billinghurst, Kymythy Schultze, Dr. Richard Pitcairn, Wendy
Vollard and others, have all written a wealth of information on diet. It's a
good idea to read as much as you can as opinions do differ. Which is not a bad
thing because so too do our dogs differ. I don't think there is a one size fits
all diet! But that is the beauty of preparing your dog's food. You can custom
tailor the diet to his individual needs.
Just to give you an idea, this is how we feed our dogs. This is what has worked
well for us but I am not an expert, this is just my opinion. I have noticed that
there are many, many ways to feed a raw diet. That is why it is important that
you read as much as you can. You can do your dog harm by feeding an improperly
balanced raw diet. This is listed here to give you an example. Basically we feed
60 - 65% RMB's, 30 -35% muscle meat and 5% offal. This is based on a prey model,
in other words, I try to mimic or replicate what a carnivore would eat in the
wild.
This is so simple. Just thaw, rinse, warm and serve. I raise some of the meat
for my dogs (lamb, chicken and rabbit). I buy chicken hindquarters in bulk
from a local poultry processing plant for 49 cents/lb., beef heart and
kidney for less than $1 per lb., 1/2 hog for $1.09/lb. etc. I
package it up, freeze it, and take out the portions to thaw daily. At feeding
time all I do is rinse the poultry, put it in a bowl of warm water for 10
minutes to take the chill off the meat. Red meats are served at room
temperature. Couldn't be easier. You can also feed beef and pork necks,
knuckle/soup bones, pork roasts, chicken backs, venison ribs, turkey necks,
rabbit, elk, buffalo, goat, etc. Whatever you can get. These RMB's not only
provide exercise for the dog's jaws and body, but they benefit your dog's mental
health too. I strive to feed as much variety as I can and mostly red meats
(approximately 75% of their diet is red meat).
I also use various supplements only because I believe that our soils have been
depleted of many important minerals and therefore our foods are lacking in
nutrients. I add Vitamin E, salmon/fish oil, kelp and alfalfa.
Don't worry about salmonella or e-coli. Dogs have high levels of stomach acids
and short digestive tracts. This design moves food quickly through the dog's
body before bacteria have time to multiply and become a problem. The high
concentration of hydrochloric acid, which breaks down the proteins in meats
also, kills any dangerous bacteria. Dogs who have been fed kibble a long time do
need time to build up these stomach acids again. When switching to raw, give
digestive enzymes and probiotics and take it slow at first. Also remember, you
will be rinsing the RMB's before you feed them, which will remove most of the
bacteria anyway. I've been feeding this diet since 1998 without a single case of
diarrhea. We also fed all our foster dogs this diet and none of them had any
problems either.
As for amounts, generally you will feed about 1 -3% of the dog's weight or about
1/2 the volume of what you previously fed of kibble. For example, my males used
to eat 4 cups of kibble per day, fed twice/day. Now they are fed once
daily about 1.25 lbs./day. My girls get about 1/2 that amount. Of
course each dog varies as to their metabolic rate and activity level too. This
diet costs less per pound than a premium kibble and you feed less of it! What
could be better? Just watch your dog's weight. If they are gaining too much cut
back on amounts. If they're too thin, increase the portion size.
You will notice that your dog drinks a lot less water on this diet. That's
because there is a lot of water in the food itself. And kibble soaks up water in
your dog's stomach, causing him to drink more. Dogs also poop less, a lot less,
when on this diet. That's because there are no fillers such as beet pulp, nor
grains that are mostly undigestable. The poop has almost no odor. It is hard and
dries up into white powder in a day or two. If your dog previously had trouble
with impacted anal glands, he will no longer on this diet. That's because your
dog's poop will be firmer to naturally express the anal glands. In a couple of
weeks the tartar will be off your dog's teeth and you will rarely, if ever have
to clean them again. Your dog will have more energy and stamina. Old dogs act
like puppies again. If he has bad hips or arthritis, his symptoms will lesson or
even disappear. Eventually you'll notice that your dog has very little "doggy"
odor. What we have come to consider as "natural" doggy smell is actually the
body trying to expel toxins through the skin. The skin is our biggest
eliminative organ. It is constantly filtering waste from our blood stream. Once
the toxins from kibble are out of your dog's system, he will need less bathing.
Some dogs go through what is known as detox. This means that the body, now
getting proper nutrition, is strong enough to expel the build up of toxins from
the kibble and is literally "detoxifying" itself. Detox can show up as skin
problems, weepy eyes, hot spots, itchy feet, red ears, etc. Don't panic. This is
a good sign. Let all the gunk come out and then your dog can be healthy.
Sometimes things have to get worse before they get better. Of course if you
start with a puppy raised on SARF, (Species Appropriate Raw Food) they will
never go through detox.
People new to this diet are always concerned with bones perforating an intestine
or causing an impaction. This is a valid concern when you are talking about
COOKED bones. Cooking dries out the bones and makes them brittle and susceptible
to splintering. Raw bones are softer and easier to digest. Dogs, being
carnivores, were built to handle RMB's. That's not to say that no dog on the
SARF diet never perforated an intestine or had an impaction. It is very rare
though. Choking is another worry that people have. Well, plenty of dogs have
choked on kibble. Lots of people have choked on food too. Life is not risk-free
no matter how careful you are. The benefits of this diet far outweigh the risks.
If you have a dog who is a gulper, you can hold onto one end of the RMB and make
him eat slower. What sometimes happens, is that a dog, who has literally been
starved for good nutrition, now being presented with it, can't get enough of it
fast enough. He's afraid you'll take it away or he'll never get any more. With
time, they come to realize that this is how they are always going to be fed and
they learn to slow down and savor their food. Or you can switch to feeding once
per day and feed larger pieces. It is a good idea to always feed chunks as big
as your dog's head.
If this all seems overwhelming, it really isn't. You don't have to be a rocket
scientist to feed your dog a raw diet. We don't fret this much over our own
diets for heaven's sake! The dog food industry has us so brain-washed that we
feel we couldn't possibly be intelligent enough to formulate our dog's diet.
Phooey! If you feed wide variety of ingredients your dog will receive all the
nutrients he needs. It's "balance over time" as Dr. Billinghurst says. Each
individual meal does not have to be balanced. Do some reading, it's not that
hard, really!
This diet will build a strong, healthy immune system. This translates into fewer
trips to the vet. It does take more time to feed your dog this way, but I'd
rather spend my time in the kitchen, than the vet's office. I get so many
compliments on the coat condition and muscle tone of my dogs. It has helped in
the show ring too, even judges comment on the condition of my dogs! Until you
see a dog fed a raw diet you can not imagine how healthy they are. They almost
glow!
For how to feed a prey model diet check out this site; http://www.rawdogranch.com/rawdietbasics.htm
This diet contains no vegetables, no grains and no fruits. I still use dairy in
the form of cheese as a training treat. I now feed 60% raw meaty bones, 35%
muscle meat (no bone) and 5% offal (liver, kidney, tripe etc). For more
information on wolf behavior and to dispel some commons myths about raw feeding,
this is an excellent site; http://rawfed.com/myths/ For example, it is a myth
that wolves eat the stomach content of their prey. Only if it is a small animal
like a rabbit do they. If it is a large ruminant, such as a deer, they do not.
And if you think about it this makes sense as the stomach contents would be
highly acidic and bitter. You can read more about it here; http://rawfed.com/myths/stomachcontents.html
Feel free to explore this site; as it debunks a lot of the common misconceptions
about raw feeding.
References and Recommended reading;
"Food Pets Die For" by Ann Martin
"Give Your Dog a Bone", "Grow Your Pup With Bones" and "The BARF Diet" by Dr.
Ian Billinghurst
"The Ultimate Diet" by Kymythy Schultze
"Raw Meaty Bones" by Tom Lonsdale
"Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats" by Dr. R.
Pitcairn
"Holistic Guide for a Healthy Dog" by Wendy Vollard & Brown
"Keep Your Pet Healthy the Natural Way" by Pat Lazarus
"Natural Healing for Dogs and Cats" by Diane Stein
"Dogs-Anatomy of a Carnivore and Dietary Needs" by Lew Olson www.b-naturals.com
Internet list; http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rawfeeding/
For more good reading see the "Vaccination Concerns" page
