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Raw Food Primer
As research reveals more about canine evolution, advocates of raw-food diets make no bones about it: dogs’ meals should mimic wolves’ natural eating habits. In this system, dogs are fed mostly raw meaty bones (RMBs) as well as muscle meat, organ meat and whole fish. Once they have some experience under their collars, raw feeders generally go on to add any number of ingredients to the menu, including high-quality and often organic foods such as cultured dairy (yogurt, cottage cheese), eggs or dog-safe vegetables to suit the nutritional needs and tastes of their individual pups. As simple as this list sounds, the switch feels big and scary for many people—it means taking a lot of responsibility for a dog’s well-being. If the rewards weren’t so immediate and evident, it may not have garnered the following it has. But for most raw-food advocates, the benefits to their dogs are significant: cleaner teeth, less odor, shinier coats and far fewer visits to the vet’s office. Once you’ve moved on from the can or bag, how do you know if your dog’s getting enough to eat? Lew Olson, who has a PhD in natural health and canine nutrition, breaks it down this way in her book, Raw & Natural Nutrition for Dogs:
In short, many nutritionists who support raw diets suggest that a dog should eat the equivalent of about 15 percent of her body weight each week. Of that, about 60 percent should be RMBs: poultry necks, wings and backs; beef ribs; pork neck bones; rabbit or quail quarters or halves; or lamb brisket or necks. (Cooked bones should never be fed, as cooking leaves the bones brittle and they can splinter, making them dangerous to digest.) The rest of the meals tend to include a variety of protein sources like beef, lamb or chicken, as well as fish, yogurt or even sea vegetables (kelp, nori, dulse and others) to provide the fatty acids and minerals that nourish your dog’s skin, coat and energetic spirit. If you’re just starting out with raw food, you may choose to make the change slowly, combining raw fare with commercial food or home-cooked meals. Fans of raw feeding believe that even a partial transition will give your dog such a spring in her step that you’ll be making the switch faster than you can say RMB. |
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I've been feeding our two dogs raw for 3 years, and they are thriving. They are both rescued mixes, 90 and 55 pounds, 7 and 5 years old. Before feeding raw, we were paying top-dollar for high quality kibble (I liked Evo the best). Feeding them raw is not only better for them, but it's cheaper! There are ways to make it more economical. Since I have two big dogs and like to take advantage of when times are plentiful (such as during deer season), I have two 15 cubic feet chest freezers in the garage. But I understand that this is not for everybody! If you have (a) smaller dog(s) and go to the grocery often, then you won't need a freezer. My new energy star chest freezer claims to operate at only $30/year. That's much less than I was paying for a bag of kibble!
To keep it clean during meal times, I prefer to feed my dogs outside. If you want to feed indoors, try feeding in a crate. Lots of raw feeders will feed on old towels. You can use the towel until you feel it needs cleaning, then pop a load into the washing machine. Pretty easy.
When selecting raw meats, make sure to avoid "enhanced" varieties. Lots of chicken and pork will be injected with sodium solution to make it more palatable for humans. But some dogs are sensitive to all the salt and will get upset tummies. All the excess salt is certainly not good for them (or us). Check the nutrition facts on the back of the package - it should be less than 100 mg sodium per serving. Even "natural" varieties of chicken typically have 60 mg of sodium. My dogs have never showed sensitivity to sodium, but every dog is different.
If the cost of raw is the issue, besides shopping around at grocery stores & butcher shops, you can join a pet food co-op. There is info about this online if you do a search. Some raw feeders have luck placing craigslist ads for freezer burned meat. I have been given lots of "old" meat for my dogs. Many times the stuff was "expired"/a year or two old, but otherwise perfectly fine - but the people didn't want to eat it. My dogs loved it! A little freezer burn won't hurt them. I am a little on the extreme end, but I hunt deer to share with my dogs, and I also will pick up fresh deer roadkills to butcher for the dogs. Of course, that's not for everyone... I just have a hard time passing up 100 pounds of free dog food!
Besides meat, bone and organ, my dogs get a raw egg every day, and a couple of fish body oil capsules (human grade - the same stuff you'll buy in the store for yourself. My dogs eat them like treats).
I wish the author had share some of the research mentioned in the first line. That said, however, I've done a lot of my own reading and have my 2 dogs on a raw food diet.
We have been feeding our dog raw food for his entirel life. He is fit, healthy, has great teeth at 8yrs old and loves his food. We feed raw chicken neck and raw marrow bones. Yes we need to be a bit more careful about washing hands etc.... But never have we had a issue with bacteria passing to us our our child.
bark
Hi,
I just adopted a dog last month, and we've kept her on the dry food the rescue group had her on to avoid digestive upsets up til now. Now, however, we'd like to switch her over to raw. My only concern is, how do I keep the house clean? I don't want her carrying a RMB around and spreading the blood/bacteria on the floor. Also, how do I make the transition from kibble to raw? Do I need to do a fasting day?
Thanks in advance,
Alex
I was under the impression that you shouldn't feed commercial and raw food at the same mealtime because they digest at drastically different rates and can cause stomach upsets?
I am just starting to dip a toe in the water by transitioning from Wellness commercial food to home-cooked. Obviously my two dogs are thrilled to find some "real" food in their bowls along with a little kibble, but as it's only been a couple of days I'll be keeping a close eye on their energy levels, weight, and bathroom habits! :)
Lisa,
Dogs have digestive systems that are much better suited to handling bacteria than we do. Look at how many feral dogs live okay as scavengers. While a little excess E. coli could ruin our day, most dogs are going to be able to shrug it off. Follow safe food handling procedures and you should be fine. When I buy a larger portion of poultry than my dog will be able to eat in a day or two, I'll portion and freeze the rest. Even if I screw up and don't get it defrosted all the way, my dog will happily spend the time when I'm at work gnawing on any frozen bits which is actually a godsend if you have a dog that needs something to do when you're out. Just be sure to cover anything they might sit on while gnawing if you don't crate.
I often see raw chicken and turkey bones at the supermarket, and I've been tempted to buy them and feed them to my two dogs. But I've been afraid to feed them raw poultry.
I always thought raw poultry could make you sick, and that it contained harmful bacteria (that's why we've always been told to wash the cutting board, don't let it come into contact with other foods, etc.)
And there are always the stories every Christmas and Thanksgiving about people being sick from eating turkey that's been left out of the fridge too long.
Is it really safe to feed raw poultry to my dogs? What about bacteria? And are the raw bones really safe to eat (i.e., they won't splinter?)
I want my dogs to have a healthy diet, but I don't want to make them sick (or worse).
Can anyone provide some reassurance about raw poultry?
I feed a combination of Nature's Recipe and raw chicken and I add other meats as they fit my budget.
Regarding bacteria, like a previous poster noted, dogs can metabolize bacteria we humans cannot. My dogs have never been sick, and I have even given them some chicken that I personally would not eat. It wasn't totally gone but just starting to go, and they were just fine. As long as the chicken bones are not cooked, they won't splinter. My one beagle swallowed a bone whole tonight. Not my preferred way for him to eat, but I know he will digest it and be ok.
As far as people getting sick from holiday poultry, again, the human digestive tract works differently from a dog's.
I have also cooked for my dogs which they love as well. I like giving them the bones to keep their teeth clean. My dalmatian is 13 and she has cleaner teeth than many of the younger dogs that come into the grooming salon where I work.
My husband was concerned when I started feeding them raw so I started with the little wing tips from the chicken and progressed from there.
My vet is well aware of the diet I feed my dogs and she is totally on board!
Good luck!
I feed a combination of raw and home cooked. I have two toy dogs and two cats - not only do I now know exactly what they are eating, but even at UK prices it is considerably cheaper than reasonable quality kibble. It takes me about 30 minutes a week to prepare their food, they are all fit and healthy, and they thoroughly enjoy every meal. The only downside is finding the freezer space for bulk buying!