Raw Feeding Where Do I Start?

Top breeders, caring owners, and well educated vets are getting back to the basics. There is undeniable proof that commercial dog diets have caused immense damage to dogs around the world. While many people have always known that it was merely common sense to feed a natural diet to their dogs, a major re-education campaign is underway to help people "discover" again the fabulous benefits of feeding their dogs a raw natural diet... But how do I start? What do I do? you ask:

First, if you are not convinced raw is the best for your dog because of things you have "HEARD" or read, let's dispell some of the myths about raw food here and now!


Dogs Are Carnivores
Raw Feeding Myths
Raw Meaty Bones U.S.A.

The AVMA needs to investigate research methodology, plus a great response of Jane Anderson from RawLearning.com .
Read Mary Wakeman's article

Have you found a website which says bad things about raw foods and you're worried? Jane Anderson has created an email list where you can really check out the claims made. Click here to find the list created specifically for such website authors to back up their claims. A word of caution - so far everyone we've asked to back up their claims here has refused to do so on the list.

Okay, Now how does one begin to feed their dogs a raw, species appropriate diet?
I get questions all the time about how to begin feeding their dog a raw diet. I can only give what has worked for me personally with my own dogs and the dogs of the forward thinking raw feeding breeders and pet people I know.

What is raw feeding and how do I know what to feed my dog?
I always say is to think about raw feeding by looking to nature. What do wolves and wild dogs eat? What would my dog eat if he was living in the wild? The answer to that is he would eat any animal he could catch and kill. So the answer to what to feed is raw meat, bones, and organs from a variety of animals.

But, what about fruits & veggies?
There are a lot of people who feed their dogs veggies but if you look to nature, you will see that your dog wouldn't eat veggies such as squash, potatoes, and brocolli in any measurable amounts at all in the wild. He might however, eat a few berries or maybe some tree bark or grass but certainly not zucchini, carrots, or any of the veggies that many people feed. Also you must know that all the cells in all vegetable matter is covered by a think layer of cellulose. This cellulose must be crushed during the eating process in order for the nutrients in the vegetables to be available for digestion. This is called bioavailablity. The nutrients in vegetable matter is not bioavailable to our dogs because they don't have the flat molar teeth that plant eating animals do. *It is common knowledge and generally agreed upon by experts that Although now "domesticated", our pet dogs (and cats) have not evolved rumens along their digestive tracts in order to ferment cellulose and other plant material, nor have their pancreases evolved a way to secrete cellulase to split the cellulose into glucose molecules, nor have dogs (and cats) become efficient at digesting and assimilating and utilizing plant material as a source of high quality protein. Herbivores do those sorts of things. Sorry folks, that’s just how God and nature is set up at this time. Humans, for example, have flat molars for crushing cellulose during chewing. Dogs molars are called carnassal teeth and are not flat but work like scissors to rip and tear meat and crush bones. So, by looking at your dog's teeth, you can tell that veggies just are not appropriate food for them. The vegetable material doesn't harm your dog, but it does them no good either. Giving carrot treats occasionally doesn't hurt. Just make sure that you don't feed enough veggies to interfere with the amount of meat, bones, and organs your dog eats. * Canine and Feline Nutrition Case, Carey and Hirakawa Published by Mosby, 1995

How do I begin?
First off, I have found best to begin with one meat source until your dog digestive system gets back to normal and used to digesting raw meat. I usually suggest chicken, specifically chicken backs and/or necks only for the first week. Chicken meat is easily digested and the bones are soft and pliable. The second week, I suggest chicken backs and/or necks in the morning and chicken quarters in the evening. The third week I think it would be good to alternate chicken quarters with turkey necks in the evening, sticking with chicken backs in the morning. So one evening you would feed chicken quarters, the next evening it would be turkey necks, then quarters again then necks, etc. After a week of that, I would go to one meal a day only and combine the necks and/or backs with the leg quarters. In one more week I usually recommend to use a different meat at least once a week . I suggest pork. One pork meal that week. The next week add one meal of fish. If good raw fish is not available, you can substitue canned salmon or mackerel for that one meal in the week. Be sure to feed with bones and organs still attached if you can get that. I feed one fish meal every week for the omega 3 fatty acids or will supplement with raw, wild caught salmon oil. Then next week, try something in place of the pork, maybe lamb or beef. So, after a few weeks you will be feeding most any meat available. After a month or so of feeding raw meat and bones, you can begin to add organ meat. You don't ever want to feed a meal of just organs, just add some organ meat to one or 2 meals a week. Not a lot of organ meat as they are rich and can cause runny stools. Be sure to use the appropriate species organs with the meat you are feeding that meal. In other word, if you are feeding chicken, feed chicken liver, heart, etc. Same with Beef or Lamb.

What organs do I feed?
As I mentioned above, you should feed beef with beef and poultry with poultry, etc. Which Organ meats to feed are: Liver (this is the most important organ and should be at least 50% of the organs fed. A variety is best over time. Kidney is often left uneaten by a lot of dogs but give it a try. Lung and pancreas are usually eaten with relish. Heart is not really an organ but a muscle but it is good to feed too. Same with Gizzard.

How much should I feed my adult dog?
Each dog is different and that's impossible to say. However, begin with 2% to 3% of his IDEAL adult weight each day. Watch him over time and adjust as necessary. If he gets fat, feed less and vice versa. Many new raw feeders have this great need to measure everything. That need will quickly disappear and you will just know how much to feed. You will also stay in touch with your dogs "build" and adjust his food accordingly.

How much do I feed my puppy?
This can sometimes be a little more complicated so pay attention here. Begin feeding him 10% of his weight a day. Once 10% of his weight exceeds 2% to 3% of his IDEAL ADULT weight (not present weight), feed the 2% to 3%. All the time you are doing this you are conscious of his build and adjust the amount of food accordingly. The puppy will tell you how much to feed him by his build.

How young can I begin feeding raw?
I personally wean my puppies directly on to raw. My suggestion is to begin feeding raw the day you bring him/her home.

How Do I balance the diet?
People worry an awful lot about balancing their dog's diet. It seems to me that they worry more about their dog's diet than their own or their family's diet. They are dogs. Their digestive systems and their bodies are not that fragile. Feed meat, bones, and organs from a variety of animals and the diet will balance itself over time. Remember that term "over time". It's not necessary to balance each meal. Balance over time. People getting into raw feeding tend to worry a lot about ratios and percentages and weights. Forget all that. Feed raw meat and bones and organs from a variety of animals and things magically work themselves out. What is ideal? The average prey animal has about 10% to 15% bone, about 10% organs, and the rest muscle and fat and connective tissue. If you feed 5% bone or 25% bone, it won't matter. 5% organs or 20% organs doesn't make any difference. Just stay somewhat in the ballpark and you will be ok. One thing I look at daily when picking up after my dogs is the dog's poop. You will become an expert poop watcher. Ideally, the poops should be solid and turn white and powdery in a few hours to a day or 2. If the poop is runny, it generally means you need to feed more bone. If it is too dry, white and powdery when it comes out, feed a little less bone. The poop and my dog's build is all I watch for.

Should I feed supplements?
As long as you feed raw meaty bones and organs from a variety of animals then you shouldn't need to supplement a healthy dog. Of course if your dog has been on kibble for a long time or has a health problem, you might want to add supplements for that. One more possibility. Some add salmon oil capsules and/or a raw, fertile egg from a free range chicken for omega 3's once or twice a week. If your dog has been on a kibble only diet, diagnosied with an illness or disease or had recently been on antibiotics or other medications I recommend you give them a good probiotic and digestive enzymes (such as Fastrack) and Transfer Factor to help balance and build the immune system quickly.

Where and how do I buy my raw meats?
A good place to buy in bulk is to go to small independent grocery stores or a local butcher and have them order things like chicken backs and turkey necks by the case. Backs come in 40# cases and turkey necks come in 30# cases. Small independent stores are usually willing to help you get cases of meats. The big chain stores just aren't set up for such purchases. Ethnic markets are another source of meats, particularly organs. Check with restaurants and see where they get meats and try those places. Finding cheap meat is fun and will become a game once you get into raw feeding. Try to avoid buying the pre-packaged raw diets as they may be convient but not near as good as fresh.

Can you give other tips on raw feeding and how to make it easy?
There are many and you will learn most as you go and you will have to work out your own routine. It will seem to be complicated and cumbersome in the beginning but you will work out your routines and it becomes easier and eventually just as easy asfeeding kibble. One suggestion is when you buy by the case, break up the case into meal size portions and put them in freezer bags. As you feed one meal, get the next out of the freezer to be thawing.

But, I am still worried about Germs from the raw meat
The digestive juices of our canines are more than 50% hydrochloric acid. It is very deadly to the bacteria that your dogs ingest. Dog/wolves in the wild are exposed to all kinds of e-coli, salmonella, etc all the time and suffer no ill effects from it. (Afterall they lick their butts all the time!) A canine in the wild can stumble upon a carcass of a prey animal that has been dead for a week or more and will gladly eat it. I have heard of a Golden Retriever whose favorite treat was a road kill squirrel that had been dead and laying in the hot sunshine for about a week. Whenever she ate one, there was never any side effects from it. Its normally safe to feed your dogs meat that has gone bad in the refrigerator. Don't worry about germs when feeding your dog. It's a non-issue. I have never heard of a dog nor a family member getting sick from feeding the dog raw. Just handle the meat as you would your own and wash your hands and preperation surfaces with soap and hot water.

This is raw feeding in a nutshell. To learn more about raw feeding: You can go to the web sites listed above and read the book "Raw Meaty Bones Promote Health" by Dr. Tom Lonsdale

Thats it. If you have more questions, feel free to ask me :-)

*DISCLAIMER

The information contained on this web site is intended as education/information only. All the articles on The Whole Dog have been researched and reviewed for accuracy. However, they are not intended to be a substitute for diagnosis or treatment from a veterinarian or other qualified holistic pet health professional. The Whole Dog does not assume any legal responsibility. If your dog is ill, before you start treating him with our recommended products please see your holistic veterinarian for specific diagnosis.

A consultation is highly recommended before any preventative program or treatment is started. A consultation includes a personalized diet and holistic program suggestions that are custom-tailored to your own dog's individual and personal needs.

Copyright ©2006 Jeannie Thomason, Natural Pet Care Educator/Nutrition Consultant, The Whole Dog