Canine Nutrition

Dog food allergies? Go natural! Share recipes and your experience on feeding your dog raw, canned or dry kibble.

RAW MEAT DIET: THE DOG FOOD DEBATE

Carole Henry, Vandy Keeshonden/Australian Cattle Dogs

The article on Raw Meat vs. Cooked ^[1] has me angry. First of all it is dog food, not raw food that has actually caused harm to dogs. There are pet food recalls every year.

First, the study mentioned in the article, APHI of Colorado SU; by whom was the study funded? I question this as the dog food companies are challenged by home feeders which is a loss of revenue to them. Any undesirable bacteria or ingredient found in raw food can be found in cooked commercial dog food. That the researchers “think” it came about after processing means they do not know.

All of the problems listed by M. Wakeman DVM can be found in pet food fed dogs. All of them. Plus dog food causes gum and teeth problems that raw fed dogs DO NOT have. (Editor’s note: join the dog food debate in comments section below)

Most veterinarians do not even ask what food the dog has been eating. As my old vet said, he was tired of treating symptoms and not the problem causing it. When I started on raw food and he saw the difference in all my dogs he became a proponent of raw feeding. This man, Dr. Wendel Moore, was well respected in his era. When I decided to switch to raw meat diet in the early seventies, that was the time just about no one was “feeding outside of the box.” Remember we are what we eat.

Anyone who thinks they cannot feed a balanced raw meat diet for their dog should sit back and THINK. If they can feed themselves a balanced diet, surely they can feed their pets a balanced, natural diet based on raw meat? Is eating food found in the grocery store (but not pre-prepared boxed foods) meant only for people?

The clue is variety in feeding a dog. Look at what coyotes, foxes, and wolves eat in the wild. Note that their natural prey is filled with digested greens, nuts, fruit and grains. All canines need that variety. My dogs beat me to the wild persimmon tree fruit on the ground.

Having fed GENERATIONS of Keeshonden on raw since the seventies, I offer as proof my success in both the breed ring, obedience, rally agility, and now herding work, with over 50 champions and 100s of working titles - many titles achieved by dogs working into their teens. My first agility dog was 11 years old when started. First dual HOF in the Keeshond breed was won by a 13 year old Kees who finished her UD and point requirements after being started in CDX at age 9 years. All puppies started on raw meat at age 4 weeks. Ten generations. A bitch line started in the seventies with no other bitch brought into the line from the outside.

Now to the comment by Pat Hastings about being able to tell which dogs are on meat diet because the front end structures are invariably deformed. I have to take that with a grain of salt because she couldn’t know how many dogs she has awarded top honors to that were fed raw meat diet. Her opinion (and that’s all it is because it is not backed by evolution or science) as was quoted is puzzling because she has awarded many of my raw meat fed dogs. One example comes easily to mind. Pat Hastings was judging at the KCA National in Ohio. She kept going between my bitch LoJo and another bitch because she liked them both. She finally went with the other bitch which was fine. But my LoJo was meat-raised, from the last Keeshond litter I bred. She became GrCh Vandys URL LoJo, TT, JHD, HTADl. She was my second time around the alphabet (U), all raw fed.

Raw feeding was continued with my first ACD (Australian Cattle Dog) pup. I had to breed her to fulfill the sale contract and all her pups were raw fed. The three I kept are now 8 years and still working hard. Two of them are breed Chs. and have numerous herding titles and still are competing in herding and winning/placing against other breeds. One finished his Championship in two weekends by winning three big majors in supported entries plus an AOM at a specialty. “Invariably deformed” front structures??? I think not!

Raw Food-Natural Diet For Dogs

My dogs are fed a varied mix of greens, grain, eggs, and fruit in the morning. At night they get either whole frozen 6/7 sardines, turkey necks, chicken quarters, beef, whole rabbit, or whole goat. I never feed commercial chicken backs or necks because they are a waste of money and have little to contribute to my dog’s nutrition.

You asked about sourcing. Chicken quarters are found in Walmart in the ten pound bags. Turkey necks can be ordered at meat markets in thirty pound boxes. Whole rabbit can be found online. Beef and goat I raise myself for my own dogs but that also can be found on line. You can also contact your local Ag. department. They usually have resources about small farms that will sell to raw feeders, and you can contact slaughter houses to buy beef heart and scraps.

Reference & Related Information on what to feed that started the food debate:

[1] Raw Meat vs. Cooked, Raw natural diet vs. canned or dry pet food.

More Raw Meat Diet Decisions, feedback from dog breeders and dietary authorities.

If you can prepare yourself a balanced diet, can't your pets can have a natural diet based on raw meat? Is eating food found in the grocery store meant only for people? What do you feed and why? What is your breed?  We appreciate your COMMENTS below.

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