| Why The Food You Give Your Dog Matters!If | | | | still amazes me to hear the feedback from a |
| you're like most dog owners, you probably | | | | dog owner who has converted to the raw meat |
| assume that commerical dog foods with brand | | | | and bones diet. Virtually without fail, they |
| names that are easily identifiable - Purina, | | | | all become true believers. In some cases, |
| Iams, Pedigree, etc. - must be good for your | | | | the improvement in their dogs is nothing |
| pets, right? After all, millions of pet | | | | short of startling.A common fear voiced by |
| owners buy them and feed them to their | | | | many owners is the worry over the bones |
| beloved pets, and surely they wouldn't all | | | | getting caught in their dog's throat or |
| give their dogs something harmful. | | | | splintering and cutting them internally. |
| Unfortunately, this may just be the case.Now, | | | | This is a common misconception that actually |
| before I get any further along, let me make | | | | does apply to COOKED bones. Never give your |
| it clear that I am not a veterinarian. I do, | | | | dog a cooked bone (especially chicken bones)! |
| however, have a science background and | | | | Raw bones, however, are no more of a threat |
| education, and I've had more dogs in my care | | | | than any other mouthful of food your dog |
| in one year than most people will have in a | | | | chews. I have yet to deal with even one case |
| lifetime. As an observant and naturally | | | | of a dog on this diet having any kind of |
| curious person, I've paid close attention in | | | | serious problem with the bones (out of |
| the past 20 years to the general health of my | | | | hundreds).Yes, handling raw meat and bones |
| pets and those I've had in my care through a | | | | requires a commitment many are uncomfortable |
| rescue shelter I was involved with for | | | | with. You have to get over the 'yuckiness' |
| several of those years. I've also picked the | | | | and embrace the benefits to your dogs! |
| brains of several top vets in my state in my | | | | Another issue is finding a good source of |
| quest to get to the heart of the matter | | | | affordable products. It's a good idea to |
| concerning the best dog diet.What has become | | | | locate a chicken processing plant nearby. |
| abundantly clear is that one type of diet | | | | They will often sell chicken cages (breast |
| stands well above all others in terms of | | | | bones and related parts). Chicken cages are |
| fostering good health and long life. More on | | | | ideal because they provide a good balance of |
| that later...I've seen dogs fed commercial | | | | meat and bone - not too much of either in |
| foods, both wet and dry, from the cheapest | | | | proportion to the other.However, you should |
| brands to the so-called "premium" brands. | | | | not always feed chicken. Mix things up to |
| I've also seen dogs who were fed vegan or | | | | vary their protein sources a bit. Get some |
| vegetarian diets, as well as those fed raw | | | | pork and some beef now and then to keep |
| meat and bones (known popularly as the BARF | | | | things lively and to provide your dogs with |
| Diet). While individual dogs will do just | | | | important nutrional elements that the chicken |
| fine on any of these widely divergent diets, | | | | alone probably isn't providing. And don't |
| what I've looked for are general trends in | | | | forget to mix up a slop of green veggies, |
| population subsets. How do these 10 dogs | | | | carrots, apples, bananas, and some raw livers |
| fare in their lifetimes when they eat cheap | | | | or hearts at least twice a month. [*Note: |
| kibble every day? How about those 12 dogs | | | | have your pet checked for allergic reactions |
| who are getting a vegetarian diet all the | | | | to any of those ingredients before trying |
| time? And what happens to those 25 dogs who | | | | this for the first time. Adjust |
| are being given a raw meat and bones diet? | | | | accordingly.]This is the main idea behind the |
| These are the types of questions I've asked | | | | success of the raw meat and bones diet: it |
| as I've dealt with large numbers of dogs and | | | | comes closest to simulating the exact types |
| their owners or keepers over the years.These | | | | of foods dogs ate all during their evolution. |
| have in no way been controlled experiments, | | | | Think about it. Did dogs eat processed |
| and I would never attempt to pass them off as | | | | commercial food from bags or cans? Did they |
| authoritative or as adhering to any strict | | | | grow and harvest vegetables, fruits, and |
| interpretation of the scientific method. In | | | | grains? Did they dine on cooked meats? Of |
| other words, take my conclusions with a large | | | | course not! They evolved eating prey the |
| grain of salt. I'm really just out to get | | | | pack took down and scavenging the carcasses |
| the wheels turning in the minds of all dog | | | | of former kills. All raw!You might be |
| lovers who read these words.After all of this | | | | wondering, given this evolutionary |
| careful observation and tracking, clear | | | | perspective, why I'm suggesting that you |
| patterns have emerged time and time | | | | prepare and feed a veggie-fruit slop every |
| again...Dogs that eat commercial kibble or | | | | now and then. Good question! It's a bit |
| wet food have lots of health problems later | | | | unsettling to ponder, but consider the state |
| in life and tend to die youngest. This is | | | | of the prey (or dead bodies) that dogs ate |
| even true when they've been fed "premium" dog | | | | all those years they were evolving. The |
| foods, sadly.Dogs that are fed vegetarian | | | | animals they ate also ate, and more often |
| diets do better, but must be given large | | | | than not, that meant their stomachs contained |
| amounts of alternative protein sources to | | | | undigested vegetables, fruits, and other |
| make up for the lack of it in standard | | | | plant matter. The dogs dining on them didn't |
| vegetarian fare. A purely vegetarian diet is | | | | ignore that stuff - it got eaten along with |
| difficult to provide that will satisfy a | | | | everything else that could be stripped from |
| canine's basic nutritional needs, but it is | | | | the body.So you see, this diet works because |
| healthier and leads to slightly longer | | | | it mimics what dogs naturally fed on for tens |
| lifespans than any commercial brand | | | | of thousands of years. It really is that |
| diet.Without any doubt (based on what I've | | | | simple. There's nothing deep or esoteric |
| seen over many years and hundreds of dogs), | | | | about it at all.Just try it. Take this |
| the best possible diet to feed your dogs is | | | | challenge: give your dogs a raw meat and |
| raw meat and bones with an occasional slop | | | | bones diet for 60 days. Try to find a meat |
| made up of vegetables, fruits, and organ | | | | and bones source that is close to a 50/50 |
| meat. I've seen clear and compelling | | | | meat-bone ratio (chicken breast cages from a |
| evidence that this diet leads to three | | | | processing plant are great, but you can also |
| amazing results: much better overall health, | | | | try pork necks or beef ribs from any grocery |
| excellent dental health, and longer | | | | store). If you go the pork or beef route, |
| lifespans.Countless times, I've seen dogs | | | | give your pet plenty of time to wear down the |
| with repeating, nagging health issues | | | | raw bones. Chicken bones are soft and easily |
| (obesity, allergies, etc.) turn completely | | | | chewed up, but pork and beef bones take much |
| around on a raw meat and bones diet. And it | | | | longer. If you don't see any noticeable |
| doesn't take long to see how much whiter and | | | | improvements - healthier coat, more energy, |
| cleaner their teeth become. This is actually | | | | better teeth, excellent blood work-ups - go |
| very important (dental health), because a | | | | back to his former diet.If you do take the |
| growing number of vets suspect a link between | | | | challenge, I'm betting you'll be fairly |
| the bacteria produced by poor dental hygiene | | | | amazed and continue. About 90% of those I |
| and internal complications as dogs age. | | | | know who've tried it stick with it. Give it |
| Because dogs have to crunch through raw | | | | 60 days. Isn't a healthier, happier dog who |
| chicken, beef, or pork bones daily, they get | | | | lives longer worth it? |
| and keep very clean teeth in short order.It | | | | |