Pet Care - Good Nutrition
Dogs
Puppies 3 1/2 - 4 weeks old can be encouraged to eat four (4) small meals a day, alternating milk, cereal and puppy chow with finely chopped raw meat. Increase amounts gradually as the puppies grow. Puppies at six months old should be given three (3) meals a day. After nine months one (1) regular meal per day is recommended.
As your dog grows and becomes an adult continue to give it good food. A quarter of his daily pet should include meat or fish. Dog chow is a good source of vitamins and minerals needed to keep your dog healthy. Avoid chicken bones, fish bones or any other sharp bones as these can stick in the dogs throats or splinter and pierce the intestines.
Water is essential in our tropical climate your dogs bowl should always be filled with clean water. The water should be changed 2 to 3 times s day.
Ok, make sure you read this; it sets the ground rules and understandings.
This FAQ is NOT a bible!
The raw diet, like life, has many different successful routes. I have tried to detail some of the basic questions that you may have which will hopefully get you onto the raw diet track. People have different ideas about the raw diet and my suggestion if you become confused, is NOT to go back to commercial foods, but start thinking about what is best for your dog (or cat).
Start with the basics - a range of different raw meaty bones, or preferably whole items, such as chicken, quail, fish, and eggs. For the majority of raw feeders - chicken is the base of the majority of their dog’s meals. However, if chicken is not available readily, use what is available locally - raw meaty - lamb, beef, venison, duck, rabbit, kangaroo, pig, raw whole fish. You get the picture.
Where possible you want to avoid using items that have been raised inappropriately. For example, avoid beef that was raised in feedlots. Preferably the food should be as organic and natural as possible.
Please note: Dogs do not have the digestive system to cope with grains. Grains are one of the biggest sources of allergies in dogs. Grains make up the majority of dog food company food sources. Many people find when they switch to an all natural diet, the allergies their dogs had disappeared. This is common.
Not only is feeding raw cheaper to feed than commercial dog foods, but there are enormous savings to be made by not having all those vet visits to fix your dogs' allergies. Are you asking yourself yet, "why hasn't my vet recommended this?" Yes, I would ask that of them too. Unfortunately most vets receive NO education at university on dog diet other than what the commercial dog food company reps tell them! (Yes, this is the education they PAY to get - unbelievable. Luckily, some universities are realizing this mistake and are making amends).
So much for objective information! ... The Australian Vet Association's principal sponsor is a pet food company.
 Raw Feeding FAQ
Ok, make sure you read this; it sets the ground rules and understandings.
This FAQ is NOT a bible!
The raw diet, like life, has many different successful routes. I have tried to detail some of the basic questions that you may have which will hopefully get you onto the raw diet track. People have different ideas about the raw diet and my suggestion if you become confused, is NOT to go back to commercial foods, but start thinking about what is best for your dog (or cat).
Start with the basics - a range of different raw meaty bones, or preferably whole items, such as chicken, quail, fish, and eggs. For the majority of raw feeders - chicken is the base of the majority of their dog’s meals. However, if chicken is not available readily, use what is available locally - raw meaty - lamb, beef, venison, duck, rabbit, kangaroo, pig, raw whole fish. You get the picture.
Where possible you want to avoid using items that have been raised inappropriately. For example, avoid beef that was raised in feedlots. Preferably the food should be as organic and natural as possible.
Please note: Dogs do not have the digestive system to cope with grains. Grains are one of the biggest sources of allergies in dogs. Grains make up the majority of dog food company food sources. Many people find when they switch to an all natural diet, the allergies their dogs had disappeared. This is common.
Not only is feeding raw cheaper to feed than commercial dog foods, but there are enormous savings to be made by not having all those vet visits to fix your dogs' allergies. Are you asking yourself yet, "why hasn't my vet recommended this?" Yes, I would ask that of them too. Unfortunately most vets receive NO education at university on dog diet other than what the commercial dog food company reps tell them! (Yes, this is the education they PAY to get - unbelievable. Luckily, some universities are realizing this mistake and are making amends).
So much for objective information! ... The Australian Vet Association's principal sponsor is a pet food company.
What is Feeding Raw all about?
Feeding Raw - it refers to a type of diet fed to dogs (and cats) which totally excludes all commercial dog foods.
Why should I feed a raw diet?
A raw diet provides a range of benefits that commercial dog diets can never hope to even closely match.
These benefits include:
1. No doggy odour
2. Naturally cleans teeth - no need for toothbrushes, de-scaling jobs, or gum disease
3. The time it takes for a dog to chew a raw meaty bones give their stomach adequate time to get the acids moving
4. Much less stools produced - and they are firm, and turn chalky after a couple of days
5. Decreased or non-existent vet bills (your dogs are healthier!)
6. Less cost for dog food - commercial dog foods are ludicrously expensive
7. Mirrors what a dog would be getting in the wild - and certainly even the modern day dog has a digestive tract exactly the same as a wolf
8. Puppies develop at a more appropriate rate - and quick growth spurts are avoided. A GOOD breeder will want to stop fast growth in any pup.
9. The ripping and chewing involved in eating raw meaty bones develops the jaw, neck, and shoulder muscles of the dog. Commercial dog foods will never assist in this important muscle development.
What have people have reported?
People who have switched their dogs to a raw diet from commercial dog foods have found the following:
1. Dogs who were previously un-energetic, and sluggish become completely new dogs once the raw diet feeding begins
2. Allergies their dogs previously had on commercial foods, disappear once they start with the raw diet
3. Arthritis has significantly reduced or disappeared in some dogs switched to raw
4. Better weight control
5. No doggier odour!
6. Their dogs are living longer on a raw diet than what their other dogs previously had survived on commercial dog foods
7. That their bitches managed their pregnancies better
8. Better weight and survival figures in puppies.
Why is commercial dog food not good for my dog?
There is a range of problems with commercial dog foods. I will provide some links below, but in summary:
1. A dog's food should never be cooked. It should be fed in a raw natural state like nature intended. Cooking a dog's food ruins most of the nutritional value.
2. Dogs should have access to raw meaty bones. These clean their teeth, work and develop their neck and jaw muscles, and the chewing action prepares their stomach for the incoming food mass. Chewing bones also slows down the eating process considerably, making it far harder for a dog to over eat.
3. Dog foods have as their main ingredient cereals - the main ingredient your dog should be eating is raw meaty bones. And it is these very cereals that cause a range of problems such as allergies.
4. Commercial dog foods are laden with preservatives, colours (dyes), and salt. They have additives to make the food taste better so that the dogs will overeat.
5. The vast majority of commercial dog foods have far too many carbohydrates in them. High levels of carbohydrates are linked to over-eating, diabetes, weight gain, and numerous other problems. Dogs should eat a diet with only a small amount of carbs.
6. There is no substitute for a raw diet.
And most scary of all:
7. Your vet is most probably recommending a commercial diet because of financial inducements and a lack of independent learning.
But how will I know how much to feed my dog?
You feed your dog based on their energy requirements. It will differ for how much work your dog does, and what their metabolism is like.
As a rough guide, my adult male boxer (neutered) will eat one chicken carcass a day as the base of his meal, and then some other bits and pieces. The same goes for my Portuguese Water Dogs. My borzoi requires about twice as much.
My toy poodle will have three chicken necks a day (or more if he's been a bit active) as the base for his meal.
My cats will eat about the same amount as the toy poodle, but they do prefer fish to all other food!
Look at your dogs and cats regularly - if they are looking a bit porky, then remove all carbs in their diet. If they look a bit thin, then, an extra half a chicken carcass in the diet for a few days may be the solution.
It's not hard to do, and when you get into a routine, it's darn easy. Trust me!
But aren't chicken bones dangerous?!!!
This is one of the biggest myths of all time! Raw chicken bones are fantastic for your dog. They are soft enough so that they bend easily, and break well for the dog to digest.
On the other hand, cooked chicken bones can be a problem, and I recommend that you DON'T feed COOKED chicken bones.
Some people are worried about their dog choking on bones. While such incidents are very rare (far more incidents occur with dogs choking on kibble), I encourage the feeding of bigger portions of meaty bones, or if available, whole carcasses, such as whole chickens or rabbits.
So could a raw chicken bone kill a dog? Well I guess that anything is possible. Certainly scientifically you can't prove a negative argument. However what we do know is that dogs have died from inhaling kibble the wrong way and choking and suffocating to death.
Feeding your dog is about management of risk. No matter which path you decide to take there is always risk. There is always someone who will criticise your decision. However you, and only you can decide what is best for your dogs. Weigh up all the benefits and risks. Do your own analysis. Do your research. Do what will have the greatest overall benefit for your dog.
What do you feed your dogs, Jane?
Great question! These are the things my dogs eat:
Raw meaty bones and/or whole carcasses - chicken, lamb, pork, whole raw fish (at least once a week), beef, rabbit, whole raw eggs in their shells (I let the dogs crack the shells), organ meat
My dogs will also get fish heads, eel, prawns, squid, and any other raw meaty carcass I can get. Sometimes this means kangaroo!
PLEASE NOTE: DOGS ARE CARNIVORES –
THEY DO NOT NEED EITHER FRUIT OR VEGETABLES.
Do you get the picture yet - be relaxed about how you feed!
PLEASE NOTE: I NEVER EVER FEED MY DOGS GRAINS - THIS MEANS, NO OATS, RICE, WHEAT, BREAD, CORN, ETC.
Dogs do not have the digestive system to cope with grains. Most commercial dog foods contain more than 50% grains (yes, this includes all those fancy expensive ones too! ) Grains are one of the biggest sources of allergies in dogs.
My dogs have a diet that is high in protein, and low in carbohydrates - like nature intended.
But what about bacteria on raw chicken?
Ok, there are bacteria everywhere. Dogs have an amazing immunity system specifically designed to eat all manner of bacteria. And a healthy raw fed dog manages those bacteria without a problem. The most important thing is to wash your hands thoroughly after feeding your dogs, and even after cutting up meat for your own meals. Our digestive systems are not quite as robust as our dogs, so we must protect ourselves.
Can I feed my pregnant bitch on raw food?
Yes! Yes! Yes!
This is the best thing you can do for your bitch.
Can I feed puppies on raw food?
You most certainly can. And the good news is that unlike the commercial dog foods who recommend a confusing range of foods for different age groups, raw food fed dogs are fed the same regardless of age.
Jane, you spend a lot of time talking to people about dog diet. Why do you do it?
Life is about learning. Part of my core instinct is to help people out. As part of this, I feel a great desire to ensure that we look after our fellow furry friends.
With my show dogs, I call the raw diet, "my secret advantage. Interestingly nowadays, the raw diet speaks volumes in the ring, and we often get asked the question, "what do you feed?”
We often win dog food at dog shows. The first thing we do with that is put it in the closest trash bin. There's no room for that sort of rubbish in our dogs' diet. The health of my dogs is far too important for me to compromise it by feeding a vastly inferior standard of food that commercial food represents.
Pet shelters take heed - if you approach the right suppliers, you will probably find you can get ALL of the food needs of the dogs for free, or for a very low price. Email me for more information on how this can easily be achieved.
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