BARF DIET

BRAND COMPARISONS

10/05/2008: Terese from Long Beach, CA writes: "At 7 months old my purebreed German Shephard was given 2-3 years to live due to extreme allergies. Although she looked fine on the outside, Her hair was flaky, skin under her armpits was blackened. She was underwieght (not a terrible thing for GSD), and refused to eat. Prior to us picking her up her old owner were told by the vet to switch her to "Science Diet" This is what made her worse...they returned her to the breeder. Thank God the breeder immediatly switched her to Natural balance Duck or Lamb....this did a little good. When we got her at 6 1/2 months she refused to eat...barely eating when coaxed. She had plenty of energy, but wasnt putting on wieght. From 6 month to 1 1/2 years she weighed 51-55 pounds! The vets all said she probably was allergic to Cow, Chicken etc....no one had answers.

Well my husband spent 3 weeks on the internet researching and came up with Honest Kitchen a dehydrated barf diet (we cant feed full barf without a yard...too messy....problem is our finicky eater didnt eat it. Then we stumbled on a VERY reasonable and excellent brand "Flint River Ranch".

09/22/2008: Katharine from Charleston, SC writes: "I would like to comment on the Whole Foods 365 brand of pet food. It is easy to think that all products carried at Whole Foods are great and natural...I used to. I looked at the ingredients in their 365 brand pet food. Their adult dog kibble contains the following:

Chicken by-product meal, rice, corn meal, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and rosemary extract), corn gluten meal, ground wheat, beet pulp, natural flavors, flax seed, dried egg product, canola oil, brewers dried yeast, salt potassium chloride, taurine, l-lysine, rosemary extract, l-carnitine. Vitamins: choline chloride, vitamin E supplement, vitamin A supplement, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), vitamin D3 supplement, niacin, calcium pantothenate, thiamin mononitrate (vitamin B1), pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), riboflavin supplement, folic acid, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement. Minerals: zinc, polysaccharide complex, iron, polysaccharide complex, manganese polysaccharide complex and polysaccharide complex, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, manganese sulfate, calcium, iodate, cobalt carbonate, sodium selenite.

Among the first ingredients are by-products, corn, wheat, beet pulp and so on. NOT GOOD INGREDIENTS! Not only are they not good sources of protein, but they cause a number of problems. I caution everyone to stay far away from corn, wheat, soy, or by-products with your pets!"

09/11/2008: Akeela from Bloomfield, Ct writes: "Newman's Own Organics: Does anyone have any feedback on this brand of dog food. My senior lab/shepard regained vitality and finally healed her elbow sores on this diet. I now feed this to my rescued pitbull terrier along with 1/2 boiled egg in the morning and give blueberries, broccoli and chicken as "treats". She's got a glossy coat and tons of energy. But, you never know. It's still dog food from a bag."

Lamb, Lamb Meal, Ground Barley, Ground Brown Rice, Deboned White Fish, Ground Oats, Oil Blend (Olive Oil, Salmon Oil, and Evening Primrose Oil), preserved with mixed Tocopherols (a natural source of Vitamin E) and Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Sea Salt, Dried Whole Egg, Brewers Dried Yeast, Fresh Whole Garlic, Fresh Whole Sweet Peas, Fresh Whole Sweet Potatoes, Fresh Whole Carrots, Fresh Whole Green Apples, Ground FlaxSeed, Dried Kelp, Dried Chicory Root, Yucca Shidigera Extract, GrapeSeed Extract, Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Lactobacillus Lactis, and Lactobacillus Casei, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Chondroitin Sulfate, Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Alpha-Tocopherol Acetate (Vitamin E Supplement), Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Calcium Pantothenate, Niacin Supplement, Folic Acid, Riboflavin Supplement, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex, Biotin, Choline Chloride, Manganese Proteinate (amino acidchelate), Copper Proteinate (amino acidchelate), and Zinc Proteinate (amino acidchelate), Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide, Ferrous Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, and Vitamin B12 Supplement"

HOMEMADE DOG FOOD RECIPES

01/08/2008: Pauline Dennison (phoenixchow1@yahoo.com) from Citrus Heights, California writes: "Just wanted everyone to know, that is has now been OVER a year, since I have put my Peke on a ALL Natural Diet. NO STORE BOUGHT dog food. Since my dog has had Bladder Stone problems, I have had to reduce her protein levels, give her veggies, with organic brown rice. AND, I topped it off with ACV. She gets a teaspoon daily with her food..and is in the BEST EXCELLENT condition she has ever been. I have recommended MANY MANY dog people to go onto this web site, and consider changing thier dogs diet, if they are having problems. I AM SO HAPPY..that my Dottie is in the best health EVER. Thank you Earth Clinic"

01/02/2008: Sheri from FAIRFIELD, California, USA writes: "I have four little Yorkies and they only eat HomeMade Dog Food. I cook a whole chicken and remove all fat, skin and bones. Then mix it will cooked rice. They also love raw veggies like chopped carrots, broccoli and cauliflower. Of course, I also give them vitamin supplements because no recipe can include everything they need, but they are actually mostly vegetarians and eat very little meat. Sometimes cooked chicken livers, but only a little, they are high in Vitamin A and' too much vitamin A is toxic. Also NO onions or raw or spoiled garlic, these are poisonous to them. But I do add cooked garlic and oats sometimes. Both are good for the heart."

12/20/2007: Claudia from PDX, Oregon writes: "I have a big lab/golden mix who has protien allegies. I ahve tried to find some kind of meat he can eat but to no avail. He is on a home made veg diet. He has NO doggy smell. None at all. I worked in an organic pet store and people would comment that certain types of meat would make their dogs smell worse, so if you have a problem I would try changing to a human grade dog food and changing the main protein source and see if you notice anything. I make my own food but after being the business for years if I had to buy food it would be any food from the Natura company. Either Innova or California Natural."

12/01/2007: barb haven from WINDSOR, canada writes: "I routinely use 1(med) clove of garlic in a 2 litre stewpot that yeilds 72 oz of dog food. consisting of 2 cups brown rice, 2-3 small potatoes, 3 carrots, 1 tbsp rosemary, 1 stalk celery, 1tbsp basil, 1/4 can chick peas, 1 med zucchini, or broccoli and two apples, I sometimes include 1/8 cup cottage cheese, to this I add' a ratio of 1/3 pureed mixture of either beef or chicken liver, chicken gizards and hearts. In additional after cooked I sprinkle in 2 tbsp of a 2:1 ratio of  calcium/phosphorus supplement, which also includes proteins, fats,vitamins, minerals and advanced micro -nutrients. Am I overdoing it by adding the calcium vitamin supplement?"

11/06/2007: Kathryn (kathy88@wi.rr.com) from Pewaukee, Wisconsin writes: "When we first brought home our Welsh Corgi puppy we noticed he had no real interest in his kibble. He would let it sit for an hour or so before he would finally eat some of it. We thought he was just not a big eater, but as we learned more about health from reading Earth Clinic we decided that real food HAD to be better for him than kibble so we switched his diet to real people food. (By this time, he was a very skinny little dog, about 1 year old) We fed him things such as eggs, chicken, beef, lamb, rice, cottage cheese, yogurt,and oatmeal. What a difference it made! First of all, he LOVED his food now! He would ask to be fed and gobble down his food. His energy level soared and his coat became so glossy and soft that people always commented on how silky he was.When he ate kibble he would zone out by 4pm and sleep from then on. After we changed his diet he played until closer to 8pm and had more energy on his walks. Now we have begun adding ACV to his meals and his energy has risen yet again. We love you, Earth Clinic!"

09/19/2007: Cindy (jimcyn1@joimail.com) from Bushnell, Florida, USA writes: "I have changed my 4 dogs diet since the scare with great help from a holistic DVM here in Florida. I have 3 Jack Russells (yes I have a horse farm) a Chihuahua. Ages range from 6 to 13. They are now eating a raw food diet (comes frozen, I slice and rebag) with veggies, missing link suppliment and Flint River. The change in these dogs is amazing.  They don't smell like dogs...beter breath, super coats and overall better health and happiness.  They love raw bones.  I freeze the bones for 48 hours then thaw.  No more dental problems! God Bless Earth Clinic! Cindy in Florida"

09/09/2007: Jesse Smith from Jacksonville, Fl writes: "Since the pet food scare, I started making my own pet food. everything I use is organic. the base is chicken, Beef, Fish(salmon) ,veal or Lamb. I then mix in brown rice which is made from the broth of the meat. I then add peas, corn, carrots,and soy beans. My dogs just love it. I generally make enough to freeze so I have plenty on hand. My cats get almost the same except for the brown rice. they don't seem to like it. I have found that it is much cheaper to make my own. I just have to give up some of my time on Sundays to keep my pets happy."

07/28/2007: Michele from Phoenix, Arizona writes: "I was appalled when the news about unsafe dog and cat food started breaking. I feel there is probably more to it than what we are being told. I wanted to switch my dog to something that would be healthy yet safe. I am leery of the RAW diet because I feel there are many risks involved with it as well. So I started home cooking for my dog. I found a recipe online that includes meat (cooked), vegetables, and grain. However, I started to worry that it might not include all the vitamins and minerals she needs. So now I feed half home cooked and half a supposedly very high quality commercial food. I also give her a dog vitamin and a flax oil capsule daily. At this point in time I feel we are all taking a gamble with our pets no matter what we choose to feed. And if toxic ingredients are in pet food, I have a sneaking suspicion they are in human food as well."

INTESTINAL PROBLEMS

RAW FOOD DIET

04/27/2008: Suzanne from Southeast, Michigan writes: "For those of you who have dogs with skin problems, skin allergies, please consider a raw diet. This is something that is becoming more well known and is growing in popularity. Commercial dog foods are the cause of so many health problems in pets. My three dogs and one cat have been eating a raw diet for two years now. Raw meaty bones, some organ meat, and then a couple times a week, a few supplements like fish oil, yogurt, raw egg, kale. It's similar to something called the BARF diet for pets, but a simplified version. Two books by Tom Lonsdale, Raw Meaty Bones, and Work Wonders, are a good place to start reading about the diet. There are web sites and yahoogroups as well. My dogs teeth are super clean and white (even my 9yr old lab) because they're eating like their ancestors did; ripping the meat off bones, chomping on bone (raw bones only -- cooked bones are a choking hazard). Sicne starting this diet, besides being overall healthier pets, other benefits: clear anal glands because the poop is a bit harder, healthier skin and coat, no dog smell or doggy breath, much less poop because no fillers, etc., as in dry food I never have to clean up poop in my yard! Natural diet means natural poop; in a few days, it turns white and crumbles away. Also, my dogs are happier. They love the raw diet. I had one very stubborn cat who I just couldn't get to transition to a raw diet, so I fed her Evo, the more natural dry food. That did help her allergies, but I still would rather she went raw. "

10/26/2007: Lisa from Rancho Cucamonga, Ca writes: "Right before the big recall I had mostly cut all kibble from my two italian greyhound's diets. After the recall I stopped with kibble all together. I now feed a combination of raw (some pre made, and sometimes whole chicken, including bone) and other days cooked chicken or salmon with avacado, pumpkin, flaxseed oil, and acidophilus. My girls have done WONDERFUL on this diet. Their teeth look amazing from eating the raw bone and their coats are extremely shiny. This is great being that they are both 'show dogs'. Its always nice when someone is impressed with their condition and wants information on what I feed. Prior to feeding raw my 2 year old was having a lot of stomach upsets. Even with feeding just home made cooked food she was still having some issues (although better than on kibble). After introducing raw a couple times a week, her stomach problems are completely gone."

READER FEEDBACK

Thanks Everyone who posts here I hope this helps."

03/15/2008: krisanne from Birch Run, Michigan writes: "To everyone who has a dog or cat with seizures, I'm sorry for that, it's the worst. I have a seven year old German Shepard that started having them when she turned two. I took her to the vet and they put her on medicine, that "might harm her liver over time" I gave her the pills for three years, with still a few seizures. One day I went into PetSmart and was talking to the salesperson about animals,when it led into my shepard and her problem. She told me that her boxer had them to and that there is an additive in dog food called BHT or BHD that is found to bring on seizures.In amazement and anger I decieded to buy a dog food without this additive in to see if it was true and if it would help. I bought a very expensive bag of food that cost $39.99 a bag, not caring as long as it was true. Long story short, it's true! After that I started searching around for a reasonable priced bag of food because we have a 102lb.not fat just big,Golden Retriever too,and they eat alot! I found a great bag of food at Tractor Supply called Diamond brand food. Just look on the back of your food bag if you see the three letters BHD or BHT,I really can't remember the exact three letters but it starts with a B. If it's in there I would change. Even some of the brands you think would be O.K. are not. Please try this it has been great with her not having seizuers any more. Good Luck I hope it helps."

03/05/2008: Catroina from Astoria, NY writes: "Had to destroy a perfectly healthy belgian,7 years old due to liver failure from a company that refused to acknowledge the "possibility" of either aflatoxicity or garbage purchased from china-poor dog was rescued from idiots abusing him right in our faces,no one claimed him,was a valuable dog---lasted only SIX days after being diagnosed with liver failure...-their wet food WAS on recall,but not their dry....dunno why not as both food types SHARED certain ingred. While going thru the breeders websites,they recommended a certain brand i had never heard of--PHD--and my dogs and cats have been eating it for a year now. A very concentrated food type and they also recommend raw meat with it too. Animals are looking good,ALL TARTAR is gone from their teeth! and they seem years younger. Being this food is very packed with nutrients,you only give a small amount daily,is delivered right to your door and doesn't really cost that much more than sacks of pedigree etc.which do not produce health and wellness."

02/24/2008: Walker from Calumet MI writes: "me and my partner had 4 dogs that were eating a dog food brand that we thought was good , until the pet food recall! WOW we investigated the pet food industry and was amazed about the deadly stuff they put in dog food even the name brands. WE searched and researched for almost two weeks about the pet food industry, i swear we were very disturbed about what we had been feeding our beloved pets! Now we use a brand of dog food that is holistic and all natural called flint river, we thought so much of it that we became dists, of this food . So if you want a very good food for your pet you might wont to check it out. Thanks Walker"

02/05/2008: Jackie B from Vinings, GA writes: "I recently started to add 1/2 teaspoon of flax seed oil and 1/2 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to my dogs' food (Blackwood + ground turkey or ground beef). After 4 days, their coats are looking AMAZING! Shiny and glossy as can be. Also, they have no doggie smell whatsoever (more time between baths, thankfully) . Their eyes are bright and buzzing with energy. One side effect though is that it sometimes stimulates the anal glands if you know what I mean (e.g., stinky discharge). Too much flax and acv and their stools get loose.  They seem to do okay on the 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon range (my 3 dogs all weigh between 45 - 65 pounds). I think I will try adding canned pumpkin to their food as well to firm up the stools. One suggestion -- don't give the flax/acv to your dog for his/her morning meal if they don't have access to the backyard since they may need to go to the bathroom more than once."

11/07/2007: Anna from Dothan, AL writes: "THE BIG FAT WHOPPING LIE
aka "The Great Misconception"
They LIE. Major manufacturers of pet foods show you lovely staged commercials with fresh meat, crisp vegetables, happy bouncy animals, all the while telling you this garbage in a bag is good for your pet and 100% complete and balanced.

Complete and balanced is a myth. Here's what Randy Wysong, DVM has to say about a "complete and balanced diet" in his book "Fresh & Whole:Getting Involved In Your Pet's Diet":

"A 100% complete processed diet requires:

1. 100% complete knowledge of food.
2. 100% complete knowledge of nutrition.
3. 100% complete knowledge of #1 & #2 requires 100% complete knowledge of every science.
4. Since #1,2 & 3 are not possible, the 100% complete processed diet is a myth."

Did you know that ingredients are far more important than the "Guaranteed Analysis?" If it has 28% protein, how much of that is from an animal source and how much is from grain? What is the animal source? If it is not labeled, as chicken, turkey, lamb or beef but simply states "Animal Meal", "Meat and Bone Meal" or "Animal Fat", exactly what animals are we talking about here? Scared yet? Here comes your answer.

Any of the above, if not from a named protein source can come from ANY mammalian tissue. That's right. This includes cats, dogs, road kill, horses, 4D animals (Dead, downed, dying and diseased) and any other critter they want to throw in the vat.

"The National Animal Control Association has estimated that animal shelters kill over 13 million household pets a year. Of this total, 30% are buried, 30% are cremated and the remaining 40%, about 5 million pets, are shipped to rendering factories to be recycled and used in pet food." This information has been confirmed in great detail by Ann Martin in her book, Food Pets Die For.

Are you getting it yet? These large multinational companies have no interest in anything but finding a way to turn nutritionally devoid byproducts of the human food and rendering industries into a profit. Do they care about your pets? NO. They care about your bank account.

Pet food only became well known after World War II. Prior to that pets ate what we ate and suffered few diseases. Since that time we have become brainwashed by clever marketing and even our sage vets into thinking that the stuff in the bag is best. This is not the case. What is best for our pets is what it best for us. Wholesome, fresh minimally processed foods.

Here is what Lew Olson, PhD in Natural Health, has to say about the dog food industry in her August 2005 B-Naturals newsletter: "...several marketers of the new dog products were stating that their products were superior, as they were able to utilize waste products such as grain hulls, sweepings and meat unusable for human consumption. Another argument was that fresh meat was just too expensive to feed dogs, and that it actually made them too 'finicky' While it was noted fresh meat and vegetables were superior, they argued that dogs could be fed more economically with these factory waste products, and still do well. ...The sales of dry processed dog foods picked up considerably after World War II. Mill operators and grain dealers were finding a good source for their by-products in the dog industry. Slaughterhouses were also available to sell non-human grade, diseased meats, unusable parts, and meat by-products to pet food manufacturers. This created a market for products that previously had been discarded. Since many of these meat sources were non-human grade, the practice became common to mix these with the grains and cook them together for many hours or days to kill bacteria and disease. The final mix was then formed into pellets that were easily bagged for convenience of feeding."

MMM. Sounds delicious! Is this what you envision when you see a Beneful commercial? Here is further evidence from the same article that shows the beginning of the conspiracy. "In 1969, according to Dr Kronfeld DS PhD DSc MVSc from the University of Pennsylvania, School of Veterinary Medicine, the pet food industry utilized veterinarians to proclaim that all meat dog foods were incomplete. He reports the editor of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association also agreed with this, and said dog foods needed to be fortified with nutrients, too much protein was harmful and some carbohydrates are necessary for the dog's health. ... The second selling point was developed by a professional marketing campaign. Dog food companies began labeling their dog foods as complete, with no additional foods or supplements being necessary. In fact, they began warning the public that adding table scraps could actually be dangerous to the dog's health. An active campaign was developed in 1964 through the Pet Food Institute, to inform the public of the dangers of table food scraps, and the importance of feeding processed dog food. This was accomplished through press releases to one thousand newspapers, articles in 16 magazines, including Redbook and Good Housekeeping and airing this information on 91 radio stations." Good PR isn't it?

Did you know that FiFi, laying their in your living room is actually the same species as the wolf? Until 1993, dogs and wolves were classified as separate species. This change was formalized in the 1993 publication: Mammal Species of the World, A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, edited by D.E.Wilson and D.A.M. Reeder, published by the Smithsonian Institution in association with the American Society of Mammalogists. This reference book is the final authority of the scientific community on mammal classification. There are many "Experts" out there to tell you that dogs are omnivores, but I challenge you to read this article on the anatomy of a carnivore and decide for yourself. http://www.b-naturals.com/Spr1999.php

Let me exercise your common sense for a moment. If dogs and wolves are the same species and have the exact same nutritional requirements; Why aren't wolves in the zoo fed dog food? If dog food is the "be all, end all of nutrition", why don't zookeepers dole it out to their captive wolves? Why? Because it isn't species appropriate and they know better, that's why! All commercial dry pet foods contain species inappropriate ingredients. These so called safe ingredients are why we are seeing alarming rates of cancer, diabetes, thyroid disorders, liver and kidney disease, allergies and a host of other ailments in our pets. Here comes question number two. Would you feed steak to a horse? If not, why do you think it is ok to feed your captive wolf a bowl of cereal?

Wolves, like Dogs, are what are described as obligate carnivores, which means they will scavenge for food -any kind of food dead or alive or otherwise - in order to survive. However, this also means that given a natural choice or preference they will choose a meat and bone diet for their optimal health to thrive. Have you ever seen a wolf in a corn field? NO?! Then why is ground corn or any other grain for that matter such a large part of most commercial pet foods? Because it is cheap and the grain proteins inflate the "Guaranteed Analysis" making you think that there is actually some meat in that bag.

Why didn't my vet tell me this?" you ask. Because sadly he does not know any better. Guess who provides the textbooks and other learning materials for his limited nutrition classes in vet school? If you are smart and I know you are, then you got it right. The dog food companies, mainly Hills. Your vet will fight you tooth and nail about raw feeding, or even feeding a homemade cooked diet, but listen to your heart. Try it for one month and see the difference for yourself.

If this makes sense to you, I bet you are wondering what to do next. Do you run to the butcher and buy everything he has? No. You start reading books. Research the internet. Like any nutritional program, you can make mistakes and need to be aware of the basics before starting. Is every meal going to be complete and balanced? Absolutely not. You achieve balance over time by varying the ingredients. Is every meal you eat complete and balanced? Of course not. The same applies to our dogs. Be sure that you have mastered the basics before starting. It's not rocket science and is actually easier than you think. There is a great article on my forum that tells you how I got started and gives step by step instructions. Visit my website and take a look. In addition to that here are a few excellent sites to start with.

http://www.dogaware.com
http://rawfed.com
http://www.rawdogranch.com

If you need help, go to http://groups.yahoo.com and join the K9Nutrition email list. There are thousands of members on this list and all are seasoned pro's at helping people to create diets that work for them and their pets. Or you can send me an email. I'll try to help as much as I can."