RAW FOOD DIET

Thank you very much in advance. Looking forward to your feedback!"

My 2 large breed dogs (Rotweiller & German Shepherd) have been on a raw diet for almost 2 years and are doing great. I have gotten most of my information from a Yahoo Group called 'rawfeeding'. They have over 13,000 members, up from 8,000 when I joined 2 yrs ago.

The dogs get only muscle meat, raw bone that is connected to the muscle meat and organs (the squidgy type) for vital nutrients. 80% meat/10% bone/10% organ

I advertise on different sites for freezer burnt meat and get a great variety. My freezer is always full. Chicken is best to start with for the first month, then start adding other meat gradually.

My guys have chicken, beef, pork, venison, elk, buffalo, rabbit, fish, etc. They haven't turned anything down, yet.

Stay away from processed meat like bacon, sausage, ham, lunch meat, hot dogs, etc. I rarely eat that food, either."

04/27/2008: Suzanne from Southeast, Michigan writes: "My 9 yr old lab mix and my two bichons have been on a raw meaty bones/raw food diet for two years now. Because they're eating raw bones, their stools are harder because there's no filler in the food like there is in dry food; harder poop clears out the anal glands. They also have no more skin allergies, super clean teeth, healthier gums, skin and coats, way lower volume of poop, the list goes on. The book Raw Meaty Bones is a good place to start. Commercial dog foods are awful for dogs."

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

[YEA]  08/04/2008: Elaine from Bettendorf, Iowa writes: "First thank you for the amazing amounts of help you share. Through the inspiration of your readers I decided to put my Golden Retriever older puppy on a more informed diet than feeding her retail store junk. I give her a natural kibble and she is doing well. In the interest of protecting her joints in old age I have her on a supplement. To take it one step further I give her a teaspoon of flaxseed oil in her meals each day. After six months I noticed that she is not shedding profusely as a former golden did. I do brush her regularly but there is no excessive hair all over the house. Plus I noticed that her pads are very soft. Perhaps this could help a hair challenged pet owner out there? Aside from strengthening her body she has the benefit of a very healthy coat!"

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."

P.S. I am slowly going to increase the amount of molasses I give the dogs. I am starting slowly because I don't want them to get the runs!"

Like Donna says, we need to do our homework to insure that we our feeding our pets what is best for them. That can vary tremendously from breed to breed. So that is something to consider and research. There are websites that provide valuable information on this subject."

08/04/2007: Donna from Indianapolis, IN writes: "It shocks me that people blindly went about feeding their dogs garbage from discount stores and grocery stores and were then shocked to find out what was in that food. We had only to pick up the package and look. It was all there to see...corn, wheat, soy...all the things that cause terrible skin, eye, ear and even mouth allergies and chimcals that cause cancer and other problems. Feeding the same food day after day, year after year will hurt your dog. That packaged food in dicount and grocery stores is like feeding your dogs big macs every day..they taste great but will kill them. There's very little nutrition in them and it usually shows up on the skin..hot spots, sores, odor, needing frequent baths. Runny eyes, smeely ears that have problems. Then, cancer or some other disease. It's easy to feed them right, feed them like you eat. Mine get whatever I'm having, minus certain things that are bad for them, like onions, chocolate, grapes, etc., but they gets lot of veggies, meat, raw and cooked, chicken, pasta, eggs, yogurt (they love fruit flavored, all this and a very high quality kibble that uses nothing but human grade bison and lamb and fish. Mine love sardines, although now I worry about where the come from (China?) and salmon and all kinds of fish. Feeding a dog is exactly like feeding yourself. Mix it up and give them a big variety. Cats too...cats are bigger carnivores than dogs and the perfect diet for a cat is mice. Literally. Meat..not fish. Read the ingredients, never buy anything with corn, wheat or soy or "flavorings" or anyting that comes from the grocery store or discount store. Most independent dog food stores and some health food stores carry good dog food. Buy that and then feed your dog all the things that are good for you and mix it all up in their food. They will live long happy lives and their skin problems will go away. I always supplement with flax see oil or fish oil, I do not use extra vitamins becuase the food I buy is so high quality it has all that in it. Just do your homework. And stay away from vaccines after age 1."

07/30/2007: Lana from Mishmar HaEmek, Israel writes: "My 6-1/2 year old dog started vomiting daily. This went on for months, though she didn't seem to be suffering in any way. Every vet I consulted said there was nothing wrong with her and that I needed to buy her a better grade of food, so I did, but she continued vomiting. Finally I decided to get her a dry food for senior dogs, even though she wasn't strictly a senior yet - and it worked instantly! The higher quality regular brands were just too rich for her to digest. Maybe this will work for others too."

07/12/2007: Judith-Ann from Woodend, VIC, AUSTRALIA writes: "A great deal of dog food has ingrediants in it that is sourced from off shore. I cannot comment on the Whole Foods supplied commercial dog food, but would recommend serious study of "raw feeding" - it's healthier & cheaper than anything out of a can or a bag. If you are in No. America, one good on-line supplier & advisor (biochemist with years of experienc in canine nutrition) is www.k9rawdiets.com or buy the book "Raw Meaty Bones" by vet author, Tom Lonsdale. Another good resource site is http://b-naturals.com/email.php Here's to healthy animals!"

06/26/2007: Dina from newnan, Georgia writes: "I saw on your page about other dog food may be bad! And dogs passing away out of the blue. I just fell upon your site and felt that I should tell you my story. I had a Weim. Female. She would have been 3 on Aug.10, but she never made it. She was very healthy. She was in the back yard with water and a big dog house with a fan in it. She never touched her water. But when I got home I Thought she was Sleeping when I went out there to check her she had already passed! I have no clue what happend, I called the vet and he said that It may have been Blot. I really dont know she was Fine when I left, I am heart broken I hope this helps. I was feeding her Purina one Large Breed adult. I also have a male Weim. he is 5mo. old and I have done alot of research and as of today he is on a RAW diet, I dont want to take any chances. Good Luck"

06/03/2007: Tim from Virgina writes: "I think a great deal more dog food is bad than is being reported. I've known several people at work who have had young dogs die unexpectedly. The food they had wasn't on the list. Stick with organic, human grade food, or human food."

SATIN BALLS