Raw fed dogs

Wednesday June 24, 2020  When I mention to someone that I’m feeding the dogs, it might sound as easy as pouring some kibble into a bowl.  Not exactly.  lol  I have been feeding our dogs raw food for more than 30 years, before it was trendy. I was devastated when I saw a tumor on our first golden retriever, Molly and I researched raw food back in 1987, I started her on raw, and her tumor disappeared in 30 days. I was hooked. It’s not convenient, it’s not easy and it’s not cheap. But no one will ever convince me it’s not best for the dogs. (I’m convinced it’s how we added 4 years to Bodhi’s life when he came to us with an aggressive case of lymphoma and the vet gave him a few weeks to live. We got the cancer in 100% remission)  I don’t need to spend money on teeth cleaning, because the bones do that beautifully, and these dogs rarely get sick so I save $$ on vet bills. Often people look at their white teeth or shiny coats and ask how to feed raw food. I’d say do lots of research, read some books, and I’ll add a few pointers here.

#1 Probiotics are extremely important! Our dogs all get yogurt and home made kefir every day. When switching a dog from kibble to raw I start adding kefir to their existing food first.

#2 Balance over time. That means every meal is not 100% perfectly balanced each day, but over time it will be. I add veggies, fruit or grain occasionally especially if we have dog appropriate left overs.

#3  I follow the 80/10/10 concept. 80% meat, 10 % bone and 10 % organ meat. Not necessarily every meal, but over a week it will be balanced. It’s a good guideline for beginners who are overwhelmed. I start puppies on chicken wings and kefir.

#4 Monitor your dogs. Can you feel their ribs? Do they have good energy? Change the amount of food as needed over time. A rough guide might be to feed between 2 – 4 % of your dogs weight. Our puppies are still eating 3 times a day, the adults do fine on one meal per day. In the winter the guardian dogs eat more, the house dogs eat the same if they are maintaining weight. I add raw meaty bones and healthy snacks as needed. All our dogs love dehydrated chicken breast as a favorite snack. (I dehydrate it right here so I don’t need to worry about ingredients – it’s 100% chicken)

#5 Trust yourself, listen to your dogs.

Dog feeding can be a controversial topic. I am not looking to debate and wish you well no matter what you feed your dogs, I make this post in response to requests from people who are curious about the raw feeding option.

And as always- stay well~

Photo of the day:  The team waiting for their meal. Look how big 5 month old Blue is! (his size is not because he eats raw food, he’s just a big boy)

This is a typical meal, I think there was an egg hiding under there too. Yes, they devour the chicken bones. As long as it’s raw, it’s digestible and it cleans their teeth as they crunch it.  Never never feed cooked bones of any kind.