The All Natural Raw Diet

There is a lot of talk in the dog world these days about ALL-NATURAL DIETS. The purpose of this article is to explain what these diets are and the reasons why I feel everyone should consider feeding their dog a natural diet. I will also explain what I feed the dogs in my own kennel.

All-natural diets are also called RAW DIETS or BARF DIETS (BF). The BF came to this country from Dr. Ian Billinghurst, an Australian veterinarian that has written two books on natural diets. The common theme of these diets is that they feed raw human grade ingredients. While the actual contents will vary in some cases, depending on the health needs of a particular dog, the quality of the food products does not change. Everything is raw and human grade ingredient. This means that the meat that I feed is good enough for my family to eat. The vegetables come from the produce department of our local grocery store.

An all-natural diet begins with species appropriate nutrition. In the case of our dogs, which are carnivores, this means meat, bones and the vegetable matter that is found in the stomach of prey animals that are killed.

Many people mistakenly feel they must feed pets cooked food. They are wrong. Dogs have stomachs that are designed to eat raw food. That's why a dog can eat an old dead animal or fish and live through it. Many Vets seem to forget this very important fact.

A list of ingredients to feed in your kennel:

  • Raw Meat + Bone- Any raw meat will work, I feed chicken quarters but anything with an 80% meat to 20% bone ratio will work.
  • A raw egg 3 to 5 times per week (with the shell)
  • Chopped Veggie pulp (carrots, cauliflower, celery, green beans etc) - This is optional. We do not feed veggies and our dogs don't notice the difference. Although they WILL eat it if I make it.
  • Powdered vitamin C
  • Essential Fatty Acids
    • Cod liver oil
    • Salmon oil OMEGA 3 - EVERY DAY
  • Glucosamine Powder (99% pure)
  • Vitamin E - YOUR DOG MUST HAVE THIS !!!!
  • 3 Culture Yogurt - Whole and plain (I give about 3 tablespoons a day on top of their meat, they love it)

Foods to Avoid:

  1. Chocolate
  2. Do not feed a dog any sugar. Sugar increases a dog’s chances of getting cancer.
  3. Dogs do not require any grain in their diet; they have no nutritional need for it. Carbohydrates from grain are simply not needed. Our pets get their energy from fats and protein. Grains break down into sugar which can grow yeast, produce mucous and may contribute to a multitude of problems including skin allergies, cancer, digestive upsets and skeletal disorders to name just a few.
  4. Do not feed any kind of yeast. This includes brewers yeast. Yeast increases problems with allergies. Our pets have no need for yeast.
  5. Do not feed unhealthy treats (the store-bought biscuits).
  6. Never feed cooked bones, this includes steak bones. Cooking bones makes them brittle and they then splinter when eaten.

Here are Some General Rules to Keep in Mind on Feeding your Dog all-natural:

  1. Do not free feed the dog. Pick up uneaten food between meals (only leave the food down for 20 minutes)
  2. Serve food at room temperature
  3. Do not microwave your pet’s food or store it with aluminum foil
  4. Give your dog FRESH WATER daily - wash his water dish with bleach water on a regular basis. If you would not drink from a water dish then it’s too dirty for your dog to drink
  5. Do not over-exercise after you feed your dog.
  6. Keep your dog thin
  7. Store your oils in the fridge and shake before you feed.
  8. Stop feeding bones several days before a bitch whelps. This helps soften stools and increases lactation

Thanks to Ed Frawley and www.Leerburg.com for providing much of this very helpful information.
For more details in a handy PDF eBook go here.