question about raw diet - Page 1

Hi, I have a question, I was considering feeding my dogs a raw diet please could someone tell me the basic ingredients and any other info on these diets?? I have never done this and need to findout more. Thanks all. Jessica

For starters, go to www.barfworld.com for basic information. There are also loads of books out by Dr. Ian Billinghurst which explain the basics whether you use ready made frozen raw food or make your own. There are also tons of yahoo groups dedicated to this issue and the members are very helpful when you are starting out. I hope you transition to raw. The benefits are endless. Judy

You may want to take a look at K-9 Kraving. I have seen many dogs that use this food and all have done very well on it. They have a website K-9kraving.com

There are also other companies (Oma's Pride, Healthy Pet Products, Natures Variety)that have alreadyprpared meat mixes with bone, organs, veggie... you put it in the bowl but often you do need to supplement... The Billinghurst books are great, Kymythy Schultz.. there are a large number of books and several different ways to feed... do lots of research but you will be happy in the end!!

do you eat raw food ?? then why the need to feed uncooked food to your dog ?? BTW these are not wolves -- they are a gentically altered species !! gee didn't you know caines can get salmonella and other diseases too ?? i know quite well about nutrition and matabolism -- don't you think your acting a little fanatic ?? all the GSD's i have had in my lifetime .. they all managed quite well without raw food

My friend feeds her dogs raw because her newfoundland mix has severe allergies to grains and legumes. Both of her dogs do very well on it. My mix breed stayed with her and she fed her raw instead of the food I left and Kylee became quite sick. It depends on the dog how it will react so keep a close eye for the first couple of months to see that your dog is behaving normally (playing, defecating, eating). Many butcher shops sell things like knuckle bones and chicken backs for a very low price because they people don't want them. I get knuckle bones (treats) for my girls for 29 cents a pound. Keep in mind if you let your dog lick your face that you are giving something that has salmonella to your dog and it is going to lick your mouth and your childrens' mouths if you have any.

Alphapup, don't trash someone trying to make an intelligent decision about what is right for their dogs. What to feed is an individual choice and considering a raw diet doesn't make a person a "fanatic".

A friend recently lost 4 AKC champions to the contamination in Diamond dog food. 8 others are still in the hospital hooked up to IV's and they may not make it either. These dog represent a 35 year breeding program; as you can well imagine she is heart sick. Since the Diamond food deaths and illnesses, feeding raw sounds better to me every day. I know a lot of breeders who feed raw and swear by it. I also know just as many who don't like it, tried it and their dogs don't thrive so they went back to commercial kibble. It's all about what works for the individual and their dogs, no right or wrong. There is a Yahoo Groups dedicated specifically to feeding raw to GSD's. You might want to sign on and should be able to find on Google. I'll see if I can find it and will post the URL.

JUDYK -- i did not trash anyone -- i simply asked a question !! i think with a MD degree i know as much about nutrition as anyone -- i simply asked a question -- purposely --- to make someone contemplate and think --- for instance , you could take natural food and cook it as many of my friends do with their dogs as well as for themselves --- as one stated elsewhere -- it is a personal preference -- i also know occasionally to look to resources for info -- but then again -- i do not follow every word i see or hear -- the sites reccommnded are ok -- but there again , one must learn to think for themself --- not just because some guru says so -- lord -- i see that enough on the training field -- this is the buzz/fad for today .. then tomorrow a different fad -- hey to cook a steai only takes but 5 minutes too --

"!! i think with a MD degree i know as much about nutrition as anyone" So, you're not a vet. And unfortunately, that's the attitude many vets have toward nutrition - "I'm a vet so I know everything!" Do some reading on your own, good nutrition for your dog is common sense. Jessica, the raw diet has many many advantages if its done correctly (ha! define 'correctly' *grin*). The only rule is that variety is the key. Some people don't feed vegetables, others feed grains along with raw, many don't supplement and still many others do. And even still, some dogs don't thrive on raw but most dogs do great on it. You simply cannot argue that whole foods are not better for you (you or your dogs) than commercial, overcooked, processed trash-in-a-bag. Its just the "raw" and "bones" that creates a huge controversy. But in the search to learn about raw feeding, you can learn a whole lot about selecting a high quality dry food if you decide that raw isn't for you. Good luck!