Feeding Biologically-Appropriate Raw Food
(This
article is provided with permission from Noble Vestal Labradoodles)
We
are feeding our dogs based on what is often called the BARF
diet --
Biologically Appropriate Raw Food. The diet that you will choose for your own
Labradoodle, Goldendoodle or Poodle will be your personal choice, but we want to
inform you of how we are
feeding the puppies, and why.
The basis of the raw diet is that the acids inside a dog's stomach are strong
enough to digest
raw bone, but generally highly inefficient at digesting grain. If you look at a
bag or can of
prepared dog food, you'll see that one of the main ingredients is some form of
grain
product. Yet when you look at the diet of a wild wolf (the genetic predecessor
of the
domesticated dog), you see that they eat animal carcasses (bones and all), and
no grain at
all.
Deciding to feed raw is a very personal decision. The supporters of the raw diet
feel that it
makes for much healthier dogs, and dogs that are much less prone to illness and
disabilities
like arthritis and diabetes. Dogs fed on "raw meaty bones" also will
never need to have
their teeth cleaned, as the process of chewing raw bones leaves their teeth
sparkling white,
and their gums a wonderfully healthy pink in color. They also don't have that
typical bad
"doggy breath" that can be so unpleasant. This in itself can be a huge
savings over time.
Another benefit of feeding raw is that the feces are small, do not smell much,
and turn
white and into powder within a day or so. Most folks are aware that they can
tell when their
dog has eaten premium dog food rather than regular dog food by the quantity of
poop that
results. The less the food is digested, the more that comes out the other end.
This applies
even more to dogs fed on the raw diet. This has made a huge difference for me in
clean up, health issues and cleanliness.
There is plenty of research you can do for yourself on the raw diet via the
internet. We've
given some links down below. You should be aware that there are variations of
the diet,
from folks who grind up vegetables (dog's stomachs need the vegetable fibers
ground to
digest them) to add to their dog food, to those who feed their dogs entire
rabbit or even
deer carcasses.
We feed primarily raw chicken (backs, necks, wings, thighs and legs), turkey
necks, organ meat, beef,
fish like sardines, tuna, salmon and mackerel (for the omega oils necessary for
brain
development), plain yogurt. You can add ground up fruit and vegetables but
some experts say that
they do not need them.
Please remember, however -- we are NOT feeding COOKED BONES -- only RAW BONES
and RAW MEAT.
Cooked bones get brittle, and it is the brittle splintered bone ends that can
cause internal
damage.
Some of the books and web sites that you can read are:
Give Your Dog A Bone
by Dr. Ian Billinghurst
http://www.drianbillinghurst.com/
http://www.switchingtoraw.com/
http://www.rawlearning.com/
http://www.drianbillinghurst.com/
Example of a raw meal would be as follows:
1 lbs. ground beef
3 eggs with shells
1 cup yogurt (any flavor)
1 can tuna
1 cup of pured vegetables (if you choose)
2 cups steam rice (if you choose)
2 tbs. wheat germ
2 tbs. brewers yeast
2 tbs. kelp
3 tbs. flaxseed oil
Mix
all items well, spoon into muffin pan, freeze for 30 minutes and transfer to a
storage
container in the freezer. Thaw 2 patties over night.
I also feed scrambled eggs a couple of times a week. Sometimes I cook them in the microwave, sometimes I give raw.
I add: 2 eggs (including the shell) (per dog), cheese,
garlic and flaxseed oil. Cook for 1 minute per egg. Let cool completely
and cut up in piece. This will take place of part of the raw meat you will
feed later in the day.
Your dog will need to be fed 2% of its body weight. (Feed a 50 lbs dog
1 lbs of raw a day)