I have been experimenting with feeding raw foods to my two Toy Manchesters and thought I would share some of the information I've learned.
1. Dogs love it. It can take them a little time to get accustomed to manipulating a whole piece of meat and trying to eat it but with a little time the lesson is learned. This is, after all, yummy food!
1. Dogs love it. It can take them a little time to get accustomed to manipulating a whole piece of meat and trying to eat it but with a little time the lesson is learned. This is, after all, yummy food!
2. It's not an exact science. The normally accepted ratio of meat/bone/organ meat is 80:10:10. This can vary widely between different dogs. Usually, if a dog is having very loose bowel movements then more bone is needed. If the dog is having very hard movements, the bone quantity should be reduced. The quantity to feed daily which is generally accepted is 2 - 3% of the dog's ideal adult body weight. For example, if your dog weighs 20 lbs and is a little heavy, you may wish to begin at 2% of her body weight (0.4 lb) and reassess her weight in a few weeks. If she's doing well, you can adjust to meet her activity level and body condition.
3. There are many types of "schools of thought" with regards to feeding raw. Some are based on prey models (simulating the consistency and makeup of typical prey animals) and other people feed ground meats with or without ground bone and some even feed vegetables. There are some people who will lightly cook their dog's food before serving, as well.
3. There are many types of "schools of thought" with regards to feeding raw. Some are based on prey models (simulating the consistency and makeup of typical prey animals) and other people feed ground meats with or without ground bone and some even feed vegetables. There are some people who will lightly cook their dog's food before serving, as well.
4. It can be messy. Especially in the beginning, my dogs were pushing their pieces of meat all over the kitchen floor with their noses and sliding around while standing on the pieces while they tried to tear off a piece. So I purchased a used ex-pen off Craigslist and put a gate between the two sides. Now they stay put in their corners and I don't have a lot of mopping to do afterwards.
5. It's not a fast way to feed your dogs. The chewing, ripping and gnawing action the dogs perform takes a bit of time. There is no gobbling if the pieces are large enough. If you have a dog who scarfs their food, it's better to feed a bigger, awkward piece to slow them down. But I have never fed a meal to my dogs that didn't last at least 40 minutes. This extra time is great for digestion since the stomach has lots of time to digest and process the bits as they come down "the pipe". Also, the gastric fluids have time to work on the food and break it down more efficiently.
6. It's better than any toothbrush on the market. The knawing and grinding the dogs do on the bony pieces effectively clean their teeth and the best part is that they did it all by themselves!
7. Raw bones are not as dangerous as cooked ones. Some people shy away from feeding raw because they believe bones can splinter and cause punctures within the intestines. While it's very important to always supervise your dogs while they are eating, raw bones do not splinter or chip off like cooked ones do and are consumed much more easily than you'd expect. I was very careful the first time I fed raw and was pleased to see that the uncooked bones were not difficult on my dog's systems. It's important to remember that weight-bearing bones of animals (leg bones) can be very hard on dog's teeth since they're so dense so it's best to steer clear of those.
5. It's not a fast way to feed your dogs. The chewing, ripping and gnawing action the dogs perform takes a bit of time. There is no gobbling if the pieces are large enough. If you have a dog who scarfs their food, it's better to feed a bigger, awkward piece to slow them down. But I have never fed a meal to my dogs that didn't last at least 40 minutes. This extra time is great for digestion since the stomach has lots of time to digest and process the bits as they come down "the pipe". Also, the gastric fluids have time to work on the food and break it down more efficiently.
6. It's better than any toothbrush on the market. The knawing and grinding the dogs do on the bony pieces effectively clean their teeth and the best part is that they did it all by themselves!
7. Raw bones are not as dangerous as cooked ones. Some people shy away from feeding raw because they believe bones can splinter and cause punctures within the intestines. While it's very important to always supervise your dogs while they are eating, raw bones do not splinter or chip off like cooked ones do and are consumed much more easily than you'd expect. I was very careful the first time I fed raw and was pleased to see that the uncooked bones were not difficult on my dog's systems. It's important to remember that weight-bearing bones of animals (leg bones) can be very hard on dog's teeth since they're so dense so it's best to steer clear of those.
8. Raw diets do not cause dogs to become ill. Quite the contrary. Raw diets eliminate all the unwanted processing and fillers so common in dog foods today. As long as the raw meat is human grade and not spiced or enhanced, it is safe to feed. If a wild type of meat is considered (deer, boar, bear, moose, fish) then freezing it solid for two weeks will eliminate any possibility of parasites being transmitted. Spoiled meats are not something you'd want to take chances with, either.
9. Raw diets can offer a lot of variety. If you can imagine it, it can be done. Remembering the 80:10:10 ratio, most of the meat fed will be, well, meat. A small quantity should be bone and organ meats. In the beginning, just use your eye to estimate the amount of meat:bone ratio and leave out the organ meat to give your dog time to acclimate to the change. Add in organ meat when your dog is eating well and eliminating regularly. Many people begin with chicken (fat removed) because it is very accessible and cheap. If your grocery store has a sale on duck, lamb, pork, beef, turkey, fish or mutton then stock up.
10. You need a freezer to efficiently feed raw. A chest freezer (or two) are absolutely necessary to be able to take advantage of sales and bulk purchases. Since I don't have the room for a chest freezer, I only feed raw a few times per week and make my purchases each week on grocery day. If you have multiple dogs to feed, the necessity for a large freezer is obvious.
If you're interested in learning more about raw feeding, here are a few links to get you started.
http://74.125.93.132/search?q=cache:http://www.rawfed.com/
http://www.rawlearning.com/
There are many people on the internet that are happy to share their knowledge of raw feeding. With a little research you can see if this option is right for your dog.
Submitted by: Jennifer Legere
