Powered by Click2.com Dogs Cats Horses Birds Fish Other pets


Click here to make Auspet.com your default home page



  Auspet - Message Boards
  Dogs - all types
  Raw Food Diet

Post New Topic  Post A Reply
profile | register | preferences | faq | search

UBBFriend: Email This Page to Someone! next newest topic | next oldest topic
Posted by Topic subject:   Raw Food Diet
Lucky
Member

Posts: 48
From:
Registered: Jun 2003

posted 07-04-2003 09:50 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Lucky     Edit/Delete Message
Hello!

As I've been looking at different dog websites I've been coming across a number of different breeders who recommend feeding dogs raw meat. Does anyone here do that? What are the advantages/disadvantages?

[This message has been edited by Lucky (edited 07-04-2003).]

IP: Logged

Maisey
Member

Posts: 309
From:Portland, Oregon US
Registered: Feb 2003

posted 07-05-2003 03:30 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Maisey   Click Here to Email Maisey     Edit/Delete Message
I feed my dogs raw meat off my cutting board almost every night as I prepare my family's meal. I do not feed them a raw diet like you are talking about. I did talk to my vet about it and he happens to be one of those people who feels the risks of contamination outweigh the benefit of feeding raw. I am not sure I agree with him, but I do understand his point. I may still switch one of my dogs to a raw diet due to a medical condition he has, but I too have alot of research to do first. My other two dogs are doing very well on the diet they are on now, it's less messy and less work so I will probably stick with it.

IP: Logged

Jas

Moderator

Posts: 163
From:
Registered: May 2003

posted 07-05-2003 10:14 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Jas     Edit/Delete Message
Hi, first off I commend you for trying to make an informed opinion/decision. I feed my dogs a raw meat & bone diet, they all do extremely well on it. This is what works for them as they are healthy dogs with healthy immune systems. This may not be the best diet for an older dog or one with a compromised immune system. After I changed them from kibble to raw, I indeed saw many improvements in their health, vitality, with increased energy and better overall health and skin, fur, & teeth!

this is not to say that every dog will do well on this diet. I think any method of feeding, whether it is the raw diet, home cooked diet or kibble has its pros & cons. I am not in agreement with the extremists who believe that one method of feeding is the ONLY way. A raw diet not varied enough can probably be as detrimental on a dog as a poor grade kibble, and a home-cooked diet takes more time and need of balance - plus I believe cooking meats turn the fats into trans-fats and are not the best or easily digested for dogs, also not all kibbles are created equal, we've certainly all seen that kibbles range from junk to what some consider high quality. I like knowing exactly what my dogs are eating, and I try and feed food as free from treated meat, fruit & veggies as possible. With some kibble is it sort of the unknown ingredients and the unknown quality. The raw food diet does require some research and will take a few more minutes to prepare as opposed to the easy scoop of kibble. But all in all boy does my crew LOVE their food, they always ate well but now eat with gusto! I like how I can feed them a variety of anything and not have to worry about diarrhea or upset tummies - oddly when people switch kibble to kibble they have to mix the new with the old or the dogs digestive system can't always handle it. With preparing raw food as long as proper food handling and clean up is consistent its no different that it would be when you handle raw chicken for (human) dinner.

Once a controversial topic, i think now people are beginning to see diet for what its worth. There is an excellent collection of articles about raw written by Dr.Wysong, yes, Dr W. of Wysong Food (kibble). Wysong is one of the few food manufacturers who have devoted a lot of research and study into species appropriate diets. http://www.wysong.net/controversies.shtml see #2 Raw Meat.

For me the benefits of raw outweigh any "cons". I'm sure I can continue on about benefits and drawbacks, but the more research you do the better and from there you can make your own judgment. If you have any questions or concerns, I'd be happy to try and help!

[This message has been edited by Jas (edited 07-06-2003).]

IP: Logged

Lucky
Member

Posts: 48
From:
Registered: Jun 2003