Dogs - Raw Diet Update

[azoomm]

I'm with Josh on his sentiments. I know it's not cheaper. But, I also know she wouldn't be alive today if we would have stayed with her kibble diet. That fits into the category of "priceless."

I also know I won't get another dog after Sadie is gone. The whole process is a lot of work.

[Amber Lamps]

Okay guys, well again I appreciate your sentiments and I am happy that your dogs are better. I still don't believe that this is the only way towards a healthier dog.

[Kaneman]

My dog vs. your dog. Anytime, anywhere.

[Amber Lamps]

Originally Posted by Kaneman

My dog vs. your dog. Anytime, anywhere.

My dog has a working master, which equals little to no exercise... I don't have hours to spend at the park unfortunately and only post here in between jobs now. You want a real test, get two puppies from the same litter, raise them the same except one eats premium dog food plus Dynabite and the other eats raw meat. Give it a year and lets see.

[Kaneman]

Originally Posted by Amber Lamps

My dog has a working master, which equals little to no exercise... I don't have hours to spend at the park unfortunately and only post here in between jobs now. You want a real test, get two puppies from the same litter, raise them the same except one eats premium dog food plus Dynabite and the other eats raw meat. Give it a year and lets see.

Lame. My dogs were in every bit as good a shape when I was working 50hrs a week as they are now that I'm working more like 20.

But you're right, that would be a cool test. I'd be VERY interested to see how it turned out. You'd have to give 'em more than a year I think though, it would be a lifetime measurement and would have to be done with numerous litters. Hard to control something like that.

[Amber Lamps]

Originally Posted by Kaneman

Lame. My dogs were in every bit as good a shape when I was working 50hrs a week as they are now that I'm working more like 20.

But you're right, that would be a cool test. I'd be VERY interested to see how it turned out. You'd have to give 'em more than a year I think though, it would be a lifetime measurement and would have to be done with numerous litters. Hard to control something like that.

Yea well I work almost 70....

Anyway, what I'd like to do is feed each dog one way for the first year or two and then perform some tests THEN switch them for a couple years and perform the same tests.

[Adeptus_Minor]

Originally Posted by Amber Lamps

Thanks for taking my questions seriously guys. My dog is healthy and happy but I want the best for him, of course. I won't lie. I work 6 days a week and barely ever cook/prepare food for myself. I don't think that I have either the time nor the inclination for this type of feeding.

As far as "in the wild" goes, I've seen wild dogs/wolves/coyotes...yea, I rather have my dog look much better than that.

You know, it's funny, I have to be careful sometimes.
I find myself putting more thought into what Lilly eats than what I eat.
And in a given grocery store run, may have more in the basket for her than for myself.

The "in the wild" argument is a conditional one as far as prey-model diets go.
Naysayers argue that most wild canines don't live as long as a well kept domestic dog. True, but they also aren't feeding with the regularity a domestic dog is, on the sort of quality meats (or whatever you choose) that we can feed them. Wild dogs don't get vet care, vaccinations, secure shelter, aren't kept out of fights with other animals... the list goes on.
It's not about looking at a wild dog and saying "He's living the dream!", it's about finding human quality equivalents to the foods on which evolution has designed them to subsist and providing them in synergy with all the care, exercise, and protection that we can offer.

There are probably at least a few kibbles which can satisfy those conditions, at least in terms of quality of ingredients. They might be better balanced and Swiss watch consistent as far as protein, fat, and fiber ratios... scientifically over-engineered with trace minerals you can't even pronounce let alone know why a dog might need them.
And certainly there's no arguing the convenience issue. There are times that I've pondered putting Lilly back on one of the designer kibbles just to free an hour or so of my time during the week. She'd probably live a long healthy life on it. I just know I get a feeling of satisfaction seeing her engaged in eating something "real".

If I had kids, I wouldn't want to see them growing up on a steady diet of processed food rather than real meats and vegetables in a recognizable form.
Since I have none, the dog gets the benefit of my desire to be a good provider.

[Gas Man]

Are you raw food meat with bone people still giving your dogs bones (rawhide, cow femur, etc) as treats or what not? Or do they have little interest in that after eating their raw chicken?

What do you think a 150# mastiff would eat? one whole chicken a day or 3 leg quarters?

[shmike]

Originally Posted by Gas Man

Are you raw food meat with bone people still giving your dogs bones (rawhide, cow femur, etc) as treats or what not? Or do they have little interest in that after eating their raw chicken?

What do you think a 150# mastiff would eat? one whole chicken a day or 3 leg quarters?

For the treats, yes. She still gets them and is as excited now as when she was on a super-bland kibble diet.

The rule of thumb with raw foods is about 2% of body weight per day. That means Brinks would need about 3lbs of food, give or take.

Hopefully Kaneman will chime in on the best way to make that happen. It takes our dog almost 2 weeks to eat that much food!

[OneSickPsycho]

It may be explained and I over-looked it... how often are you feeding the dogs? Once/twice a day?