Questions about Raw diet....

[WingedFoal]

I hope this is the right place to put this, but I kinda wanted to get some questions I had straightened out. If the answers are on other threads, please redirect me.... I've read a bunch of them on this topic, especially the Raw Feeding FAQ by doberkim, but still am kinda slow about this. I had tried Tasmo on a cube of raw beef earlier and he gulped that down and begged for more, which is what REALLY made me interested in feeding raw. He just had an excitement about food that I've never seen him have before. Okay here's the questions:

1.) Okay this question might be dumb, but is it dangerous for a dog (illness-wise) to feed raw? I know humans can get salmonella and all those other yummy diseases, but does the same go for dogs?

2.) I only want to start Tasmo on it for now. I am feeding them Chicken Soup, so is it a problem feeding both to him? I read on one post that it was dangerous to give raw meat before the kibbles have digested all the way, or vice versa.... Is that true? Will he get sick having both in his system at one time? Oh wait, it says you can feed both at the same time... Disregard that unless there really is a problem with it.

3.) Is it safe for puppies?

4.) Is there any meat/cut/bones in meat I really need to stay away from with smaller dogs (Bostons)? Or is there any meat/cut/bones in meat that I should look for?

Thanks for helping me even if I am slow to this raw feeding stuff. It kind of makes me nervous right now, but Tasmo was very excited about it and I wanted to try him on it soon.

[WingedFoal]

??????? :d

[Rip's Girl]

I am not 100% sure about the diseases.. All I know is that dogs, with their shorter digestive tract, don't seem to absorb much of the bacteria that harm humans. They also most likely have a higher immunity to certain bacteria.

I have not had particularly good luck feeding Ripley raw and kibble at the same time, but Dakota does just fine with it. Personally I'd rather not feed both at the same time, but there are some kibbles that you can mix with raw meat, I believe, and not cause any imbalances. (Honestly I don't worry much about it, I go for balance over a period of a couple of weeks. If they don't get a "complete and balanced" meal one day, let's say they eat just some ground meat and veggies, no bones, then over a period of the next couple of days I'll give them a teeny bit of extra bone/eggshell powder)

Yes, I believe it is safe for puppies. I know a couple of breeders who raw-feed their pups from the time they start eating solid food, they have never had problems. One thing that I learned from raw feeding Dakota as a young pup is that ground is most likely best. He had a very hard time digesting the chicken bones, I don't know if that is because his digestive system was not fully developed or if he was just taking pieces that were too big, but if I could go back and do it again, I would have fed mainly ground meals with a calcium supplement until he was about 6-7 months old. Ripley started on raw when he was 9-10 (?) months old, and did wonderfully the whole time.. I guess it just depends on the individual pup.

Honestly, I don't know if there is anything you should stay away from with your Bostons. My only concern would be that, because of their short muzzles, they might not be able to chew as well as a Border Collie or even a Papillon could. You might want to talk to people who have short-nosed dogs about this one..

[LabLuver22]

Nature has designed dogs to eat raw meaty bones. They have stronger stomachs than we do, and are much less likely to contract diseases such as salmonella. In fact, apparently a dog is just as likely to get salmonella poisoning from kibble as raw meat. So, unless your dog is sick or has a weak stomach, you don't have to worry about that.

Raw meat and kibble are digested differently, so I would suggest feeding them seperately.

Yes, a raw diet is safe for puppies. In fact, some nutritionists/vets/breeders say that puppies grow better and more proportionately (sp?) if they are fed on raw.

Pretty much any kind of meat is good--beef, chicken, lamb, venison, duck, turkey, rabbit, etc. The only kind of meat I would suggest avoiding is pork. Raw pork is harder to digest, high in fat, and can carry trichinosis.

I would really suggest checking out the BARF 50 Top FAQs for Beginners at www.njboxers.com. There are some other great pages on that site, too.

And a tip--there are some herbs that make great supplements to a raw diet (or pretty much any diet), such as parsley, dandelion leaf, and alfalfa. They are rich in vitamins, minerals, protein, fiber, and antioxidants. (I just read "Herbs for Pets" Great book!)

[WingedFoal]

Thank you! Y'all answered my questions completely. that website was really helpful too. Now I'm not so nervous.

[Novel]

Have you been feeding raw, and if so, how is it working for you?

[WingedFoal]

I haven't been feeding raw recently. I fed Tasmo raw one meal each day for a while, but I didn't want to completely change everything my dogs knew because we were about to go through a move. I started feeding Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul and that has done great! Also, Tasmo was the one that I was going to feed raw, and he was put to sleep last month. Bitty is a very simple dog, nothing like Tasmo. She's satisfied with anything I give her, and is thriving very well off of Chicken Soup. Maybe one day I'll get completely into raw, though. I would really like to.

[Novel]

It's great for the health of your dog, and any dog would benefit.
I'm sorry to hear about Tasmo, and am happy that you have Bitty. I feed raw and would be happy to answer any questions you have.

[WingedFoal]

Thank you! I've been thinking about trying it again recently, but just haven't found any butcher shops yet. Not being lazy, but my schedule has been hectic since I got back to Birmingham. I just might have to try it again.