|
Why write about diets for dogs?
Many people have asked me about diet, either for their new additions to the family or because their faithful family member is not doing very well on what their eating now. Many are also interested in B.A.R.F. [Biologically Appropriate Raw Food or Bones and Raw Food], 'Raw Food', 'Natural' or 'Home Cooked' diet, simply because they wish to know more, they feel it's dangerous or they are considering using it themselves. I did a lot of research on the Internet and talking amongst breeders and friends before I decided on the diet for my dogs and I found some information that you, as a dog owner, might be interested to know about...
Why feed B.A.R.F.?
Dogs are carnivores - however in the wild the first thing wolves and other wild dogs eat is the stomach contents of their prey. Prey which are mostly omnivores, or herbivores - so dogs can really be considered to be omnivores, in that they DO eat vegetable matter which has already been ground up by their prey. This is why you will find that most 'natural' diets have veggies, either ground up or in some other form, included as an important part.
In 1993 dogs were re-classified as a species:
'Wolves and dogs are not different species - in 1993, the American Society of Mammalogists (the taxonomy experts) reclassified dogs as Canis lupus. Dogs are no longer Canis familiaris. The reason for this was the results of many studies on genetics done by different scientific establishments.'
- from http://home.earthlink.net/~pawsreflect/nutrition.html
- also see http://www.kc.net/~wolf2dog/fido.htm
To me, this means I should be trying to provide as close to a natural 'wolf-like' diet as possible - fresh water, raw meaty bones, small amount of veggies and TINY amount of grains. Because we live in a polluted world, I also supplement with yoghurt, kelp and garlic, which can aid digestion.
Raw bones and meat are very important for dogs as their main food source, but they require other nutrients as well - a dog fed on raw meat alone, will become ill - they need to have calcium and phosphorous from bones, and the nutrients from veggies like anti-oxidants (from most veggies esp. green) that help to prevent cancer.
Dr. Tom Lonsdale (a vet and an advocate of Natural Feeding) says to avoid diets that consist of exclusively lean meat or exclusively vegetables - these diets are not balanced and that dogs (and cats) should be fed a diet consisting of the following to maintain optimum health:
1. Fresh water constantly available
2. Raw meaty bones/chicken wings/whole fish/rabbit or similar should form the bulk of the diet
3. Table scraps both cooked and raw (discard cooked bones)
4. As the last resort convenience processed 'all in one' dry foods.] I can do without the last item in the list!
Dogs don't need to be fed a balanced diet every day - to balance the diet over a week or two is the ideal for our canine friends, nor do they need much preparation to have veggies included in their meals - a raw carrot stick makes an excellent treat, and it takes only a few seconds to grate a carrot or pumpkin piece into the feed bowl.
What's wrong with commercially prepared pet food?
One of the problems with canned food and even the kibble or dry food, is that it doesn't clean or exercise the gums and teeth properly, and this is a major reason why dogs fed on a commercial diet often need a lot of dental treatment. The kibble is ground down using the flat of the teeth and so it doesn't clean the teeth like bones do - dogs chew bones in many different positions, and both with the flats and the sides of their teeth.
'Uncooked bones had the most marked effect [on removing tartar build-up on teeth] followed by rawhide chews and super hard baked biscuits.', said PC Higgins, Veterinary Adviser to Uncle Bens of Australia 1987. - from http://www.rawmeatybones.com/PrevDent.html
Bad teeth and teeth covered in tartar contribute to bad breath and a general 'smelliness' - that all too familiar 'doggy smell' - and can also harbour bacteria which could be dangerous to your dog's health.
Commercial food contains mainly grains... and a dog's digestive system is not designed to digest large amounts of grains... Commercial food also has to contain some sort of meat - ever think of where that meat actually came from?
'The National Animal Control Association has estimated that animal shelters kill over 13 million household pets a year. Of this total, 30% are buried, 30% are cremated and the remaining 40%, about 5 million pets, are shipped to rendering factories to be recycled and used in pet food.'
- from http://home.earthlink.net/~pawsreflect/nutrition.html
This article, and others about commercial pet food listed below, are all American - but I don't think the situation would be much different here in Australia - I am currently searching for Aussie articles about the same sort of issues - if anyone has any links they would be appreciated.
Everyone must decide for themselves...
I acknowledge that everyone must decide for themselves about how they will look after their pets, and that feeding or not feeding processed food is a contentious issue. I have decided that I will not ever feed processed food to any pet who lives with me again, and I will spread the word about how much healthier all my animals are now that they are eating a more natural diet.
WHAT DO I FEED MY DOGS?
Raw meaty BONES - chicken necks, wings & frames (*see note below), rabbit backs & legs and kangaroo tails (NEVER cooked bones, and NEVER unsupervised).
* A note about Chicken Bones:
My dogs were not brought up on raw chicken bones, however I have decided to introduce chicken NECK bones into their diet. The necks of chickens contain a lot of cartilage and a small amount of bone and the dogs have no problems chewing these up completely. Once they were happy to eat necks, I introduced wings and they have had no problems with these either. Now I often give the entire frame, and have had no problems to date. I have found that dogs who have been introduced to raw chicken bones as pups do not generally have any problems with eating them. Cooked chicken bones should NEVER be fed, as cooked bones of any type are very brittle.
LAMB, ROO, RABBIT, CHICKEN & BEEF - all human grade from the same butcher where I get my own meat from. Only fresh, never smelly or off. Mostly raw, some cooked (table scraps).
VEGETABLES - carrots, snow peas, peas, beans, potatoes, pumpkin, zucchini, spinach, silver beet, sprouts, sweet potato and just about any other veggies in season. I mince or grind the raw veggies, but feed sticks of carrot or pumpkin as a treat. I avoid onions of any type, because large amounts can cause anaemia. Mostly raw, some cooked (table scraps).
I also use the following in small amounts -
PLAIN YOGHURT - once or twice a week, 1 - 2 dessert spoons each, avoid flavoured yoghurt.
GARLIC - 1 tip of a teaspoon between 2 dogs of crushed (fresh or bottled), can help with controlling fleas - be aware that garlic is in the same family as onions, and more is not better. About once a fortnight or so.
OFFAL - lamb's fry, chicken hearts and giblets. Once a fortnight.
Tinned MACKEREL in Natural Oils - 1 or 2 mackerel per dog, roughly once a fortnight. The Omega-3 oils found in oily fish like mackerel are fantastic for their coats and general health.
whole raw EGGS (*see note below) - half an egg per dog occasionally (the shells can also be ground and added to the meal - they are high in calcium, phosphorous and other minerals)
* A note about Eggs:
Eggs contain an ENZYME INHIBITOR which can make them difficult to digest for very young puppies, sick dogs, old dogs, or dogs with pancreatitis. Apart from that, unless a dog has an allergy to eggs, there should be no problem. Egg whites contain a substance called AVIDIN, which binds with the vitamin biotin (a member of the B Complex group), making it unavailable for your dog. The only situation where this has been a problem was when an experimental diet, totally deficient in biotin was fed together with lots of raw egg whites for several weeks. It is possible that lots of egg whites could precipitate a biotin deficiency, in a dog fed a poor quality dried dog food. If that dry food was low in biotin, as they often are, the dog may suffer a biotin deficiency. It's worth noting that egg yolks contain lots of biotin, so feeding whole eggs is very safe.
KELP - contains many useful minerals such as Organic Iodine. Tiny tip of teaspoon, about once a fortnight.
Recreational Bones - Some BARFers fast their dogs once a week or so. I don't, I give them a recreational bone, rather than a meal. Load bearing bones (i.e. leg bones) are much harder than wings and necks and are therefore not consumed completely. These bones provide valuable gum exercise and teeth cleaning, rather than a full meal. The dog's feel like they've eaten, but their systems get a chance to clean out and have a rest.
HOW MUCH DO I FEED MY DOGS?
I work on Tom Lonsdale's formula of 2 - 3% of the dog's body weight plus some scraps per day. I vary the amount between 2 and 3% depending on whether the dog is very active (my patrol dogs) or very inactive (my family pets). About 80% of this amount is raw meaty bones, about 15% is veggies and about 5% is supplements.
WHAT DON'T I FEED MY DOGS?
(And my reasons why, which are based on my opinions and have not necessarily been proven as facts)
tinned (canned/wet) food - bad for teeth and digestion, dogs become smelly & itchy
dry (kibble/pellet) food - bad for teeth and digestion, dogs become smelly & itchy
cooked bones of any sort - splinters can cause blockages
onions, leeks, shallots or spring (green) onions - possibly leads to anaemia (be aware that garlic also falls into this family) - see http://www.listservice.net/wellpet/onions.htm
ivermectin (a drug found in Heartguard) - possibly associated with AHIA (Acquired Haemolytic Auto Immune disease)
chocolate - the toxic chemical is called Theobromine
most supplements, unless there are special circumstances eg. pregnancy - possibly create imbalances, especially calcium supplements without phosphorous in the correct ratio.
| 