Totally Rawsome!

Have you been considering a raw food diet for your dog?

Maybe you've just had a new puppy join the family or it may be that your dog just doesn't seem to be enjoying or benefiting from their current diet.

Well, nearly five years ago we transitioned from what we thought was the best dried kibble money could buy to a raw food diet for our new addition at the time, a German Shepherd puppy called Nala.

Our previous shepherd Bonnie, had lived a good healthy ten years and appeared to enjoy her dinner times, which consisted of kibble and the occasional 'treat' of some green tripe; and as a child, I remember seeing our German Shepherd Heidi eat tins of wet food, biscuits and our evening meal left overs (she too lived a very long and happy life!).

Over the years, commercial dog food such as tinned meat and kibble was what I knew and whilst I had researched the 'best' kibble for Bonnie, I hadn't really looked into the alternatives. I hadn't even thought that the green tripe we was buying as a 'treat' for her could form part of a regular diet along with other raw foods.

It was only when Nala's breeder told us that our new puppy was on a raw food diet that we decided to do some research into the pro's and con's and see if it was for us.

Now, the purpose of this article isn't to try and rally up supporters or try and convert you... I know that the subject of raw feeding is a controversial one, therefore I simply want to share our experiences and answer some of the questions that I've been asked over the last five years regarding a raw, natural diet.

What is that? It looks gross!

Understandably, some people are a bit put off by the way a raw diet can present itself, but in all honesty there are different levels of raw feeding. Pre packaged blocks of meat that are already minced with the bone content look somewhat less scary than seeing dogs chomping down on half a chicken, a whole squirrel complete with fur or dare I say it a sheep's head!

(Don't shoot the blogger, I'm just saying it as it is!)

We started our journey using Natures Menu puppy nuggets, which is what the breeder had already been feeding our girl on and she gradually progressed onto chicken wings and other delights such as fish, fresh eggs with the shell and other meat. I knew right from the start, that I wanted to make this as interesting and enjoyable as we possibly could, however, the convenience of the pre-prepared nuggets and blocks meant that we was able to still provide a complete and well balanced raw food diet whilst working and managing family life.

As time went by, we became more adventurous and started to manage the whole meal ourselves, filling the freezer with legs, tails, ears, tracheas, hearts, necks, kidneys and anything else we thought the dogs would like to try. This is often referred to as DIY raw feeding. We ensured that our loyal companions were receiving a complete, well balanced diet that covered all bases and helped to maintain their all round well-being. As for supplements, I'll come to that later.

Believe me, the squeamish phase soon passes and you find yourself getting excited as to what delights are filling the freezer, not to mention the satisfaction you get from watching your dog eat and really get stuck into their grub!

It seems far too complicated!

Don't be overwhelmed by the amount of information out there... there are huge amounts of websites and social media groups for you to learn from, but take it one step at a time and don't let them bog you down with information overload! You will also come across many conflicting opinions, but who's to say who is right and who is wrong? We all have to start somewhere! Just remember it's a journey!

We work on a 80:10:10 ratio.

This consists of 80% muscle meat, which is full of protein, 10% bone, which is full of calcium and phosphorus and 10% organs, which contain lots of multivitamins (only ever 5% Liver though as it is rich in Vitamin A and things could get very messy!) If your dogs aren't too keen on the organs at first, you can always try frying them lightly.

As much as we aim to balance out each daily meal, it's often balanced out over the course of the week instead. So if our dogs have enjoyed a big juicy bone one day, we won't feed any bone the day after. It's worth noting that feeding whole foods such as a whole rabbit or whole fish are naturally balanced.

Have you ever heard the old proverbial saying... 'You are what you eat'?

It rings true for dogs too!

Too much bone for instance can cause constipation and hard white poo, whereas too much offal, can cause dark, black soft poop and sometimes runny. By monitoring the situation, I can ensure that the quantities we are serving of meat, bone and offal are just right. By looking at the condition our dogs are in, I can see if there are things we can improve on within their diet. If their coat is looking a little lacklustre, we improve it with increased Omega-3 fatty acids in the form of extra whole fish or fish oil. Generally, we feed fish once a week, whether it be mackerel, sardines or sprats.

When it comes to meal size, we feed our adult dogs 2 - 3% of their ideal body weight per day and just like we do with our own diets, if we think they are getting a bit podgy, we reduce their meals slightly and if we think they need to put on a little weight, we give them a bit more. During puppy days, we start by feeding 10% of their body weight at 8 weeks old (across several meals a day) and this gradually decreases until 12-18 months of age, at which point they are on 2 - 3% of their body weight.

We choose to add a small amount of dairy, fruit and vegetables to our meals too, as I believe they provide additional antioxidants which aren't found in meat. I like to blend and freeze into blocks. (Amazon have some awesome silicone moulds, which we love using!)

Nala and Stanley enjoy apple, broccoli, carrots, peas, pineapple... the list is endless! Whilst Stanley is happy to eat fruit and vegetables as they come, Nala much prefers them blended. Each dog is different and you will soon figure out what works best for you and your dog.

If managing the meals yourself, make sure you check out which foods your dog can't eat! There are many big No-No's! So be careful what goes in the bowl.

Have you noticed a difference feeding raw?

Absolutely!

There are so many benefits to feeding raw, but which ones have we noticed? Well there's the...

· Shinier coat

· Great skin

· Clean teeth

· Fresh breath and the biggy.....

· Less poo! Smaller, firmer and a lot less stinky!

Our dogs are now getting 100% natural goodness going in, which means there are less waste products to come out!

Is it really safe to feed them bones?

Raw bones... YES! Cooked bones... NO!

Raw bones are soft and can be easily digested in the low PH of a dogs stomach acid. However, you still need to be careful. So...

~ Don't leave them unattended. It is quite scary when you see them eating a bone for the first time. In fact, scrap that! I still watch them with my heart in my mouth sometimes! It's only natural, but my nerves are eased somewhat knowing that they are experienced chewers.

~ Never cut or saw bones.

~ Ensure that you feed bones appropriate to a dogs breed, size, age and experience.

~ NEVER feed cooked bones! They are extremely dangerous as they can splinter and cause choking

Isn't it a hygiene risk, what about all that bacteria?

We handle the dog's dinner in just the same way as when handling raw meat for a family dinner.

We maintain the same hygiene standards such as washing hands, wiping and disinfecting surfaces, sinks, bowls and utensils. We are very lucky to now have a dedicated area for dog food prep and a large chest freezer for storage of dog food, however, this wasn't always the case. We would take the food out of the freezer and allow it to defrost at room temperature on the kitchen worktop for a few hours or in the fridge overnight. If really pushed for time (the days I forgot!) we simply placed the wrapped food in a bowl of water, which speeds up the defrosting process, especially if you keep changing the water. Once served I would disinfect the worktop, sink area and utensils.

The dogs have always been fed on either a tiled or vinyl floor which makes it super easy to clean or even outside so we could hose the area clean afterwards. Some people choose to place the bowls on a towel or blanket, which can be washed straight after.

Are there any other potential benefits?

· A well balanced raw food diet can reduce inflammatory issues such as skin and joint problems

· It can also aid digestion as there are no additives or fillers which can contribute to digestive problems

· Knowing exactly what they are eating could also help, if your dog suffers with allergies too.

· Fewer vet bills

· Extended life expectancy

· We personally, like to take the natural route in all areas of dog care when we can and have found that feeding a raw food diet has kept our dogs worm-free, without the need for over-the-counter worming treatment. Carrots, pumpkin seeds, furry rabbit ears, Apple Cider Vinegar and coconut oil are just some of the foods we use to prevent worms. We do worm count samples to check they are clear.

Therefore, in short, you can almost tailor make your meal plans to suit your dog...

Our aim is to provide all of the vitamins and nutrients our dogs need through high quality whole foods, however, over the years, we have also introduced some natural supplements too! These include, Golden paste and as mentioned above, fish oil, coconut oil and Apple Cider Vinegar. Compared to some raw feeders, this might not seem a lot, but every dog is different and they each have their own needs depending on breed, age and health conditions. It is really important that you do your homework and ensure that you are providing everything your dog needs for a well balanced diet.

So remember:

· Do your research and consider all the pro's and con's for each type of feeding. Look on websites such as allaboutdogfood.co.uk which are a great source of information.

· Do what is right for you and your dog! Don't follow suit... just because it's right for your friend's dog, doesn't mean it's right for yours.

· If you decide to transition to raw, remember to transition over a seven day period so that the dogs digestive system can adjust. Always start off simple.. Introduce one protein at a time.. this way you are giving your dogs body a chance to adjust and you can see if your dog has a particular intolerance to a certain protein. Bland meat such as chicken is easier to digest, so we always start off with that. When their poop is firm and consistent for at least three days, you can then introduce something new. As I said before, follow your dogs lead and be guided by them. In some cases we waited a week before introducing a new protein.

· Don't be tempted to feed both kibble and raw for any longer than the transition period- it can mess up their digestion process as kibble takes longer to digest.

· Variety is the spice of life! Introduce lots of different foods, making sure you have a good variety of meat, organs and bone. This is a great way to ensure that your dog is getting everything they need for a well balanced and nutritious meal.

· Finally, enjoy it! Feeding time isn't meant to be stressful.

Be sure to look out for our next blog, where we will look at supplements and the benefits of Golden Paste. I'll also explain how to make it!