Raw diet
What is a raw diet?
Are bones ok for dogs to eat?
What is a raw diet?
Raw diet is raw meat, bones and organs it may also include raw or slightly processed fruits, veggies, seeds and nuts.
Why feed raw?
Are bones ok for dogs to eat?
What is a raw diet?
There are many benefits to feeding raw including but not limited to cleaner teeth, fresher breath' less doggie odder, smaller less smelly stool's, healthier skin and coat, less likely to get common dieses like cancer, heart dieses, diabetes just to name a few.
Are bones ok for dogs to eat?
Are bones ok for dogs to eat?
Are bones ok for dogs to eat?
Cooked or smoked bones are prone to splintering and are NOT SAFE for dog's. Raw, size appropriate bones are not only safe but also very beneficial for dog's.
How much do you feed a day?
What about salmonella and bacteria?
Are bones ok for dogs to eat?
A good starting point is 2-3% of a dog's ideal adult body weight. This is just a starting point. Some dog's are more active and require more while others may have a slower metabolism and require less. My dogs typically eat 1.2-2lb a day depending on how active we are that day and the individual dog.
Can you feed kibble and raw?
What about salmonella and bacteria?
What about salmonella and bacteria?
There are no studies proving that it is bad to feed kibble and raw in the same meal. Even if you can only provide fresh food for half of your dog's diet you will be increasing there health dramatically.
What about salmonella and bacteria?
What about salmonella and bacteria?
What about salmonella and bacteria?
18% of all dog's carry salmonella are part of their gut flora. Dog's are designed to eat raw meat and God gave them the good bacteria and stomach acid to handle raw meat. With that said I would never feed my dogs bad or rotten meat.
Dog's dietary needs
Although dogs are believed to be descendants of the gray wolf most recent DNA studies have shown that the gene used for processing carbs is higher in canines than in wolves.
I believe this is all part of the evolution of dogs just trying to survive.
For the last 100+ years most people have fed their dogs a high starch high carbohydrate diet (kibble). Just like any living thing their bodies are trying to adapt to their environment.
Dogs have the amazing ability to be able to survive on almost any diet but that's not good enough for me. I want my dogs to thrive! I want them to feel the best they can every day of their life.
When we look at a dog's digestive tract it is much shorter than that of say a cow or a human.
There are four parts to a dog's digestive system
- First is the mouth. A dog's jaw is designed to chew/rip food just small enough to fit down their throat. They have a scissor bite meaning the teeth do not line up together but instead sit just to the side of each other when the jaw is closed. This is unlike a cow or a human whose back teeth line up to each other when the jaw is shut. Unlike dogs humans and cows have to chew their food several times before being able to swallow.
- Second is the stomach. A dog's stomach is extremely acidic, designed for breaking down raw bones and meat turning this into a liquidy slump. Appetizing I know.
- Third is the small and large intestines. The small intestine uses enzymes and hormones from the liver to break down the liquidy slump separating and absorbing the nutrients. The large intestine absorbs excess moisture and any nutrients missed by the small intestine.
- Fourth is the colon. I feel this is pretty self-explanatory:)
- A dog's microbiome is very different than humans but like humans it can be affected by diet, environment and stress. A recent study on humans has proven that the less diverse your microbiome is the higher risk you are for obesity, diabetes and cancer just to name a few. If you are feeding your dog the same thing everyday their microbiome will be significantly less diverse than if you were providing a variety in their diet.
More specifically Golden Retriever's dietary needs
- Unfortunately golden retrievers are very prone to cancer.
Today one out of every two dogs dies of cancer. The largest canine cancer study being done on Golden retrievers has discovered that only 10% of cancer is genetic. 90% of cancer is caused by environmental factors such as exposure to toxins, diet and vaccines just to name a few. They have found that 30% to 40% of cancers can be prevented with diet alone. Cancers feed off sugars. Carbohydrates are turned into sugars after being consumed. For this reason it is better to avoid feeding starches and carbohydrates to our goldens. A study done in Norway on 7,000 pets found adding fresh food to their diet increased their lifespan by up to 50%. Keto pets in Texas adopted stage 4 cancer dogs and found by moving them onto a keto diet they were able to inhibit the cancer or completely halt the cancer. The University of Purdue did a study on two groups of Scottish terriers. The first group was fed a normal kibble diet. The second group was fed a kibble diet but three times a week they replaced a handful of the kibble with leafy green veggies, yellow veggies and red veggies. They found that the second group was 90% less likely to get cancer.
- Golden's also have a tendency to be deficient in taurine. Taurine can be increased by feeding fresh raw meats in particular turkey hearts.
- Sadly obesity is very common in Golden retrievers. This can cause lots of health issues such as hip and elbow dysplasia, diabetes and heart disease just to name a few.
- Although not specific to Golden's DCM can be caused by diet. "The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently issued an alert about reports of canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs eating certain pet foods containing peas, lentils, other legume seeds, or potatoes as main ingredients"
Three ways to feed a balanced raw diet
Pre-made
First is purchasing a pre-made version. While this maybe more expensive, when purchasing from a reputable source you will not have to worry about making sure it is balanced or preparing meals. These meals are typically packaged individually or in patties. I do want to caution you that not all pre-made supposedly balanced raw diets on the market are actually balanced. Here are a few companies that I would recommend.
Follow a Recipe
The next option is purchasing a recipe from a raw feeding coach and putting the meals together yourself. This is as close to DIY as you can get while still ensuring you get a balanced diet. I recommend purchasing three or more recipe's containing two or more proteins so that you can alternate them and be sure to get the variety in your dog's diet that they need.
Here are a few people I would trust to provide a balanced recipe for you.
D.I.Y.
The third option is completely DIY. While this is the most inexpensive it also requires the most time to prep. IDO NOT recommend doing a DIY plan until you feel comfortable and confident that you understand your dog's dietary needs.
Sourcing ingredients
Where you source your ingredients is just as important as the ingredients. For example if you purchase your meat from a grocery store it has most likely been injected with a saline solution to extend its shelf life. Although I do not know the extent of how this could damage your dog's body I do know it can cause diarrhea and upsets tummy. Some raw feeders will offer to take freezer burn meat from hunters. While I don't think this will hurt your dog you're definitely not getting as many vitamins and minerals as you would with more fresh un-freezer burnt meat.
Ideally you would be able to find grass-fed organically raised meat that was processed and Frozen with no preservatives added.
With that said I do believe a balanced raw diet of freezer burnt non-organic meat is still better than any kibble!
Interesting fact:
Studies have shown that a organically raised chicken breast has 38+ more types of omega-3s then a commercially raised chicken breast.
Here are a few resources to help you find ingredients. Please note I have not purchased from all of these so they are not necessarily my recommendation just something to get you started.
NOTE
No matter what diet you are feeding it is a great idea to do a blood test to ensure you are providing your individual puppy/dog with all the nutrients he or she needs. I recommend doing a CBC and a CHEM PANEL one to two times a year.
It is good practice to put a golden on place or in a kennel for 30-60 min of quiet time after a meal. This will greatly reduce the risk of bloat.
Want to learn more
I highly recommend the book give dog a bone by Dr Ian Billinghurst.
Healthy Weight
Letting your dog get over weight especially while he/she is still growing can put strain on the growing bones and joints. This could potentially cause hip dysplasia and/or elbow dysplasia even if the puppy comes from a great blood line that has no history of dysplasia. It can also put stress on their organs potentially causing life threatening problems with their heart, thyroid, or pancreas just to name a few.
Keeping your dog at a ideal body weight will allow his/her body to function the way it is meant to.
It will also allow your dog to live a longer, happier, more fulfilling life.
You should be able to easily feel ribs but when you run your hand over their back they should not feel spiny.
:NOTE It is better for a dog to be slightly under weight than over weight.
If you can see your dogs ribs and hip bones he/she is under weight.
This can put strain on hes/her organs and his/her body may try pulling nutrition from his/her muscles and bones to try to survive.
If you have increased his/her calories and he/she has not gained weight there may be something not working properly and you should seek advice from a reputable vet.