The Raw Diet - Making Raw Convenient
If your dog or cat could talk, they would ask for a raw diet J
A raw diet is a natural way to feed your dogs and cats. Dogs and cats are carnivores. They love meat and bones. If left in the wild, they would not hunt for kibble, they would look for carcasses. Put a bowl of kibble and a bowl of raw chicken necks down, and see what your dog goes for first. Why do we feed processed foods to our dogs when we could feed them naturally?
WHY A RAW DIET?
Dogs and cats are meat eaters, yet most kibbles contain little to no meat. Their intestinal tracts are designed to digest fresh meat and bones. In the wild, wolves and coyotes eat fresh carcasses and meat all the time. In zoos, tigers and lions are always fed raw meat. Therefore, it only makes sense to feed our animals the same.
In days before kibble, dogs would eat table scraps and raw meats from the farms. It was not uncommon for farmers to give their dogs the leftover cow and pig parts as part of their meal. The dogs were healthier and lived until they were 15-18 years of age.
RAW BONES?
Yes! Raw, meaty bones; even raw chicken bones! Dogs and cats have teeth that are designed to tear meat and grind bone. The only rule here is to give the bones raw. Never give your animal a cooked bone of any kind. It is the cooking process which causes the bones to splinter. We give our dogs full chicken carcasses. They chew the bones and the dogs love them! We never have an issue with bones.
BACTERIA IN RAW MEAT
Everyone is concerned about salmonella and bacteria in general. Remember, dogs and cats are not like humans. Their bodies are built to fight bacteria. Often in the wild, animals will bury their food and then go back days later to eat it. They do fine! Salmonella is more of a concern for humans not animals. They have three defenses against salmonella and other bacteria:
1. their saliva is full of bacteria-fighting enzymes and many of the bacteria is taken care of right there;
2. their stomach acid is different than ours, so if any bacteria survived the saliva, it is taken care of in the stomach; and
3. their intestinal tract is much shorter than a human’s intestinal tract, so the bacteria have no time to linger in there.
As for handling raw food, the protocol is the same for humans as well as animals. Wash your hands as well as the surfaces where the meat touched the counter. If you follow these practices, you’ll be fine!
I sometimes find it easier to feed the dogs either in their crates or outside in the back yard.
HOW MUCH TO FEED?
The rule of thumb when feeding a raw natural diet is to feed your dog 3% of its body weight. If you have a very active pooch that does agility and burns calories quickly, you may want to feed him more. If you have an elderly pet or one that is a couch potato, you would have to feed him less. So, 3% is a guideline.
WHAT CAN I FEED?
You can feed any form of meat and bones. The only bones I stay away from are weight-bearing bones of large animals like cows, deer, etc., such as leg bones of any large animal.
We feed chicken necks, chicken backs, whole chicken carcasses, pork necks, pork ribblets, turkey necks and backs, beef tongue and beef heart. We also feed the dogs any type of organ meat from any source including liver, lung, kidney etc You can also get creative and feed your dog rabbit, duck, quail, ostrich or deer . . . anything goes!
At Twilight Acres we can supply you with most of the produsts listed above, email me for a complete list and prices! territhomson@live.ca. For people who would like to feed raw but find it difficult or inconvenient, some companies have come up with a pre-made ground raw diet. All you have to figure out is how much to give your pet. Pretty easy!!
At Twilight Acres we have chosen to carry Bold Raw. Bold Raw is a division of Bold Canine and is owned and operated by Caroline Bolduc and Dave Herz. I can't say enough good things about them, they have dedicated there lives to the well being of our furry companions. To read more info about Bold Raw please see there website www.boldraw.com.
WHAT IS THE BENEFITS OF FEEDING RAW? Sparkling teeth, healthy gums, fresher breath
Smaller, well-formed stool, with little or no odor
Shinier coats with less matting, and less body odor
Fewer skin allergies
Fewer parasites, such as fleas
Stronger immune systems—less money spent at the vets
Improved mental and physical well-being
A happy pet AND a happy guardian
For more information regarding a Raw diet, please contact me anytime!
A raw diet is a natural way to feed your dogs and cats. Dogs and cats are carnivores. They love meat and bones. If left in the wild, they would not hunt for kibble, they would look for carcasses. Put a bowl of kibble and a bowl of raw chicken necks down, and see what your dog goes for first. Why do we feed processed foods to our dogs when we could feed them naturally?
WHY A RAW DIET?
Dogs and cats are meat eaters, yet most kibbles contain little to no meat. Their intestinal tracts are designed to digest fresh meat and bones. In the wild, wolves and coyotes eat fresh carcasses and meat all the time. In zoos, tigers and lions are always fed raw meat. Therefore, it only makes sense to feed our animals the same.
In days before kibble, dogs would eat table scraps and raw meats from the farms. It was not uncommon for farmers to give their dogs the leftover cow and pig parts as part of their meal. The dogs were healthier and lived until they were 15-18 years of age.
RAW BONES?
Yes! Raw, meaty bones; even raw chicken bones! Dogs and cats have teeth that are designed to tear meat and grind bone. The only rule here is to give the bones raw. Never give your animal a cooked bone of any kind. It is the cooking process which causes the bones to splinter. We give our dogs full chicken carcasses. They chew the bones and the dogs love them! We never have an issue with bones.
BACTERIA IN RAW MEAT
Everyone is concerned about salmonella and bacteria in general. Remember, dogs and cats are not like humans. Their bodies are built to fight bacteria. Often in the wild, animals will bury their food and then go back days later to eat it. They do fine! Salmonella is more of a concern for humans not animals. They have three defenses against salmonella and other bacteria:
1. their saliva is full of bacteria-fighting enzymes and many of the bacteria is taken care of right there;
2. their stomach acid is different than ours, so if any bacteria survived the saliva, it is taken care of in the stomach; and
3. their intestinal tract is much shorter than a human’s intestinal tract, so the bacteria have no time to linger in there.
As for handling raw food, the protocol is the same for humans as well as animals. Wash your hands as well as the surfaces where the meat touched the counter. If you follow these practices, you’ll be fine!
I sometimes find it easier to feed the dogs either in their crates or outside in the back yard.
HOW MUCH TO FEED?
The rule of thumb when feeding a raw natural diet is to feed your dog 3% of its body weight. If you have a very active pooch that does agility and burns calories quickly, you may want to feed him more. If you have an elderly pet or one that is a couch potato, you would have to feed him less. So, 3% is a guideline.
WHAT CAN I FEED?
You can feed any form of meat and bones. The only bones I stay away from are weight-bearing bones of large animals like cows, deer, etc., such as leg bones of any large animal.
We feed chicken necks, chicken backs, whole chicken carcasses, pork necks, pork ribblets, turkey necks and backs, beef tongue and beef heart. We also feed the dogs any type of organ meat from any source including liver, lung, kidney etc You can also get creative and feed your dog rabbit, duck, quail, ostrich or deer . . . anything goes!
At Twilight Acres we can supply you with most of the produsts listed above, email me for a complete list and prices! territhomson@live.ca. For people who would like to feed raw but find it difficult or inconvenient, some companies have come up with a pre-made ground raw diet. All you have to figure out is how much to give your pet. Pretty easy!!
At Twilight Acres we have chosen to carry Bold Raw. Bold Raw is a division of Bold Canine and is owned and operated by Caroline Bolduc and Dave Herz. I can't say enough good things about them, they have dedicated there lives to the well being of our furry companions. To read more info about Bold Raw please see there website www.boldraw.com.
WHAT IS THE BENEFITS OF FEEDING RAW? Sparkling teeth, healthy gums, fresher breath
Smaller, well-formed stool, with little or no odor
Shinier coats with less matting, and less body odor
Fewer skin allergies
Fewer parasites, such as fleas
Stronger immune systems—less money spent at the vets
Improved mental and physical well-being
A happy pet AND a happy guardian
For more information regarding a Raw diet, please contact me anytime!
