 |
| Spring 2007 Newsletter |
| The "Raw Deal" - a look at raw feeding By CCO Contributing Editor: Michelle Harrington |
 |
 |
|
 |
| Cathey Dunn (Colorado) Have you always had your dogs on raw? If not, what inspired you to move away from a commercial to a raw diet? Please be as detailed as possible. I have being feeding my dogs a raw diet for probably 16 or 17 years now. My Akitas lived to be almost 14 years old. Two of my Akitas had dry food when younger, then they were on a raw diet, and the �youngsters� were always on a raw diet. My Rescue Akita who has been with me four years now, has always had a raw diet once he came to live with me. My Canaan Dog, 19 � months old, has always been on a raw food diet. What was your starting point with information? Did you have a mentor? Was there a book(s), an article(s), seminar, that prompted you to research the raw alternative? My friends and I are always looking for the healthiest lifestyle for our dogs, the best food as well as the best health care (chiropractic, acupuncture, massage, etc.), and so we naturally wanted the best diet for them as well, which is a raw food diet. We all worked together, comparing research and diets, purchasing food together in larger quantities to lower the cost. (i.e. purchasing 300 or 400 pounds of Red Bird chicken wings at one time, or purchasing 200 or 300 pounds of AFS, raw meat with bone and organ meat ground together, etc.) It is a group effort, since we all share any information we acquire concerning a raw food diet, and then we go in together on large orders of food to reduce our cost. We also live in a �healthy lifestyle� area, both for humans and their canine and feline companions. I did attend a two-day seminar by Dr. Ian Billinghurst several years ago. Plus, I have his books and a videotape. I have several books dealing with dog health and diet. I have also attended a nutritional seminar by Kate Solisti, an animal communicator and nutritionist in our area. I receive several dog newsletters dealing with canine health and diet as well. A good friend owns a wonderful dog and cat health food store, which was the first one, and I feel the best one, in the state of Colorado. She also does a great deal of research, which she willing shares with friends and customers, and she writes articles on health and diet for dogs for area publications. The raw diet is centred on different philosophies. For example, some people follow the �BARF� diet and some follow other raw practitioners. Is there a specific diet that you follow or have you adapted your own diet after digesting other sources? Please be as detailed as possible. I have pretty much adopted my own diet, while being aware of the different philosophies, Dr. Ian Billinghurst�s �BARF� diet, Dr. Pitcarin�s philosophy, the philosophy of Kate Solisiti, etc. Now there are several books available dealing with canine natural health, especially with sections pertaining to a natural diet. I also agree with the philosophy that your dog should eat what he/she would have eaten in the dog�s country of origin. There was a book at one time that dealt with this subject, but I believe it is out of print now. But other people, i.e. Kate Solisti, have a similar philosophy and have written books as well. Also, one must deal with each dog and their raw food diet. Akitas I have had loved fruit, cantaloupe, blueberries, bing cherries, and raw eggs, etc. (Growing up, my family had a Keeshond that loved salad with tomatoes and carrots!) My Akita now has not eaten fruit separately, but he will eat raw eggs, my Canaan Dog will not touch raw eggs or fruit. But, they will both eat fruit if it is already ground up in the raw meat source. I also believe that one should not feed their dog all the different raw meats available, but have some as �back up� in case there is ever a time when you have to determine if there is an allergic reaction to a particular food, and need to eliminate certain foods from the dog�s diet, or add certain foods, etc. I also switch diets, from beef to chicken to turkey, and back again. But I mainly feed a raw beef diet. Once in a while I will try fish as well, but canned salmon, or frozen sardines. I feed my dogs veggies. In the summer I purchase organic veggies from the farmers� market and grind them up, then mix them with the raw meat. While in the late fall, winter and early spring, I use Sojo�s Europa. My dog�s also love goat cheese grated on their raw meat and veggies. What were the top three things ( name more if desired) that you noticed overall after implementing the raw diet? Energy level of the dog, a nice coat, smaller stools, and fewer, a solidness of the dog, not fat, and the eagerness of the dog to eat their food, a contentment when finished eating. (My Rescue Akita had been starved and abused, and when I first had him, food was not a big thing for him, he was almost afraid to eat . Now he loves his food, and is very excited to get his breakfast or dinner!) My Canaan Dog can be a very picky eater, and I will often switch her from one food to another, i.e. raw beef to chicken or turkey, more frequently than I switch the Akita�s food. Are there any supplements, if any, that you use to enhance your Canaan�s diet? What do you feel are the most significant supplements that your dog should not do without? Because I am giving either a tablespoon of cod liver oil, or a Thorne Super EPA (essential fatty acid supplement) capsule (alternating them, one one day, the other the next day) I give vitamin E, and also a vitamin C supplement. When traveling ( on vacation, showing, performance trials) do you modify their diet? Or do carry out the same regiment that they would when dining at home? I will take their raw food and veggies, supplements, treats, and water, with us when we are on the road. I also take Evanger�s Hunk of Beef, a hand-packed canned dog food, because my Canaan Dog can get picky about her food, although she can be picky at home too! I travel with a plug-in �refrigerator,� which I can plug in to the van, or I can plug it in at the motel to keep everything cold. Do you change your Canaan�s diet according to season? I change her diet frequently, according to what she will eat that day! She may be fed two different meals in one day, i.e. one beef, one chicken, one turkey or one Evanger�s Hunk A Beef. During the day she has bones, either beef or buffalo. Do you have a veterinarian that supports your decision to go �raw� or did you have to convince them? Did you have to switch veterinarians? I did not have trouble, because I have two veterinarians�one is the �scientific vet� and the other is the �holistic vet.� Neither vet has a problem with the raw food diet. But, one must remember, the area I live in is very much into the natural and organic lifestyle and philosophy for themselves and their dogs (but of course not raw food, as in raw meat for humans!). How do people react when you mention that your dog(s) is on a raw diet? Curious? Leary? Supportive? Most of the people I know feed their dogs a raw food diet. Other people seem to be interested, for the most part, when you mention a raw food diet, esp. in the area I live in. The �show� people here�agility, conformation and obedience, are pretty health conscious and are fairly up to date with natural health care and diets when it comes to their dogs. What advice would you give to someone who is contemplating the �raw way�? Are there ways to modify a commercial diet to receive some of the benefits of a raw diet. If someone is contemplating a raw food diet for their dog, I would suggest they talk to several people who are already feeding a raw diet, be aware of what their dogs need in their diet, read as much literature on the subject as possible, and do what works best for themselves and their dogs�meaning, combine the different philosophies of the raw food diet so the diet works well for themselves and their dogs. If you have children, how do they feel about the raw diet? I have never been married, and do not have children, other than �fur children.� How many meals do your Canaan(s) get on a daily basis? Can you provide a sample of what a typical daily �raw diet� consists of for your Canaan(s). Please be specific as possible. Two meals a day, a morning and an evening meal, with raw bones available during the day and night. Cod liver oil (or the Super EPA), Norwegian kelp, vitamin E and C are only once a day. When she was a puppy, I fed my Canaan Dog three to four meals a day, usually four meals. AFS (raw beef with bone, and other organs ground in with the meat), Sojo�s Europa veggies, (fresh organic veggies, and maybe fruit, if it is summer time) a tablespoon of cod liver oil, (or Super EPA, Norwegian kelp, grated goat cheese. After the meal, vitamin E (200 IU) and C (500 mg, with 200 mg Bioflavonoids). If not the AFS, then it could be chicken or turkey (which has the ground bone, organ meats, fruit and veggies in it). I will sometimes grate goat cheese on the food, but not every day. I will sometimes add raw liver, or raw beef or buffalo heart to the main meal. On the road, or if the Canaan Dog is being a picky eater that meal, I will use Evanger�s Hunk A Beef and add veggies. Sometimes I will bake a yam or sweet potato for the dogs, or I will use a can of organic pumpkin or pureed sweet potato and add it to the food. The Akita loves this, but the Canaan Dog usually turns her nose up at the pumpkin and sweet potato. BACK |
| Cathey & Keisha - Group Winners |
 |