Raw Feeding

[Snow White]

Anyone here raw feed their dog? I'm thinking about starting mine on raw chicken when her bag of dog food is gone and I just wanted to hear about your personal experiences with it and ask a few questions.

What kind of meat did you buy and where did you get it?
How much did you feed a day?
Did your dog like it?
Did it make your dog sick for the first little bit?
What kind of dog food were you previously feeding him/her?

[Deleted]

Anyone here raw feed their dog? I'm thinking about starting mine on raw chicken when her bag of dog food is gone and I just wanted to hear about your personal experiences with it and ask a few questions.

What kind of meat did you buy and where did you get it?
How much did you feed a day?
Did your dog like it?
Did it make your dog sick for the first little bit?
What kind of dog food were you previously feeding him/her?

Raw feeding dogs is a fairly bad idea.

Raw meats should not be consumed in general by any animal, and by raw meats I mean "farmed". Chickens are loaded with antibiotics, steroids and a whole host of other parasites and bacteria that are not good for dogs. You can give them cooked leftovers without any issue. Unless you're raising the chickens yourself, don't do it.

But generally "raw diets" are some of the most idiotic diets there are. At least any that include meat.

[Austilias]

I personally wouldn't. A good comparison I find is kids who've grown up on farms, and kids who've grown up in cities. I have some cousins who live some distance away, and my great uncle is a milk farmer. They can drink the fresh, unpasteurised milk just fine because that's what they're used to and their bodies have developed an immunity against all the little bugs/germs found in it since a younger age, but one of my brothers stayed with them up there one time and got rather sick due to the fact that his body was so used to pasteurized/heat-treated milk that all the little germs and so on that were in the unpasteurised stuff completely took his body by surprise.

It's probably the same with dogs; meat that may very well give us or the dog food poisoning is probably perfectly fine for a wild dog.

[Snow White]

Everything I've read about raw feeding dogs contradicts everything you both have said. Apparently dogs do amazingly well on it.

[Stir]

In my opinion, everyone should eat as raw as possible.
But as UncleSilas has pointed out, much of the farmed food of our age simply shouldn't be eaten raw (or even at all) because of all the polluting agents in it. Honestly; if you look at the chemical substances found in our food, germs and parasites are the LEAST of our worries...

Edit: Unlike humans, dogs are actually mostly scavengers. They would let much of their kills rot before they eat it (which is also why they bury prey) to make it more easily digestible. Fresh raw meat is fine every now and then (though I'd advise against poultry or pork), but on the whole... I'd feed them processed (because rot stinks).

[Deleted]

Everything I've read about raw feeding dogs contradicts everything you both have said. Apparently dogs do amazingly well on it.

Because people who typically write about "diets" are people who benefit from people adhering to those diets. Either by advertising or by selling direct products.

Feed your dog whatever you want. But raw diets are pretty dumb as it's more expensive and worse for your dog than specially prepared and fortified dog foods. Dog food contains essential minerals, vitamins and other essentials that your dog needs. That's why it's specific for dogs.

[Borzo]

Factory-farmed meat should probably be cooked.

Also... the idea of eating raw meat is based on the idea that the meat is fresh. If the meat was alive and running around 60 minutes ago, then that's fairly fresh. If the meat has been dead for 2 weeks, then I'd make sure it's cooked first.

[Deleted]

In my opinion, everyone should eat as raw as possible.
But as UncleSilas has pointed out, much of the farmed food of our age simply shouldn't be eaten raw (or even at all) because of all the polluting agents in it. Honestly; if you look at the chemical substances found in our food, germs and parasites are the LEAST of our worries...

Edit: Unlike humans, dogs are actually mostly scavengers. They would let much of their kills rot before they eat it (which is also why they bury prey) to make it more easily digestible. Fresh raw meat is fine every now and then (though I'd advise against poultry or pork), but on the whole... I'd feed them processed (because rot stinks).

Eh no? Almost all popular breeds of dogs are not natural. Wolves and various dingo like dogs are the only wild ones, the rest we bred over centuries. A very small amount of animals eat rotten meat, only ones that come to mind are large cats and several lizards.

As for the raw thing. No it doesn't make much of a difference eating raw or cooked. It's just another new age scam, it mostly won't do you any harm. But there's almost no real benefit from doing so. And this comes from a daily salad eater, I love me some salad :P

[Borzo]

Dog food contains essential minerals, vitamins and other essentials that your dog needs. That's why it's specific for dogs.

And lots of pink slime. Don't forget the pink slime!

[Snow White]

Because people who typically write about "diets" are people who benefit from people adhering to those diets. Either by advertising or by selling direct products.

The information I have read on raw feeding hasn't been trying to sell me anything. It's just outlining the benefits of raw feeding.

Feed your dog whatever you want. But raw diets are pretty dumb as it's more expensive and worse for your dog than specially prepared and fortified dog foods. Dog food contains essential minerals, vitamins and other essentials that your dog needs. That's why it's specific for dogs.

Have you actually read about what they put in dog food? It's not better for them.

[Deleted]

And lots of pink slime. Don't forget the pink slime!

We're going to have to start regaining proteins from sewerage in the not too distant future. Research is being done for effective farming and processing methods for insects.

As for pink slime, most countries don't even allow it due to the ammonia. Most large retailers also refuse to stock it now.

---------- Post added 2012-04-11 at 12:50 PM ----------

The information I have read on raw feeding hasn't been trying to sell me anything. It's just outlining the benefits of raw feeding.
Have you actually read about what they put in dog food? It's not better for them.

I have. You buy cheap dog food, you get cheap contents. You research the correct food, consult with your dogs vet and then make an appropriate choice.

They weren't trying to sell you something, except advertising space.

But again, it's your choice. I wouldn't but that's just me.

[Snow White]

Eh no? Almost all popular breeds of dogs are not natural. Wolves and various dingo like dogs are the only wild ones, the rest we bred over centuries. A very small amount of animals eat rotten meat, only ones that come to mind are large cats and several lizards.

As for the raw thing. No it doesn't make much of a difference eating raw or cooked. It's just another new age scam, it mostly won't do you any harm. But there's almost no real benefit from doing so. And this comes from a daily salad eater, I love me some salad :P

How can there be no benefit from putting a carnivorous animal back on their natural diet?

[Deleted]

How can there be no benefit from putting a carnivorous animal back on their natural diet?

Because you keep saying natural. What breed of dog do you own? Because unless you've got a wolf it's not natural, it has no natural ecological environment and diet.

Dogs are not wild animals, the most popular breeds of dog were all deliberately bred. So they have no natural diet. That's why dog food is designed to suit their specific needs. Some are fortified to help prevent shedding, joint ache etc etc.

[Snow White]

We're going to have to start regaining proteins from sewerage in the not too distant future. Research is being done for effective farming and processing methods for insects.

As for pink slime, most countries don't even allow it due to the ammonia. Most large retailers also refuse to stock it now.

---------- Post added 2012-04-11 at 12:50 PM ----------



I have. You buy cheap dog food, you get cheap contents. You research the correct food, consult with your dogs vet and then make an appropriate choice.

They weren't trying to sell you something, except advertising space.

But again, it's your choice. I wouldn't but that's just me.

You ask the majority of vets which food is the best and they will give you one of the big name brand foods. Vets spend a very miniscule amount of time actually learning about dog nutrition. The class my vet took was sponsored by Purina. Guess which food she suggested to me?

For the first few months of my dog's life she was on Purina puppy chow. She had rashes, was constantly itchy and had diarrhea off and on. I had to do my own research because my vet was of no help to me and after reading hundreds of reviews we're on a very pricey food at 70 dollars a bag. She's doing better on it, but I can't help but feel like she'd be at 100 percent on the diet nature intended for her.

---------- Post added 2012-04-11 at 08:02 AM ----------

Because you keep saying natural. What breed of dog do you own? Because unless you've got a wolf it's not natural, it has no natural ecological environment and diet.

Dogs are not wild animals, the most popular breeds of dog were all deliberately bred. So they have no natural diet. That's why dog food is designed to suit their specific needs. Some are fortified to help prevent shedding, joint ache etc etc.

"Humans have only changed their external appearance and temperament of dogs, NOT their internal anatomy and physiology. The claim that dogs cannot handle a raw diet because they are so domesticated is only true in that we have been feeding them commercial diets for so long that a dog's system is not running up to par. The result of feeding dogs a highly processed, grain-based food is a suppressed immune system and the underproduction of the enzymes necessary to thoroughly digest raw meaty bones. This does NOT mean, however, that the dog does not "have" those enzymes. Those enzymes are present, and once the dog is taken off the grain-based, plant matter-filled food those enzymes quickly return to the proper working level that allows for optimal digestion of raw meaty bones.

Dogs are so much like wolves physiologically that they are frequently used in wolf studies as a physiological model for wolf body processes. Additionally, dogs and wolves share 99.8% of their mitochondrial DNA."

[Deleted]

You ask the majority of vets which food is the best and they will give you one of the big name brand foods. Vets spend a very miniscule amount of time actually learning about dog nutrition. The class my vet took was sponsored by Purina. Guess which food she suggested to me?

For the first few months of my dog's life she was on Purina puppy chow. She had rashes, was constantly itchy and had diarrhea off and on. I had to do my own research because my vet was of no help to me and after reading hundreds of reviews we're on a very pricey food at 70 dollars a bag. She's doing better on it, but I can't help but feel like she'd be at 100 percent on the diet nature intended for her.

Please stop it, your dog isn't natural so there is no natural diet. I know it sounds like semantics, it's not. Your dog didn't ever exist outside of human intervention, it has no diet that nature intended.

As for your vets advice, sounds like a bad vet. Your best bet is to simply find a vet farmers frequent, they're usually the best. Vets that only treat dogs and other domestic pets are usually pretty poor in terms of integrity.

But feed it raw meat if you wish, it's just going to end up with fibre, vitman C and other related deficiencies as they'd have to eat quite a lot of meat in order to get enough of these. Then they're taking in far too much fat and protein.

[Borzo]

We're going to have to start regaining proteins from sewerage in the not too distant future. Research is being done for effective farming and processing methods for insects.

As for pink slime, most countries don't even allow it due to the ammonia. Most large retailers also refuse to stock it now.[COLOR="red"]

But pink slime and it's equivalents was used for pet food long before it was being fed to humans in America. And now that humans are shying away from it, their main market will again be dog/cat food. Also note that dog food doesn't have the 15% restriction on pink slime content. It could be 40% for all you know. People do need to read labels more.

How can there be no benefit from putting a carnivorous animal back on their natural diet?

Let's say, hypothetically, that your domesticated pet still has the capacity to digest raw meat. How do wolves & wild dogs eat raw meat? They eat it fresh.

Unless you're butchering your pet food yourself, that meat isn't going to be fresh.

[Cobalt17]

"If it ain't broke..."

also, dogs aren't carnivores

[Deleted]

But pink slime and it's equivalents was used for pet food long before it was being fed to humans in America. And now that humans are shying away from it, their main market will again be dog/cat food. Also note that dog food doesn't have the 15% restriction on pink slime content. It could be 40% for all you know. People do need to read labels more.



Let's say, hypothetically, that your domesticated pet still has the capacity to digest raw meat. How do wolves & wild dogs eat raw meat? They eat it fresh.

Unless you're butchering your pet food yourself, that meat isn't going to be fresh.

Indeed, the ammonia is really the only "bad" think in pink slime. Otherwise it's just reprocessed beef. I try not to feed my dog too much beef anyway. However ammonia isn't in all pink slime, some manufacturers use citric acid compounds and solutions.

[Lightfist]

What I'm getting from this thread is that you really want to feed your dog raw meat, and created a thread just to see how many people agreed with you.

[Deleted]

"Humans have only changed their external appearance and temperament of dogs, NOT their internal anatomy and physiology. The claim that dogs cannot handle a raw diet because they are so domesticated is only true in that we have been feeding them commercial diets for so long that a dog's system is not running up to par. The result of feeding dogs a highly processed, grain-based food is a suppressed immune system and the underproduction of the enzymes necessary to thoroughly digest raw meaty bones. This does NOT mean, however, that the dog does not "have" those enzymes. Those enzymes are present, and once the dog is taken off the grain-based, plant matter-filled food those enzymes quickly return to the proper working level that allows for optimal digestion of raw meaty bones.

Dogs are so much like wolves physiologically that they are frequently used in wolf studies as a physiological model for wolf body processes. Additionally, dogs and wolves share 99.8% of their mitochondrial DNA."

And? You got that from a site promoting raw feed and it provides no sources.

It means absolutely nothing.