Lonsdale raw diet
In fact it took me over a year to take the plunge, after doing my research and being fairly confident it was the right decision. So raw fed dogs do not usually suffer from dental caries. Parasitic infections are another concern, a raw fed dog may consume the eggs of a parasite such as a tapeworm from a raw rabbit for example and become infected himself. As you can see there are reasons for and against switching and only you can know which apply to you. And the fact is, most dogs eat foul rubbish including the faeces of other animals on a regular basis without any ill effects at all. Wiping them off with a cloth is not going to kill all the pathogens in his fur. Are you happy that the risks of raw feeding are countered by the benefits. This includes separate defrosting areas in the fridge, separate chopping boards, separate meat knives and somewhere to wash everything in very hot soapy water or sufficient space for those utensils in the dishwasher. Focus on the points that are relevant to you and that affect your family. In fact, your bowl will probably be redundant as anything you put in there will be lifted out so that your dog can get to work on it with his jaws. Pleasure and relief from boredom for your dog. And I am one of thousands of people in the UK feeding their dogs raw. Small children are very bad at following good hygiene practices and in my view are at risk when playing with a dog that has eaten raw food, especially raw poultry, recently. Thousands of dogs are now fed on raw meat and bones without ill effects. Buying in bulk can save you money and many suppliers will only deliver to each area once every few weeks, so you will need a big freezer. As the weeks of raw feeding turned to months, and the months to years I began to relax. Many people that feed raw rely heavily on chicken backs and wings. If you are going to feed BARF you will also need a food processor and be prepared to spend some time liquidizing vegetables for your dog. The majority of Labradors are fed on a commercial processed food. Not everyone who feeds raw dog food, does so in the same way. We start raw feeding by introducing on meat at a time. This is a particular worry with raw poultry. It is important that you are prepared to invest some time in getting the information you need to make sure your puppy is fed appropriately to meet his growth needs. One of the aims of this article is to to give you some straight answers. Remember, you can always switch to raw dog food later when he is bigger and stronger. I did a lot of research before I changed to raw feeding and initially was particularly concerned about the risks of intestinal perforation. The facts are these: Most labradors and other dogs thrive and are well on both systems of feeding. And though many people try, neither I nor anyone else can tell you for sure that one method of feeding is safer, in the long term, than the other. Preferably in a separate fridge or at least on a dedicated shelf of your main refrigerator. Likewise if you have small children, you might want to delay raw feeding until they are better at washing their hands thoroughly after playing with the dog. If you are feeding meat that potentially contains dangerous parasites, then in many cases freezing the meat for a period will kill off any problems. Be wary too, of claims that kibble is akin to poison, and those who predict dire consequences should you be so lazy and selfish as to feed convenience food to your pet. Feeding raw requires a generous amount of storage space. Again it comes back to the weight of anecdotal evidence. Home Labrador Care Articles Labrador Feeding Articles Raw Feeding: A Natural Diet For Labradors. These are basic conditions that need to be in place before you begin. This makes life very difficult for puppy parents who are trying to find out whether or not raw feeding is a good thing. Raw feeding is designed to replicate the kind of diet that wild dogs and wolves eat when they catch and consume their own prey, and to replace commercial dog food entirely, for the modern raw fed dog. The issue of safety is paramount when we are choosing food for our dogs. The two most popular types of raw feeding are the BARF diet (biologically appropriate raw food) and the RMB (raw meaty bones) diet, also known as the Prey Model. Both from those that feed their dogs on a raw diet, and from those that oppose raw feeding. Or have any of his close relatives ever had bloat. Each family is different and what is appropriate for one family may not be appropriate for another. She had tried to swallow it whole and it was much too big for her to do so. Although you are unlikely to be able to eliminate all doubt before you begin, it can be tough ploughing your own furrow without confidence or a good support network. Dogs have adapted to the consumption of grains but their short carnivorous digestive tract is not ideally suited to digesting them and there is still much we do not know about the long term effects of feeding dogs with on carbohydrates derived from grain. The sooner we share the answers the sooner we can make a difference for our pets, the community and the wider environment. If so you might not want to risk exposing him to the pathogens found in raw meat. Fortunately, it is likely that the risk of impaction can be greatly reduced by feeding bone wrapped in meat as part of a meal, rather than as a recreational treat for the dog to consume on its own. And many if not most kibble fed dogs are happy and healthy with shiny coats too. The growth of interest in raw feeding for dogs has continued steadily over the last few years. Those feeding RMB diet are mimicking more closely the diet of the predator. Chewing is also a pleasurable activity for many dogs and alleviates boredom. When your dog eats a piece of raw chicken he gets raw chicken juices on his face and his paws. It means freedom from dental surgery and the associated risks of repeated general anesthetics. What you chose to do should reflect your current circumstances and they way you feel about raw feeding. Raw fed dogs take a lot longer to eat their food than kibble fed dogs, and gain a great deal of pleasure from their meals. But I also want to take a quick look at our third option, which is to purchase raw food, ready prepared. If you are feeding your dogs on raw rabbit regularly then they need to be treated for tapeworm regularly. Raw feeding for dogs is a big topic, and it is an important one too. If you feed green tripe (which contains semi-digested vegetable matter). You need to be comfortable with this aspect of raw feeding, and it can take a bit of getting used to. In the same way be wary of anyone who tells you that raw feeding is 100% safe. Because like most things in life, there are some. After all, it takes a child sixteen or more years to reach full size, whereas a puppy does so in a matter of months. When my dogs eat a rabbit they consume the entire thing, nothing is left over. And all this information can be very bewildering. If you do, feeding him from convenient and readily available kibble may make more sense for you. The risk of your family getting infected by raw meat. A low or no carbohydrate diet and freedom from grains. Motives for feeding raw vary, but for many people, it is because they believe raw feeding will confer some health benefits to their dog or puppy. Obviously, if you handle raw meat in your kitchen and you do not follow good food hygiene practices, you or a family member could get a serious infection. The rising mountain of anecdotal evidence suggests that the risk of intestinal perforation from bones is very small. This is simply because almost all the food is tailor made to suit the dog and fully digested. This is understandable as chicken is readily available to all of us. But there is a growing interest in feeding dogs BARF or a completely raw diet of meat and bones. But a part of your decision should also be based around the practicalities of raw feeding. You will hear a lot of claims made for the benefits of raw feeding. The jury is still out on this one, but in recent years, studies on carbohydrate intake in humans have thrown up a lot of surprises. Many thousands of dogs live full, long, and healthy lives on kibble alone. These risks need to be countered on a case by case basis. When faced with possible death and disease on both sides of the feeding debate which way is a dog owner to turn. For many modern people, used to processed and convenience food, handling raw carcasses is a big deal. If you have no compelling reasons to feed kibble and raw feeding appeals to you, take the plunge and try not to worry.
There are some for the dog, and some for you. Is your dog an adult or older puppy, or if he is a younger pup, are you confident of getting the nutrient balance right for him. Removal of plaque build up in some kibble fed dogs may be necessary on a regular basis from quite a young age. Some people feel that raw feeding is dangerous for dogs and those who live with them, and irrelevant in the modern world. More precisely, they eat meat on the bone. It is a cheaper way to buy chicken portions too. It may look fiddly, but once you have done it two or three times, it takes less than two minutes to quarter a chicken with a sharp knife. Many of us have become quite dependent on processing and packets to keep our dogs nutritionally balanced in a way that we would find ridiculous if applied to our children who are surely even more important to us. Considerable numbers of experienced dog owners have changed over to raw feeding in the last few years. The same is true when handling raw meat for your own consumption. There are some benefits to raw feeding which are widely acknowledged and for which in some cases there is good evidence. And because you can feed the whole animal, including skin, eyes etc your dog gets to eat a wide range of nutrients. The risk of your dog getting infected by raw meat. There are several distinct aspects of raw feeding to consider when you are looking into switching your dog over to a raw diet. With small puppies, the rapid growth rate of a puppy can make getting the right nutritional balance a little more demanding and critical. In fact, it is easy to underestimate just how this can improve life at home if your dog poops in your yard or garden. This usually involves subjecting the dog (and your wallet) to a general anesthetic, not just once but possibly on an annual basis for the rest of his or her life. I am just trying to put the risk into perspective. We all know how dangerous raw chicken can be and how it can carry nasty pathogens like Salmonella and Campylobacter. It is usually found in the larger deep-chested dogs such as Weimaraners and sometimes in Labradors. Many people have concerns about the safety of a raw diet for their dogs, and worry about their dogs choking or dying from a bone penetrating their stomach or gut. Do you have plenty of storage space in your freezer and fridge. Provided he has no known allergies, you can feed the following to your dog. They are designed to chase, catch, kill and eat other animals. Gastro-intestinal infections are a risk a dog runs whenever it eats anything rotting or disgusting found lying on the ground. What we can do, is look at the advantages and disadvantages of raw feeding and at the risks and benefits, and then try to compare those with the risks and benefits of feeding dogs on kibble. Again, it is likely that the risk from consuming fresh good quality meat, fish and poulty, is simply far lower than was once thought. However, I am not evangelical about raw feeding. Life is too short to spend it agonizing over how to feed your dog. What I will do, is answer your questions on raw feeding. I have been feeding my own Labradors and Spaniels, all working gundogs, on a natural raw diet for over a decade. The main difference between the BARF and RMB diets is that the BARF diet contains vegetables. This is a more significant benefit that it might at first seem. This was my chief concern about switching to raw food. Rabbit is a great alternative to chicken if you can get it because the bones are all edible. The importance of bone and how to include it. Anal glands that are not emptied can become very smelly, and irritating to your dog, who may then scoot around on his bottom in an attempt to relieve the irritation. They no longer need to kill in order to survive, and most dogs get their daily rations in a bowl. There are however, some important factors that you need to focus on when making your final decision. Most of this article is about feeding raw from scratch, using meat, fish, and eggs. It is possible we will hear more about their effects on our carnivorous pets in the not too distant future. They are still in a minority, but the minority is growing. If in doubt, with an unusual meat source for example, you need to do your research and take the necessary precautions. I have given her too small a section of wing, and also I had made her fearful of losing it by standing over her. When we have chicken portions for supper, we buy a whole chicken, cut off the legs and breasts and give the rest to the dogs. Another condition that has been linked to some types of kibble (those high in fat) in some studies is bloat. Buying chickens whole is very cost effective when you have a raw fed dog. If your kibble fed dog is not one of those, then he may need a check up from your vet to begin with, rather than a change in diet. Are you happy to handle and preparing raw meat. Natural raw diets are based on protein and fat, and are low in carbohydrates or virtually devoid of them. Junk pet-food grease and slime contaminating 7 Australian vet schools. We have never seen a raw fed dog with a perforated gut. And if you feed enough variety, the balance will come naturally, just as it does with your children. Raw fed dogs do not experience any changes in temperament or personality as a result of raw feeding. And on ground or minced chicken sold in freezer packs in pet stores. By less, I mean smaller poops, not less often, though this can happen. Some people worry that if a dog is allowed to tear and consume the flesh of other animals, he will revert to his wild instincts and become a dangerous killer. There is no point in doing this if you are going to live in fear for the next ten years, or are afraid to tell your vet that you are going against his own views. The risk that concerns me is a different one, and it is the risk to small children who may be in close contact with a dog or puppy immediately after that dog has eaten raw meat. So this is something you need to consider if you want to raw feed your new friend. Dog fed on a completely raw diet poop less. It is less common in little dogs and in dogs fed wet or raw food. However, I have to say I think this risk has been very overstated by the anti-raw brigade. There is little evidence to support the view that kibble is dangerous to most dogs, or that it will make your pet sick. This was not because I did not cut the food up small enough, but quite the reverse. If you want to feed a natural raw diet, you are going to be handling raw animal body parts not pre-packed steak or ground mince, and you need to be comfortable with that too. The decision to switch my dogs to a raw food diet was not one I took lightly. This means there is a greater risk of nutrient deficiencies when feeding a puppy. If you are not sure, it may be better to feed kibble. I feed my own dogs the prey model diet and do not feed vegetables other than for the occasional treat. Unhappily, there is still some inaccurate and misleading information about raw feeding available online and elsewhere. This is particularly helpful for dogs with grain allergies, but may benefit other dogs too. Another claimed risk from raw feeding is that of gastrointestinal infection from the bacteria, which we know are commonly found on raw meat. One of the problems when it comes to raw feeding is that while there are plenty of opinions, evidence is sadly lacking. To help you find your way around this guide to raw dog food and natural feeding I have divided the article into five key sections. They just want a straight answer, and they are not getting one. Would you like to translate documents into your language. Raw fed dog faeces are firm and within a few hours of being passed, if broken open, will crumble into a pale dry powder. And the thousands of meals of raw chicken that have been safely consumed by dogs in recent years. The reality is that dogs seem to be very resistant to pathogens in raw chicken that would make you or I extremely ill. Nor is kibble guaranteed free from contamination, with regular recalls of accidentally contaminated food announced almost every month. You can use the green menu to skip to the section that interests you. There are a number of similar companies in the USA, You can find them by searching online for raw pet food. If so, this is a reason to seriously consider switching to raw.
