Holistic for Dogs!

Posts Tagged ‘raw dog food diet’

I’ve been feeding my dogs a lot of raw meats for the last few weeks.  Since then the itchy has really gone down.  There is a lot less licking and scratching in my house.   My dogs have no red itchy spots on their skin and it’s quite a relief!   Overall, I’d consider my raw meat home cooking has resolved the initial dog allergy problem in my house.

So after feeding almost exclusively raw meat, I’ve added back potatoes to their meals.  And also veggies.  So the average dog meal consists of one boiled potato, a bunch of peas or green beans, and some raw meat.   After boiling the potato, it is mashed with some added water to make butter-free mashed potatoes.  Then the veggies are added at about equal parts.

To be honest, the only raw meats I’ve been feeding have been beef, chicken, and some organ meats.  Raw meat still makes me nervous with the chances for disease but I haven’t had any problems.  As a precaution, I freeze all of the meats prior to feeding.  I do not know if this has been proven scientifically but many raw feeders suggest freezing at some point in the preparation process.   Raw pork or game meats have a trichinosis risk and should either be frozen properly or cooked.

I’ve had the most success with cutting the meat up into small pieces or else the dogs run away and eat it on the couch, blood and all.  I’ve tried giving whole turkey necks and turkey gizzards but have found those overwhelming for my small dogs.  The turkey necks are simply too large and the gizzards I believe have a funny taste as they refuse to eat them.  Those will need a little bit of work.   Chicken gizzards, hearts, and livers all were greedily taken though.   The seven bone roast cut is an affordable way to bring home both meat and bones to puppy not to mention the organ meats are all REALLY cheap.

I have also been utilizing a lot of frozen veggies into my meals.  They keep longer and are tasty to me!  I try to give my dogs frozen veggies and some other veggies as available.

I suppose though, the lesson to take is:  if a dog has allergies, feed a limited diet for at least two weeks or until symptoms subside.  Then begin adding back one food at a time.  Strangely, I’ve found that cooking chicken causes severe itching while raw chicken does not.  Patience and a clear idea of the allergy food plan is super important as giving a wide variety of foods will not help the diagnosis of the culprit.

Technorati Tags: dog allergies, food safety, Home Cooking for Dogs, raw dog food diet

So as I’m sure every one can tell, until now my main doggy menu consisted of home cooked meals of starch, veggies, and protein.  Truth be told, I was struggling to find foods that made my dogs less itchy.   Rice= scratching, sneezing,and stomach aches.  Cooked chicken = scratching excessively.  Certain foods made my poor puppies immediately and incredibly itchy.  But there has been a low level of itch that has persisted in spite of my best efforts.

This whole dog allergy situation really reached a head a few weeks ago.  Emmala began scratching so vigorously that she was leaving open sores along her mouth and behind her ears.  She has a dime sized bald spot behind her ear.

So after a lot of thought, I decided to try all raw meats to see if that offered relief.  I would consider this basically an attempt at a raw dog food diet.   As a biology major in college, I thought about the nature of cooked meat.  When proteins are heated they begin to denature.  The proteins break apart and no longer have the three dimensional shape that they had when they were being used by the body.  As protein is the real culprit that cause immune response, I thought could it be that the denatured proteins matter?  Even in potatoes and rice, protein in those foods are the culprit for allergies.
I’m not going to lie.  I don’t really understand how my dogs were not more itchy when they were eating kibble as that is all obviously cooked.  Maybe they weren’t allergic to the corn in the food?  Perhaps the percent of the protein in their food was less.  I’ve even considered giving up and going back to kibble! (Briefly)

Any way, I began feeding my dogs all raw meats raw dog food diet.  If they are going to eat it I have to be willing to eat it so everything comes fresh from the grocery store.  I began feeding slabs of raw tuna, some hamburger, raw chicken, and raw organ meat.  I still supplement with raw veggies and an occasional cooked potato but I feed them their meat all rare.

The dogs really love this new raw diet.  But don’t really prefer the gizzards and livers.  (I wouldn’t suggest stocking up until you know your dog will eat it.)  I am giving them a varied diet of body parts and animal types.  There is a whole movement called the BARF (biologically appropriate raw food.. I believe) diet.  The diet consists of entirely raw meat with the philosophy that raw animals are exactly what a wild dog would eat.
After a few weeks of raw meat, low and behold my dogs are no longer pink all the time.  They are still scratching a little but this seems to make a world of difference.  No more swollen lips or scabs.  I will keep you updated.  But so far that is looking really good.

Technorati Tags: dog allergies, raw dog food diet, raw meat

Dog nutrition is just like human nutrition.  The latest news is always changing things up and shaking the established status quo of a balanced meal.  Doesn’t it always seem that tofu is good for you one moment and then the next causes cancer?  The same goes with dog nutrition; what was hailed as a break through last week may be old news by this week.  We all hope to stay up to date on the latest studies but realistically most of us won’t get the memo.  My best advice is to feed a varied diet that is as fresh as possible that makes sense to you.  And maybe avoid those foods that apparently are really, really, probably still will be really, bad for dogs this week!

Dogs need at least approximately 10-15% fats and 10-20% protein in their diet.  They also need some fiber and carbohydrates to be healthy.  When preparing a home meal for dogs, it should start with a high quality protein source.

While the most common proteins are chicken, beef, and fish, some dogs may benefit from novel proteins like rabbit especially those prone to allergies.  It is also recommended that pets sometimes be fed organ meats and not just flesh.  These meats provide different concentrations and combinations of nutrients.  Introducing proteins one at a time will help to avoid allergy riddles.

The next important aspect of a balanced diet is fats.  Like people, many pet dogs lead a rather sedentary lifestyle with abundant food sources generously donated by their owners.  In people, increased tv watching and microwavable food lead to..?  Obesity!  That’s right!  Many pet dogs and cats are fat.  And just like humans it’s unhealthy for a dog to be over weight.

Too much fat contributes to obesity, but at the same time fats are necessary for over all health and to promote optimal skin and coats.  Some fatty acids cannot be produced by the dog and need to be obtained through dietary sources, usually meats.  Fish oil can be supplemented from the local health store to encourage healthy skin and fur.  Oils can also come from plant sources like plant oils and from seeds and nuts.  Small amounts of oil are sometimes included in recipes to provide this need.

In commercial pet food, frequently the major ingredient is from starch.  Dogs require some carbohydrates but not nearly as much as we humans consume or is present in commercial pet foods.  Starches often are allergy culprits and are another huge contributer to obesity in pets as it is quickly metabolized and has a high caloric content.  In general, starches are the least important contributor to a healthy diet for dogs.

Dogs should eat produce!  Fresh fruits and vegetables are great sources of vitamins and minerals that dogs need.  Some healthy snacks for dogs could be a few nuts or a carrot stick or celery.  My dogs love some fresh cut melon or apples. There are some plant types of foods dogs should avoid but the vast majority are great contributers to a healthy diet.  Fruits and veggies should make up a hearty portion of home cooked and raw dog food diet meals.  A variety of produce should be offered to make sure doggy gets all of the different nutrients he needs.

As a last note, dogs on a home cooked diet may still need their diets supplemented with a multivitamin.  This question will require some research by owners to decide if a supplement is needed by their dog.

Technorati Tags: dog nutrition, holistic dog care, home cooking, raw dog food diet