Caring For Your Dog Through Food (от Janie Knetzer)

Hi Joyce:
Sounds like you're doing an excellent job. I'm especially happy to hear that you're including calcium in the form of bone meal. :o)

Janie

Hi Erin:
First, welcome to the internet and I hope you enjoy your online journey.

Regarding my opinion on raw feeding; well this is an extremely debatable subject.

I've seen many dogs fed a raw diet and do absolutely wonderful on it. Their health couldn't be better. Excellent skin and coat, eyes are clear, etc. and any problems they did have, just seemed to disappear.

On the other hand, I also know of dogs that didn't do well when fed raw.

I believe that unhealthy, older dogs should never be fed a raw diet. If raw has been the older dog's diet throughout his life, I still believe the meat should be lightly cooked due to bacterial issues and a weakened immune system.

The thing with raw feeding is that you must know what you're doing. You can't just go to the local grocer, grab a slab of meat and throw it in a bowl. You have to add back necessary nutrients and balance the diet. That's why a bag of kibble always says "completely balanced" on the label. When feeding raw, the meat must be fresh and handled the same way you would for your family.

Here's a little something from Jeannie Thomason - A Holistic Veterinary Naturopath and Animal Nutrition Consultant:

"Some people are under the impression that the bacteria in raw meat may hurt the dog. IF your dog has an imunocompromised system or some underlying health problem then the bacteria may cause a problem and should be introduced slowly and carefully.

Sadly, Raw diets have also been blamed for causing things like pancreatitis and kidney disease, when in reality the underlying disease was already there and is was simply brought to light by the change in diet. Dogs are surprisingly well-equipped to deal with bacteria. Their saliva has antibacterial properties; it contains lysozyme, an enzyme that destroys harmful bacteria. Their short digestive tract is designed to push through food and bacteria quickly without giving bacteria time to colonize.

I believe that it is the kibble, not the raw meat, that causes bacterial problems. Kibble in the pet's intestine not only irritates the lining of the bowels but also provides the perfect warm, wet environment with plenty of undigested sugars and starches as food for bacteria. This is why thousands of processed food-fed animals suffer from a condition called Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth, or SIBO (Lonsdale, T. 2001. Raw Meaty Bones. pg 85). Raw meaty bones, however, create a very inhospitable environment for bacteria, as RMBs are easily digestible and have no carbohydrates, starches, or sugars to feed the bacteria."

Erin, I believe that like people; dogs are individual and have individual needs because they are domesticated. I believe what works for one dog, doesn't necessarily work for another. I learned this myself over the years. I would have one dog who did great on kibble and another who had constant digestive issues. One would flourish with home cooked, while another would have constant gas.

My point is that this topic is so broad and I don't think there is a simple "yes" or "no" answer. The bottom line is that dog owners should always feed the best food that they can afford for their dog and if it's working; don't change it!

Janie :o)