| RAW 101 by Susanne C. Roberts-Phillips |
Welcome!!! I have been feeding RAW since Jan 98 with my Papillons. Always got questions, like "How do you keep their teeth so clean?" or
"What do you put on their coat to make it so shiny?" The number one question that I dread is "What do you feed your dogs?" I know some people
are not into feeding their animals raw meat can't stomach it and don't understand "Why?". So I am very leery in telling people. The first
questions that comes out of my mouth is "What is your dog?" "What is your dog designed to eat?" If raw is not possible with my dogs I do and
suggest to feed Orijen.
- Dog: (species Canis familiaris), domestic mammal of the family Canidae (order Carnivora). A dog is related to wolves, foxes, and jackals.
Carnivore: any member of the order Carnivora, literally “meat eaters.” Carnivora are basically meat eaters, a substantial number, feed
extensively on vegetable material.
sheep, caribou, and musk oxen. Beavers and hares are eaten when available. This is just a few of the prey they may eat. The stomach of the dog
has not changed since the domestication by humans. They have the same anatomy as a wolf, so they can handle raw meat with bacteria such as
e-coli and salmonella. They are also salvager so whatever is available they wouldn't pass up. Dog food was not invented until after World War
II, when the military had to come up with a better way to feed the working dogs and find a way to get rid of all the dead animals so what a
better way than turn it into dog food. As the years went by, man had to come up with a cheaper way and source to feed family pets, so corn
and grains were introduced to the Dog Food Industry.
What is RAW?
Raw is feeding what dogs and dogs alike are designed to eat also known as raw meat, bones and organs. This is called Back to the Basics. My
idea of feeding Raw is to look at nature. If my dog was living in the wild, what would my dog eat? Anything that moves and can be killed.
Examples: Rodents (Squirrels, Rabbits, Hares, Beavers, Rats, Gophers, Pierre Dogs), herbivores (buffalo, sheep, goat, elk, deer, lambs), birds
(fowl, pheasants, turkey, duck, chicken) and fish (salmon, perch, trout, catfish, bass). Get the picture.
The digestive acid is 50% times stronger in our fur balls than ours own and it can with stand any bacteria and germs. The more our animals
chews the more acid is produced, so its very important for your dog to chew rather than gobble down its meal. If you have to, hold the food so it
will take its time. Remember, dogs love to dig and bury food for later and they are salvagers by nature too. Anything left, they wouldn't pass up
a good meal. If you are worried about germs and bacteria in the household, common sense would tell you to wash your hands and clean up
afterwards with a disinfected spray and wash.
How do I begin?
First off I would fast my animal for at least 24 hours before starting RAW. Number one reason into fasting is making sure any kibbles left in
the system has exited the building. Start with one source of meat for the first two to three weeks, for example, chicken. Add another source of
meat but still feed the chicken in the morning meal and the second source of meat for the evening meal. So that way you can tell if you dog is
allergic to any meats. You keep this up until you have introduce as many and variety of meats to your dog as possible. It's good every once in
awhile to fast your dog, you can give him a bone instead, any raw bone will do. I use beef femur and knuckle bones with some meat on them.
Fish should be given at least once a week, try to give whole if possible, but if not, you can get tuna and salmon in the can. But the whole idea is
feeding your dog meat, bones and organs. Organs should be at least 5% of the dogs diet. This can be liver, kidneys, lungs, intestines, pancreas
and skin, but liver is the most important and should be at least 50% of the organs fed. Hearts and gizzards are considered muscle and a great
source of meat. Green Tripe (contents included) is also good for the animal, but not to much, maybe once or twice a week.
What about plant matter?
I wouldn't worry about veggies and fruit to much. If you feed the prey method(whole animal) or green tripe, that would be enough for your
dog. Besides carnivores are designed to rip, cut and tear meat and crush bones not grind and chew plant matter. But it wouldn't hurt if you wish
to give your dog a treat every once in a while, no more than 3 to 5 % of the dogs diet or to interfere with the meat, bones and organs diet.
Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, squash, carrots, bananas, apples (no seeds), kale, lettuce. NO GRAPES, RAISINS,
ONIONS, TOMATOES or GARLIC these are consider toxic to your dog.
When and how young can I start on raw?
I prefer puppies reared on Raw before they are even planned in the womb of the mother. If you can't get a puppy reared on raw from the mother
then I would suggest to start from day one when you bring your puppy home. I would grind the meat and bones up until the puppy is at least 3
to 4 months of age in order for the puppies stomach to adjust to digesting meat and bones. In the wild the mother weans her pups between 6 to 9
weeks, then the pups are feed regurgitated meat at least until they are 3 to 4 months old until they can run and keep up with the rest of the
pack.
How much do I feed my puppy?
Puppies grows 10 times or more (depending on breed) of it birth weight in its first year of life and you want to help the process of slow growth
during this time (especially between the age of 4 to 6 months) and that where raw plays a part. The ideal is 10% of his current body weight.
You need to be able to see the last two ribs and be able to feel the rest. Not to where you see the back and hip bones. A rollie pollie overweight
puppy is calling for trouble. Overfeeding your dog can and may lead to skeleton problems such as Panosteitis, Osteochondrosis (OCD) and Hip
Dysplasia.
When can I stop feeding my puppy 10% of its body weight and how much afterwards?
Until the dog is about to its ADULT WEIGHT or by the age of 7 to 9 months old. You want to feed based on its built and condition and adjust the
food accordingly. Each dog is different so your dog will tell you how much to feed him by its build. Normally its 2 to 3 % of it ADULT WEIGHT
(For example: 100lb dog x 2% or 3%= 2lbs or 3lbs) An adult dog should be fed about 2 to 3lbs more or less depending of its activity level. Divide
the food into two feedings. (1 to 1 1/2lbs in the morning and then the evening)
Do I feed supplements?
No, if your dog is feeding Raw from a variety of animals then you shouldn't need to supplement a healthy dog, unless your dog has a health
problem. Extra vitamins C during growth spurts and fish oil is okay.
Will my dog become a killer or kill my other animals?
Unless your dog has a hunting drive, then I wouldn't worry about it and as long as your dog has been socialized with other animals, he or she
will not develop a killers instinct. Normally this is a learned behavior by the parents. As long as you are the hand that feeds, your dog is going
to depend on you and you only.
Where and how do I buy my raw meats?
I would start at the small grocery stores and have then order in bulk by the case. Backs come in 40# cases and turkey necks come in 30# cases.
Wal-mart is already per-packaged, so you may not save money going that way. Ethnic markets are another source of meats, particularly organs.
It gets easier and it kind of fun to try to find cheap meat. At first it will be frustrating, but trust me it get easier as you get the hang of things.
When you buy in cases, go ahead and break it down into meal sizes and place in freezer bags to make it easier on you. I have been lucky. I have
a local butcher shop (beef and pork), Piggy Wiggly that works with me, a poultry wholesale factory close by, family and friend sells me lambs
or goats, then there is the auctions. I have a pond to fish in. Then on top of that I hurt and trap a lot of animals. Sometimes the sheriff
department calls me when there are road deer accidents. Those are just a few of my sources of getting meat.
That all folks, if you have any questions about RAW, Click HERE to email me. GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!
RAW does wonders, but it not a miracle cure. Any animal that has been on kibbles for a long period of time will already have some damage done. Use
this information at your own risk, I am not a vet or nutrientist and I am not responsible for any advise or suggestions taken from this website, this is
merely to help you understand and what works best for our animals. I suggest you to do a lot of research and studying about RAW and not just jump
into it.
RAW at your own risk.
Some cool site to learn more:
www.rawlearning.com
| Remember - science is not better than nature. When man changes things from their natural state to increase profits, the food is no longer 'real'. It becomes a man-made imitation. |
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