| Raw Feeding |
| Why do we feed our dogs a raw diet? Simple answer, it is what they are naturally designed to eat. Dogs are carnivores and have digestive systems that are perfectly adapted to breaking down bone and animal proteins. The canine GI tract is short and smooth which means they do not harbor bacteria (such as E-coli). The ripe, rotted meat that would make us sick passes harmlessly through the dog's system. Kibble is a highly processed, inert, dead source of nutrition. Most kibble is made up of primarily grain and other fillers that dogs just simply can't digest. Kibble takes a huge amount of time and energy to break down, and since most of it is unusable to the dog, there is a large amount of waste (poop). Kibble is literally "flushing" money down the drain. For those that have grown up knowing no other way to feed a dog, please take to heart that kibble is a convenience food that has only been in existence since the mid 1900s. This begs the question: 'What did dogs eat before 1950??' --REAL, RAW FOOD! There are a great many benefits to feeding a natural raw diet. Raw fed dogs have beautiful, lush coats, sparkley clean teeth, stronger immune systems, much less poop & of a healthy consistency, less eye goop, fewer hotspots and allergies, slow even growth, solid muscle tone, plus so much more I couldn't possibly list. Raw fed dogs genuinely enjoy their food! What more of a reason would a dog lover need than that!? What's more, THERE IS A MUCH SMALLER INCIDENCE OF BLOAT IN RAW FED DOGS!!! We feed Whole Prey Model Raw. This diet attempts to emulate the whole, entire prey, a piece at a time, where the "whole prey" is cut up into single serving portions. We feed a ratio of approximately 80% meat, 10% bone, and 10% secreting organ (made up of as much liver and kidney as possible). It is fed at a rate between 2% to 3.5% of total ideal adult body weight. We adjust this amount to fit the dog and the dog's activity level based on body condition and poop consistency. This amount does NOT have to be the exact same amount every day. This is a diet that is balanced over time and not at each and every meal (much the same way people eat). We feed our adult Danes once per day, in the evening. Their food is served in their bowls on a large, thick towel. Meals are eaten in a natural posture on the ground, which recent studies have indicated is much more beneficial in preventing bloat than the traditional raised feeder view. We don't generally feed anything other than raw meat, edible bone, and organs. Veggies do not form a necessary part of the diet given that dogs are carnivores following their physiology, and because veggies and fruit have been found to form only about 1% of the grey wolf's natural diet. - Meat: this is muscle meats. Muscle attached to bones, and also parts of the body that are organs, but are muscular in nature (non- secreting). This includes, tongue, heart, gizzards, trachea, skin (yes skin secretes, but it secretes waste through water and salt aka sweat OUT of the body, so we don't count that). I count stomach as a muscle meat. - Edible bone: weight-bearing bones of large mammals are teeth breakers due to their high density and are therefore not very edible. Edible bones tend to be less dense, more porous. Edible bones range from chickens, to turkey, to duck, to fish, to rabbit, to pork, to goat, to lamb. Beef ribs are semi-edible for giants such as Danes, and make excellent chews, as do beef knuckle bones. - Secreting organs: liver should be half the organ allotment. The rest can be made up of kidney, spleen, thymus, pancreas, lung, testicles (mountain oysters), brains. NOTE: remember, we call it prey model because we try to appropriate the whole prey through various body parts at various times. It's a prey built over time. So again, this ratio can be met over time. -Poop: If your dog is straining slightly, and the poops come out crumbly and powdery and once they hit the ground, they fall apart, that's generally too much bone. If the poops are squishy and have no form (NOT diarrhea), then feed a tad more bone. It doesn't take a huge bone tweak to make a difference in the poop. -Raw Feeding a Puppy: Start off feeding 10% of its current weight, meaning if a puppy weighs 10 pounds, feed 1 pound per day. Once the puppy reaches 30% of its ideal adult body weight, reduce the amount to the normal 2%-3.5% of ADULT body weight. You will only be feeding 10% for a little while, which is normal. Its better to split this amount up into several smaller meals since this will be a lot of food for a little growing puppy. Remember, this is just a guideline and that every dog is different. For example: Jackie--10% of her 8wk weight of ~20 lbs = 2 lbs of total food per day 30% of 120 lbs adult weight = 36 lbs So… feed her 10% until she is 35-40 lbs then back off to normal 2%-3% = 2.4-3.6 lbs (or about 3 lbs) per day. When feeding wild game, always freeze in a deep freeze for no less than 2 weeks before feeding. This is to kill parasites, such as Trichinosis. Most wild game is completely safe to feed, however, never feed bear or wild boar as they are known to carry a freeze resistant form of Trichinosis. Never feed the brain or spinal column or cord of hoofed animals such as deer due to Foot and Mouth Disease and Chronic Wasting Disease. |
| **Raw meat and feeding pictures below** |
| Facebook Groups/Pages Raw Feeding Tips! Prey Model Raw Benefits of Raw Feeding Raw and Natural Nutrition for Dogs Naturally Happy Dogs |
| All pictures, videos, artwork, & content are property of Autumn Royal and protected by copyright laws. Unauthorized copying/using is strictly prohibited. |
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