If you were to visit my home and voyage into the basement, you would be greeted with a sight unexpected in any vegetarian household – two full-sized freezers (one chest freezer, one upright) chock full of buffalo, rabbit, smelt, venison, pork, chicken, beef, turkey, whiting, duck, an assortment of organ meats, and a fair bit of raw green tripe.

I’ve been a vegetarian for nearly 18 years now, and for the past three of those years have been feeding my dogs a home-prepared raw diet.  I was thrilled when my friend Jules invited me on board at her fantastic Sit, Stay, and Play blog to discuss what I feel is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made on behalf of my dogs.  Throughout my history as a dog owner, I’ve run the gamut on feeding choices.  Growing up, we fed our dogs Dad’s or whatever was on sale at the grocery store.  When I got my own dogs, I fed what I understood to be “premium” diets, Science Diet and Iam’s.  After a bit of research, I realized that there were far better dog foods on the market and expanded to offering my dogs Innova brand foods, eventually transitioning to a variety of grain-free kibbles and canned products.

I did approximately 6 months worth of research before transitioning my dogs onto a raw diet.  It was scary for me, as a very dedicated pet owner, to take responsibility for my dogs’ nutrition.  Most dog owners have been taught for as long as we can remember that we are not capable of creating a “nutritionally complete” and “balanced” diet for dogs and that “people food is a no-no.”  There was definitely a learning curve to feeding this new diet once I made the leap.  I was confronted with many culturally reinforced myths and errant beliefs about raw diets.  “Raw diets are a fad.”  “Your dog will become a blood thirsty savage.”  “Your dog will die.”  “Your entire family is in danger from blood-thirsty savage dogs and imminent bacterial destruction.”  While the first myth always seemed silly to me (what the heck did dogs eat before the kibble industry arose in the twentieth century?), the latter myths were downright scary.  Miracle of miracles, my dogs are not blood-thirsty savages, are both healthier than they’ve ever been, and Jim and I are relatively healthy human beings and happy to report that we have noted no human casualties despite hosting many visitors in the past three years.

Here is a fantastic website dedicated to dispelling many of the common myths and misconceptions about raw food diets for dogs:  http://www.rawfed.com/myths/

IS A RAW DIET RIGHT FOR YOUR DOG?

In my personal opinion (and please remember I am not a veterinarian or nutritionist), the dog that cannot thrive on a raw diet is a rare exception.  If you look at your dog’s teeth, you will see that they are designed to eat meat.   That said, raw diets are not for everyone, as feeding raw, particularly for a DIY-er like myself, is a lot more involved than just measuring out a given amount of kibble and plopping it in a bowl at feeding times.  If you decide you would like to feed raw, you can choose to purchase pre-made raw foods or you can make your own.  Pre-made raw blends are generally more expensive (sometimes significantly more costly) to feed than the DIY version, but are much more convenient and less messy.  DIY raw can save you quite a bit on your food budget, but is more involved and requires a couple hours’ a month preparation time on your part.

MY VET SAYS I SHOULDN’T FEED RAW

If you choose to feed your dog a raw diet, be prepared for resistance from your veterinarian.  Most veterinarians have a very good reason for dissuading clients from switching to a raw diet.  Why?  Because a poorly constructed, slipshod raw diet is dangerous.  It is not as easy as throwing a hamburger on your floor each day at your dog’s mealtime.  It requires careful planning and a bit of research to feed raw correctly.  If you are unable to provide an appropriate and well-balanced raw diet, it may be healthier for your dog to eat a high-quality kibble or canned food, perhaps with occasional raw meals included.

To be honest, my veterinarian was initially not thrilled that I decided to transition my dogs to raw.  She is a trusted professional and someone who I respect a great deal, and she knows that I am slightly maniacal about doing all I can to ensure my dogs’ optimal health, physically and behaviorally.  I discussed my research with her, showing her an Excel file I had created to be my feeding guide as I constructed my dogs’ diets.  I offered to email my spreadsheet to her.  At subsequent check ups, my veterinarian marvels at my dogs’ good health, beautiful coats, shiny teeth, bright eyes, lack of doggy breath, and muscular condition.  I know that she has forwarded the spreadsheet to other clients interested in feeding raw as an example of what is involved in “doing it right.”  Since I originally created the spreadsheet, I was able to enlist the help of some of my raw feeding mentors to improve it tenfold.  I will share the spreadsheet at the end of this entry for all of you to use as a resource.

RAW FEEDING RESOURCES

I participate in an online community where there is a fantastic raw feeding forum.  Many of the raw feeders on this forum, generous though they are with information, grew tired of answering the same questions over and over again each time a new raw feeder joined the forum, so a compilation of great internet raw feeding resources was created which could be sent as an information library for those looking for more information on raw feeding.  The thread is called “So You’re Interested in Feeding Raw?” and can be found here:  http://www.dogster.com/forums/Raw_Food_Diet/thread/431875

When I first transitioned to raw, I needed to create a spreadsheet to help me plan my meals.  Raw fed dogs are generally fed between 1.5 and 6% of body weight, depending on age, breed, activity level, and individual metabolism.  My spreadsheet auto-calculated the amounts I’d need of various types of foods in the diet for each of these activity levels both daily and weekly.  Some wonderful raw feeding friends helped me make vast improvements on my original spreadsheet, including new information based on NRC guidelines, the ability to auto-calculate critical values based on information entered by the user, and making it all around more informative and functional.  Once you learn the “how’s and why’s” of a raw feeding diet from the “So You’re Interested in Feeding Raw?” page, check out the spreadsheet for a detailed diet plan:  http://www.dogster.com/forums/Raw_Food_Diet/thread/491589 (again, do check this plan over with your vet and remember that we are not veterinarians, just a bunch of well-intentioned nutrition nerds).

The Whole Dog Journal is a fantastic resource with lots of wonderful articles on raw feeding.  You may purchase back issue articles from their website at www.whole-dog-journal.com after doing an article search for “raw feeding” to get more wonderful information.

If you are looking to learn more about raw feeding, check out books available by Tom Lonsdale, Ian Billinghurst, Kymythy Schultze, Monica Segal, and Dr. Karen Becker, among others.

I also highly suggest joining the raw feeding forum on dogster, for more help on answering questions you may have as a new raw feeder and to get support on your new nutrition plan for your favorite dog!

POTTY MISTAKES

• DO everything in your power to make potty habits outside happen.  I can not tell you how many people call after a bout of bad weather because their dog re-trained himself to pee on the living room carpet.
• DO shovel at least a 10x10 area, and keep this area clean.  Don’t let snow pile on top of poo.  Your dog will know it’s there and may not want to walk in the area.
• DO reward your dog for going potty outside just like you would training a puppy.  Be happy and use treats, praise, and petting.  Don’t sound like a teenage girl at a Bon Jovi concert.
• DO supervise at all times and manage it so your dog doesn’t have the opportunity to go inside.  Use a crate and if your dog doesn’t potty outside, put him in the crate for a few minutes and then back outside.  Keep flip flopping him until he goes and then reward him.
• DON’T punish, yell, or rub his nose in it unless your goal is to make your dog want to potty in secret away from you.
• DON’T walk your dog on roads that have been salted (if possible).  The salt can be absorbed through foot pads and can cause stomach upset and dry cracked pads.
• DO wipe off your dogs feet every time you have to walk him on salted surfaces.  Use a sheet on the floor and walk your dog around several times if your dog won’t let you wipe his paws off.  Then call a trainer to help you so you can in the future.  Believe it or not, not all training is obedience.

FROSTBITE

• DO dry your pet off.  Dogs and cats can get frostbite.  Keep your pet as warm and dry as possible.
• DO use warm (NEVER hot) water compresses or soak feet for immediate treatment.  (You must have a constant supply to warm up your pet.  If you can’t continually warm your pet until temperature is normal again, then DON’T start.)  The affected area will be extremely painful as it warms up.  Then very gently and completely dry the entire treated area.  DON’T rub or massage it.
• DON’T use a heating pad or hair dryer.
• DO go to your vet ASAP even if you think you have completely treated your pet.  It can take several days to see the extent of the damage.
• DON’T give your pet any pain medication without your vet’s expressed permission

HYPOTHERMIA

• DO dry your pet off.  Dogs and cats can get hypothermia.
• DO use warm towels to wrap your pet.  (Putting dry towels in the dryer for a few minutes usually does the trick.)
• DO use warm water bottles wrapped in towels.  DON’T contact your pet directly.
• DO use a hair dryer, especially if your pet is wet.  Just make sure you are not using it on any areas with frostbite.
• DO go to your vet immediately.  Hypothermia can be life threatening.

COMMON SENSE

• DO pay attention how long your pet is outside.
• DO walk your dog on a leash, especially near roads with cars who might have trouble stopping.
• DO play with your dog, use interactive toys, or train to physically and mentally stimulate your pet so they don’t drive you crazy and start bouncing off the walls because they’re stuck inside more.
• DON’T bring your pet with you in the car.  If you get stuck or (heaven forbid) in an accident, you will have your pet to worry about too.
• DON’T let your dog walk or run on ice.  They can slip and break themselves just like we can.
• DO make sure you have plenty of supplies.  Just add dog food and cat litter to the list when you buy milk, bread, and toilet paper.
• DON’T get bend out of shape if your dog does something “normal” that he has always done, but it’s not cool when he’s covered in wet snow: like jumping on the sofa.  (Simple way to manage that would be to have the behavior on cue, when he’s invited he can jump up on the sofa.)
• And last but not least, if you see your dog licking his paws, look to see if there is something stuck in them, and double check for cuts.  Hardened snow and ice can be sharp on pads.

Are your pet’s teeth a regular part of routine care?  They should be.  Did you know that oral hygiene can also affect  internal organs?  We had a Chocolate Lab client who had to postpone training because he got sick from what was initially thought of as a stomach problem.  Turned out it was the bacteria in his mouth he was swallowing that was making him so sick.  A trip to the vet for a professional cleaning was all he needed to make a full recovery.

When you take your pet for a dental cleaning, the vet has to anesthetize him.  Don’t get me wrong, I know loads of people who take their pet in once a year for a professional dental cleaning and all goes well.  Usually everything is fine, and in all my years of working with animals I have only known one person to lose their cat to a routine dental, due to complications with the anesthesia.  And for me, one is enough.  My personal opinion is if there’s a way to prevent it, then prevent it.  Why put your pet under if you don’t have to?  And when you think about this, older pets are the ones who usually have dental problems — and older pets have the highest risk under anesthesia.  Why take the chance?

Thankfully oral hygiene for dogs and cats has become more popular.  These days there are products out there to  combat tarter and gum disease with enzymatic toothpaste, pet toothbrushes, finger brush, dental chews, dental rinses, toys, treats, and starter dental kits. (All these links pertain to dog dental care.  There are also a ton of products out there for cats as well.)  My dog’s favorite dental toy is the Nylabone Double Action Chew. I put his doggie poultry flavored toothpaste in the groves and he goes to town!  He also loves to get his teeth brushed.

There is a very easy way to introduce your dog or cat to teeth brushing which has worked for every single person I have ever met.  (The video is at the bottom of this post for your viewing pleasure.)  Here is a brief re-cap for you.

Step #1.  Get a species appropriate  flavored toothpaste your pet likes.  (Use dog toothpaste for your dog, and cat toothpaste for your cat.)  Most brands have poultry, beef, malt, and even seafood

Step #2.  Put the toothpaste into the bristles all the way down to the base of the toothbrush

Step #3.  Hold out toothbrush in front of your pet as still as possible.  You want to be non-invasive.  Let the pet come to the toothbrush, don’t charge it down his throat.

Step #4.  Let your pet really get chewing and feel comfortable before you manipulate it around his mouth and start actual brushing.

One last piece of dental advice I will leave you with is be careful about what type of food you feed your dog.  If you give your dog pizza crust, make sure the bread isn’t stuck rotting in the back of your dog’s mouth.  Avoid sugar sweets, and always check with your vet if you have any questions.

If you are having trouble playing the video, go straight to You Tube HERE.

Click to play…