Diet Overview
See also: Diet
Feeding your dog naturally – put simply, your dog can have his/her choice of:
Feeding naturally is simple – the major part of the diet should be raw meaty bones, as well as meat and offal. Add a small amount of vegetables, with occasional additions of other food and supplements where required.
A typical day’s feeding might consist of chicken wings as a morning meal, and for the evening, tripe with a handful of lightly steamed or pulped raw (in a processor) broccoli, together with a dessert spoon of flax (linseed) oil and a teaspoon of natural yoghurt.
You can vary which bone, meat, vegetable or additional item that suits your dog (and of course, yourself) from the foods available. Within a short time you will find a simple pattern that is second nature to you and one that your dog not only enjoys to the full, but will help him or her achieve optimum health.
Q & A’s
Q. How much do I give?
A. You will find a natural balance – the amusing but simple answer is, if your dog is too thin then give more, if too fat, then give less!!
Q. What is the right size of bone?
A. Bones are there to be chewed. So, for example, a small chicken wing is great for a small dog, a larger chicken wing for a medium-sized dog, and perhaps oxtail or lamb neck for a large dog.
Q. My vet says it is dangerous to feed bones.
A. Cooked bones are brittle and can cause serious life-threatening problems. Raw bones in general do not pose that problem. Basic principles should be followed however – do not overfeed large amounts of bone as this can cause a blockage; do not feed bones such as very old beef bones that might be too hard; and do not feed bones that have been chopped/sliced that create splinters. As ever, in general the ‘whole food’ is the best principle, so a whole rabbit, fur and all, would be perfect. Life does not come with a guarantee on the label – your child can choke on a piece of apple, or pet food in a can or packet can lead to behavioural, skin and organ problems, or cause your dog to die years before his or her time. Common sense as always should prevail.
Q. Does raw meat pose any problems to my dog’s or my own health?
A. As ever, good hygiene standards should be adhered to. Otherwise, raw is the real deal. Dogs’ digestion is different to ours and they can eat raw perfectly safely.
Q. Where can I buy my meat and bones from?
A. The butcher is always an easy start. However, many pet shops now stock frozen raw food. If you have several dogs and a large freezer, you can also order direct from specialist companies and have it delivered to your home. Our website resource directory contains details of many sources of raw food.
Q. What if my dog doesn’t appear to like a particular food, or has a reaction to it?
A. Every dog is an individual and should be treated as such. Most dogs will thrive on raw food, although occasionally one will not be able to tolerate it. Others might need to find the particular meat that suits. A little trial and error is all that might be needed to find what is right for your dog. Observing your dog and reacting on your observations is all that your dog asks of you.
Q. Why steam or pulp vegetables?
A. The cell walls of vegetables need to be broken down for the dog to be able to digest them.
Q. What about ‘other’ food items?
A.
See also: Diet
Feeding your dog naturally – put simply, your dog can have his/her choice of:
- Raw Meaty Bones – chicken or turkey (wings, backs, necks or whole carcasses), lamb (necks and ribs), pork (ribs), oxtail, rabbit. Or the whole animal where appropriate.
- Raw Meat – chicken, tripe/offal, turkey, duck, beef, lamb, rabbit, fish (raw or tinned).
- Vegetables – cabbage, brussel sprouts, broccoli, spinach, kale, green beans, carrots.
- Other food items – fruit, eggs, natural yoghurt, garlic/herbs, honey, grains.
- Supplements – used where appropriate and/or to aid treatment of specific conditions.
Feeding naturally is simple – the major part of the diet should be raw meaty bones, as well as meat and offal. Add a small amount of vegetables, with occasional additions of other food and supplements where required.
A typical day’s feeding might consist of chicken wings as a morning meal, and for the evening, tripe with a handful of lightly steamed or pulped raw (in a processor) broccoli, together with a dessert spoon of flax (linseed) oil and a teaspoon of natural yoghurt.
You can vary which bone, meat, vegetable or additional item that suits your dog (and of course, yourself) from the foods available. Within a short time you will find a simple pattern that is second nature to you and one that your dog not only enjoys to the full, but will help him or her achieve optimum health.
Q & A’s
Q. How much do I give?
A. You will find a natural balance – the amusing but simple answer is, if your dog is too thin then give more, if too fat, then give less!!
Q. What is the right size of bone?
A. Bones are there to be chewed. So, for example, a small chicken wing is great for a small dog, a larger chicken wing for a medium-sized dog, and perhaps oxtail or lamb neck for a large dog.
Q. My vet says it is dangerous to feed bones.
A. Cooked bones are brittle and can cause serious life-threatening problems. Raw bones in general do not pose that problem. Basic principles should be followed however – do not overfeed large amounts of bone as this can cause a blockage; do not feed bones such as very old beef bones that might be too hard; and do not feed bones that have been chopped/sliced that create splinters. As ever, in general the ‘whole food’ is the best principle, so a whole rabbit, fur and all, would be perfect. Life does not come with a guarantee on the label – your child can choke on a piece of apple, or pet food in a can or packet can lead to behavioural, skin and organ problems, or cause your dog to die years before his or her time. Common sense as always should prevail.
Q. Does raw meat pose any problems to my dog’s or my own health?
A. As ever, good hygiene standards should be adhered to. Otherwise, raw is the real deal. Dogs’ digestion is different to ours and they can eat raw perfectly safely.
Q. Where can I buy my meat and bones from?
A. The butcher is always an easy start. However, many pet shops now stock frozen raw food. If you have several dogs and a large freezer, you can also order direct from specialist companies and have it delivered to your home. Our website resource directory contains details of many sources of raw food.
Q. What if my dog doesn’t appear to like a particular food, or has a reaction to it?
A. Every dog is an individual and should be treated as such. Most dogs will thrive on raw food, although occasionally one will not be able to tolerate it. Others might need to find the particular meat that suits. A little trial and error is all that might be needed to find what is right for your dog. Observing your dog and reacting on your observations is all that your dog asks of you.
Q. Why steam or pulp vegetables?
A. The cell walls of vegetables need to be broken down for the dog to be able to digest them.
Q. What about ‘other’ food items?
A.
- A few ripe fruits such as banana, apple and most other common fruit can be added occasionally to a meal (or given as a treat). There are a few exceptions such as grapes and raisins which can be toxic to dogs.
- Fresh raw eggs are fine and do not pose a problem to dogs because they already have salmonella in their saliva. But make sure they’re fresh.
- Natural yoghurt acts like a natural antibiotic and the occasional teaspoon full can be beneficial as a general principle.
- Garlic is an anti-flea remedy, and many raw feeders never use anything else to keep fleas away, and it offers many other benefits. Although garlic is part of the onion family (which is toxic to dogs) there have never been any recorded cases of garlic poisoning at the Veterinary Toxins Unit. One crushed clove (not bulb) a few times a week is sufficient.
- Other herbs have many uses and are a subject on their own. Our website resource directory includes entries on herbs, as any other subject you might like to research further.
- Honey is a cleanser and healer, inside and out – a very useful addition when required.
- Grains – a small amount in the form of wholemeal bread or a little cooked rice or oats can be added, but grains should rarely form any major part of a dog’s diet, which is why many pet foods have been blamed for the rise in cancer and other ill-health in the modern dog.
A. On the whole, if your dog is young and healthy, then supplements are probably not needed. An oil such as flax/linseed or fish oil is useful, as EFAs (Essential Fatty Acids) perform many vital functions in the body. There are many other natural supplements that can be used for specific problems. In our experience (and brought together on our website resource directory) there is usually some form of supplement that can help in treating many ailments and diseases, without the side-effects of conventional drugs. Many illnesses are simply diseases of malnutrition.
Q. Are there any other foods that are toxic to dogs?
A. The other common items to avoid other than grapes, raisins, and onions are macedonia nuts, chocolate, and of course various garden plants (again listed on our directory).
Q. What about treats?
A. Baked liver, small pieces of cheese, home-made biscuits (baked wholemeal bread or flour/water/cheese/garlic etc). Or there are various natural product treat suppliers listed on our web-directory.
Q. Do you have any other information or advice?
A. This is what CHC is all about. We have a comprehensive website and are happy to help point people in the right direction to find the information they need, whether they simply want to find a source of buying food, or to research a particular element of dog health. We provide a support function to enable dog owners to make informed choices about their loved ones. Our quarterly newsletters and emailed monthly bulletins always contain information to help you keep your dogs healthy, and our internet discussion group is there to support you. We also run Foundation in Canine Healthcare workshops to give you a good ‘how to’ grounding in keeping your dogs healthy, and we have published books to give you the information you need when making informed choices for your dogs. Also, please see on our website for a recommended reading list. There are lots of books out there to help you give your dogs many years of robust good health.