If you're curious about BARF - Bones and Raw Food - for Dachshunds, head on over to Who's Your Dachshund? to check out an article by our friend Courtney who offers up a nice introduction to raw feeding called FEEDING RAW: I THINK IT'S SUPPERTIME. She has provided a little background on raw feeding, some nice tips, as well as some helpful links.
We've eaten bones and raw food our entire lives, for 8.5 years now, and every meal is a great adventure. We generally stick to convenient prepared frozen premix raw foods that you can find in some pet supply stores, but we have also eaten a lot of RMBs (raw meaty bones) over the years.
We've found the diet to be fairly simple, we are in good health, and we think that we look pretty good for our age (although sometimes we feel the years are tumbling upon us at an ever faster rate). Dad also gives us salmon oil and an HA/glucosamine supplement every day for our backs, and then we're ready to rule the world. All this talk about food has made us hungry!
What about the "green tripe"???
ReplyDeleteIke
Thanks for the plug! A lot of us have been toying with going raw for a while now. We're thrilled to see the information and advice coming out of the woodwork.
ReplyDeleteAnd you two look phenomenal no matter what you're age - and don't you forget it.
Sounds interesting, but how is it that the dogs don't get food poisoning from eating raw meat?
ReplyDeleteHey Ike - we love the green tripe! Nothing is stinkier or better!
ReplyDeleteMelissa - dogs are different than us in that healthy dogs can handle some e-coli or salmonella without issues. While we wouldn't recommend burying a raw meaty bone and digging it up later for dinner as a wolf might do in the wild, there aren't issues. Also, the meats the dogs eat should be fresh and human-grade quality. Dogs eat poop without issues - mother dogs clean up after their litters. In a recent recall of dog food infected with salmonella, no dogs got sick, but something like 68 humans did or something. Most of the commercial raw diets are tested for acceptable levels of any bacteria before they are shipped out.
While I don't throw a fit if the Schatz should eat a bone once in a while, I would think twice about a totally raw diet. I think I'll folow my vets advice to avoid people food as much as possible. Besides, he doesn't seem to really like anything raw. He likes to barbeque....
ReplyDeleteI have had my two on a raw diet since I had them both (5yrs & 4yrs). Both have healthy weights and have the softest, silkiest coats of any dog I have ever met. The benefits to a raw diet well out weigh canned or kibble food (far too many to list). I highly recommend it.
ReplyDeletewhere do you get your supplements from?
ReplyDeleteHi Beatriz, we use K9 Liquid Health Glucosamine & HA, although there are several good supplements out there: http://www.liquidhealthinc.com/prodInterior.php?prodID=40
ReplyDeleteThe best salmon oil we've found is Only Natural Pet Pure Salmon Oil in the shiny green can: http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/products/Only-Natural-Pet-Pure-Icelandic-Salmon-Oil/999060.aspx
I used to feed kibble a long time ago and knew something was missing. My friend and breeder of my dog opened my eyes and we, the dogs and I , never looked back. I have healthy dogs, their coat shines, no yeast in ears, cleaner teeth, small bowel movements . The dogs and I have never been happier and all I ask myself was ' what took us so long ? ' Species appropriate is what we feed.
ReplyDeleteLiv with Moose and Pepper