Raw Food Diet? Good Idea or not?

First of all here are some common myths

http://rawfed.com/myths/

You would need to give her bone in meals, boneless meals, liver and at least one other secreting organ. A guideline is 80% muscle meat, 10% bone, 5% liver and 5% other excreting organs. You would either need to feed fresh fish/grass fed meats or supplement with fish oil.

Cost really varies. It depends on where you live, if you know how to shop for meats, if you can get free meats etc. I spend less on raw than I would on kibble. It cost around $5-$10 a month to feed my 15 pound dog raw.

You can get meats from a butcher, the grocery store etc. If you know any hunters see if they can give you some meat. If you know any trappers see if you can get anything. You can post on craigslist and kijiji for free meats. Many people get lots of free meats that way. Some people even pick up fresh road kill (during the winter. Make sure its legal before you do anything). If you get any wild animals (especially whole ones) you need to freeze it for a month to kill any parasites.

It is much better option than kibble. Raw/fresh foods are always better. Dogs are designed to eat raw meats. Since switching my dog to raw he smells less, has sparkly white teeth, small poops, less smelly poops, softer fur, shinier fur, more energy etc. My vet estimated his age at 5-6 years. Hes 11 years old.

It's the closest thing to a natural diet there is. Try and get organic meats as much as possible. I recommend you read the book from the website http://healthydogforlife.com/ . It's a downloadable e book called Real Food For Dogs . It really isn't hard at all once you get the hang if it. It's NOT tike consuming. I spend maybe 1/2 hour a week or an hour every two weeks, portioning out meats.

We swutched to a raw diet almost 2 years ago, and we will never go back to processed dog food. My dogs are much healthier now than 2 years ago.

Raw Food Diet Program : http://www.rawfoodhappys.com/Online

I feed my dog and my cat a raw diet.

They're as healthy as healthy can be. Both are over 10 years old and are still jumping around like 2 year olds. I spend about $300 a month on the dog and $100 a month on the cat for food.

It is cheaper.

You can buy raw food (grocery store) with food stamps, actually.

Now, you don't know whether your 'bagged' dog food had ingredients that came from China, India, Pakistan, etc.

With raw food, you can be sure that the source is local.

Your dog cannot properly digest corn, wheat, soy, etc. fillers. Whatever isn't digested is expelled from your dogs body and comes out as poop.

These fillers also have little to no nutritional value. There must be a boatload of extra nutrients added in to barely meet nutritional standards (which are very low, I might add).

Plus, these fillers add extra carbs, increase the rish of bladdar stones, increase the risk of food allergies...

Since dogs are wolves domesticated over years, you'd understand why a grain based diet wouldn't sit well with them.

I've got 2 pups and I've been gnashing my teeth over the diet thing, so I understand where you're coming from. Here are my thoughts.

First, dogs aren't carnivores. They're omnivores like us. They like potato chips as well as chicken and steak, and many love green beans and apples. So how does one figure out the nutrient ratio that makes up the ultimate doggy diet? So far, I haven't found any authoritative source that will help with keeping the diet balanced with all the needed vitamins and minerals.

Second. Salmonella and other nasties. I don't know about you but I don't have a good source of meat that I would trust giving to my dog. The meat at the grocer's has all those warning about needing to cook it completely and to wash your hands thoroughly after touching it because it isn't sanitary. Well, what then about the dog? Are they going to get sick? If they don't , are they going to lick family members with a tongue that carries these bacteria?

Personally, I'm leaning towards a cooked-at-home solution. I just need to gather the right books. (Some recipes can be found at AllRecipes.com by the way if you want to experiment)

120 Raw Diet Food Recipes : http://go.stayeatingraw.com/?Nidh

When you say raw food, I'm assuming giving your dog human food. If you mean that in addition to raw human food, you might want to think about it. Human food, as in real meat, veggies, and starches, are very good for dogs, even better than the dry and wet dog food you get in the store. They don't contain the by-products and preservatives that store-bought dog food contains. But if you wish to do this diet, make sure you know what dogs can and cannot eat.

The best meats for dogs are chicken, turkey, and beef. I would NOT recommend serving your dog these meats raw. With all the constant recalls due to bacteria, you should cook these at all times to prevent any bacteria passing through to your dog. Oatmeal (or oats) and rice are really good for dogs also. They help with the maintenance of a dogs coat. Potatoes are okay too, but better without skin or seasonings but MUST be cooked. For vegetables, cook them because they are best digested that way and stay away from celery. The strings in it are bad for digestion. Carrots are really good, but only in small moderation. Too many can give a dog diarrhea. Green beans With fruits, always skin them before serving because the skins are bad for dogs. Also, and citrus fruits are also bad for dogs. The acid is toxic. Apples are good as well as bananas, but in moderation to prevent diarrhea. Do NOT give dogs ANY seeds EVER.

This diet is good for dogs and cheap because it's all the same food you eat also. So when you make a plate for Fido, you can make a plate for you too!

One meal idea to start your dog out on to get them used to human food is something I make as comfort food on occasion that I share with my dogs. My mom named it "Dirty Rice." All it is is white rice (you can use brown also) mixed with ground turkey (or ground beef if you prefer). You can lightly season the turkey or beef with taco seasoning, cinnamon, etc. This is perfectly alright for dogs and mine absolutely love it!

I hope this helps!

Take a look at those webs sites. Who is behind them and what qualifications do they have? Remember, some people are making a nice living selling prepackaged raw. Other selling books and recipies. Such people have all the objectivity of the marketing departments o fNestle and P&G, and a much lower profile and less oversight.

I don't think you should consider a raw food diet. Raw food has many tiny little bugs and insects and bacteria. Thats wwhy i don't eat sushi. And If you really love your dog, you shouldn't buy cheaper products. Raw food is BAD for your health and can cause many bacteria to live in your brain! NOT KIDDING! My mom is a health docter and she doesn't recommend raw food.