Diet
We only feed raw meat, raw meaty bones, raw fish and natural plain biscuit, they also enjoy cooked liquidised vegetables, I do not believe in feeding complete diets, my personal opinion is that they are responsible for many structural problems that you see today. Most complete foods are corn based and can be unsuitable for some dogs, being far too high in Protein. Complete food has been well researched over the last decade and has been known to cause itchy skin, hyperactivity and in extreme cases temperament problems and also Anal Funculosis (AF) I have personally lost a dog through AF, it was the most horrendous experience I have had to face with my dogs and losing my boy 'Flynt' was a turning point in my life and a time to rethink my feeding regime. I am not a vet and you don't have to believe me but if I can persuade just one owner to think about how they feed their dog, I may enrich one dogs life, prolong it, or indeed save his life.
When I was a child our dogs ate heart and lungs from the local butcher and scraps from the table, do you remember those days when dogs lived to a ripe old age? Today dogs are mirroring human illnesses like cancer and diabetes, it is the covenience world we live in today, complete foods are 'ready made' meals for dogs. We live in a world governed by convenience and that is what complete foods are designed for, just because you can buy a ready made meal from your local supermarket, with all the nutrients that your body needs for a day, it does not mean that it is better for you than meat and three veg.
I receive numerous telephone calls and e-mails from people looking for advice on feeding their pets, which suggests to me that there is a big dilemma around the issue of feeding dogs.
Dogs are NOT carnivores they are actually omnivores, natures scavengers, eating insects, berries, roots, carrion and would probably only make a real kill 2 or 3 times a week. In doing so they devour the whole carcass, bolting down everything from the contents of the guts through to the skin and bone. Ask yourself this question
“Have you ever seen a Wolf grazing a field of corn?”
Ok yes we live in the Uk but you have all watched the wildlife programmes.
Even dogs on the point of starvation in under developed countries will not eat growing crops.
You may be sat thinking 'but my dog is not a wolf', well I'm sorry but ultimately yes he is, whether he is a cute fluffy Bichon Frise or a German Shepherd, all of his bodily functions and requirements are descended over hundreds of generations from the wild dog and ultimately the wolf.
It is far healthier and far more enjoyable for your dog to eat as naturally as possible. If you offered him a bowl of the most expensive complete food on the market or a rump steak, or a raw meaty bone, what do you think he would choose?
Dogs digestion starts in the stomach. Which is why dogs don't need to 'savour' their food or chew it up in to tiny pieces. Saliva is just a lubricant to get the food chunks down to the stomach. Unlike dogs, our digestion starts in the mouth with saliva breaking down the starches and sugars in food. Which is why we need to chew our food.
A dogs stomach has a very low ph level between 1 and 2.The same as 0.4 % of Hydrochloric acid . Which is why dogs can eat rotting meat and not get sick, being natures' scavengers. The ph level is too low for salmonella or e- Coli to live . Whereas humans ph level is quite high, almost neutral, not low enough to kill these bacteria so we are prone to food poisoning. Our ph level is just right to digest cooked food and to digest carborhydrates such as rice and corn and wheat. A dogs ph level cannot digest these carborhydrates. Cardorhydrates also cause tartar on teeth because there is no saliva to break it down.
Raw, meaty bones are a big plus to feeding alongside your dogs diet, great for strong teeth and bones, with the added bonus of keeping your dog occupied when you are not there. No supplements are necessary, too much of anything is far more damaging than too little, we never feed calcium supplements. This is an excellent way to cause growth problems in your dog. For your dog to absorb calcium it must be in the correct ratio with other minerals. You must know exactly how much is missing as to how much you add. Raw meaty bones are the best way to do this.
All of our dogs and puppies are reared on raw green tripe, raw minced beef and a plain mixer biscuit, we use Redmills Pure Bred, Foldhill Puppy Meal or Laughing Dog. They all also have raw meaty bones and as a treat sardines in oil, which contain essential Omega oils. Raw chicken wings and whole raw chicken carcasses.
These are my beliefs but I always respect the fact that not everyone will agree with me and all breeders have their own methods of feeding their dogs and rearing puppies and I would never be so presumptious to say that their way is wrong and mine is right. However I am very pleased to see that the tide is changing and more and more people are realising the benefits of Natural Feeding
