Why do we feed a raw diet?
Look at the inside of your dog's mouth. Do you see any flat teeth for grinding vegetable matter,
grains, fruit, etc.? Dog's teeth are sharp. Their molars are sharp. Their teeth are designed for
ripping and tearing meat, not eating cereal or grains ie: kibble. Can they live on kibble? Sure,
they are scavengers just like their ancestors the wolf. But is it an ideal diet? No.
Dogs are carnivores. They are designed to be carnivores, just like a wolf. Humans, we are
omnivores, meaning we can eat meat, vegetables, fruit, etc. We have flat teeth for grinding and
sharp teeth for tearing, dogs only have sharp teeth for ripping and tearing meat.
http://www.rawfed.com/myths/omnivores.html
Skull of a Domestic Dog Image © Thinktank, the Birmingham Science Museum
The teeth of a dog are adapted for eating meat. They are used for other purposes too such as
grooming the fur. At the front of the skull are the incisors that are used for nipping small pieces of
meat from close to bones. The long pointed teeth behind the incisors are the canines, which are
used for stabbing and killing prey. These teeth are also used as a display to threaten other dogs.
The broader pointed teeth behind the canines are the premolars and molars which are used for
holding, cutting and grinding up food. The largest of these teeth are known as carnassials, which
work together to slice up meat like a pair of scissors. The nose of the dog is at the front of the
snout, just above the incisors. The nose is large, which indicates the dog has a good sense of smell,
which it uses to find its prey and to recognize other dogs. The eye sockets are just above and
behind the last tooth. The eye sockets face forward so that the eyes work together to see the
world in three dimensions, just like in humans. The scientific name for the domestic dog is Canis
Lupis Familiaris. Canis Lupis is the scientific name given to the wolf. ‘Familiaris’ means familiar
because all domestic dogs have been bred by humans from a wolf-like ancestor.
For more information please visit the skull site at: http://www.skullsite.co.uk/Dog/dog.htm
So how and what do we feed our dogs?
As adult dogs, we feed once a day at various times in the morning. Each of our dogs gets between
3/4 lb - 1.5 lbs of muscle meat (venison) daily. In the evening they each get a whole raw egg, with
the shell, mixed with 4 drained fish oil capsules. To keep them busy, they usually get a small
shoulder blade to chew on during the day or every other day. By keeping 10% bone in their diet,
this keeps their stools firm; too much liver and you end up with loose stools. So 80% muscle meat,
10% bone and 10% various organs is the general rule of thumb for feeding raw.
On the weekend, they get a 1/2 lb liver meal one day with a meaty neck bone. The next day they
get a light meal, say a 1/2 lb of heart.
When they were puppies, we weaned Ruger and Ari to raw on ground beef heart, ground chicken
backs, raw goats milk and a raw egg starting at around 4 weeks of age. They started eating
muscle meat, venison and chicken breasts around 6-7 weeks. When we moved to Montana they
were 5 months old and we were able to start feeding 99% venison, beef hearts and beef liver
regularly. You don't have to start out with ground with puppies, it depends on their age and if they
are showing interest in mom's raw meals and what age the mother is starting to wean her pups.
If you do not have access to wild game, then a variety of meats on sale at the grocery store work
fine. We fed 50% whole chickens and 50% beef heart for a year or so before we had access to
wild game. Grass fed red meat is the best to feed if available, heart counts as red muscle meat too,
as does pork. But really, whatever is on sale that you can get access to is by far better than
feeding a non-species appropriate diet ie: kibble. If you can, try to get a variety of organs.
Some studies on grass fed vs grain fed beef:
A review of fatty acid profiles and antioxidant content in grass-fed and grain-fed beef
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2846864/pdf/1475-2891-9-10.pdf
Effects of conventional and grass-feeding systems on the nutrient composition of beef
http://jas.fass.org/cgi/reprint/86/12/3575
Comparison of alternative beef production systems based on forage finishing or grain-forage diets
with or without growth promotants: Meat quality, fatty acid composition, and overall palatability
http://jas.fass.org/cgi/reprint/86/7/1678
http://www.davemech.com/
Dave Mech (pronounced Meech) is a wildlife research biologist who has studied large carnivores,
especially wolves, and their prey. See Dave's other site for information related to his official duties
and career. Mech’s strong vocational interest in wildlife research and conservation is matched by
several avocational interests. This site expands on some of those subjects, including wildlife
photography, preservation of wild lands, human ecology, evolutionary biology, and social justice.
http://www.rawmeatybones.com/
Back in the early 1990s Australian veterinarians Dr's Tom Lonsdale, Breck Muir and Alan
Bennett introduced a simple idea with profound global implications: Raw meaty bones promote pet
health, human health, the human economy and natural environment. Nowadays Dr Lonsdale's
inspirational articles, books, radio shows and TV segments help thousands of pets, pet owners and
the wider community gain immense benefits.
http://dogtorj.tripod.com/id51.html
Dogs are Carnivores, by Jeannie Thomason. This is a well-written article by one of the cohosts of
Animal Talk Naturally, a terrific Internet radio show. In this paper, Jeannie explains the rationale
behind as well as the health benefits of feeding raw.
By Lew Olson • February 2003 Newsletter The idea of fresh and raw foods for dogs is not a new
idea. As a matter of fact, it is the commercial processed dog foods are the relatively new concept!
http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/fresh-raw-diet/
Look at the inside of your dog's mouth. Do you see any flat teeth for grinding vegetable matter,
grains, fruit, etc.? Dog's teeth are sharp. Their molars are sharp. Their teeth are designed for
ripping and tearing meat, not eating cereal or grains ie: kibble. Can they live on kibble? Sure,
they are scavengers just like their ancestors the wolf. But is it an ideal diet? No.
Dogs are carnivores. They are designed to be carnivores, just like a wolf. Humans, we are
omnivores, meaning we can eat meat, vegetables, fruit, etc. We have flat teeth for grinding and
sharp teeth for tearing, dogs only have sharp teeth for ripping and tearing meat.
http://www.rawfed.com/myths/omnivores.html
Skull of a Domestic Dog Image © Thinktank, the Birmingham Science Museum
The teeth of a dog are adapted for eating meat. They are used for other purposes too such as
grooming the fur. At the front of the skull are the incisors that are used for nipping small pieces of
meat from close to bones. The long pointed teeth behind the incisors are the canines, which are
used for stabbing and killing prey. These teeth are also used as a display to threaten other dogs.
The broader pointed teeth behind the canines are the premolars and molars which are used for
holding, cutting and grinding up food. The largest of these teeth are known as carnassials, which
work together to slice up meat like a pair of scissors. The nose of the dog is at the front of the
snout, just above the incisors. The nose is large, which indicates the dog has a good sense of smell,
which it uses to find its prey and to recognize other dogs. The eye sockets are just above and
behind the last tooth. The eye sockets face forward so that the eyes work together to see the
world in three dimensions, just like in humans. The scientific name for the domestic dog is Canis
Lupis Familiaris. Canis Lupis is the scientific name given to the wolf. ‘Familiaris’ means familiar
because all domestic dogs have been bred by humans from a wolf-like ancestor.
For more information please visit the skull site at: http://www.skullsite.co.uk/Dog/dog.htm
So how and what do we feed our dogs?
As adult dogs, we feed once a day at various times in the morning. Each of our dogs gets between
3/4 lb - 1.5 lbs of muscle meat (venison) daily. In the evening they each get a whole raw egg, with
the shell, mixed with 4 drained fish oil capsules. To keep them busy, they usually get a small
shoulder blade to chew on during the day or every other day. By keeping 10% bone in their diet,
this keeps their stools firm; too much liver and you end up with loose stools. So 80% muscle meat,
10% bone and 10% various organs is the general rule of thumb for feeding raw.
On the weekend, they get a 1/2 lb liver meal one day with a meaty neck bone. The next day they
get a light meal, say a 1/2 lb of heart.
When they were puppies, we weaned Ruger and Ari to raw on ground beef heart, ground chicken
backs, raw goats milk and a raw egg starting at around 4 weeks of age. They started eating
muscle meat, venison and chicken breasts around 6-7 weeks. When we moved to Montana they
were 5 months old and we were able to start feeding 99% venison, beef hearts and beef liver
regularly. You don't have to start out with ground with puppies, it depends on their age and if they
are showing interest in mom's raw meals and what age the mother is starting to wean her pups.
If you do not have access to wild game, then a variety of meats on sale at the grocery store work
fine. We fed 50% whole chickens and 50% beef heart for a year or so before we had access to
wild game. Grass fed red meat is the best to feed if available, heart counts as red muscle meat too,
as does pork. But really, whatever is on sale that you can get access to is by far better than
feeding a non-species appropriate diet ie: kibble. If you can, try to get a variety of organs.
Some studies on grass fed vs grain fed beef:
A review of fatty acid profiles and antioxidant content in grass-fed and grain-fed beef
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2846864/pdf/1475-2891-9-10.pdf
Effects of conventional and grass-feeding systems on the nutrient composition of beef
http://jas.fass.org/cgi/reprint/86/12/3575
Comparison of alternative beef production systems based on forage finishing or grain-forage diets
with or without growth promotants: Meat quality, fatty acid composition, and overall palatability
http://jas.fass.org/cgi/reprint/86/7/1678
http://www.davemech.com/
Dave Mech (pronounced Meech) is a wildlife research biologist who has studied large carnivores,
especially wolves, and their prey. See Dave's other site for information related to his official duties
and career. Mech’s strong vocational interest in wildlife research and conservation is matched by
several avocational interests. This site expands on some of those subjects, including wildlife
photography, preservation of wild lands, human ecology, evolutionary biology, and social justice.
http://www.rawmeatybones.com/
Back in the early 1990s Australian veterinarians Dr's Tom Lonsdale, Breck Muir and Alan
Bennett introduced a simple idea with profound global implications: Raw meaty bones promote pet
health, human health, the human economy and natural environment. Nowadays Dr Lonsdale's
inspirational articles, books, radio shows and TV segments help thousands of pets, pet owners and
the wider community gain immense benefits.
http://dogtorj.tripod.com/id51.html
Dogs are Carnivores, by Jeannie Thomason. This is a well-written article by one of the cohosts of
Animal Talk Naturally, a terrific Internet radio show. In this paper, Jeannie explains the rationale
behind as well as the health benefits of feeding raw.
By Lew Olson • February 2003 Newsletter The idea of fresh and raw foods for dogs is not a new
idea. As a matter of fact, it is the commercial processed dog foods are the relatively new concept!
http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/fresh-raw-diet/
| Kriegshund German Shepherds |
| Baron |
| Ali |
| Ruger |
| Ari |
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