Food For Thought

10/27/07 

I love my dogs and want to give them the best care possible. Part of that care includes their diet, which is important both to everyday health and longevity

There’s a saying that if you live long enough, you’ll see everything. I can attest to that. As a young child, I remember my dad feeding all of our dogs what nowadays would be called a home-prepared raw diet. He practiced two rules when it came to fixing meals for the dogs: 1) complete nutrition and 2) economy. One wasn’t the opposite of the other
by any means

My dad followed what his dad did on the ranch in New Mexico where seven children were raised as well as 450 Angora goats. Everything had a use back then, and on my dad’s property, which included a farm as well as the kennel, nothing was wasted. Chickens, goats, greens – you name it, we had it! And what we had, the dogs had

We all know that dogs are derived from wolves. Just look at their teeth, and you’ll realize that they’re basically carnivorous. Wolves don’t roast their meat over a fire pit. They eat their prey raw. Occasionally, my parents would create a stew and cook it for the dogs. But the usual fare started with raw meat.

Dad also knew that the first part of a kill a wild animal would go for is the intestines and stomach where the greens were being digested. Dogs need some complex carbohydrates along with meat, but they’re not inclined to graze for them as cows and sheep do. To accommodate this part of the diet, Dad would add some greens to the meat, along with eggs, eggshells for additional calcium, and goat’s milk as well. My dad called this natural formula “the basic meal”, which supplied all our
dogs with what they needed for strength, energy, quick reflexes, great coats, and sparkling eyes

Today, people have begun to realize the value of a simpler, more natural approach to feeding dogs, where they have ultimate control over the major ingredients as well as the minor ones. They can add whatever supplements are suited to their specific breed and the needs of their specific dogs. They can adjust the ratio between protein and carbohydrates. They can choose their protein source and therefore the quantity of fat too.

I’ve never been happier with a diet than I am now, since I started feeding BRAVO raw diets to my Collie and my Skye terrier. I thought they were in good shape before, but the significant difference I see in both dogs – their behavior as well as their physicality – is nothing short of amazing. Laddie is noticeably more agile, more alert, and actually frisky. Throttle, the little guy, who already had an abundance of energy, is a non-stop whirlwind out in the yard and ready to play and learn. I’ve also started Throttle on BRAVO’s salmon oil to improve his
conditioning. I can already see his body shape and his hair texture improve.

Some people still subscribe to feeding dry kibble because they think it’s so easy to deal with. But for some dogs – especially those with deep chests – a meal of dry kibble followed by a bowl of water can lead to a condition called bloat and torsion in which the kibble swells within a dog’s stomach. The stomach then twists, the blood supply is cut off, toxins build up in organs, and , if not caught in time, death may occur. For people who have no other choice than to feed kibble, I recommend moistening it with chicken broth, letting it stand so that the
volumizing effect takes place before the dog ingests the food.

In the past, when I have fed kibble, I put the measured cups of kibble in a stainless steel bowl and add enough chicken broth to moisten and soak into the kibble. I stir it and let it sit for 45 minutes before giving it to a dog.

I also don’t subscribe to the practice of free feeding, especially if you want to control weight gain. Normally I feed an actual meat meal of BRAVO or my dad’s basic meal in the evening because I believe it insures that a dog will rest better over night. In the morning, my dogs start off the day with a raw, natural turkey neck. It does a great job of exercising a dog’s jaw and also keeps the teeth free of plaque.

That’s an extra bonus of offering a dog a raw bone – malleable and completely digestible – like a turkey neck or chicken neck. You’ll never again have to anesthetize your dog for teeth scaling!

And what discussion of dog practices and habits would be complete without mentioning what goes on at the rear end? That’s the other surprise of feeding a home-prepared or raw diet. The food is actually absorbed. Nutrients are actually doing the dog some good. You’ll be able to tell by the amount of bowel movement that emerges, a fraction of what your dog produces on other diets and formulas.
 
It is true that everything old is new again. What dog owners used to feed their dogs for hundreds of years obviously kept the species alive and thriving. Going back to the basics, with the added knowledge of what science proves works well, allows us to feed our dogs better and smarter than ever before. If you love your dog, you’ll take the time and effort to find the right diet.

So let’s talk about food and nutrition. What works for your dog and why? Send me an e-mail at bob@weatherwaxtraineddogs.com, (or click “Comments” belog if you’re reading this from the blog site) and we’ll put your
comments up on the next nutrition blog.

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