Before We Start
I do not advocate feeding a
"homemade" raw
diet that you make from scratch, due to dealing with
so many unbalanced diets and growth problems in young dogs. However,
here are some quality options for raw diets that I have listed below.
These are easy, balanced, tasty and healthy options for wellness and
longevity!
A
Little History
The real pioneer in animal nutrition and feeding
raw is Dr. Randy Wysong. If this
is the direction you want to pursue, go right to the source, which
is backed up with scientific research and not just "theory".Dr.
Wysong has many research articles he has written on nutrition
and they are available to you at his website. He is a visionary in
this field so become a "student" of this method, before
you attempt to feed it. There are as many opinions and theories on
feeding raw out there on the internet, as there are hairs on a dog.
Do it right, or don't do it at all is my suggestion. If you use a
commercially prepared raw diet the calculations and work has been
done for you, so you know you are not going to ruin your dog's health
due to unbalanced nutrition or possibility of pathogens.
The Blackwatch
Adult Raw Program
Step 1
This feed program is comprehensive and consists of 4 major components.
The Blackwatch Feed Program CORE 4 Supplements
The Blackwatch Feed Programs have been used by breeders and owners
for the past 25 years with tremendous success. I personally have seen
dogs live longer and have a better quality of life as the mature because
their nutritional needs are met.
I have owned/breed Great Danes and Pugs over 36 years and I have come
to realize through my own feed trials that the extremes in a breed
toy - large/giant breeds have special nutritional needs. Even the
average pet is severely lacking in critical components to it's daily
diet. To complicate matters, most veterinarians, like physicians have
little background in nutrition.
Based on my years of personal and university research, and feed trials
on giant breeds, I have developed the "BLACKWATCH
CORE 4" philosophy
which means that all dogs/cats (and humans) regardless the
method of feeding; kibble, homemade or raw, not only thrive but are
more apt to avoid serious illness when these core 4 supplements are
incorporated into their diet on a daily basis. And, these CORE 4 supplements
do not unbalance any diet.
- Probiotics - multiple flora
- Digestive Enzymes
- Dietary Enzymes
- Ox-E-Drops
To understand more about why these functional foods are an important
part of continued wellness and longevity go here: "The
Blackwatch CORE 4 For Wellness". The goal of the Blackwatch
Feed Programs is to try to avoid any debilitating disease so you pet
can live a long quality life with little or no suffering to the very
end. Now, genetics does play a roll in this, but with the proper diet,
the CORE4 and a living component our pet's have a much better chance.
To purchase your CORE 4 Kits (there
are 4 options to choose from).
Step 2 - Holistic
Raw as a Complete Diet
http://www.darwinspet.com Diets can be used as
a stand alone raw diet or you can use it to top dress your kibble.
Here is some background about http://www.darwinspet.com Diets Raw Meats. Note:
I do not use or recommend any products that are owned by large conglomerate
companies. I only use products made in plants that are independently
owned or a family business.
Company Mission
Statement: At http://www.darwinspet.com Diets™
our mission is to provide pet-lovers the option of feeding their pets
a health-enhancing, life-prolonging, easy-to-feed food that is carefully
formulated based upon the most advanced science and principles of
raw food diet preparation. We believe in the premise that biologically
appropriate food improves the quality of life for pets. It is our
mission to play an active role in the development of healthy companions,
regardless of size or activity level.
- USDA Inspected Ingredients
- Grain Free
- Quality Guarantee
- http://www.darwinspet.com Diets™
is the original raw nugget diet with an improved formulation including:
the addition of raw ground bone.
- http://www.darwinspet.com Diets™
is manufactured in a quality controlled fully certified USDA human
food plant.
- http://www.darwinspet.com Diets™
is a food that is developed and manufactured by a team that has
a combined 15 years of experience in raw natural pet-food manufacturing.
- http://www.darwinspet.com Diets™
uses a unique freezer burn control method in addition to flash freezing
to preserve the integrity of the nutrients.
- http://www.darwinspet.com Diets™
is convenient and easy to use.
- http://www.darwinspet.com Diets™
offers unsurpassed quality and customer satisfaction guarantees.
- http://www.darwinspet.com Diets
Inc. uses fresh ground bone for an organic calcium source.
http://www.darwinspet.com Diets RAW MEAT COMES IN:
- Raw Nuggets - 2 oz individually
quick frozen nuggets in a resealable 6 lb bag
- Raw Dinner Bars - 1 lb individually
wrapped dinner bars that snap apart into easy to use 4 oz portions
- Raw Treats - 2 oz resealable
bags of raw, all natural freeze dried treats
Freeze Dried Nuggets - 5.5 container - no refridgeration great alone or crumbled over kibble - and the dogs LOVE these..great for traveling.
http://www.darwinspet.com Diets RAW MEATS.
How to Make a Homemade Diet
with Raw Added
If you want to make
a homemade diet it must be balanced and people just do not know how
to do this properly. Therefore this is a terrific way to feed your
pet that is balanced. This is what I use to top dress my kibble and
for owners with many large breeds it is a way to incorporate the benefits
of fruits/veggis and the benefits of raw meat.
HONEST
KITCHEN PREFERENCE -FOUNDATION FORMULA (which
is meatless yet balanced and complete)
Add to it 60% http://www.darwinspet.com Diets balance and complete raw meat diet. A
perfect homemade raw diet!
You
can also combine http://www.darwinspet.com Diets and your own fresh fruits, veggies,
yogurt, eggs etc. for variety, with any other of the Honest Kitchen
formulas as well.
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: http://www.darwinspet.com Diets Raw
I use this product line of raw foods.
It is a family owned company that has their own plant - USDA
Inspection info very impressive - terrific quality! I love
their nuggets and bars for easy thawing. Dogs love taste and
quality I can count on. Meats, Fruits and Vegetables are human
edible, produced in a USDA facility
All flavors are complete and balanced meals. Flavors:
chicken, beef, bison, chicken/salmon, lamb and turkey.
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|
Foundation
Formula: Honest Kitchen Preference
Dehydrated - Alfalfa,
sweet potatoes, cabbage, celery, apples, spinach, organic
kelp, coconut, bananas, zucchini, and honey.
Add: the http://www.darwinspet.com Diets meats, a great homemade diet that is balance
and taste's great and no hassle!
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Commercial Kibble and Adding Raw
Meat
You Can Add 10% - 20% balanced http://www.darwinspet.com Diets raw meat fruit and veggies to a high quality
kibble to give your dog the best of both worlds.
List of Better Kibbles.
I recommend Precise/Precise
Plus Kibble.
Optional: Joint Supplementation
If you are looking for a high quality glucosamine joint support product,
Liquid
Health Level 5000 is the one I have used for some time. I
have used it with great success on my dogs and my elderly dogs respond
well to joint nutritional supplementation. The amount of glucosamine
in better dog foods is minimal, helpful nonetheless, but minimal,
so a good joint supplement is ideal especially for any age or breed.
I start my dogs during growth stages and continue throughout their
adult life. With the large/giant breeds their joints have added
stressed, so any thing that can help support them as they age is a
positive thing in my opinion.
Drinking Water:
It is very important to NEVER
withhold water from your dog. This can lead to over consumption and
bladder infections. Use common sense, do not let them drink excessively
after exercise or dinner. Like a horse, let them cool down and then
drink. I have found if I have water available in several places, they
never overdo it since they know it is available to them when they
need it. That way they drink less amounts of water, but more frequently.Withholding
water for fear of bloat is a myth. Stress is the cause and bloat/torsion
is the response. It is much more complicated that simply saying water
is the cause of bloat.
(See my article on Bloat and
Torsion for details) (See
On My Soapbox)
