Posted on 09/26/2010 3:45:01 AM PDT by the scotsman
'Rebecca Hosking decided to turn detective when her collie fell ill. What the woman who led Britain's first campaign to ban plastic bags discovered will alarm every animal lover.'
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Hmmmmm.....
Very interesting.
Bump for replies.
From the article:
In North America, ‘mammalian meat and bone meal’, a key animal component in pet food, has been shown to include the ground-up remains of euthanised cats and dogs – flea collars, name tags, microchips and all.
How is this allowed?
CC
I’ve long heard that a raw diet is best. I just don’t know how to do it.
Anyone?
http://www.barfworld.com/html/barf_diet/barfdiet_specific.shtml
This is a good blueprint. It is not easy or cheap to do.
I can understand not wanting to feed your animals or your family so much processed food.
I think it will be interesting, since her dog works among animals -sheep, it appears from her photo-, if the raw meat diet gives her dog a taste for lamb (if you know what I mean).
I’d like to hear her discuss with vegetarians, their glowing reports of how well their dogs do on a vegatarian diet.
I noticed that in the comments section, most people who didn’t have their dogs eating commercial food, were cooking meat - not giving it to them raw - and also adding rice and vegetables - not exactly what wild dogs would do.
Commercial dog food hasn’t been around very long. My parents’ generation fed their dogs table scraps and rarely went to the vet - then again they rarely went to the doctor themselves.
All in all, I think she’s going off the deep end with the raw meat diet - though by writing this article, she’s probably pulling a few in with her.
Thank you.
I would like my pup, a chihuahua, to lose weight. I know a raw diet will help him. Being a chihuahua, I doubt it will be a huge financial burden.
I’m worried about keeping raw meet around ... in such small quantities.
Checking it out now.
I've never seen this listed on any bag and I read ingredient lists before I buy anything.
I’ve never been much in favor of commercial dog food. Dogs have been sharing our meals for 10,000 years and doing just fine. In my opinion commercial dog food was invented as a way to sell scraps and floor sweepings illegal to sell for human consumption.
Commercial kibble is basically human food byproducts that no dog would touch with a 10 foot bone, which is coated with palatable fat prior to putting it in the bag. Yummmm....
To get started with raw diet, check out books by Ian Billinghurst (Give Your Dog a Bone, Grow Your Pups With Bones, etc). Part of the idea is that they don't just eat raw meat... its a carefully considered diet that mimics what dogs eat in the wild, modified to fit into a modern families kitchen. This includes lots of bone with that meat, some fruits and vegetables, and some oils. There is also something to the method... how much to vary what you give your dog, again to mimic the varied diet in the wild. Consider that with commercial kibble, you are giving your dog the same each thing, 1 cup or whatever of X, twice a day, for his/her entire life. That is NOT how dogs eat in the wild!
“some fruits and vegetables, and some oils.”
Maybe you read a different article. This woman seemed to be saying that she was only going to feed her dog raw meat because that’s what wild dogs eat.
Your diet sounds much more balanced than hers.
Thanks, I will look for the book.
You’re right...if you read the labels of most commercial dog foods they’re filled with awful things. One of our dogs can’t handle corn...and it’s almost impossible to find a commercial kibble w/out corn (we have found a couple.) In looking for foods w/out corn, we’ve read all the labels and ingredients on most dog foods and they’re using the parts humans can’t eat to make the dog food.
As to the raw diet, one of our dogs can tolerate it, the other can’t...it gives her “the runs.” So we have a mish mash of things we feed them, including a high quality kibble w/out grains, corn, etc. and then some raw, in moderation, plus things like cottage cheese (really good for most dogs, high protein, low fat) and plain yogurt.
I do think some dogs are prone to illness (genetics do play a part) no matter what you feed them. One of ours has Cushing’s and has had mast cell tumors and various other problems throughout her life starting when she was just a pup, but she’s still alive at 9 even though she’s had numerous serious health issues. The other dog, same breed, is healthy and has never had a health problem.
We feed them good food because it does help their energy level and reduces issues w/their skin, even though it doesn’t guarantee “perfect” health.
Wow, when did you buy “Give Your Dog a Bone”?
It’s out of print and $73.00 as a used book. :)
Google “Northwest Naturals” - they sell frozen meat bars (buffalo, beef, etc).
Expensive as hell, but it’s my wife’s idea - the damn dogs eat better than I do.
Dogs and cats, just like people, are living longer than they ever have. The dog next door is almost 20 and has always eaten commercial food. My last dog made it to almost 15. We had to feed him ground turkey, rice and eggs, because of a genetic condition.
My current dogs, both five, eat mostly commercial food, Wellness. We tried the raw diet for many months and they hated it. It made my one dog puke all the time.
I think people like to worry about everything.
The last dog we had was a small Pomeranian. All he ate was our table scraps and the occasional Taco Bell salad. He even liked corn on the cob but we had to hold it for him. He died of old age.
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