 |
Overview for Beginners,
by a Beginner
Bones & Raw Food for Dogs
Victoria Rose
August 2000
I have spent the last month doing research on natural
diets for canines. (The diets they ate LONG before dog food manufacturers
came along.) I have always believed that as long as I fed a high-grade,
premium, commercial kibble containing NO 4-D meat and NO
chemical preservatives, that I was doing the absolute
best I could for my beloved Doberman, Dancer (Calidancer V Teraden,
CD, OA, AD, OAC, OGC, NJC, RS-N, GS-N, JS-N, CGC. These are obedience
and agility titles; She is also trained in personal protection,
service dog work and tricks).
I have since learned that that is not true.
Before I go on, let me assure you
that I am not selling anything. I just want to pass on what I have
learned. And what I have learned, for one thing, is that the grains
in commercial kibble are not natural foods for dogs (or cats, for
that matter). I knew grains were a main ingredient - in too many
cases THE main ingredient - of all commercial feeds, but I never
thought about whether or not they were GOOD for dogs. I never stopped
to consider that dogs – and even more so, cats – are MEAT-EATERS!
Dogs can also utilize fruits and
vegetables when they are pulverized, but I never knew that they
could not easily or efficiently digest grains. They are unable to
process much of the grain (making it a very poor choice of protein)
they consume in commercial kibble -- which leads to large and smelly
stools (because stools are undigested food). Far worse, many dogs,
when grain-based foods are the constant mainstay of their diet,
develop an intolerance to grains, which some believe leads to allergies
and other chronic diseases.
(By the way, I also thought that
because meat was LISTED as the main ingredient, that it WAS the
main ingredient. I now know that many, if not most, dog food manufacturers
“split” the grains in order to make it LOOK like meat is the primary
ingredient. In those cases, when you add up all the grain ingredients,
grains outweigh meat, so, we are feeding our meat-eating dogs and
cats diets of MOSTLY… cereal, which is NOT what Mother Nature intended
for these animals.) NEITHER DOGS NOR CATS (ESPECIALLY CATS, AS THEY
ARE TRUE CARNIVORES!) ARE DESIGNED TO EAT GRAINS. (It’s like
pouring milk into our car’s gas tank and then wondering why it doesn’t
run properly and is always at the mechanic’s.)
I also learned how the cooking process destroys enzymes
and nutrients in the food. Despite dog food manufacturer’s claims,
a dog’s food can never be nutritious when subjected to the high
temperatures required to process commercial dog feeds. For real
nutrition, a dog’s food must always be fed raw.(And no, with
rare exception – Pacific Northwest Salmon being one of them – raw
meat is not dangerous to feed to a dog! Read the literature to find
out why.)
I am now convinced, after reading
the literature, that these grains (plus, possibly, the chemicals
found even in many of the higher-grade feeds) are poisoning our
pets, very often causing the allergies that are now so common, as
well as chronic diseases and cancer, illnesses that dogs contract
now more than they ever did in the "old days" when people
fed their dogs “real” food – biologically “appropriate” food – themselves,
and before dog food manufacturers got us, 60-70 years ago, to start
feeding our dogs these foreign, unnatural ingredients.
I always believed that the only culprits in
the pet food industry were 4D meat and chemical preservatives. (And,
of course, the harsh chemicals, including formaldehyde, used to
make many of the pig/cow ears and hooves and rawhide chews. Be especially
suspicious of any made outside the US.) I felt quite satisfied that
I had beaten the game, that I knew the truth, and that I was feeding
the best food possible by selecting brands that did not contain
these obviously poisonous ingredients. But I learned that
there are other chemicals used to make dog foods. Right or
wrong, good or bad, many dog foods (even some of the “premium” brands),
contain food colorings (even though dogs are colorblind!), appetite
stimulants (if it's so "good," why does my dog have to
be drugged into eating it?), anti-caking agents, lubricants, antimicrobial
agents, sweeteners, oxidizing agents, reducing agents, drying agents,
ph control agents, emulsifiers, processing aids, flavor enhancers,
sequestrates, solvent vehicles, flour treating agents, stabilizers,
thickeners, formulation aids, surface finishing agents, humectants,
synergists, leavening agents, texturizers, and of course, the totally
unnatural, unneeded, and possibly health-compromising, GRAINS.
A few years ago Dancer was diagnosed with hypothyroidism
and occasional urinary incontinence. My veterinarian gave me pills
for both of these problems and informed me that she would be on
these medications for the rest of her life. I recently joined an
e-mail list where I have met many people whose dogs were afflicted
with both problems, and after being on a natural, grain-free, chemical-free
diet, are now drug-free and fine. (These dogs’ thyroids WORK now!)
My vet never told me, as I have learned here, that hypothyroidism
is caused by autoimmune disease, that it IS, in fact, an
autoimmune disease, in and of itself. So I think there was a little
more to it than simply, "Give her these pills for the rest
of her life." I take responsibility for not learning more about
it. It's my fault for accepting -without question - what I was told.
But I certainly wish someone had told me a few years ago that a
clean, NATURAL, raw, grain-free and chemical-free diet – the
diet nature intended - might possibly replace those damned drugs!
I have mentioned this natural diet – affectionately
called BARF (“bones and raw food” OR “biologically-appropriate raw
food”) to several people, who have then expressed an interest in
it. So I have compiled web sites that explain the problem (commercial
feeds) and the solution (natural foods) much more accurately and
articulately than I ever could. The last natural foods link is egroups,
where you could, if you were interested, sign on and receive posts
from the members (over 2,000 in all), as they discuss the diet.
The testimonials from these people are amazing: Shinier coats, whiter
teeth, no more “dripping” eye gunk, no more scratching, no more
hot spots, better health, increased vigor and more glistening eyes.
They simply report having healthier, happier dogs!
However, I would suggest you NOT rely on the e-mail
list for your education. There are books by experts on the subject.
(The foremost authority being Australian Veterinary Surgeon Dr.
Ian Billinghurst.) The books are advertised everywhere in the links
I supply here. Further, if you are interested in learning more and
you do join the email list, tell me, and I will send you
my compilation of the most informative posts, all neatly divided
by subject matter. (Actually, if you want to know more without
joining the list, I could send you the files anyway.)
I hope this is of interest to you. I don’t want to
sound like a preacher, but I do want to educate others about the
need for a clean, NATURAL, raw diet for dogs, as I have recently
been educated. WHAT WE HAVE BEEN FEEDING OUR DOGS, EVEN IN THE “PREMIUM”
KIBBLES, IS NOT A NATURAL OR HEALTHY OR NUTRITIOUS DIET FOR
CANINES. (Believe it or not, even Wysong, a top, top premium brand
of kibble, recommends feeding a raw diet to dogs, and using ITS
food ONLY if you cannot do so.)
Learning about natural feed for canines also led me
to start internet research on vaccinations. Studies have shown that
the drugs used to vaccinate dogs accumulate in the dog's system,
making additional, annual vaccinations unnecessary. (Some believe
that years of over-vaccination are responsible for many dogs’ illnesses
and early deaths.) Studies have also shown that dogs do not require
vaccinations against all the diseases for which we commonly vaccinate.
(Also, giving 5-in-1 or 6-in-1 vaccines is very hard on a dog’s
system. Vaccines are easier on the dog when given in single doses.
Over-vaccination is particularly hard on older dogs and dogs whose
health is already compromised.) Please note that no adequate studies
have ever been done to show how often a dog should be revaccinated.
The only studies done were short-term and conducted by the vaccine
companies. (Why would they spend millions of dollars to prove
dogs need their product less often? Annual vaccinations are
a highly profitable business for vaccine manufacturers, as
well as for veterinarians.)
Last year my veterinarian at a large, highly-respected,
progressive hospital, told me that recent studies had shown that
we have been over-vaccinating our dogs. He said dogs do not need
annual boosters, nor do they need vaccinations against all the diseases
for which we have previously vaccinated. Double-checker that I am,
I called UC Davis to confirm, and was told by a veterinarian there
that that was true, and that UC Davis, as well, was changing its
vaccination protocol. (I called my other two vets, who are smaller
and perhaps not as up-to-date, and neither had heard of these studies
nor the new recommendations.) At the end of the dog food links,
I give you links to three sites discussing the vaccination issue,
plus a link to egroups where you can, if you so desire, subscribe
to another email list regarding over-vaccination.
I started Dancer on a commercial raw food diet because
I am not yet prepared to start making her food myself as I have
not finished my reading, but, I know enough now, that I just could
not bring myself to feed her even one more cup of commercial
kibble. I am sick when I think of the cereal and the chemicals that
have passed for the “premium” food for which I have been paying
good money, and have been feeding to my dog the last 5 ½ years.
I hope that eliminating cooked grains and chemicals, and feeding
whole, raw, natural foods, and cutting down on vaccinations can
reverse any damage done, and my chief goal is to supplement her
diet to the point that she no longer requires either of her medications.
By the way: a final note. While most natural feeders
give their dogs whole, raw bones (NEVER give a dog a COOKED bone!),
and have had no problems doing so, I personally will feed only chicken
necks as they appear to me to be quite safe. When I make Dancer's
food myself, I will grind the other bones. So, in the interest of
complete disclosure and safety, I am also providing here a few sites
which concern the safety of feeding bones. Just be aware
that people on the 2,000+-member email list rarely report any problems
feeding bones. I just figure, I want her to have the nutrition
of bones, but I’d rather be completely safe than sorry.
I feel that the feeding of cooked meat, grains, and
chemicals to our meat-eating dogs and cats is a travesty perpetuated
upon us by dog food manufacturers and that over-vaccination of our
pets has been a (very profitable) injustice perpetuated by vaccine
manufacturers and possibly the veterinary industry, so I wrote this
just to share this information with any pet owners interested in
taking a look at these issues. Whatever your conclusion after reading
the literature, I wish you and your pet a good, long, happy, healthy
life together.
Vaccinations
Copyright © 2000-2001 Victoria Rose, PO Box 40074,
Eugene, OR 97404
doggiewoggies@mindspring.com
This document may be reproduced
for non-commercial purposes
but please notify the author first.
|
|
