Bones and Raw Food Diet

chicken, pork, half a cow. They must think we're the greatest hunters on earth!" --Anne Tyler

If you want to take your animal’s health care a bit farther . . . switch to a raw food diet, or at least a cooked food diet. Purchase a book on natural health care for animals, many of which include information and even recipes for raw feeding. See the Holistic Care and Raw Foods and Kibbles book pages. If you purchase books from Amazon.com by linking to them through my site, a percentage of the price is donated to various small rescue groups around the country.

While farmers and ranchers have been feeding their dogs and cats this way for many years, the “BARF” diet was documented for use by the public by Dr. Ian Billinghurst, a veterinary surgeon in Australia, http://www.drianbillinghurst.com. He is the author of Give Your Dog a Bone, Grow Your Pup With Bones, and The BARF Diet. The BARF diet consists of raw meaty bones (such as chicken necks and backs, pork neck bones, turkey necks, and others), eggs, certain dairy products such as cottage cheese or yogurt [note that some dogs are allergic to dairy products], raw minced fruits and vegetables, a few supplemental items (such as apple cider vinegar and certain types of oils), and very few if any grains. This diet is detailed in many books by various other authors and on numerous websites for various breeds.

See Dr. Sanchez-Penalver’s website, www.weim.net/homeovet, for additional information about feeding a raw diet. Dr. Sanchez-Penalver is a homeopathic veterinarian in Spain who acts as moderator for the Weimaraner Holistic list at www.weim.net. Her website is full of wonderful articles, vaccination related problems and stories, information on holistic and homeopathic care, and much more. Although located in Spain, she is a fantastic homeopathic veterinarian who is available for second opinion consultations by phone and email (she has an international clientele), and is well respected in her field. She can be reached at homeovet@erasmas.com.

Feeding a raw diet can be pretty overwhelming at first. Many do so out of desperation because of their animal’s ongoing health issues, and experience a gamut of emotions about what will happen when they starting feed their animal companions raw food. . . . will they die? Will they get really sick? How will I know if they’re doing okay on this diet? What signs do I look for which mean their health is improving? I feed my two Weimaraners a raw food diet, and they are doing great! It was scary, yes -- but when I got sick of seeing Max constantly battling allergies and illnesses, and getting no relief from allopathic medication and kibble (including several of the higher quality kibbles carried at pet stores – I never did try a premium kibble because I switched directly to the raw food diet), I began looking for alternatives. I had no one to ask questions of, so I started with Dr. Pitcairn’s Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats, then eventually progressed to Dr. Billinghurst’s program. My boys are healthy, have beautiful shiny coats, no skin problems, perfectly clean teeth (Max is almost 8, by the way) . . . and our vet visits are minimal. The benefits are endless.

Dogs' stomach acid is much stronger than ours (for instance, they can digest/dissolve raw – not cooked – bone down to a powder); and food does not stay in their stomachs very long; their digestive tract is much shorter than ours. For these and other reasons, a healthy dog can handle the bacteria in raw food with no problem; even an ill one can under the right conditions and with the right supplement support. This assumes you are transitioning the dog in the proper manner (see one of the recommended books for doing so) and supporting their digestive system at the beginning to minimize changeover responses such as diarrhea. I started Barney (my second Weimaraner, a very ill stray I fostered and then adopted) on raw food at the height of his pneumonia and battle with hookworms. (NOTE: Be sure to research at length or consult with a seasoned raw feeder before attempting this with an ill, debilitated, immune system compromised or older animal.) See Barney’s story. I started with very lightly cooked (simmered in water, not fried) turkey and chicken for a few days, with a bit of rice or oatmeal, then added a bit of green beans, then other veggies, and slowly transitioned to completely raw/uncooked food over 7-8 days (meat and minced vegetables, eggs, cottage cheese; with cooked legumes, oatmeal, brown rice, millet, quinoa, barley and/or oat bran for fiber to help cleanse his gastrointestinal tract). And I supported his body with special supplements, probiotics (beneficial intestinal bacteria), food enzymes, and a vitamin/mineral product. Probiotics help the intestinal system reestablish a good colony of the beneficial bacteria, necessary for proper breakdown of food in the intestinal tract. Digestive enzymes (such as amylase, protease, lipase, lactase, and others) break down the food in their stomachs. If your dog or cat has trouble transitioning from one kibble to another, or from kibble to cooked or raw food, feeding supplemental enzymes for a period of time can help their bodies readjust to producing the enzymes needed to digest real food (they can lose that ability when on kibble), and helps all body systems function better. Usually a few weeks of the probiotics and food enzymes is all that’s needed for a healthy dog, then just the probiotic 2 or 3 times a week. Sometimes it’s necessary to supplement with probiotics and enzymes for a month or more if the animal is or has been ill, has received antibiotics and other drugs, has a compromised or inefficient immune system (which is the cause of skin and coat issues, allergies, ear infections, goopy eyes, etc.), or if they’ve been fed kibble for a long period of time. You'll find information about several probiotic products on the Immune System page.

Bacterial Concerns For information about the dog's digestive tract and how they process bacteria, see http://www.mountaindogfood.com/raw_help/Salmonella.htm, Salmonella Facts for the Health of You and Your Pet.

Is Raw Right for Your Pet? Feeding raw foods, or homecooked foods, to animals is not a new idea; this has been happening for many, many years, especially on farms and ranches. The "BARF" diet (Bones and Raw Food, or Biologically Appropriate Raw Food) is a healthy way of feeding which supports the immune system and provides the most easily assimilated nutrients. While feeding a raw diet is not for everyone -- some dogs or cats may not be able to tolerate raw bones, or may be too debilitated to handle raw meat until healthier -- it is one of the best things you can do to give your animal a long life and the best health possible. Watch allergy symptoms disappear, goopy eyes and ears turn clear and clean again, skin problems resolve, and much more. The money you will save in veterinary bills because your animal is healthy is another great reason to switch to this way of feeding. A natural diet, whether raw or homecooked, is crucial for dogs and cats who are dealing with cancer. For books which discuss the problems with feeding kibble, please see the Resources-Media-Books-Kibble and Its Problems page.

Transitioning to Raw. Please do not attempt to switch your animal's diet without first doing your research. There is more to this diet than just handing raw meat and vegetables to your dog or cat. There is a learning curve and it will take a few weeks to get comfortable with the program, and develop a routine of preparing meals that works best with your schedule and lifestyle. I eventually chose to make big batches of ground meat/vegetable/supplement meals and freeze them; and I also feed various meaty bones and fish along with certain vegetables and grains. There are a number of great books and websites which explain what to feed and why. I started Max on Dr. Pitcairn's way of feeding, and two years later I fully transitioned to including raw bones in his diet. He is at his healthiest state ever. Barney was transitioned to a raw diet when he was very ill and it made a tremendous difference in his recovery. For a list of books I recommend, see the Resources-Media-Books-Raw and Cooked Food Diets page.

Raw Meaty Bones Newsletter For those who feed a raw diet, Tom Lonsdale (author of Raw Meaty Bones) offers a free email newsletter. To learn more and to subscribe, see http://secureshop.rawmeatybones.com/newsletter/.

Don't Feed Raw Salmon Salmon can carry a rickettsial parasite, which in turn carries a bacteria, which causes a problem sometimes referred to as "salmon poisoning". See

Prepackaged Raw Diets. I make all of my own raw dog food. If you wish to forego that process, you can purchase premade raw foods; note that you may need to add a good vitamin/mineral/probiotic/enzyme product to the meals. (See the Other Products I Recommend page for some options and specifically the Know Better Dog Food product.) While these premade products usually have bone ground into them, I also recommend supplementing with certain meals made of raw meaty bones such as organic chicken backs, necks and wings. Here are a few product lines, there are many more:

http://www.primalpetfoods.com/ These are complete foods from free range chicken, beef, lamb and duck, organic vegetables and certain supplements.

Raw Diet Supplement. Knowbetterdogfood.com carries cat raw feeding supplements too. These folks have come up with Better in the Raw (without liver or grains) and My Master’s Choice (with liver but no grains), two fabulous dry ingredient bases to add to a dog's water, raw meat and vegetables so that you don’t have to try to figure out how much of what supplements to give. This goes the same for the Instincts TC cat food (to which you add raw meat) which they carry for making a feline raw diet. These supplements make feeding a raw diet a lot easier. The resulting food, prepared in accordance with instructions, is a complete and balanced diet for dogs and cats of all ages. When feeding these products, no additional food or vitamin and mineral supplements of any kind are required. Try one of these products for 3 months and see the difference in your dog or cat! www.knowbetterdogfood.com

Making Your Own Healthy Dog Treats. See http://www.dogtreatrecipes.com.au/sampledogtreatrecipes.html for 5 free sample recipes, and information about how you can purchase the book the sample recipes came from. Discover the secrets to making disease free, chemical and preservative free, healthy homemade dog treats. With over 200 recipes in this book, your dog will be loving you!

A Note About Feeding Cats a Raw Diet. Cats have different nutritional requirements, including needing a higher level of Taurine and protein in their diet than dogs do. They need little if no veggies. For recipes and additional information, see Dr. Pitcairn’s book and others (see links to book pages, above). Also, search the Internet for “raw food diets for cats” or similar search strings. Several excellent sites are:

A Note About Feeding Pork to Dogs. Recently in my monthly newsletter I stated that Pork should never be fed raw to dogs. The United States is NOT free from a swine disease known as Aujeszky's Disease or pseudorabies. This disease is incurable in and fatal to dogs. If you feed pork, be sure it is well cooked. Well, Sharon, a reader of Kat’s Journal, was kind enough to provide me with additional information that should make feeders of raw pork rest easier.

“I run a raw feeding buying co-op and as we've seen tremendous price increases in beef and now in poultry, pork has become more popular among our members. The virus that causes pseudorabies is rather fragile and can be killed by freezing, which is not common for viruses. Typically they can only be killed by high heat. I freeze my pork for a minimum of three weeks and make sure my freezer temp is cold enough. I saved a bunch of my research information, some of which appears below. Just thought you might be interested.” Sharon

www.aahc.com.au/ausvetplan/aujfinal.pdf "Meat from abattoir-slaughtered pigs is very unlikely to present a risk of spread of infection to pigs or other susceptible animals, as infected pigs are viraemic for a short time, the amount of virus is reduced by the pH changes postmortem, and freezing inactivates AD virus."

http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/ahfss/ah/pdfs/prv.pdf "The virus is very susceptible to pH levels below 4 and above 9 and temperatures slightly below freezing."

From www.vetsci.psu.edu/Ext/Resour\ces/circ/Pseudorabies.pdf "In 1989 a national control and eradication program was instituted in the Untied States. As of May 2002, only five states had not reached Stage V (free status). The five remaining states are in eradication programs and it was anticipated that all states would be at Stage V within a matter of 1 to 2 years."

For Canine Weight Gain. For a fabulous recipe called “Satin Balls”, guaranteed to put weight back on a debilitated dog, please see “The Holistic Dog and Other Animals” website (http://www.holisticdog.org/Nutrition/Satinballs/satinballs.html). The recipe was developed by Diana Carreon, R.N.,C.

Vegetables. A few things to note, from Sue Johnson's Switching to Raw: "The cabbage family which includes cabbage, broccoli, kale and the like, fed in large amounts have been noted to decrease thyroid function. This does not mean they cannot be used as a part of your vegetable mix. The same is true of vegetables that contain high amounts of oxalic acid, such as spinach and chard. They may interfere with calcium absorption and irritate urinary conditions. The nightshade family, which includes potatoes, tomatoes, green and red peppers [and eggplant], is sometimes found to aggravate arthritic conditions. The skins of potatoes and the eyes should not be fed raw since they contain solanine which is poisonous. Onions have been found to cause hemolytic anemia in dogs and are best avoided. Aside from onions, potato eyes and skins, any vegetable can be used in moderation as part of the vegetable mix. "

For Health Issues. http://www.dogaware.com/kidney.html has information about how to feed older dogs who are suffering from kidney disease or liver disease http://www.dogaware.com/specific.html. If you go to the main page, you'll also find information about feeding for other types of health issues including cancer and irritable bowel disease, among others.

Cooked Diets. If the raw diet does not fit with your lifestyle or beliefs, please consider a homecooked diet. Here are links and lists to help you get started.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/k9nutrition/ "This list is for people wanting to learn more about nutrition and dogs, and sharing ideas on feeding for daily use and for special needs, such as illness, recuperating, lactation, pregnancy and for all life stages. Some examples of discussion on this list include recipe sharing, use of vitamins and minerals, issues of diet for arthritis and allergies, use of herbs and herbal tinctures and talking about books on diet (old and new), seminars and conferences. It is also for people looking for new ideas in feeding and sharing information they have used in their own dogs with success. It is also expected that while not all people will agree on feeding methods and diet, that all members will treat each other with respect on individual opinions." Mary Straus (http://www.dogaware.com) and Lew Olsen, PhD (http://www.b-naturals.com), and other experts are members of this list and very helpful to newcomers.

Vegan/Vegetarian Diets. See http://groups.yahoo.com/group/compassionateguardians/ "This group is designed to be a respectful haven of discussion & resources for those interested in feeding their companion animal dogs & cats a vegetarian or vegan diet. It is also a warm atmosphere to discuss all aspects of compassionate care for & joyous living with these companion animals. Dogs are recognized in veterinary medicine as nutritional omnivores, while cats are naturally obligatory carnivores. Both can be fed a well-planned, balanced vegetarian/vegan diet with supplements. Diets may be homemade & formulated with veterinary help or commercially prepared. Commercially available vegetarian/vegan foods include Yarrah Organics, Three Dog Bakery Vegetarian, Happidog, Wackidog, Nature's Recipe, Natural Life, Wow-Bow Vegi-Krunch, Evolution, Medi-Cal, Green Ark, HOANA recipes & vegecat/dog/kit supplements, and others. UC Davis Veterinary Medical School is one resource for creating & balancing a healthful vegetarian homemade diet, consulting for a small fee."

For Ferrets. See http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalFerrets/ "Natural health for dogs and cats...you see it everywhere! How about some natural health for ferrets!! Do you avoid vaccinating your ferret(s)? Do you feed them a raw natural diet instead of that poison in a bag? Are you interested in learning natural health and diet for your ferret? I am and I know there are others out there. This list is open to renegade ferret owners everywhere. Let's get together and learn to keep our ferrets healthy NATURALLY!!! Discussion of vaccinations, raw diets, herbology, naturopathy, homeopathy, aromatherapy and other natural pathways are welcome."

For Exotics. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CanadianExotics/ "Canadian Exotics is for anyone ( Canadian or not) who is interested in owning, breeding or just sharing of information on exotic pets. This is from any exotic from pocket pets, birds, rodents,reptiles,exotic cats, primates and of course larger exotics etc. The list purpose is to share any information on husbandry,animal well being, diets, medical care, breeding, laws or just plain fun of sharing information on our exotic pets."

For Birds. http://www.peeweesplaypen.com/ PeeWee's Playpen carries toys and accessories for birds, along with a variety of diet options. There's even one you can cook which contains grains, seeds, fruit and other good things, and comes in different flavors. Note: avoid wheat bread as part of their diet. http://www.birdsense.com/mash.html Scroll down the page for a homemade diet. http://www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com/ Harrison's brand pellets; certified all organic. Some bird lovers believe a pelleted feed is not as good as a homemade diet, but this product was recommended by one birdlover.

BUT! If you want to really go all the way with having control over the healthiest diet for your bird, see my Birds page and the information about Robin Deutsch's book, The Healthy Bird Cookbook.

Additional Lists and Links Regarding Diets. For additional lists and links which discuss raw feeding for dogs and cats, including sample recipes and diets, see the Links and Lists pages.

Cooling/Warming Effects of Foods. In Chinese medicine and other forms of nutritional healing for the body, there is the principle of cooling/warming/neutral foods. This can be affected by how the food is prepared. For more information, see http://neuro.vetmed.ufl.edu/neuro/courses/vem5208/TCM_5-E_Diet.pdf and http://neuro.vetmed.ufl.edu/neuro/courses/vem5208/tcm-food.htm, http://www.meridianpress.net/frameset.html (click on the Articles link, then The Energetics of Food - A Practitioner's Guide).

Books on this subject include The Self-Healing Cookbook (Kristina Turner), and Food and Healing (Annemarie Colbin). Both contain charts regarding how foods are prepared, the effects they have on the body, and the energetic properties of a variety of foods.

Nutritional Content of Foods. http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/cgi-bin/nut_search.pl

A Note About Detoxification. Invariably, any animal which has been given antibiotics, steroids, arthritis medications, has ever had surgery (anesthetic) or other allopathic treatment, has been given heartworm medication, Rimadyl, flea repellents, etc. is going to have chemical residues lodged in its body. Previously poor nutrition (i.e., low quality kibbles and canned foods), stress and other factors can also influence the detoxification process. One or more of these can overtax the liver in clearing the body of these chemicals, resulting in a variety of health issues. When you change to the raw feeding plan (or even homecooked natural foods), you may see your dog or cat go through a series of clearing signs over a period of time. These may include one or more of the following: increased ear or eye goop, itchiness, full anal glands, skin problems, infections . . . this is quite normal and to be expected, and they do resolve (unless the animal has a food intolerance such as to wheat, corn, soy, and a few other common allergens). The raw diet is designed in part to remove common allergens and food items which are not considered appropriate for carnivores like dogs and cats. Be patient, treat the clearing signs only if strictly necessary and then only with holistic (natural) solutions. The body must rebalance its pH (Candida Albicans (yeast) overgrowth is often a main trigger for skin and ear problems), clear the body and blood of toxins, and build new cells to replace unhealthy ones.

The worst thing you can do is give your animal a medication to alleviate these symptoms if they are not life threatening. You're just further suppressing the immune system when you do that. If your animal needs veterinary care for these healing symptoms, please consult with a holistic-oriented veterinarian if your allopathic veterinarian is unwilling to support your choice (and right) to improve your animal’s health in a natural way. There are so many good books available which contain simple home or health food store remedies and supplements which can address these symptoms if it becomes necessary (patience is the key). I highly recommend for all dog and cat lovers the book Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats. This should definitely be on your bookshelf!

Here's a very good site which describes the detoxification process including skin and stool issues; a description of probiotics and enzymes and why they're necessary supplements; discusses certain health issues (such as cancer and thyroid problems); and more: http://www.feedthis.com/. Another good write-up about healing episodes when switching to a raw diet is found at http://www.phdproducts.com/healingcleansing.asp. A sample cleansing diet can be found at http://www.phdproducts.com/healingcleansing.asp. I do not recommend continuing this cleansing diet past the recommended time noted; instead, please purchase one or several books on how to properly feed a raw diet.

Apple Cider Vinegar. See information on my Supporting the Immune System page about the adding raw unfiltered ACV to your dog's diet.

Raw Recreational Bones. What size of bone to give depends on the size of the dog. If it’s a large dog, the large cow leg bones with marrow are good. If a small dog, beef ribs are okay (they can’t have jaws powerful enough to crack the ribs though). The bigger ribs are better. Usually the meat department at the grocery store carries or can get the large bones, sometimes with the joints on each end. Or they can get the large leg bones cut in half (or might cut them in half for you), which gives about 4” pieces that are okay for medium and large sized dogs to chew on. The bones shouldn’t be chewed on every day, as they will eventually wear the tooth enamel down. Note that if using the large leg bones, the marrow will go rancid fast, so what I do is give the bone to my dogs, let them chew on it for an hour or so, take it away, wrap and refrigerate it. I do that for 3 days, then I microwave the bone for about 30 seconds (no longer), the marrow softens, I scrape it out with a table knife and then run hot water through the center to clean it. I also will use a paring knife to scrape off any tissue (ligament/tendon fibers) still on the outside of the bone. Then they can have the bones in the house as they’re not messy. For the first few days I let them have the bones outside.

Vaccinations. One other thing to keep in mind: use caution in vaccinating your animal companion. Vaccines can induce a variety of health problems from skin conditions to irritable/inflammatory bowel disease to seizures. For more information, please see my Vaccination Issues page. I'm not saying don't vaccinate; but it is vitally important that you be informed about the risks associated with doing so. Vaccinations can undo the hard work you and your animal have done in switching to a natural diet plan. Please see the book "What Vets Don't Tell You About Vaccines" (Catherine O'Driscoll) at the bottom of the Resources-Media-Books-Holistic Care page.

Raw Feeding Websites. See my Links page for websites which discuss raw feeding.

Here's a little humor for you veterans, I'm sure you'll relate to this. For those new to this way of feeding, or those who are contemplating jumping in soon . . . don't let this scare you off!

∞ You no longer need a cup of coffee in the morning, the smell of fresh tripe is more than enough to wake you up! I wonder if Folger's could make their coffee just smell like that? ∞ You can accurately identify the inner anatomy of a cow. even ground up or in little pieces ∞ Your dogs have a meal that you can take pride in. Your family, on the other hand is eating fish sticks and Kraft macaroni and cheese! Pizza, anyone? ∞ Your vet is jealous of what your dogs eat. For that matter so are your friends, coworkers and family! I am too, think sometimes of just splitting the meal in half and cooking some for me! ∞ You have alienated 99% of vets in your area. for more reasons than one... ∞ You have bored your family to death with the virtues of your dogs eating raw. and friends, coworkers, ex-friends, etc. ∞ You drive past some roadkill on the highway and wonder if your dogs could eat it. it hasn't been there that long! ∞ You have always condemned hunting, now you wonder if your dogs would like some tasty venison. rabbit, squirrel, goose, woodchuck, anything else we love to hunt but don't care to eat. ∞ Half your kitchen equipment is devoted to making dog food. more like 3/4 of them ∞ You are scanning in pictures of your dog's dinner in order to lure in more converts! http://www.auntjeni.com/barf.htm ∞ You no longer buy cars based on how many dogs it can fit, but how many pounds of meat it can carry. we have had it up to 160! ∞ You have an extremely large freezer devoted solely to your dog's food. $149.00 at Menard's ∞ You have tried to talk your butcher into getting involved with the air miles program. (might as well!) I remember the talk I had with the lady at Merindorf! "you should have a frequent buyer program for animal parts, and leftovers!" ∞ You have more mileage racked up on getting bulk dog food ingredients than you for work. well, not really, but it is close ∞ Touching raw meat is no longer a horrible chore. not after what I have seen ∞ Your dogs friends look at your dogs with envy! they should...look at their coats ∞ All the people in your dog park have permanently labeled you as "That Whacko Who Feeds Their Dogs Raw Meat!" typical ∞ You wear that label with pride. very typical ∞ You give lectures at the human supermarket when you see someone picking up a bag of Kibbles 'n Bits! in your mind, you say all the things that you have learned over the years, and quote as much as you can think of from various books and sites. But in reality, you simply say "oh, you feed that to your dog?" ∞ You show your 7 year old dog's teeth to everyone! and are proud of the health of your puppies' teeth, even though they will fall out shortly. but you keep them around and bring them out of your pocket when you are talking to strangers about the BARF diet. ∞ You carry a lamp with you to REALLY show how shiny your dog's coat is. now how practical is this? try a high powered flashlight ∞ You have a whole cabinet of supplements and none of them are for you. or they originally started for you, until one of the lists that you are on proved that it was good for your dog, and you quit taking them so that you could use them for your dog. ∞ You have found a new creative use for sledgehammers, hacksaws and Ginsu knives! what else are these for except for butchering meat for your dog? ∞ You shove your dog's fresh stools under your neighbor's nose just to show them how small they really are! <no comment> ∞ You go to the Health Food Store and none of the things you buy there are for you. you stop on the way home and get McDonald's for dinner for yourself ∞ When your mom cleans out your fridge, she throws out half of your weekly pre-prepared food. in my fridge there is no other food than what is for the dog. ∞ Some of your greatest accomplishments include how many people you have converted from Science Diet to raw. and how many pet store clerks you have talked into the raw diet, and now carry more raw diet friendly food in their store. ∞ Your husband starts picking out raw bones from the supermarket freezer and asks if it's okay. now that is just sexist ∞ You get some mighty strange looks at the checkout counter at your grocery. how many times have to just looked back and said, "it's for my dog!" ∞ You get into a technical debate about the nutritional value of organic cow patties. with a farmer who you think has eaten them himself (sorry, no offense, but I have been there!) ∞ Suddenly the thought of your dog eating cow patties isn't so revolting. if he will do it, why not for my dog ∞ Your good non-dog friends have started to resist your dogs kisses. and those on the diet start accepting them ∞ You pick fresh strawberries in 100 degree heat, knowing that half of them are being frozen for the dogs. and eat only half of the greatest steak you have ever tried, just so you can let your dog try it too ∞