In the past ten years, raw feeding has gone from a rare oddity to an acceptable alternative among dog owners.

And what started out as a fairly simple feeding method that required just a bit of common sense and assembly has become the target of a variety of trends and fads.  Some of the trends have been a little offbeat - breed specific diets based on the breed region of origin for instance, where Siberian Huskies thrive on a diet of caribou and polar bear while Labrador Retrievers should eat only fish and water fowl. A few of the trends are legalistic, with no room for compromise, such as the prey model diet. Still others are downright dangerous - feeding meat only (no bone) or just chicken.  Most of the variants revolve around bone content (we've heard as little as 5% up to 40%) and the need (or lack thereof) for vegetable in our pet's diet.  So what should we take seriously and what should we dismiss?

Prey Model Feeding - I can't believe I eat the whole thing!

One of the biggest trends lately has been the prey model diet or “Franken-prey”.  There are email lists devoted to prey model feeding and ONLY prey model feeding and websites touting its message all over the internet. It is a highly exclusionary trend in that if you don’t abide by the rules, if you don’t feed 100% raw, if you aren’t veggie and supplement free – you are wrong.  Is feeding a diet without veggies or supplements okay?  In some cases a modified prey model diet is fine. Dog won’t eat veggies – so be it, you can make up for those nutrients elsewhere.  Then again, that would require supplementation – something that is largely forbidden or at least frowned upon.  The truth of the matter is that it’s nearly impossible to feed actual whole prey.  Some feed whole chickens, rabbits, other game birds etc. but generally people who espouse this trend tend to feed a variety of things to make up one prey animal – hence the term “Franken-prey”.  The head of a goat, body of a chicken, organs of a cow, legs of a deer – all to make up what prey-model feeders believe is a whole animal – except that its simply not. Certainly all of these things can make good meals for a dog but let’s not fool ourselves into believing that we are actually feeding our dogs the way that wolves would eat.  It’s just not so.  What needs to be remembered and what is often not given any thought to by prey-model feeders is that each dog is an individual with certain needs.  Many of those needs can be met through diet but strictly adhering to ONE raw feeding trend thereby discounting others that may be more appropriate for your particular dog can cause more harm than good. Its important to remember that being open to other ways of feeding is what probably brought most of us to raw feeding to begin with.  Becoming militant and intolerant of new ideas or ways slightly different from your own is ridiculous.  Implying to someone that they are wrong for feeding 50% raw, 50% kibble, for feeding veggies, for supplementing etc. doesn’t help anyone and can easily turn a newbie off of raw and chase them right back to feeding kibble only. 

Chicken ONLY - Boring! and not balanced

Through the years as people feed their dogs commercial kibble, they become used to and are even told that you pick one dog food and stick with it.  Unfortunately this thought, not even true in kibble, is carried over with them as they branch out into trying the raw diet.  These are the people that usually are feeding chicken only but in some cases beef only, turkey only, “insert protein source here” only. This idea could ONLY come from the commercial diet gurus, un-enlightened veterinarians, and lacksadasical pet store workers.  Problem is that people buy it hook, line and sinker.  In reality, the key to feeding a raw diet to your dog is variety.  It is the spice of life and the cornerstone of a well balanced over time raw diet for your pup.  Chicken seems to be the most common culprit when a raw feeder is seduced into only feeding one thing day in and day out.  Its cheap, entirely edible, easily obtainable.  Problem is that you are cheating your dog’s nutritional well being by only feeding chicken.  This is true to a lesser extent of feeding beef only, turkey only etc.  Both beef and turkey are more nutritionally valuable than chicken but neither gives your dog all that they need to live the healthiest life possible.  Feeding chicken only?  Wait. Soon you will see poor coat and skin and declining health.  Those vet visits that so many raw fed dogs avoid will become more frequent until you can’t see a difference from when you were feeding kibble.  Balance over time through feeding a variety of protein sources is the key to this diet – its easy to do – just mix it up a little!!

Calcium and Phosphorus - You can't feed one without the other...

Boneless meat is easily obtained at the grocery store.  Edible beef bones can be hard to come by so why not just feed that dog ground beef from the supermarket?  Sale on ground turkey?  Cool! Problem is that people don’t consider the fact that feeding meat without bone is a sure way to disrupt a relationship that should be in the forefront of the minds of raw feeders – making sure your calcium and phosphorus ratios are in sync.  People who feed tons of boneless meals are not cognizant of the fact that phosphorus is hugely available in meat while calcium is not. The reverse is also true – calcium is found in bones, phosphorus is much lower percentages.  When you feed your dog big boneless meals you disrupt a relationship between calcium and phosphorus that is of utmost importance. They work in a symbiotic relationship – each helping the other to be absorbed and used correctly.  Erroneously people believe that they can feed boneless one day and bony the next.  This simply isn’t true.  One doesn’t work without the other in any given meal.  Yes, balance over time is the goal – your dog should have a balanced diet say over the course of two weeks BUT balancing the calcium and phosphorus is not included in this scenario.  Can you feed boneless meat?  For certain you can!  Say you are feeding neck bones – not super meat, high in bone content.  Add some boneless beef to equalize your calcium ratios with your phosphorus ratios – no problem!  Have a ton of ground meat that you would like to feed as meals?  By all means!  Simply supplement calcium where there is none – perfect for this task is the calcium from eggshells.  Products such as Eggshellent Calcium make it easy to give your dog calcium from a whole food source second only to feeding actual bones.  By adding approximately one teaspoon per pound of meat you have a dinner that has the right calcium/phosphorus levels, happy owner and happy dog. 

Bone Content - How much is enough?

This leads to a discussion on what exactly IS the proper bone content for a dog.  Theories galore fly around the internet, raw feeding groups and personal discussions.  The truth of the matter is that each dog is an individual but some percentages are bandied about that are just plain scary.  The idea that 5% bone is enough for a dog – enough to balance their calcium needs and bind with the phosphorus as mentioned above is insane.  It simply isn’t enough and if your dog gets constipated when he gets more than 5% bone than you should absolutely consider supplementing a product like eggshell calcium in order to make certain that the proper calcium/phosphorus ratio is achieved.  One of the more popular percentage structures bandied about is that of 80% muscle meat, 10% bone and 10% organs/veggies.  Still on the low side for most (not all) dogs, it has been said that this percentage most mimics that of a whole prey animal.  This is not actually true and the actual bone percentages in most prey animals are slightly higher.  That being said, 10% might be fine for some individuals but by in large most dogs do best with between 15%-20% bone.  Then there is the other end of the spectrum – people who feed in excess of 25% - 40% bone.  This percentage is generally far too high for a dog and can cause some serious problems – especially a huge bout of constipation which leads to high discomfort and pain for your dog.  Avoid it! Essentially the key it to remember that each dog is an individual – no matter how your best friend feeds THEIR dogs, your dog might have different needs.  It’s up to you to be cognizant of this fact and adjust accordingly.  If your dog does better on a slightly lower bone percentage, add more organs, more veggies, and more meat until you are at the right place.  If he needs more, add more!  Its easy – just don’t be taken in by the thought that just because someone has been doing this for a year longer than you means that they somehow have knowledge that makes them 100% right and that you have to feed exactly the way that they do – always remember to fit the diet to your dog.

To Veg or not to Veg? - That's a question.

It’s the age old question that has made the raw feeding rounds for years – to feed veggies or not. Can dogs survive without them? Certainly.  Are there particular dogs who do better without them?  Absolutely.  Do healthy dogs benefit from the addition of veggies to their diet?  Without a doubt.  Some dogs simply won’t eat them – and that’s okay.  While there are plenty of nutrients that dogs get from eating veggies, they can and do thrive on a veggie free diet as well.  If your dog will actually eat them though, it would be a shame to deprive them of the nutrition that they offer.  Always take into consideration your dog’s condition – oftentimes conditions such as cancer and chronic renal failure require little to no veggies or particular low phosphorus veggies.  Simply adjust as you need to.  Most important is to not let anyone tell you that they know absolutely that your dog does or does not need them – its good nutrition, usable important vitamins and minerals and more than useful to most dog owners and their dogs.

Should English Foxhounds only eat Foxes?

Finally, the inane. Yes, what is perhaps the silliest most ridiculous trend in all of raw feeding….in all of ANY kind of feeding! The Breed Specific Diet.  The idea that because of your dog’s breed or breed mix, he should only eat particular foods.  It is based upon the thought that whatever food stuffs/protein sources were available in your pet’s native land make up the foods you should be feeding your dog.  For example, the originator of this idea claims that some breeds, such as Chow Chows, are vegetarians primarily.  They should be fed rice, wheat, soy and small amounts of fish.  He claims that their teeth differentiate them from other breeds, which are carnivores, and prove that they should actually be mostly vegetarians.  Much of this is based on its original use as a meat product for human consumption. Interesting, but complete garbage. Chows are carnivores just like every other canine wild or domesticated.  While entertaining and hilarious to read, there ARE people out there who believe everything that they read.  Remember folks, just because the internet says it doesn’t mean its true – even partially true.  By following such a diet recommendation you are sure to cause damage and nutritional deficiencies in your dog.  Be well informed and just because someone can talk a good game and has a website know that it doesn’t mean that they are an authority on anything whatsoever.  Read it, digest it, keep what seems to be substantiated information and toss the garbage.

What is right for YOUR dog?

So what is the moral of the story?  Dogs are individuals with individual needs.  Certainly they share a need for species specific nutrition – dogs are carnivores that thrive on a diet of REAL food meaning meat, bones, organs and veggies. Beyond those basics there is no absolutely right way to feed though there are plenty of wrong ways to feed. Raw feeders tend to be some of the most open minded educated dog owners around.  They recognize the veracity of feeding real food to their dogs and thrill in the resulting good health, wonderful demeanor and longevity that result in feeding such a diet.  They educate themselves and learn new things daily.  They pay attention to their dogs and make sure that they get what works for them in the most balanced and well rounded way possible.  Don’t let anyone convince you that you are wrong – chances are that they are defensive and narrow minded for a reason.  Keep your eyes open and use common sense.  By doing so its not likely that you’ll go wrong or be sucked in by popular trends that simply make no sense.