Now there's a hot topic!
I have been feeding a raw diet to my dogs for seven or eight years now
and have been very pleased with the results. Gracie, Monty and
Pogo have been on a raw diet since moving in with us as puppies.
Webster has been raw-fed since he was about three and a half years old, and
Bud made the switch when he was 11 years old. They have all taken
to it immediately and I've seen notable benefits in teeth, breath,
appetite, the ability to eat a variety of foods without digestive upset,
great coats, skin, vitality, energy, stool quality, and an end to anal gland
problems.
Over the years, I've changed the way I feed the dogs
several times. The first foray into the world of raw feeding was
in 1995, using Wendy Volhard's Natural Diet, as prescribed in her classic book, The
Holistic Guide for a Healthy Dog. I tried this for about six
months and saw an immediate improvement in Tripper's teeth and breath,
and in Webster's appetite. Unfortunately, this diet proved to be
too cumbersome and involved for me and we switched back to kibble.
Since switching to raw permanently, I've gone through
several phases: Ian Billinghurst, Kymythy Schultze, etc. Right
now, I feed the Nature's
Variety frozen raw diet about half the time, and the rest of the
time, make it up on the fly. I'm sure it will keep evolving.
Here are some great resources to help you make the right
decision for you and your dog(s). No need for me to reinvent the
wheel!
(a very young) Gracie loves chicken wings for breakfast!
