The Raw Dog Diet Explained
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In the wild it is live foods that nourish and fuel the body of a carnivore. When a dog eats a herbivore, such as a rabbit, or other small prey, it eats the meat, some bone, some organ meat such as liver, kidney, or heart, and often vegetation that's inside the animals stomach.
This nutritious meal provides live enzymes, phytochemicals, antioxidants, amino acids, vitamins and minerals that help the carnivore stay healthy and strong in the wild.
Your dog is a meat eater, most commercial pet food both kibble and canned contain over 50% grain.
Grain works well as a binder to hold the food together yet is of no nutritional value to your dog's body.
More interesting, grains are metabolized by your dog into sugar (glucose), which is known to promote diabetes, feed cancers and cause other disorders and illnesses in dogs.
Many Great Dane owners feel a raw dog diet of bones and meat alone doesn't provide proper nutrition. Vegetables and greens are often added along with other ingredients such as oils, vitamins, minerals, herbs and other supplements.
Benefits of a raw dog diet
Teeth & Gums:
Your Great Dane will benefit from the bone mass of a raw dog diet. The crunchy bones will help prevent tartar and plaque build up. Get ready for beautifully clean teeth and sweet dog kisses.
Skin and Coat:
Is likely to be the first change you notice when you begin feeding BARF. Suddenly those nagging skin problems improve, no medicines, creams or sprays!
The immune system:
Will strengthen and improve simply by providing your dog with its natural food. The BARF raw dog diet provides a good balance of fatty acids (omega's), and many other nutrients that strengthen the immune system.
Pet waste - poop:
Eating bones helps to create a firmer stool, this will help the anal sacs to empty naturally, no more smelly rear-end, "nice"! Stool size will be much smaller also as the raw foods are used by your Danes body, not just passed through unused and eliminated.
Less pet gas is an added benefit of a raw dog diet, along with fewer digestive difficulties.
Arthritis:
After feeding BARF for a couple of months you may notice increased activity and energy in your Dane. This holds true for senior dogs as well, quite often, a raw diet can re-energize an arthritic K9.
Body Mass:
Feeding your Great Dane BARF will assure solid muscle mass and help reduce body fat. Your Dane will look impressive and chiseled. Don't blame me if you are overwhelmed with inspired visitors, awestruck by your muscular, shining Dane.
Temperament:
No more energy spikes due to unknown chemicals, sugars and other preservatives used in commercial brand kibble. Your Dane will have a more even temperament.
The basic ingredients
Before you begin feeding a raw dog diet take a second to review the basics. We're starting from scratch so fly right over this if it's elementary to you.
Meat and bones are the main ingredient, most people start with chicken or turkey, you can also feed lamb, pork, beef and fish.
We have included vegetables in our list yet some feed no veggies at all. There are many different ways to feed a raw dog diet, please understand, over time you will learn what works best for you and your dog:)
Shopping list
The Meat:
(Should include a variety, meaty bone, muscle meat and organs)
(Chicken) necks, legs, gizzards, backs, breast, quarters, wings, (Turkey) necks, legs, wings, hearts, (Pork) pork ribs, shoulders, necks, (Lamb) ribs, shoulders, shanks, necks, (Beef) parts, hearts, liver, (Fish) caught fresh, canned works well.
Exotics:
(Offer different nutrients and keep the digestive system entertained.)
Buffalo, Kangaroo, Rabbit (whole carcases work), Duck, Ostrich.
Organ meat:
Liver, kidney, green tripe.
INGREDIENTS TIP:
Best bet is to go with chicken, it's cheaper and more readily available, than substitute other meats and organ meats every couple days or so to provide different protein sources.
Veggies:
Vegetables are up to you, some feed them while others don't. If you decide to feed the veggies choose things like carrots, broccoli, peas, green beans and such. Puree them into a liquid and add the meat.
Other ingredients: (optional)
Raw eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese, (Oils) flax seed, coconut, extra virgin olive and salmon oil. (Organics) Organic kelp and alfalfa powder help with shedding, (Vitamins) vitamin C and vitamin E, (Acidophilus) a capsule at mealtime helps digestion and reduces gas.
Preparing dinner
If you choose to use the vegetables with the raw dog diet you can puree them in advance for quick freezer storage. Separate the meats into meal size portions before you freeze them. (frozen meat is hard as a rock, we made this mistake before:)
Now the easy part, grab that portion of thawed raw meat, add a half cup of liquefied veggies, crack an egg and throw it in the mix, the shell too. Garnish with some yogurt or cottage cheese add your supplements and vitamins, stand back and watch the feeding frenzy.
FEEDING TIPS:
(Making the weight) Simply grab an electronic scale and zero out the bowl. Next start adding your meats to meet your desired weight, simple and easy!
(Speed eaters) Some dogs will try to inhale this great tasting meal, adding a little water often slows them down a bit.
Q & A
Q. Can I purchase raw meals pre-made?
A. Yes, the BARF raw dog diet has increased in popularity. Certain companies such as Oma's Pride® offer pre-packaged meals.
Q. How much should I feed my Great Dane?
A. This is not a set rule and depends on your dog. Yet as a general rule, Puppies should consume 5 to 10% of their body weight in raw food per day. Adults about 1.5 to 4% per day.
Typically two meals a day is common. You will learn by trial, keep an eye on your Great Danes physical appearance. If your dog gets thin, feed more. If he gets heavy, feed less.
Q. How do I know when my dog is finished with its meal?
A. Typically, your Dane will eat the entire serving. A general rule of thumb with a raw dog diet is allowing 5 to 10 minutes for the meal, any leftover food can be refrigerated until the next feeding.
Q. Are bones dangerous for a dog to eat?
A. Cooked bones should never be fed to a dog. Your dog will digest raw bones naturally and nothing is perfectly safe. Will your Dane choke on a bone? Probably not. Will your Dane choke on a tennis ball? As mom always said, "you never know":)
Q. Should I add the veggies, vitamins, supplements and oils?
A. There are no set rules to the raw dog diet. Some owners do while others are totally against it. Personally I add a broad spectrum vitamin powder and a tablespoon of Salmon oil.
Remember, if you add fruits and veggies, puree them, this is very important as it breaks down the cellulose making the nutrients more usable to your dogs body.
Important
For best results keep everything real simple. Don't worry, you will soon work out the specifics. Your Great Dane will let you know what ingredients he likes, how much he needs to eat and everything else just by being a dog. See, it's not difficult at all. Your Dane will definitely benefit from raw feeding, there's no doubt about it:)
This page provides general information about the raw dog diet.
Kindly note, choosing the proper diet for your Great Dane is absolutely your decision. Yes, while we do feed raw we cannot recommended the proper diet for your dog.
Information contained here on our Dane Diet pages is intended to assist health minded dog owners when considering feeding options.
Stop by all about Great Danes HOME for more Great Dane information :)
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