Hiya Listers...Lots of very good & interesting posts...
We’ve been feeding raw since a fellow named Edison applied for his 1st patent
on da electric light bulb...later I went to work for Nutro as the Norte CA
coordinator for education & demo’s. Dog food companies DO lots of research re
quality...etc..but their main intention is to SELL THEIR DOG FOOD...makes no
difference if it’s Nutro, Purina, IAMs, BilJac, Science Diet, Canidae, or Blue
Mountain. Some of those companies...(da last 2) have great ingredient panels
and the others range from good to not so good. The major problem with extruded
kibble is it must be cooked to 185 degrees. Sadly...that degrades much of the
nutritional value of the food. The more ya cook it...the less quality your dog
will receive.
In the wild...Alpha carnivores ALL eat gut first, muscle second, and then the
rest of the pack pick over the left overs depending on their order in the pack.
That’s why the Omega dogs look so bad and ill fed. The prey’s gut contains a
wide variety of nutritional vitamins, minerals, and essential nutrients
necessary for a correct Mother Nature diet. That’s why just feeding raw meat is
not a complete diet. Good start but does not include those essential nutrients
from the prey’s gut. That why supplementing raw with a quality product
emulating the prey’s gut is so important. There are many on the market but only
a handful that are made under USDA specs.
Another misnomer is the quantity of protein we feed our dogs. It’s not the
quantity of the protein that leads to a correct diet...it’s the quality. A Mom
Nature wild diet for the Alpha animals is almost 95% protein. That said...a 40%
protein diet of an extruded kibble diet comprised of chix by-product meal
sucks! CBPM of course is beaks, feet, heads, and feathers not to exceed 10%.
That is the AAFCO standard that virtually all extruded kibbles fall under. Very
few extruded kibbles fall under USDA specs hence the huge difference in quality
amongst extruded kibbles.
Finally...yes are dogs are Herding dogs. (Jenn has put Herding titles on over
35 of our Specials...most HSAs or higher) They were bred for that very purpose
by none other than Capn Max. That said...the GSD is probably the very best
example for the term “Utilitarian Dog” on the planet. Protection, Guide Dogs,
Herding...those terms and more fit the GSD to a “T”! That’s my opinion and I
’ma stickin to it...no matter what Evan sez!
Paul
Iza, great post! We have been feeding raw for years also. chicken/beef and
tripe along with a good kibble.
Have not had to many issues with it also.
It is not for everyone, yet this is what we believe to be the best for our dogs.
There can be many factors for down pasterns: genetic, food, parasites are also
a factor.
Leslie
Keep Posting ? OK – I have fed raw (or semi-raw) forever (long before it
became “popular”) and the only time I had pastern problems was WAY WAY back
when I bred into a particular person’s lines. Feeding raw forever I have not
had the problem again. Actually, I think feeding raw might help pasterns (or
any other problem a dog might have) – it is the natural way. But feeding JUST
chicken or JUST tripe, is not the way. AND, I just love the dog food ads –
“contains real meat/chicken” – so why not feed the dog real meat/chicken ?
Because it is ever so much easier to dump some kibble in a bowl. However, I do
feed puppies some kibble cuz I know not everyone is going to feed like I do.
Not looking to start a food-fight. These are just my opinions.
Iza Kabuska-Ackerman
Subject: [ SHOWGSD-L ] Re: Our dogs are herding dogs
There ar e lots of health studies done, and going on. We the GSDCA support a
great deal of the programs. Our parent club was the first supporter of OFA.
Ed gave his puppy raw when he was young. The rest of the litter was on puppy
or adult chow. I think that is why the pup has a weak pastern, but there is no
way to know. Everyone told him to get him off the raw, but it might have been
too late.
The dog food companies spend millions of dollars on research to find the best
food. And then some people feed raw. We give Kierk a raw chicken leg, but it
is to clean his teeth, but it is also to help his breath. But, we make sure he
gets commercial dog food every week as well.
Keep posting.
Evan
