Research on Raw Dog Food Diets: Healthy or Scary?

Some veterinarians warn you not to feed your dog raw meaty bones, raw ground turkey, and raw, pureed vegetables. They emphasize feeding commercial dog foods and even sell expensive dog foods made with meat by-products in their offices. The problem is that you don't know what's in the meat by-products. It could be imported wheat gluten that's contaminated. Or your dog might be allergic to the gluten.

You have to puree any vegetables you feed your dog, such as carrots, peas, wheat grass juice, or other green vegetables that dogs naturally eat in the wild. Dogs can't digestion vegetable matter from whole vegetables.

The puree can be combined with gravy or eggs, canned wild salmon or sardines. Plenty of books are on the market emphasize raw, meaty bones diets, especially turkey necks and drumsticks for large dogs. Check with your vet first. Don't feed hard beef bones that break your dog's teeth. And don't feed chickens full of antibiotics and fed rendered cows. Stick with the good stuff you'd eat yourself. Always talk to a vet first before you change a dog's diet.

The meat by-products could be slaughterhouse waste products. Or they could contain the chemicals left in the bodies of animals that were put down and ground up into dog food. You don't know because the label doesn't tell you what's in the meat by-products. Some dogs are allergic to corn fillers. Other dogs can't tolerate grain-based fillers and high-grain diets. Some dogs develop tumors on high grain diets. But their veterinarians might tell them the dog's tumor is genetic.

Another source of dog tumors under investigation result from vaccinations, but which vaccinations? The only way to find out is to put the key words in your search engine, "dog tumors possibly caused by vaccinations," and see what pops up online. Below find a directory research resources on raw dog food diets.

From personal experience, my yellow Labrador retriever, a neutered male spent his first seven years of life on commercial dog food, the high-quality kind recommended by my vet's office. He developed tumors, lethargy, obesity, and bald spots. After surgery, I put him on a raw foods diet--turkey bones with lots of meat, always raw, ground turkey, turkey breasts, turkey necks, pureed carrots, a small amount of bovine colostrum to improve his immune system, and two omega 3 fatty acid fish oils with enough DHA and EPA to help him grow a smooth, silky coat of golden fur that looked healthy and clean.

His mange and scratching went away. His reddish, inflamed ears cleared up as did the head tossing because of the food allergy that looked like an infected ear. The ear gets cleaned regularly. Outside of the good care, the raw diet cleaned his teeth, and the tartar on his teeth disappeared. He's an older dog, but his teeth is fine, and there's no sign of arthritis. Should you put your dog on a raw meaty bones and raw foods diet? Ask a holistic veterinarian.

It's up to the individual dog. But my dog is healthier after being on this diet for two years. Most convential veterinarians won't recommend a raw foods diet. Never, ever give your dog cooked bones. It will cut him up inside and kill him. Only raw bones he can chew that are soft enough not to break his teeth, and with meat on the bones, preferably turkey as turkey has less hormones or none.

Give your dog plenty of wheat grass to eat, or let him eat fresh, clean grass in your back yard if there's no pesticides around the grass. But get an okay from your vet before you change your dog's diet. Talk to a holistic veterinarian about a raw foods diet for your cat. Below is a list of resources on raw foods diets for dogs and/or cats.

For further information about dogs, see my non-fiction, how-to book, How to Video Record Your Dog's Life Story: Writing, Financing, & Producing Pet Documentaries, Drama, or News. Browse the book at: http://www.iuniverse .com/Bookstore/BookD etail.aspx?Book=1097 41 . Or read dog-based fiction, my novel followed by short stories, Dogs with Careers: Ten Happy-Ending Stories of Purpose and Passion. Browse the novel at: http://www.iuniverse .com/Bookstore/BookD etail.aspx?BookId=SK U-000062322 .

Raw dog food diets research

http://groups.yahoo. com/group/oldrawguys /

http://groups.yahoo. com/group/catandkitt enhealth/

http://groups.yahoo. com/group/learntosho w/

http://groups.yahoo. com/group/rawfeeding /

http://groups.yahoo. com/group/rawcat/

http://groups.yahoo. com/group/DogHealth/

http://groups.yahoo. com/group/CarnivoreF eed-Supplier/

http://groups.yahoo. com/group/dogmentor/

http://groups.yahoo. com/group/canineaggr ession/

http://groups.yahoo. com/group/RawChat/

http://groups.yahoo. com/group/rawbreeder /

http://groups.yahoo. com/group/RawPup/

http://groups.yahoo. com/group/BasicRaw/

http://groups.yahoo. com/group/NaturalFer rets/

http://groups.yahoo. com/group/RMBLobby/

http://groups.yahoo. com/group/RawVet/
For vets, vet techs and vet students only

And if you are really stuck on a specific issue
http://groups.yahoo. com/group/rawissues/

There is also a list of lists where other raw feeding lists can be found. Many are breed specific, location specific or subject specific. See: http://www.rawlearni ng.com