commercial dog food is so new when you consider how long dogs have been domesticated I doubt it could have had that much of a profound impact in such a short time. For hundreds of years domestic dogs have been eating the already killed food their humans have given them, which is different from their wild relatives that have to kill their own meals. Wild dogs will also eat meat that has been dead for a long time. Does the bacteria resistance come from the meat itself?

Dogs can and do frequently get sick from bacteria in kibble, and the fact that kibble takes much longer to digest than raw food has a lot to do with it. Dogs digestive processes are relatively short, and kibble forces the food to stay in their system for an extended amount of time.

There is not a whole lot of "official" recording and reporting in the veterinary world to compile conclusive facts about the real validity of any food claims. There is a lot of speculation and assumptions. Certainly no way to feed is risk free, but I have to agree with Judy, if it is unfit for ME to eat it, then I don't want my dog to eat it either.

Cathy
when she first came home

i like a good debate but some times the printed word comes across a little hard and people take it the wrong way...and then i feel bad....raw feeding is a very personal option as is using a holistic approach to medicine....you cant believe the bs i get some times...if you want a real hard core debate get into one about vaccines.... and their is a hot topic....your vets head would come off like a volcano....

a controversial subject

Thx,

dave

i have gone over the diet i use...what they eat....dave i hope your not feeling attacked on the subject becasue as i said its your right to feed like you do...i am only stating my problem with feeding kibble....i am not even attacking your vet...they are a person you trust with your pet....
i am going to say this.....just remeber your feeding your pet cancerous tumors....things are put into food that is not fit for human consumption....if i cant eat it i dont want my pets eating it either....if i could eat a bag of kibble and it would satisfy my diet requirements to stay fit and healthy i would feed it today to my animals ....
i also dont believe in yearly vaccines....i dont use toxic flea products that seep into my pets bloodstream....i dont use toxic heartworm i use all herabl prdoucts...
so this is a whole life style for me and my four legged family...

and as forest gump says thats all i have to say about that....


charlie and his pig foot....raw and natural....

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before I started. He did not have a problem with it. He was concerned about meat only and no veggies. But he is primarily a veterinary surgeon, and I have not asked what his training in nutrition is. I do the same with my dogs that I do with my children. I do not view the vets/doctors as infallable Gods and ALWAYS do my own research and reading before I discuss things with them, so I can make an informed decision. I also seek advice of a specialist, for example I go to an orthopedic doctor for injuries, an eye doctor for vision correction, a pediatrician for young children, etc... I don;t expect a general practioner to have the in depth knowledge needed for very specific problems/isssues. And so far I have not found a veterinary nutritionist, never mind one that specializes in canines.

Cathy
when she first came home

their opinion on feeding your dog a raw chicken, bones and all.

dave

and i respect your view on it.....i will say feeding a bulldog is not like feeding a great dane or rottweiler...with my rottweilers i thought nothing of feeding whole chicken or rabbits..but with my bulls i am much more cautiouse with bird bones they get lamb ribs which they have to munch on and chew up....
bacteria is only on the outside of the food...so if i have people who are concerened about bacteria..well buy a chinese wok and lightly sear the outside....or steam it....
and if as a human you think our food source is safe well take a look at the constant recalls.....
its a personal chice for everyone....

or do you feed them whole?

Cathy
when she first came home

but I guess I can see why it could be considered so. That's too bad that your boy got so sick. My only thought on a situation like that is that correlation does not always equal causation, but I understand the fear. I have been reading lots and lots of research and studies, and personal experiences, and one thing is pretty clear. Dogs' behavior has changed to suit domestication, but physically their internal bodies are the same as they have always been. People can breed for certain physical characteristics, but they can not alter the basic physiology of an animal to the extent that it's internal organs no longer operate the same.

Cathy
when she first came home

corporations lead us to believe is dog food. It's mostly a bunch of filler that is natural for a carnivore to eat, then flavored with a bit of protein such as meat, chicken, etc., so we will buy into it being dog food.

My biggest concern about going raw is the amount of pathogens in it. Wild dogs have evolved to deal with the enhanced levels of bacteria, etc., that come with eating raw animals they have just killed. I'm not so sure that the immune systems of domesticated dogs have the same ability/tolerance.

One irony, tho, is that most dog owners probably don't heat up dry food for their dogs, or even canned food, tho basically making their dogs eat a meal that is cool or almost cold. Yet wild dogs, except when scavenging, usually eat a "hot" meal since the body temperature of most prey animals is around 100 degrees, which is pretty warm.





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i only give them both one foot...becasue they share all their bones....so one foot wilson eats the toes off....then charlie pretty much goes thru the skin then wilson joins him for the tendon and bone....so one foot with both dogs is about two days....
once they leave and its been siiting say for an hr i take it and throw it in the freezer...then in the morning or afternoon i will give it back to them....once again if it has sat for an hour back in the ...freezer...till its gone....
i know this is vauge...but once it was gone in a day...and a few times it has taken a week....i never let it sit out for more than a hour...and they dont get it back till the next day....this is for inside only...if thier outside at the end of the day its thrown out...but that has been a very rare occurance.....
i also have a great butcher and he will saw them down the middle...they get great enjoyment from them that way and the halves only last a good day....

for your dogs to eat the pigs' foot?

I really appreciate all your help, and I think your plan is what I am going to model Audrey's diet after. I have been reading and asking questions on the raw list, but I do think bulldogs are not just any dog, and I have tried asking here about what other raw feeders do and you are the only one who answers specifically. I can't even express to you how much I appreciate you!

Like I said, I never thought of raw as controversial, anymore than different kibble brands. It just makes so much sense to me, and the results were pretty dramatic, so much so that I couldn't ignore them.
Thanks again!

Cathy
when she first came home

my bully LOVED raw, and he did awesome on it, had more energy then ever and his coat was SUPER shiny! it all depends on the diet itself in my opinion. He was full of energy, more so then when on non raw. It can be more time consuming and expensive, but its what they're meant to eat if you ask me, just because they're domesticated doesn't mean they aren't the same creature you can change what the animal looks like, acts like...even what it eats, but what is is...is a dog.

Makes me wonder what the meat your pooch was getting? Was it just straight up raw you prepared at home or did you buy it frozen and prepared specifically for dogs? like the raw nuggets?

I can't believe a vet would ever say "never a bully."

Unreal.

LOL... they're all dogs. Different strokes... whatever works for your dog.


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All photos and designs above copyright Salty Grapes Photography.

I tried it and I nearly killed him. He became very lethargic after a short time on raw. Took him to the vet and he had pneumonia and extremely high amount of bacteria in his stool.

Dr. Pete told me some dogs can eat raw but NEVER a bully.

Now, I know some people are gonna come at me with the "vets don't get but a few hours of training in nutrition in vet school" and "animals in the wild eat raw" but.... these lil guys aren't animals in the wild; they have been domesticated.

Just my opinion based on personal experience and now I'm putting on my fire suit, flame away LOL !

dave