Ziva enjoys Turkey Neck

Zoey Enjoys a Turkey Neck

Do raw fed dogs live longer?

I have often wondered about that.  I know I am on several yahoo groups that are about Raw Feeding, Natural Care etc, and have come across many dogs who are 13 or 15 who do not look nor act their age.  Most are raw fed from birth or shortly thereafter, limited or no vaccines, no chemicals (flea/hw etc).  This link was shared on one of the groups I am on and I am excited to share it with you, as it PROVES that dogs fed a Natural Appropriate Diet live longer....

Clicky for Lippert-Sapy Study on Canine Longevity 
Click on the link then it is the 3rd section down, click on it to read the study 
"Lippert-Sapy Study on Canine Longevity: The findings of this study present convincing evidence of the importance of an appropriate natural diet on health and longevity. Statistical analysis of data from the study showed that animals eating a more species appropriate diet lived almost 3-years longer than pets eating commercial pet food products."

Salmon Oil Supplementation

Unless you are feeding meat/food that is entirely grass fed you should be supplementing with Salmon Oil or Fish Oil, as foods are deficient in fatty acids otherwise.  I feed Prey Model Raw and supplement with Nupro & Salmon Oil, & Vitamin E.

http://k91training.tripod.com/id27.html

http://dogaware.com/diet/supplements.html  An important source of omega-3 essential fatty acids. Omega-3 EFAs are beneficial to the immune system, the nervous system, the heart, and help stop inflammation, such as in arthritis and allergies. They also support brain development of puppies and fetuses. This is probably the most important supplement to give, no matter what you feed, as Omega-3 EFAs are hard to find even in a natural diet, and are highly perishable when exposed to heat, light or air, so they do not survive in commercial foods even if added. Omega-3 EFAs are found in fish body oil, not liver oil. One form of omega-3 fatty acids called ALA is found in flax seed oil, but dogs cannot use ALA unless it is first converted to EPA. At best, dogs convert 15% of ALA to EPA, and some dogs may not be able to make this conversion at all. For this reason, fish oil is a much better source of omega-3 fatty acids for dogs than flaxseed oil.
Recommended dosage is 1000 mg fish oil (containing 300 mg combined EPA/DHA) per 30 pounds (14 kg) of body weight. Maximum dosage for dogs with health problems would be 1000 mg fish oil (300 mg EPA/DHA) per 10 pounds (4.5 kg) of body weight. You can also use sardines in place of fish oil supplements; one small sardine supplies over 100 mg EPA/DHA.
Vitamin E should also be given whenever oils are supplemented (even small amounts are adequate, but highest recommended dosage would be 100 IU per day for small dogs, 200 IU for medium-sized dogs, and 400 IU for large dogs). Note that fish oil is not the same as cod liver oil, which is high in vitamins A and D.

Mercedes takes matters into her own hands....

Mercedes (the one on the right) saw the Vet aka Grandpa yesterday for excessive dirty ear wax & eye discharge....she was diagnosed with allergies and put on a special diet (Natural Balance) at $1.50 per can per day...which is WAY expensive and going to kill our critter food budget, so hubby is strongly considering letting me switch at least Cedes to raw....well apparently our little mouse problem wasn't gone like we thought...she found this little guy in our office tonight.  Tiglet is the tabby who is helping.  I have a container over the mouse and am waiting for my hubby to wake up so he can do something with it as I'm not touching it lol.  I can handle touching the whole prey mice I feed the dogs but not a live little nasty critter lmbo.

Raw Food Myths

Someone on dogster posted this link about Raw Feeding...well Below is my response to it as well as someone elses.

http://www.purinaone.com/CoolTools/Nutrition101.aspx?ArticleId=A1423FE9-FAB2-4DC6-8ADA-1FF34CFE76C8&species=Dog

Whoever wrote this article wasn't very informed about what feeding raw is all about. 

Although meat is a source of protein, it has very
low levels of calcium, a mineral our pets require for proper bone and tooth development. Calcium also plays an important role in blood clotting, muscle contraction and transmission of nerve impulses. But simply supplementing with calcium won't work. Mineral nutrients are interrelated. Calcium and phosphorus have a scientifically established relationship in the formation of bones and teeth, provided a proper balance is maintained. This balance is usually not present in meat. If large quantities of raw meat are fed over time, skeletal problems may develop. 

That is why it is necessary to balance the diet with 80% meat, 10% bones, 5% liver 5% other organs. That's kind of a 'duh' of course a diet made entirely of meat and nothing else wouldn't be balanced.

Liver is often thought of as a "healthy" meat because it has a high level of Vitamin A, a fat-soluble vitamin that is stored by the body. And for humans who eat other things as well, it can be healthy. But when liver is fed to pets in excessive quantities over a period of time, Vitamin A toxicity can result. This can lead to improper bone development, lameness and bone decalcification. 

Again, whereas liver is only 5% of the diet, I think you would have to eat a heck of a lot of liver to get Vitamin A toxicosis.

Raw meat carries the threat of bacteria and parasites, including salmonella. The risk of salmonellosis is always present when pets are fed raw meat diets. Certain species of tapeworm can be found in raw meat and passed on to a pet who ingests the meat. 

Dogs systems are equipped to handle the bacteria. Clicky: Raw Food Myths Bacteria & the worms Raw Food Myths Parasites 

Raw meat diets do not replicate the diets of dogs in the wild. While it's true that dogs consume muscle meat when they eat wild animals for survival, they also consume the bones, intestinal contents and internal organs, which come closer to providing a complete and balanced diet. Wild dogs are also known to eat grasses and other vegetable matter. 

Wolves eat the stomach contents only when needed, most of the time they shake out the contents and eat the intestines.

Picture Proof
Clicky: Pictures Do Wolves eat stomach contents 

& a report from someone who observed wolves eating:
Cicky: A day with the wolf pack 

The truth is that good quality pet foods are backed by years of canine nutrition studies. They are the result of scientific studies by researchers in veterinary colleges and animal nutritionists in Animal Science programs and at reputable pet food manufacturers. They are also carefully processed to protect against salmonella or internal parasite infection. 

Well seeing as how Iams/Eukanuba just recalled a whole bunch of their kibble because of Salmonella contamination....I don't trust that it is protected because it's processed. As well as there was a report where kids were getting Salmonella from the dogs kibble bowls.

When people eat, they combine meat with vegetables, fruits, breads and other foods to give them the balanced nutrition they need. If we were to eat one particular food consistently, chances are we would become malnourished or develop health problems. No single food or food group can provide all the nutrients we need in proper proportions. 

I know VERY few people who do not offer a wide variety of meats for their dogs. I myself offer chicken, beef, turkey, fish, pork, mice, venison, buffalo.

& someone else's rebuttal: http://manteega.com/packlunch/articles/rebuttals/purinarebuttal.htm

Rejected for Recommending Raw

GRRR!  Just a little Vent, I am on a yahoo list where pet owners can ask questions and get help from other owners, vet techs, vets etc and someone asked what the best possible nutrition for their cat was, so I gave an honest answer.  My message didn't go through/was deleted/rejected whatever because the list owner is closed minded.  I have 20 years experience working as a Veterinary Assistant/Technician as well as my father has been a Veterinarian for 40+ years....I don't feel I was hard core pushing Raw on the person, just giving my honest to goodness opinion.

This is what I got told was the reasoning for rejecting my message:

no raw recommending

This is what I 'tried' to reply.
> IMO, NONE of the dry foods are best for cats, cats need moisture in their
> diets, their natural 'prey' is the mouse which is 70-75% moisture, dry food
> only contains about 10% moisture, canned foods are about 78% moisture.  Cats are also Obligate Carnivores which means they NEED meat to survive, a lot of the dry cat foods out there are loaded with carbohydrates (grains/veggies etc) that cats don't need & can't utilize. The 'optimal' diet is Raw, but if you can't do that then high quality grain free canned is next best.  Here is a website with loads of information on cats & their nutritional needs:  www.catinfo.org  That being said I do have 1 of my 5 cats who absolutely refuses raw & canned food (have tried every; trick in the book & then some to get her to transition), she has Cerebral Hypoplasia so pecks like a chicken when she eats, so I feed her a high quality grain free rotation diet (Wellness Core, Blue Wilderness, Solid Gold Indigo Moon) I also fed Innova EVO before they sold out to Proctor & Gamble.  The rest of my cats eat canned food and are transitioning onto raw.