Friday, February 20, 2009

Ask and You Shall Receive

Maria, this is for you. Here is a fine example produced by Reagan earlier today. I placed a sweet gum ball next to the pile so you would have a size reference.
I think Dr. Susan Wynn (known for her advanced training in herbal medicine) said it best. She believes that one diet does not fit all. For example, if a particular line of dogs is often fed ABC food, the breeder is most likely going to breed dogs that thrived and did well on that particular diet.


Raw diet advocates will often point out that commercial pet food has been around for less than a century.... hardly enough time for dogs to have gone through any evolutionary change in their digestive systems. OK, that makes sense, but Susan's point is that people probably have selectively bred dogs to do well on the type of food they wish to feed. I think that makes sense also. If the breeder feeds kibble, her line of dogs are being selectively bred (probably without thinking about it) to thrive on kibble.


I think this might explain why racing greyhounds seem to do best on a raw food diet, in my opinion. For one, they are fed raw meat prior to being adopted. It would make sense that the racing industry probably breeds greyhounds that thrive and do best with some raw meat in their diets.


With that said, you just have to do what you feel is best. There is no way for us to know the exact nutritional needs of each individual dog......... and I don't think nature really intended on perfectly balanced meals.


I would encourage everyone feeding kibble to add some variety in the form of some fresh, raw food occasionally. You can save a small portion of the vegetables and fruits you purchase for yourself..... carrot or strawberry tops, a chunk of your banana, a bit of broccoli, or a handful of spinach. Check your fridge regularly for the fruits and vegetables getting close to losing their freshness. Throw it into a food processor and puree it as much as possible to maximize the nutritional value. Add the mixture to your dog's regular food. If there is not enough to mess with, start a collection in your freezer. Once you have enough fruits and vegetables stored up, thaw it out, and grind it up. Also a turkey neck once a week is great for the teeth.