Over the past few years I have become more interested in my lifestyle and started eating more raw foods, salads, fruits and the like. Since I bought my Juicer, I have taken to drinking a fair bit of natural fruit juice. WHAT’S THIS GOT TO DO WITH DOGS? I can hear the chorus already.

It got me thinking if there are any ‘natural foods’ available out there. Not heat treated in preparation. Or are there any sources of information, books web sites etc. The following is from a pice on why we, humans that is should eat differently. Please not I am not preaching, HONEST

“It's interesting to note that wild animals with access to their natural diet do not tend to suffer from disease, while humans and domestic animals consuming a mainly heat treated diet definitely do. Lets take a look at some of the important changes that happen when we apply heat to our foods. Heat destroys a proportion of the vitamins in food, it makes proteins less digestible and changes the structure of amino acids (the building blocks of protein) rendering them less absorbable. Minerals are also changed by heat and become less available in the form that the body requires. Enzymes in food are damaged and less able to assist in the processes of digestion and as catalysts in the many reactions that take place in our bodies. Natural fibres are broken down and become less able to act as an "intestinal broom" sweeping the gut clean of waste products.”:-)

Can the combined wisdom of the forum point me in the right direction, For the information I own a rescue collie cross, some Lab and I think some Airedale along the way.

Thanks a lot (In advance)

Admin edit: terms of service. Moved to Feeding

Do a search on this site for BARF and you'll get plenty on a natural non heat treated diet.

Hi,
I agree both humans and our pets should be eating a more (or even totally) natural diet.

Try these too...

http://www.dogsonholiday-uk.com/infbarfs.html

http://www.critterchat.net/feedingnat.htm

http://www.ukbarfclub.co.uk/

Gill, was your food for thought tasty. :D :D

Kath

Personally, I do not think it makes good nutritional sense to feed dogs only dry or tinned complete foods. No sane nutritionist or doctor would recommend a similar diet for humans and the same should be true for animals.

There are differences of opinion with regard to what exactly constitutes a more "natural" diet for dogs. Some advocate only raw food and bones - others believe this type of diet is not only not natural, but potentially dangerous. The Burns web site has an article by Dr. Burns in which he discusses his view of the Billinghurst approach (raw foods).

I now either feed my dog a homemade cooked diet, table scraps (veg, meat) and Naturediet.

I think it is nonsense to suggest, as the author you are quoting has, that wild animals tend not to suffer from disease because they do not eat heat treated food. Animals in the wild die many years before their captive relatives, even though their captive brethern are fed raw diets. The difference is that animals in zoos are given good veterinary care and obviously animals in the wild receive no care.

Stacey