After Barney had his small op (Friday) we were told to feed him bland food for a few days. So I boiled up chicken and lamb and steak for his meals and gave him it mixed with a little boiled potato and some fresh veg. Now of course he wont eat his dry food or any of the flipping numerous tins of different puppy foods and caesar food we have tried him on!! Is it okay for him to eat what he is on now from now on or not as I dont mind cooking him a slight variation on the way I cook our food when I prepare our meals but I want him to have the essential things he needs which may be in his normal dog food? I have seen vitamins for dogs in the shops too and wonder if they are any good as I am not at all sure what is in the tinned/dry foods for dogs. He is a 6 1/2 months old lhasa. Many thanks Gina.

You can't blame him for preferring proper food to commercially produced dog food. I read the book 'Give Your Dog a Bone' and 'Grow Your Pups with Bones' by Ian Billingshurst and have never looked back. (They are usually available in the library.) Another useful book is 'The Natural Way for Dogs and Cats' by Midi Fairgrieve. My gang of three get a natural diet these days and it isn't difficult nor is it more expensive. They now have perfectly white teeth (no brushing necessary), sweet smelling breath and shiney, silky coats. (I know that this subject is a very emotive one and there will be people here who will disagree.) Just my two penniesworth....

Thanks Liz will have a look for them at the weekend but til then is what he is eating okay until I can look things up on Saturday. Regards Gina

What you are feeding is just fine but try to think of it the way you would feed yourself. Plenty of variety of meat, vegetables, grains and oils etc. The only difference is that dogs naturally prefer raw meat and veg. I have an electric juicer which I use for raw cabbage, carrots, or anything thats going (but never citrus fruits or tomatoes). Don't forget to use the pulp (roughage) as well as the juice. They even get bananas which have seen better days mashed up, also cheese. Yogurt is good, preferably goats milk, too and they usually get a couple of spoonfuls of that each day. Boiled brown rice, cous cous and sometimes Natural Choice holistic biscuit. Mine have garlic everyday, a raw egg once a week, desicated coconut, raisins, sultanas, chopped nuts - I could go on and on.... I get the meat from the butchers (which they also get raw) - ready minced chicken/carcase, best beef mince, hearts and liver (liver only once a week though). (I have negotiated very good prices.) I think the rule is about 40% meat per meal.
Having said all this though - you might find that your little one might prefer to have his meat slightly cooked to begin with. It is just a case of playing it by ear until he gets used to it.
One more thing - don't forget to give a raw marrow bone to chew on and help your pup to extract the valuable bone marrow inside. Throw the bones away after a day or two.
Another important thing is to avoid salt - not good for dogs.
Hope this helps.
Liz

thanks have printed it all off and shall have a go at giving him a balanced meal every day fropm your suggestions and shall try to buy some books at the weekend when I am in town. He does like rice and a small amount of spaghetti, loves raw carrots, cabbage but wasnt so keen on the bit of banana he had a few weeks ago when he was pestering me for some!! He likes all cooked meat not sure whether to give him raw meat at his age? Also can he eat bones at 6 months and if so what sort (wouldnt give him chicken bones) or shall I just ask the butcher for a bone - sorry not up on bones LOL Many thanks Gina.

Have emailed you separately with more details & info.

You can feed him raw chicken bones, just not cooked ones.

I wouldn't feed a dog - or a cat for that matter - on chicken bones, either cooked or raw, because they tend to splinter and can cause them to choke. Better to stick with other bones!

Sharon

There are an awful lot of people now feeding raw chicken carcass necks and wings that can testify to there being no problem. In the dog papers there is a weekly advert for a place in Leicester where these can be bought at fantastically reasonable prioces, but you have to collect :(

Sharon, only cooked bones splinter, raw is ok. So are all the feathers, beak, feet etc. Don't fancy it much myself, but there you go.

YUK Dave!!! How disgusting that sounds. I think I'll stick with the dried food. We've got some pretty dopey birds in the garden here - it wouldn't take much encouragement, the cat has already bagged a few!!!!

Hi Liz:

What about bacteria? I know that dogs' digestive system deals well with raw food, but what about people? I.E. Dog eats raw meat. Dog is fine. Dog licks people after just having eaten. People get salmonella, etc. Is that just needless worrying, or what? My breeder (haven't got our puppy yet) recommends feeding half dry food and half raw meat and slightly cooked vegetables.

Thanks,
Butter

Yes, I think that it is needless worrying. At least your breeder is recommending some variety in your pups diet and not just going for a commercial brand of food. All I can say is go to the library and read 'Give Your Dog a Bone' by Ian Billingshurst - I do most of what he says but also feed cooked grains as well. It is just what I feel happy with.
When I first started to feed raw meat, like you, I stood there thinking whether I was doing the right thing - it felt so strange! ...but now I just couldn't bring myself to feed my gang anything else.

I hate to butt in on this topic but one thing I would like to point out complete diets take 16 hours to go though a dogs system fresh food ie; Raw Meaty Bones take only 4 to 6 hours so it is best if you feed complete diets not to feed them together.

Just wanted to add my success with a BARF diet...thanks to this board I have been feeding it for over a year and my dog enjoys his food, has a lovely shiny coat, very healthly teeth and it's much less messy clearing up after him!!

I based my dogs diet on the 'Give your dog a bone' book and adapted it to my dogs taste. The only problem I have is that my cats are always trying to steal his dinner (and he lets them!!).

You need to read the book though before you start, and try different things to see how their digestion deals with it.

I cannot believe that people feed chicken bones or any other bones to their dogs.
If all those who even thought of feeding chicken bones or any bones to a dog go to their vets, ask the vet is it ok to feed my dog bones and then come back here and tell us all that the vet said, if he doesnt take the dog off you.

Frank I am a BARF feeder and raise my puppies as well as the adults on bone and raw food, my vet always remarks on how healthy my stock is. He's not actually threatend to take any of my dogs off me for any reason let alone their diet.

The book 'Give a dog a Bone' by Ian Billinghurst B.V.Sc(Hons), B.Sc.Agr.,Dip.Ed. As you can see was written by a vet who developed the diet so I don't think vets have a problem with it and my dogs certainly don't!

I feed chicken wings, necks and carcasses, chops, whole raw fish when I can get it fresh and the odd whole rabbit if a friends been shoting. Any quail that I have that are too old or not fit for the meat market I feed to my dogs whole too, along with pureed fruit and veg. Their bowel movements produce very little smell and are easier to clean up than when they were on other diets.

frank raw bones are soft .cooked chicken bones splinter . I too feed the barf diet and like schip's most people say they look great since i started it . dont knock it if you havent tried it :). we have tried the other way and found the natural diet best Mari
PS frank I emailed you a link just to set your mind at rest re the bones :)

tell me who takes the bones out of wild canids meals, and cooks them carefully! Vets have a vested interest more often than not in promoting commercial diets.

I fed my dogs this way for a year, and only didn't keep it up as my source of raw meaty bones (local butcher) was no longer allowed to do so, and I relied on going several times a week as I don't have any where for a dog freezer. I also bought some minced chicken and tripe to pad out the bones.

The biggest plus was the polished teeth, and sheer enjoyment. If only I could get the raw ingredients for BARF in small quantitities weekly, I would do so again!

I've only just spotted this post but it's got my interest, what is the BARF system?
My 5 mth Shiba is really not food orientated at all when it comes to his food but will wait patiently until the kids have finished throwing half their dinner on the floor and then scoot round and clear it within seconds, perhaps he'd appreciate a more natural diet. I've noted down the books mentined but any explaination of what its all about would be helpful

Julie BARF is just a bone and raw food diet if you get a copy of Ian's book or his follow up 'Grow your puppy on bones' or something similar (sorry old age setting in lol) settle down for a good read and give it a go.

Shiba's are like my Schips I'm told by a fellow breeder and really take to the Barf diet - I don't have a problem with them not eating it lol.

My routine works this way chicken wing,neck or carcass daily for one meal then over the week for their 2nd meal they get tripe with pureed fruit and veg or fish which can be pilchards, sardines, salmon or tuna if no fresh whole (with guts) available, lamb chops, hearts, kidneys or liver. I must admit to saving the liver and kidneys for training sessions especially if I cook it with garlic - I only cook this coz I don't want to try training them with bloody fingers lol. If they were having it for a meal it would be raw.

I started using raw foods two months ago as my 6 month lab puppy went completely off her food and lost a lot of weight, the difference in her is brilliant, I now feed all my labs this way. I have been mincing the chicken wings, carcass, they are really eager to eat their meals, and my male lab used to get a lot of tummy upsets that has now stopped.

Hi Frank

I have a 15wk old Cocker Spaniel puppy and I've been thinking about feeding her the BARF way, as she wasn't eating the complete food the breeder recommended. As Holly is so young I asked the vets about this. His advice was, and I quote "Don't leave her alone whilst she's eating for the first week or so and keep the baby away from the bones".

At no point did he suggest that I was being irresponsible or putting Holly in danger and he certainly never threatened to take Holly off me. Maybe he's a more forward thinking vet than yours I'm not sure but he's very happy with everything I do with Holly.

Fiona

Holly has now decided that she likes Bakers Complete so we aren't going to be feeding her the BARF system but who knows what the future will bring.