Hi all,
A friend who has recently started barfing went to a supermarket to enquire wether or not they had any bones they said they had loads of lamb ribs but that these could splinter and are therefore too dangerous to feed to dogs. True or just another fallacy? I have been going to the same supermarket - different area - and have bought quite a few of these ribs which my dogs have enjoyed without mishap. To put both our minds at ease thought you guys would probably have the answer. Also, and I'm not even sure why I'm asking this question though probably for reassurance, is it possible for dogs on the barf diet to be getting to much protein? I have a nervy border collie who's sound sensitive and was told that it's possible that this diet is providing too much protein, to cut out the chicken and replace it with brown rice or some other grain. I have no intention of doing this as I don't want to give any of my dogs grain ever again but has anyone heard of an excess of protein causing dog to become sound sensitive or nervous in any other way?  

You have to decide what qualifications/knowledge/experience the person giving your their opinion has with regard to what value you put on it.

Shop assistants are not necessarily going to know what is suitable for your dog.

Lamb bones do tend to splinter more than other bones however none of my dogs have ever had a problem with lamb bones.  That is not to say that it cannot occur however.

Bearing in mind that in the wild dogs would eat a raw diet which is what they were designed for I would be surprised if they could "OD" on it!  There are lots of old wives tales around protein but no one has as yet, to my knowledge, conducted scientific studies to link protein content "per se" to behavioural conditions.  The only ones I know of have too many other variables which have not been factored out.

No doubt the person giving you this advice has a) determined the protein content of the various substances you feed your dog, b) evaluated their bio-availability, and c) determined the protein content of rice so that you can be sure of the soundness of their conclusions?

As a breed generalisation Border Collies do tend to be sound sensitive, certainly more sound sensitive than for example your average gundog, although there are always atypical specimens.

Excess protein (what is excess protein, do we know?) per se will not increase the sound sensitivity in your dog.  A gross deficiency in some of the B group of vitamins could, ostensibly, be an issue, but I doubt that would be a problem in a raw diet.................

This is, of course, merely my opinion..............

FWIW I feed no grains at all and none of my dogs appear to have any issues.......... ;)

Again thanks for the reassurance tomhe, I suppose they are my thoughts but when someone plants a maggot in your head you begin to have doubts. When it comes to the protein, to be honest, the person who made the suggestion is not an advocate of barf, especially the "b" part although thinks that many of the canine illnesses are a direct result of processed food. Not sure which way they will go but possibly and hopefully a future barfer.