FAQ - Raw Food

Do you have a dog-related question that you cannot find an answer to? Please feel free to email me with your questions, using the "Bug me by E-mail" link on the top right of my blog. Make sure that you include as much information about the problem as possible.



QUESTION
Two weeks ago my grandmothers’ dog died because of a chicken bone. They told me the bone rupture the intestines and then he started vomiting blood and then died. Now, since then I’m freaking out about bones and I don’t let anybody give my dog a bone. I'm also hearing that uncooked bones are good, but not cooked and then that ONLY chicken bones are bad but not ribs. Can some one help?

ANSWER
There are an awful lot of myths out there when it comes to bones, especially chicken bones. So let me clear up some of the myths:

NO cooked bones are ever safe, regardless whether they are chicken bones or cow bones, ribs or legs. Cooking alters the makeup of the bone, making them brittle and easy to splinter which can cause a lot of damage to a dog if ingested. This includes smoked bones.

NO weight-bearing bones from large animals, such as cows and pigs are completely safe. Weight-bearing bones are leg bones and neck bones, for example. They are very dense because they have to hold a lot of weight, and as a result can chip or break dog's teeth. They are only okay as a "chew" bone, and only under supervision.

ALL OTHER RAW bones are safe, including chicken bones. They can be crunched up, eaten and digested just fine by a healthy dog.



QUESTION
I have some questions about raw feeding. Is feeding your dog raw just giving him raw food, or are there certain things you have to give them? Is it just raw meat? Should I ask my vet's opinion on raw feeding?

ANSWER
I would never take my veterinarian's advice on feeding. I like my vet, but she is not a nutritionist, nor are most vets. Most vets receive very limited education about nutrition and what they do get tends to be sponsored by pet food companies, which is one of the reasons they continue to recommend foods such as Science Diet to their clients.

That said, raw feeding is much, much more than just giving raw meat to your dogs. A healthy raw diet consists of RMBs (raw meaty bones), muscle meat, organ meat, and supplements. Some things people commonly supplement with are yogurt, egg, vegetables, and various vitamins and minerals that are given in pill form.

To get an overview of the raw diet, start with the Raw Dog Ranch - www.rawdogranch.com - page. There is a wealth of information there to get you started.



QUESTION
I want to start my dog on the raw/barf diet. I was wondering if I needed to wait for the meat to thaw or not? Do I need to do anything about bacteria? Any suggestions on what meat to feed her or a weekly regime?

ANSWER
There is a really great website about raw feeding called the Raw Dog Ranch - www.rawdogranch.com - where she answers a lot of the questions people have about the diet, has loads of information to get you started, and even does consultations to set up a meal plan.

You don't have to wait for the meat to thaw out. What I do is, I shop for all of my meals about once every two weeks (I don't have a big freezer, so I can't buy in bulk) and then package them into individual meals that night. I put the meals into Ziploc bags and freeze them. In the morning, I set a pack into the sink before we go on our walk and then put it into the bowl when we get back, along with various supplements.

As far as bacteria go, as long as you're handling the meat safely and clean up your work spaces and the feeding area, you will be fine. Your dog can handle the bacteria in the food.

As far as feeding, you have "staples" but you should also add a lot of variety.



QUESTION
Can my Pomeranian eat chicken bones? I let her lick the bones from chicken I made for myself
and she really liked it. But I want to make sure it can not hurt her.

ANSWER
Since you said that you "let her lick the bones", I'm assuming that you're talking about cooked or fried chicken. If that's the case, then the answer is ABSOLUTELY NOT. When you cook chicken, it alters the consistency of the bones. While raw chicken bones are both soft and easily digestible, cooked chicken bones are very dangerous. That is because cooked chicken bones become brittle and split lengthwise, which can cause injuries to your dog's throat, stomach, and digestive system.

Raw chicken is perfectly safe to feed. As a matter of fact, RMBs (raw meaty bones) make up about 60% of a proper raw diet. RMB refers to any bone that can be eaten, along with the meat around it. Most raw feeders use chicken leg quarters as a staple of their dogs' diets because they're easy to digest, easy to eat, and cheap to buy.

"Raw's Okay, Cooked Stay Away!" (That's a good way to remember it.)



QUESTION
Are beef chuck short ribs okay to feed my dog? The ribs are about 3-4 inches long ansd my boys are 20 pounds and 50 pounds. Is there any harm in them eating these?

ANSWER
Beef ribs are perfectly safe to feed as part of a raw diet.

It's the weight-bearing bones of large animals such as pigs, cows, and goats that you want to stay away from because they are very dense and therefore very hard. Such bones are the neck bones, legs, and spine. Those are known for causing dogs to break their teeth, as well as for splintering and possibly doing internal damage. Beef ribs do not fall into this category and many people prefer these larger bones because it requires their dogs to slow down while eating, whereas chicken bones are easy to gulp.

Personally, I would give the beef ribs to only the larger of the two dogs. They seem to be more his "size" than that of the little one. For the little one, stick with softer, smaller bones like chicken thigh quarters and turkey necks.



QUESTION
Can dogs eat eggs?

ANSWER
Yes, absolutely. Eggs are a source of biotin, Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B9, and Vitamin B12, among other things.

The one thing you want to be really carefully with is feeding a lot of egg whites, as they contain a substance that can hinder absorption of biotin in the body. It's nothing to worry about if you give the egg whole (with the yolk) or cooked, though.

Eggs can be fed raw or cooked. Even though eggs can contain salmonella, it's nothing to worry about. Your dog's digestive system won't have issues with it. Just make sure you handle any raw foods carefully, same as you would when preparing meals for yourself. (Wash hands and clean surfaces after.)

If you give eggs, it's best to give them whole, including the shell if your dog will eat it. Egg shells are a good source of calcium. You can put the whole thing in a blender if your dog won't chew the shells by herself.