I started out with Shetland Sheepdogs and Rough Collies as my breeds. And I started out following the traditional Western model. A quality advertised dog food in a bag and lots of vaccinations and regular wormings. Oh, and baths. Lots of baths. At that time I regularly showed my animals in conformation and obedience and always worried about them getting sick from contact with other dogs. Well, long story short, I watched my beloved breeds become weaker and sicker over the years as they developed all kinds of genetic problems and diseases. Many fingers pointed at the preservatives in the dog foods. But something wasn't working.
As I grew older I educated myself on nutrition. A wonderful mentor in the Shelties had the outrageous habit of feeding her dogs cooked whole grains and tofu and all kinds of vitamins and supplements. Her animals were vivacious and had lush coats and she would just laugh when her peers ridiculed her and would say, "I'll compare my dog food bill with your vet bill any day!" She was a wonderful inspiration and I too, started to experiment with different diets on the dogs and read up on as much information as I could. I happened upon a book entitled "The Complete Herbal Handbook for Dogs and Cats" by Juliette de Bairacli Levy and my eyes were opened wide. While her methods were quite extreme, I found that it did make sense to something deep within me. So I started to feed more raw foods and I was very pleased with the results. My dogs were naturally lean and well muscled; had tons of energy and sharp thinking and focus; and just shone with good health. My last four dogs have all been raised on good food and raw foods and they all lived to ripe old ages without cancers. All of those dogs were never seen by a veterinarian except in the case of a trauma or accident.
It all makes tremendous sense to me. I mean your dog is totally dependent on what you choose to feed him. You can give him cardboard in a box for thirteen years or you can give him lots of variety and feed him similarly to way you feed yourself. Nothing drives me more crazy than to see a really over weight dog. What he eats and how he exercises is totally under the owner's control and is every pet owner's responsibility as far as I am concerned. There's lots of information available today and lots of new products coming on the market.
And a raw diet is very easy, not expensive when you see the big picture of prevention, and is becoming much more popular with many choices available to people. I prefer to keep it very simple and use a variety of raw meats-with the basics being beef, chicken or turkey. I would say about 3/4 of the meal is good, fresh raw meat warmed to room temperature. I add some boiling water and maybe a cup of high quality dry dog food. The dog food is to add roughage and minor base supplements. I sprinkle on some Wysong Call of the Wild supplement powder to cover any missing bases, add a teaspoon of a good fat----and done.
Every day to the basic meal above I can play with the variety a bit. Sometimes the fat is flax seed oil, sometimes olive oil, sometimes raw butter or a slice of an avocado. A teaspoon of finely chopped greens is always welcome--parsley, fresh mint from the garden, or a few sunflower sprouts. If I can get fresh fertile eggs, I'll pop one of those in the meal on occasion. If we have leftover steamed broccoli from last nights dinner, maybe a few pieces will be used. I'll switch up the dry dog food from lamb to fish to add variety too. Sometimes if I find a good deal I'll use fish or lamb instead of the usual meats. You have to work with your budget and with your dogs tolerances. But the general rule to remember is as fresh and raw as possible. You want to include some fat and skin and bone and cartiledge-WHOLE foods.
How much to feed totally depends on the individual dog. I have an adult male who is about 68 pounds and very laid back. He eats about a pound to a pound and a half of meat and maybe a cup of food a day.
He takes about 15 minutes to eat. I have an older female who is about 58 pounds and eats half that in one minute. My teenage male who runs constantly can eat two pounds a day plus all the bones he wants. And of course, growing puppies will eat more food more frequently until they slow down at two years of age. You just have to know your dog. On rainy days when we may skip the morning run, I feed less. On a beach day when all the dogs run for several hours I might give extra. If they whine and lick at their empty bowls--they might need more food that day. It's all common sense. You want them to be interested in their food and eat it all quickly with gusto. I never, ever, leave food out all the time for them to pick at. Blue Picardies are naturally long and lean, but you should never be able to see the ribs. You want a nice layer of skin and muscle and fat before you feel the ribs.
The first thing you will notice in a dog fed a poor diet is the "pudgy" soft look of their bodies. The coat is another key and will be brittle and harsh to the touch and dull. They will have protruding bellies just like those sad television commercials with the starving children. A healthy dog on a good diet just shines. The eyes are bright and alert, the coat is soft and shiny, the muscles are lean and well formed over the body. And the dog has energy. We call this "bloom" in the dog world, when an animal is just bursting with good health. It's very easy to spot. The skin on these dogs isn't flaky, or red or bumpy. The ears aren't waxy or dealing with yeast infections. The eyes are clear and not filled with green gum. And the teeth are clean and the breath sweet. Stools are well formed and not stinky. Usually a dog on a raw diet has a much smaller stool than one on dry dog food alone. And forget about having to have the anal glands cleaned out for dogs on a good, raw diet. So many, many pluses for the animal. Oh, yes. Gas. If you've ever lived with a dog that cannot digest his dry food, you know they can clear a room with the gas! Imagine what's going on inside the dog's stomach! Raw foods are digested more easily and completely, used better by the body and wastes eliminated easily.
And I should mention that Blue Picardies don't do really well on grains-especially corn and wheat. And not too much soy or beans. Dog food advertisers are getting tricky now and promoting "grain free" foods, but most of them are full of starches-in particular potatoes, yams and peas. And too much starch is as bad as too much grain, so read your labels. I stick to brown rice, barley or oatmeal. In a perfect world and plan, the dogs get a meal or two a week of just oatmeal and the fats and supplements to rest the kidneys from processing all of the protein. And once a week a fast is very appropriate. Raw goats milk if you can get it, is a wonderful food for weaning puppies or for adults too.
A key feature of a good raw diet is raw, meaty bones. Every day after running my dogs in the morning, I let them cool down and then feed them their main meal in the late morning. (NEVER feed a dog before running them, and always let them cool down before a meal.) Then in the late afternoon I will give them a raw bone of some variety. Their absolute favorite is a raw beef rib with lots of meat on it--they will eat most of the bone also. A nice big beef knuckle bone that's been cut in half and the fat trimmed off is consumed in whole! Marrow bones they adore. Smaller turkey necks, chicken wings or chicken backs are acceptable but they wolf down chicken necks like candy-crunching them to cleaner teeth. The minerals and cartilage in these foods are crucial to a healthy dog. They help maintain their teeth and bones but also the fluidity and development of the joints. Many people worry about hip dysplasia and I am a firm believer most, if not all but the most severe cases, could be prevented with a great diet and proper exercising and consideration of the growing body. A good bone can take an hour of a dogs attention and really works a puppy's jaws so they are less likely to chew something else. All uneaten bone pieces are picked up promptly to keep the yard clean and discourage yellow jackets.
Another key component of the raw diet is lots of clean, fresh water. Lots of people fill their dogs bowls with the garden hose---but if you read the label of those hoses they clearly state that they have cancer causing elements and warn you not to drink from them. Water quality is something you think about for yourself, why not your animals? Well water can have problems and so can tap water. Get your water tested and do what's needed to provide your family and companions with a healthy source. There are so many easy ways to filter your water now, and it makes sense seeing it's a diet component that is ingested every single day.
I rarely waste money on biscuits or treats. For training I just use the dry dog food. And I'd rather spend the money on the raw diet than the funky pigs ears and expensive bones. Most of those things are full of chemicals, preservatives and artificial colors and flavorings. And I believe much of that contributes to overloading the body with toxins over the years and eventually cancers. Give them the raw bones. Or a raw carrot once in a while! On really hot days, my dogs love a chunk of cool melon for a change. And if you really want a treat that will get attention during training, make a batch of homemade jerky in the oven and cut it into tiny pieces!
And it's important to always keep your vision on the bigger picture. If a puppy was born of parents in vibrant health, and is given the proper nutrition to in turn bloom into vibrant health, then the body and immune system are in wonderful working order and able to do the job in warding off disease on their own. Parasites and disease attack weak systems. But in a vibrant animal, there is no need for chemical prevention methods and instead, the dog's body can be trusted to stay in balance and well being.
The bottom line is use your common sense and make it work with your lifestyle. But fresh, raw and high quality is the way to go if you want a healthy, happy dog for many years to come. We start 'em out right here at SweetWater and hope the new families embrace the philosophy.
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