Making the switch

[Trudy Harlow]

As Paul Harvey used to say, "And now for the rest of the story..."

Early this year, through the Raw Feeding group on this website, I ran across the Yahoo Raw Meaty Bones discussion group.  I joined and "lurked" for a while, reading the posts.  I have to say, I was totally intimidated by the idea of switching Paddy to a diet of nothing but meat and bones.  Like most dog owners, I was raised on the idea that bones, especially chicken bones, are bad for dogs.  So how could he eat them safely?  Also, I still was concerned about the cleanliness factor.  I live in the DC Metro area and we often have bad weather, so feeding him outdoors was out of the question -- we don't have a covered porch.  Also, I didn't want meat remnants all over my yard -- yuck!  But then, feeding him INSIDE was far more challenging -- how do you do it, especially if -- like me -- you have small grandchildren crawling and running around the house from time to time?

The people on the RMB discussion group were so very helpful and reassuring.  Through them, I learned that you can teach your dog to eat on a towel or plastic tablecloth instead of dragging the meat around the house and contaminating everything.  I learned that it's perfectly safe to feed your dog raw bones, except for the weight-bearing bones of large animals (e.g., cow or deer legs).  I learned that because the dog's GI tract is so short, salmonella and other such infections are not a concern.  Sure, the poop may be contaminated, but who touches poop with their bare hands? 

So, filled with trepidation, I made the decision to start.  For some reason, I decided to start with rabbit -- not an inexpensive choice in the US, but it was affordable enough for a few weeks.  Especially so since Paddy totally refused the raw food for days on end and then ate just enough to stay alive for more days on end.  So I ended up not having to buy much (in fact, I still have some in my freezer.)

The RMB group was so supportive!  They encouraged me to hold fast, that Paddy would eventually eat, even though he lost 2 lbs during the process (he has since gained it back -- as they said he would).  Believe me, there was a LOT of hand-holding going on during this time.

Paddy is a funny boy in that he always has brought his rawhide and other chewers to us to hold for him while he chewed on them.  So in the beginning, I actually held the rabbit quarters for him (I wore latex gloves most of the time, but not always).  That was the only way he'd even attempt to eat.  If I put the meat down on his towel, he would sniff it and walk away.  I truly think he did not realize it was real food!  The RMB group was really after me for holding his food for him, but I think (and still believe) that it helped the transition.  I no longer hold his food, BTW.

The idea is that you start with one easy-to-digest protein (like chicken or rabbit) and stick with it for several weeks, until your dog's system accommodates itself to the raw diet.  That way, it's easier to figure out if something upsets his stomach. This was hard for Paddy because he really didn't particularly like the rabbit, which I had unfortunately started with.  Nevertheless, we persevered, with Paddy eating very little but enough.

Finally, finally, after a couple of weeks, I decided to just go ahead and try him on some raw beef shanks (with bone removed).  OMG!  He ate those like they were filet mignon!  They were gone in a flash.  He is obviously a red meat boy, since he will eat chicken, but not as eagerly as pork or beef.  So...we were launched. 

It was touch-and-go for those first couple of weeks, and I absolutely would not have made it through without the support and total encouragement of the RMB group.  I doubted, I doubted, I worried and worried....but I knew at the point when I returned all Paddy's unused "old" food to the pet store that I would never go back.

Next:  It's been a couple of months...so how's it going?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

The digestive system also "denatures" food. "Denature" sounds like a bad thing, but denaturing only means breaking the food down into the components that can be utilized. In the case of protein, denaturing means breaking it down into the individual amino acids that can be absorbed and utilized by the body. That's the definition of protein digestion. And that's not an opinion or school of thought, that's a fact.

Regarding loss of nutrients from cooked food, while our nutirional needs are somewhat different from those of dogs, we do require the same vitamins and minerals that dogs require, with one or two exceptions. We also require protein. Although we eat cooked meats, any nutritionist will tell you that most Americans get too much protein from their diets. How could that be, if so much nutrition is lost in cooking?

I have no issue with raw feeding if that's what you want to do, and I would never dream of telling you it's bad or wrong or unhealthy. So please don't tell other people that the methods that they choose are bad or wrong, etc.

[Donna K & Quincy]

I have a question, why is raw feeding better than homecooking if you are using the exact same foods and not adding anything extra?