Feeding RAW

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

Raw feeding our doodles is advocated by many people. There are some pros and cons in this...let's discuss it.

[Minga & Malu & Costa]

How often did you feed your Poodle the marrow bones? I want to start giving Malu some raw bones after all his adult teeth come in.

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

I only give marrow bones once in awhile. I give them frozen on a sheet that I can throw into the wash. The bones get greasy.

[Lynda Kamrath]

Oh Lynne, I don't know how to get a message to you but I think you are the person who has the food photo on the food group. Every time I see that picture, I reminds me of vomit and I always hope the photo will be removed. It is not a selling point to me, of course. Would you consider removing that photo please.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

LOL- I have to do that. Anybody have a "prettier" photo?

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

Well my dogs don't think it's vomit. LOL They love it. But maybe it's time it is removed. Others probably have better pics anyway.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Marrow bones don't really count as "raw bones" in the sense of raw diets where they recommend that a certain percentage of the diet consist of "raw meaty bones", so they're more a chew toy than something you're "feeding". Marrow bones are basically inedible, other than the marrow, although there are a few dogs who have split them with their teeth.
My dogs always have one or two marrow bones lying around, I've started microwaving them for Jack to sterilize them, and they keep forever...they're like petrified wood, lol.

[Minga & Malu & Costa]

Ahh, I see. And you just get them at the butcher? Can you get them in a regular grocery store?

As for the raw meaty bones, I have read that the chicken/turkey neck is good, the main body of the chicken (ribcage) and occasionally a wing. Is there a reason why the drumstick or thigh isn't recommended? And if I am adding this to Malu's kibble, can he a have a meaty raw bone every day? Is there any reason not to do it every day?

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

Here in NJ, I get them at the grocery store. My store has them in the freezer section and sometimes in the meat section but I like them frozen. I can't answer the second part of your questions as I am not a Raw Feeder. But I do know the dark meat is more fattier and I mainly avoid it in my Homecooking.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

You can get the marrow bones at any grocery store in the meat department; if you don't see them, ask the butcher to cut them for you. Lots of people use them for soup. In fact, I've given smaller dogs a marrow bone that cooked for hours in a soup pot and they still haven't been able to make a dent in them.
I don't know about the actual RMB feeding and which bones to use, how often, etc. I believe people who follow this feeding style do give the bones every day. It's hard to get info about this, because most proponents of RMB feeding are adamant that you shouldn't mix any kind of raw feeding with any other types of food- kibble, homecooking, etc., so it's hard to get any guidelines for those of us who would like to explore the options without completely switching our feeding methods.

[Minga & Malu & Costa]

Thanks. I am curious if adding a chicken neck after Malu's evening kibble will keep the tarter off his teeth. One of the vets here in town is an advocate of feeding a good kibble (Orijen, Fromm, etc) and adding raw meat and veggies to their diet daily. That is where I got the idea to mix. My dogs already get some chicken hearts as snacks, because I get them for my kitty. They don't even bother chewing them, lol.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Sounds like you have one of the rare vets who actually knows about good canine nutrition! Lucky you & lucky Malu!
I can tell you that I do add fresh cooked foods to Jack's meals- he's also on Orijen- and he has not any digestive problems. Raw meat will take longer to digest than cooked meat, but I don't see how it would hurt to experiment with it.
With vegetables, I would lightly cook them. Breaking down the plant cellulose makes the nutrients more available and makes them easier to digest. (You probably already knew that, lol.)

[2lq2ez6wj0n5r]

Ian Billinghurst lives just down the road from me here in Bathurst NSW. He runs a successful small veterinary practice based around his nutritional ideas and claims that his patients do not get the illnesses which are now common among pet dogs today. He doesn't proseletyse to the profession or rave about conspiracy theories and - while he no doubt firmly believes he is right - I think he is objective and reasonable.
cheers
Kate