Raw Diet

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=22 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="002000d2egerdp.png"> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=145 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="011bcf33.jpg"> <div> <A HREF="id87.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Whats New?"><B>What's New?</B></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id1.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About Us"><B>About Us</B></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Our Dogs"><B>Our Dogs</B></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id86.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Puppies"><B>Puppies</B></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="training.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Training"><B>Training</B></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id6.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Rescue"><B>Rescue</B></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="raw_diet.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Raw Diet"><B>Raw Diet</B></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id7.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="History"><B>History</B></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id8.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><B>Links</B></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id9.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Location"><B>Location</B></A></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=458 width="100%" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#336600" FACE="Times New Roman" ><I>Creekside Farm</I></FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#663399" FACE="Times New Roman" >    </FONT> |    <B> </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000BF" FACE="Times New Roman" ><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Creekside Farm"><B>home</B></A></FONT></div> <div> <A HREF="id87.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Whats New?">What's New?</A>   |   <A HREF="id1.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About Us">About Us</A>   |   <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Our Dogs">Our Dogs</A>   |   <A HREF="training.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Training">Training</A>   |   <A HREF="id86.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Puppies">Puppies</A>   |   <A HREF="id6.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Rescue">Rescue</A>   |   <A HREF="id7.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="History">History</A>   |   <B>Raw Diet</B>   |   <A HREF="id8.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links">Links</A>   |   <A HREF="id9.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Location">Location</A></div> <div> <IMG SRC="00307040.png" border=0 width="263" height="4" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="491" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 99 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="04b5d5c0.png" border=0 width="93" height="92" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="385"><div> <B>Raw Diet</B></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> This page last updated on: 06-24-07</div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="808" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 1941 WIDTH="796"><div> Creekside dogs are fed a raw, prey model diet.  (A prey animal is typically 15% bone, 10% organ, the rest muscle, skin, fat, connective tissues, and other offal).  I do feed veggies and fruits (pulped) and this is added at about 10% rate to the muscle, connective tissue, skin, fat and offal portion of the meals.  I also feed green tripe, when I can find it!</div> <bR> <div> What does this mean? They are fed fresh, whole foods with an emphasis on balance over time, rather than at each meal.  We have been feeding this way only since October, 2006 so are total newbies but feel that this is the best way to feed our dogs.  We have seen some very startling results already such as mirror like gloss in the dog's coats, a gradual lessening of allergic symptoms that had developed in Pat and Boomer, (reactions possibly due to the change in formulation of the kibble we were feeding, but hard to tell), and a <U>DRAMATIC </U>change in the dog's teeth and breath and body odor. And yard cleanup is definitely faster, and if I miss a day, well, most of the poop is completely dissolved into dust in a couple of days!</div> <bR> <div>  Below are a few Q&A as well as photos, but rather than write a whole lot myself, I have provided many great links and references that can point you in the right direction if you want to feed your dogs this way too!  We encourage Creekside puppy buyers to feed raw, or at the very least to research the commercial foods out there to find out what you are REALLY feeding your dog (links below).</div> <bR> <div> Questions and Answers:</div> <bR> <div> <B>Why did you switch to a raw diet?</B></div> <div> Several reasons!  Allergies that developed in Boomer and Pat, disgust at the pet food industry in general and the fact that 2 year old Tap had to get her teeth professionally cleaned due to tarter build up ($400) and that Boomer, Jess and Pat were also headed in that direction, with most likely annual visits!  I have heard for years from raw feeding friends and holistic veterinarians how the natural grinding, crunching of bones and chunks of meat worked miracles on teeth and bad breath.  After becoming discouraged with a daily brushing regimen, trying to scrape tarter off myself as well as  adding an expensive special formula to the dog's drinking water and still not getting the results I hoped for (and the work required for 7 dogs was in itself prohibitive), I began to truly research the idea of raw feeding and liked what I learned!  </div> <bR> <div> <B>How did you switch?</B></div> <div> Impatient to begin, I made the switch cold turkey.  One day I was feeding kibble, the next, raw!  At the beginning, they ate one protein source and a veggie "pre-mix" and I added fish oil and enzymes to help with the digestion of this new form of food.  None of the dogs had any tummy upsets, no loose stools, no "detox" symptoms, just a VERY new interest in mealtimes!</div> <bR> <div> <B>Is it expensive? </B></div> <div> No lying here...Yes.  It certainly can be for 7 dogs! Some of the stuff I get really cheap or free (pigs feet, beef heart, leftover fish, chicken necks and frames/carcasses, our own mutton for example), other stuff is more expensive (beef, duck, whole chicken and turkey, rabbit etc.).  The pure meat meals are the most expensive!  But I figure the cheap veggies, organs and other offal balance out the costs.  If I get it to average about $1 per pound, I'm doing pretty well.  But, think how much I have saved in veterinary bills for teeth cleaning this year, and every other year, alone! <B>Yes, the raw diet is AMAZING for teeth and breath!</B>  Even old Boomer, who had tarter so thick on his teeth they were like seashells - now has teeth of a much younger dog...And tarter is still falling off in chunks!  His breath is no longer "dragon breath", but sweet smelling and totally inoffensive!</div> <bR> <div> <B>What kinds of things do you feed your dogs? </B></div> <div> I feed them approximately: 50% RMBs (Raw MEATY bones) such as chicken (whole when on special or legs with back attached are also usually very cheap.  I feed necks and "frames" but add meat to those meals, as these are mostly bone), turkey (whole when on special, wings, leftover parts), mutton/lamb (necks, ribs, etc.), pork (feet - with added meat,  hocks, necks), beef ribs, whole rabbit (when I can find it cheap!), and would like to feed duck, pigeon and whatever else! </div> <bR> <div> 10% of their diet is organ meat (mostly liver, but also kidneys, heart, lungs, spleen etc.), and the other 40% is meat (mostly muscle meat) - mutton, beef, pork, eggs - whatever is on sale!) and veggies (what ever I get on the cheap rack!).  Veggies are pulped into a mix and added to meat or organ meals at a ratio of about 4(meat):1(veggies).  They also eat fish  twice a week (depending on how much I can get cheap or free) and include salmon heads and "skeletons" with fins (these I get for FREE form the local fish market, as they are only throwing these away anyways!), whole fish (usually at their "sell by" date - cheap!), sometimes canned salmon which I buy in big 1.5 kg cans at the local Cash and Carry (restaurant supply). Spur only likes the "non-scaly" fish such as mackerel and sardines, Pat also doesn't like the texture of raw fish, so I cut hers up and mix with usually egg and veggies.  Boomer now needs most things cut up for him into small bites, but he will knaw on chicken necks if I hold them for him!</div> <bR> <div> <B>How much do your dogs eat?</B></div> <div> My very active dogs get about 3% of their body weight per day, more if they are really active (i.e.. in summer and trial season).  For Blaze, this means about 2 lbs per day!</div> <bR> <div> <B>How can you be sure they are getting all the nutrients they require? </B></div> <div> At the beginning, I was really worried about this and was reading a lot of books on BARF diet and mixing meals with all kinds of ingredients - talk about complicated!!!! Quickly, I switched to the prey model (whole foods, and yes, already dead :) and it is simple!  Variety - just like us! And the key is balance over time - just like us!  There really is no need to supplement if they get their nutrients in whole foods (better anyways!), but I do add a joint supplement to Boomer, Jess, Spur, and Pat's meals as they are all considered "seniors".  </div> <bR> <div> <B>Where do you buy this food?</B> </div> <div> Where possible, I always try to buy "naturally raised".  But I figure even non organic whole fresh food is better than an extruded, heat processed cereal nugget (kibble) that contains garbage, road kill and other non identifiable ingredients!   I always buy free range eggs, and grass fed beef if I can.  Grain fed chicken is best, of course too, with no hormones.   I buy veggies from local grocery stores on the "old shelf" - whatever is there, I buy it up and pulp it together - apples, berries, sweet potatoes, carrots, leafy veggies such as lettuce and bok choy, green beans, carrots,  squash, parsley, alfalfa sprouts, tomatoes, whatever! If I run out of veggies, I don't panic.  I also feed green tripe (tip: feed outside as it smells like the inside of a dirty barn!), which the dogs LOVE!</div> <bR> <div> <B>What about traveling?</B></div> <div> At first I found this tricky, especially when traveling to the USA where we are not allowed to bring any meat products across the border!  But now, I can't believe I ever thought it difficult!  I just go to he local grocery store and buy what I need for the trip!  It seems that US agriculture is more highly regulated (as far as hormones, and animal feed) so I can easily find grain fed, hormone free chicken, beef or lamb.  Always organic eggs and if I am in a real pinch (i.e. no refrigerator in hotel room) - there is always canned salmon or mackerel.  I buy a lot of Cornish hens when traveling (which are a "luxury" food in Canada and SO expensive - like $10 a pound or something - IF you can find them at all!) as they are "whole foods" (with organs) and so easy to feed...Just unwrap and hand it to the dog!  (Tip: bring old towels to put on the floor of hotel rooms, or feed outside.)  If I am worried about veggies, I can always bring my powdered kelp and alfalfa and add some to their meat meal, or I also like to buy the Bolthouse Farms "Green" Juice Smoothie, which the dogs love!  SO EASY! Pack a cooler!</div> <bR> <div> <B>Aren't you scared about bacteria and splintered bones?</B></div> <div> At the beginning I sure was! But the health risks are not greater than when feeding dog food:  Rancid kibble, choking on kibble and not to mention the gradual deterioration of mouth health that leads to irreversible health problems when dogs do not get the natural cleaning action of raw meaty bones.</div> <bR> <div> The first time Spur basically swallowed an entire chicken carcass whole was a very scary thing to watch!  Of course, when I tried to take it away - he only gulped it faster.  I now feed in crates, or outside in separate areas, which cuts down "competition" and they relax and enjoy their dinner. Now all the Creekside dogs are expert grinders and crunchers - especially Spur!  Old Boomer now prefers his RMB's cut up into smaller pieces, as his old jaws can't seem to grind up the very large chunks, but he works at pieces that are about 2 x 2 inches and never swallows anything whole.  Sometimes, dinner can take the dogs 2 hours to eat (pigs feet!). What satisfaction!  Like us when we enjoy a prolonged gourmet meal. And so far, all the bones they eat have been digested with no constipation.  As I am becoming bolder and feeding harder bones, like turkey, pork and beef, I do sometimes see bits of bone in the dog's poop.  But it all seems to pass through easily.  Many people who feed raw grind everything including bones in a meat grinder.  While the dogs do get the same nutritional benefits, they loose the teeth cleaning and meal satisfaction benefits feeding big meaty bones provides.  However, if your dog is a gulper, then this is a safe way to feed raw.  Another good rule of thumb - especially for gulpers - is to feed pieces that are bigger than the dog's head, to encourage tearing and grinding and gnawing.  Please go to some of the links below to read more about the pros and cons.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Won't eating raw meat make my dog viscous or food possessive?</B></div> <div> No!  Certainly, real food will have a higher value to your dog than a processed cereal nugget (kibble), but a dog that eats meat will not become aggressive, take down wild animals or bite people.  Food possession may manifest itself, but only if it had always been there, to some degree....The most important thing you will need to do is to make your dog feel like he doesn't HAVE to guard his food (Dude!  I really do NOT want your raw liver!)  All the proactive resource guarding exercises can be helpful when first introducing your dog to real food. (MINE! by Jean Donaldson is a good book for ANY resource guarding problem).  My own dogs eat comfortably together, but I am policing the area to be sure no dog feels that they may loose there portion.  Each dog knows when they are finished and don't generally bother the others - even my fierce resource guarder, Spur!  I do all the exercises referred to above with all my puppies and new dogs to ensure that any guarding behavior is quickly nipped in the bud, or at the very least, totally toned down to where nobody is bothered by it!</div> <bR> <div> <B>How can I get started?</B></div> <div> See some of the links below to help you.  The key is, don't make it too complicated...Balance over time!  Some of the books referenced are useful, but their BARF diets are way too complicated, required complicated recipes, hard to find ingredients and a lot of manual labor!  It doesn't need to be difficult!</div> <bR> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 2184 ><NOBR><div> <B>Photos</B></div> <div> <I>More photos of Creekside Dogs eating their RMBs coming soon!</I></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <I> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="733" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 389 WIDTH="361"><div> <IMG SRC="157b303d0.jpg" border=0 width="304" height="317" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Above: <A HREF="id21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Blaze">Blaze</A> enjoys his RMBs and gets extremely messy when eating as he like to hold it between his front paws.  Here he is enjoying a salmon head.  Blaze has to rinse off in the creek before coming inside after his fish meals!</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="361"><div> <IMG SRC="157de73a0.jpg" border=0 width="231" height="314" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Above: <A HREF="id19.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Creekside Kap">Creekside Kap</A> eating a stinky salmon head. Kap is a very clean eater, never touching his "prey" with his paws.</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 285 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="157efc140.jpg" border=0 width="252" height="276" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="157ffc160.jpg" border=0 width="252" height="278" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 67 WIDTH="725"><div> Above is Emma Balitski's <A HREF="id47.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="OneX">Creekside OneX</A> working on a yummy old chunk of Bison bone. As you can see from the pics below, OneX was eating raw right from the start (slightly smaller pieces :) ! Dogs can digest meat that is borderline rotten - in fact they prefer it!  This makes it cheap if you can find a good butcher who is willing to sell you the "past sale date" meat.</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 261 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="118852fe0.jpg" border=0 width="338" height="254" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="118952fe0.jpg" border=0 width="338" height="254" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 378 WIDTH="361"><div> <IMG SRC="118b1c210.jpg" border=0 width="284" height="289" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <A HREF="id21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Blaze">Blaze</A> working on a turkey wing. His crate is lined with an old feedsack at mealtimes to protect the dog bed! Blaze is a very messy eater, and prefers to pretend he is a wolf, ripping and tearing and holding his "prey" between his front feet to get a better angle..Hence the now stained paws!</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="361"><div> <IMG SRC="118d57210.jpg" border=0 width="343" height="289" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <A HREF="id32.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Creekside Tap">Creekside Tap</A> crunching through a turkey leg.  When local grade A, grain fed turkey was advertised at $0.88 a lb., I went and bought a dozen!  It wasn't very fun at the checkout line - they were all over 10 lbs! 1 turkey can last 2+ dog meals !</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 402 WIDTH="361"><div> <IMG SRC="11e03d4a0.jpg" border=0 width="317" height="330" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Above is Grace Smith's <A HREF="id45.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Click">Creekside Click</A> looking very happy with his chicken back with a side order of grass and dirt!</div> <div> Feeding raw outside is the easiest - no bowls required! And no cleanup!</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="361"><div> <IMG SRC="15794a4b0.jpg" border=0 width="330" height="331" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Above is 12 year old <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Cessnock Jess">Cessnock Jess</A> working on a Salmon head.  This is  a very big meal for her, so the next day she'll get less food to make up for her "overindulgence"!</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 296 WIDTH="361"><div> <IMG SRC="16c565fd0.jpg" border=0 width="357" height="253" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Woody diving into the dog's dinner!  He eats what the dogs do, with a bit more organ meat thrown in.</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="361"><div> <IMG SRC="16c34efb0.jpg" border=0 width="334" height="251" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Creekside Tap working on a deer trachea, with a big meaty bone to get to after that! </div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></I></div> <div> <I> </I></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <B>Links and References (more to come!)</B></div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="811" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="396"><div> <B>Links</B></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <B>Recommended Reading (List under construction!)</B></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 244 WIDTH="396"><div> <A HREF="http://www.pets4life.com/index.php?p=articles/index" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.pets4life.com/index.php?p=art">Pets 4 Life Research Page</A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://rawfeddogs.net/Recipes" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://rawfeddogs.net/Recipes">Raw Feeding - Recipes</A> A personal favorite! </div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.rawmeatybones.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.rawmeatybones.com/">Raw Meaty Bones</A> - Dr. Tom Londsdale's book</div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.drpitcairn.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.drpitcairn.com/">Animal Natural Health Center</A> - Dr. Pitcairn's site</div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.njboxers.com/faqs.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.njboxers.com/faqs.htm">Top 50 Questions about Raw Feeding</A> - from the njboxers site</div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=main" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?">The Dog Food Project</A> - a good site for researching dog foods if that's the route you are comfortable with!</div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/">The Whole Dog Journal</A> - a monthly guide to natural dog care and training.  Subscribe online, get issues by email!</div> <div> <A HREF="http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/RawDogCanada/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/RawDo">Raw Dog Canada</A> - an email list promoting raw feeding in Canada</div> <div> <A HREF="http://lepusreg.tripod.com/NRS1a.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://lepusreg.tripod.com/NRS1a.html">Natural Rearing/Supplier List</A> - for Canada and the USA.  Find where you can purchase raw food for your dog in your area!</div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.skylarzack.com/rawfeeding.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.skylarzack.com/rawfeeding.htm">http://www.skylarzack.com/rawfeeding.htm</A> - A great FAQ section!</div> <bR> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="396"><div> Dr. Pitcairn's <B>Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats</B></div> <div> Dr. Billinghurst's <B>Give Your Dog a Bone</B> &<B> Grow Your Pups with Bones</B></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="mailto:creeksidefarm@sympatico.ca" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:creeksidefarm@sympatico.ca"><IMG SRC="190ba2530.png" border=0 width="162" height="83" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></A>     <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Creekside Farm"><IMG SRC="190ca2530.png" border=0 width="162" height="83" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></A></div> </td> </tr></table></body>