We switched our 2 boys to raw from kibble about 6 months ago. The switch came because we were simply exhausted from walking them 3 times a day because they had loose stool (we don't have fenced in yard, so we need to walk them to go to the bathroom). Our vet recommended more fiber in their diet to help with loose stool. This intuitively just didn't resonate with us. Basenji are one of the most ancient breeds of dog… why on earth would more fiber be a solution to their problem (I know the theoretical why, but logically it was counter-intuitive)? We read many sources or literature on the raw diet and thought this would be a good switch for them. Again, they are an ancient breed so moving toward raw foods seemed appropriate and logical. It took that about a month for them to get really accustomed to eating raw chicken quarters, rabbit halves or pork shoulders but now they have no problem gulping their meal right down, bone and all (for those of you who don't feed raw, gulping is a normal behavior and bone is an essential part of the diet). Their digestion issues have vanished and we've even seen marked improvement in their destructive behavior. Two super happy boys now, two super happy Basenji owners!!
Inadvertent promotion for raw feeding
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If ever there was a video that did more to promote feeding your dog high quality kibble, if not raw, here's one…
I guess it's from a Discovery Channel program about how stuff is made:
How Pet Food Is Made
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqp4Rm1LuBo
Some highlights:
"It's the stuff of sophisticated nutritional science…"
"Wanna bet some dogs and cats eat healthier than their owners?"
"... but the basic ingredients that factories grind up to make dog and cat food are generally similar. First, CORN KERNELS."
"As the continuous stream of shaped mixture exits the die, a spinning knife cuts it into pieces."
"Once the pieces exit the dryer, they enter a revolving drum where they're sprayed with fat and flavoring. The fat is designed to add food energy, while the flavoring gives the bland pieces an appetizing odor and taste."
… Something seems to be missing from this kibble (rated at 2 stars on dogfoodanalysis.com, FWIW). That is... where's the meat?? I guess it's sprayed on or something?
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Heh, I come from a culinary tradition where fish heads, chicken heads, and chicken feet are considered fit for human consumption (I've eaten my share of the first, but never developed a taste for the latter two). But the point is taken – the definition of "meat" contained in dog food is also highly dubious!
So again... where's the meat?
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Im so glad I feed my dogs a raw diet, I know exactly what they are getting!
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I use either high quality grain-free kibble or Raw for Kananga. Usually 1 meal of each, per day.
I would never give him anything of lesser quality. Makes me happy knowing he very well may live to be a bit older by having quality meals.
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I also give my girls high quality dry food, and raw veggies and meats, but it makes me wonder sometimes how come when we were little, our family dogs basically ate what we did, leftover of course, and managed long, healthy lives…....
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I once bought a book, 'The Food Dogs Die For' - after page 1 I stopped reading it was very revealing about manufactured feeds - a bit too much for me!
