~FEEDING THE RAW DIET~

 

                             

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                        

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                              Submitted by ~ Pedro Gurrola.....

 

                         Ghost Town Gladiator Mastiffs

 

                                       El Paso Texas

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                            

 

 

 

 

               

 

 

      Here at Puppy Pawz we feed a modified raw food diet and

MANY times I am asked for guide~lines to go by when you

take home your new family member. So I asked Pedro

Gurrola breeder of El Paso Texas if he could write me up

some advice to follow should anyone want to!! He has taken

his time and given it MUCH GOOD thought.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

   This is ONLY some advice and direction.... as only a dog's

owner would be able to clearly tailor a diet to their dog's

specific needs. There are many points of views as to the BEST

approach and I am not challenging someone else's

perspective and I simply follow my own research and

experience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   My success and failures are by my own hand rather than

by someone else's. Much of this is instinct, observation,

experience, and LOTS of trial and error.

 

 

 

 

 

 

       On March of 2007 the LARGEST pet~food recall in

history was prompted in North America after reports surfaced

of renal failure in pets. A comprehensive investigation by the

FDA and USDA revealed, that certain U.S. companies had

intentionally imported melamine tainted wheat gluten that

subsequently was used in the manufacture of pet~food.

According to some of the indictments that resulted from this

investigation, it was determined that the country of origin, of

the tainted wheat gluten was China. This certainly cast doubts

about the safety of pet~food products and consequently raised

concerns about the safety of the human food supply. In the

ensuing months more reports of kidney failure came to light

and the recall expanded to Europe and South Africa. The

extensive media coverage shed some light  on the widespread

deficiencies in the manufacturing process of pet~food

products. Pet food recalls have continued for reasons ranging

from: the presence of mold, small pieces of melted plastic,

toxic levels of Vitamin D, salmonella, and aflatoxin

contamination.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      There is one universal truth that everyone, even those with

opposing ideas on canine diet, can come together and agree

on. MUCH of the commercial kibble available is TRASH,

regardless of cost and it's only use should be as land fill and

not as a food source for dogs. There are a few manufacturers

that have made a sincere attempt to produce a kibble that

contains beneficial ingredients that address canine biological

and physiological needs. Even those manufacturers with the

BEST intentions are not able to produce a completely 100%

balanced food. The concern over the quality and safety of

pet~foods in the market has compelled many breeders and

pet~owners to re~evaluate their feeding practices. This has

sparked and renewed interest and focused attention on the

raw diet approach. The raw food approach is not, by any

means, a new concept but it has been presented as the only

viable approach to feeding our pets.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   There are MANY variations to one fundamental concept

and that is to feed your dogs a raw, species appropriate diet.

Within this raw diet concept you'll find two opposing camps

that are essentially the same with only slight variations in

philosophy; BARF is an acronym for (Bones and Raw Food

or Biologically Appropriate Raw Foods) and RMB (Raw

Meaty Bones~Prey Model). Regardless of your affliation it

should be understood that feeding raw, BARF or RMB is a

philosophy of feeding, and it is NOT a static or fixed method

of feeding. Feeding raw is a very dynamic and fluid approach

that must be adapted and modifies to fit the needs of your

dogs based on genetics, breed, size, weight, activity level, ect.

Simply put you can not feed the same raw foods every day;

you must add some variation, daily or weekly, to the diet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

   RMB and BARF share a fundamental and extremely

elementary truth and that is, canines are carnivores, therefore

their diets must consist primarily of meat, in this case raw

meats and bones. Grains should not compose any part of the

canine diet. RMB advocates feeding only a wide variety of raw

meaty bones, muscle meats, organ meats and recreational

bones. BARF shares the same principle of feeding meats but

it embraces the addition of fruits, vegetables, dairy products,

probiotics, digestive enzymes and other supplements. I

personally don't see any harm in feeding vegetables and

fruits. If it makes you feel better, do it. Human nature being

what it is, there will always be those people with opposing

ideas on feeding raw who will criticize your choices and

decisions. However, don't neglect your own comfort zone;

decide what is best for your dog based on your own research

and analysis. Only YOU can make the BEST decision for

your dog, choose your own path and follow it. Any feeding

regimen can have it's individualized health risks associated

with incorrect feeding and preparation. Much like feeding a

poor quality kibble can have an effect on the generalized

health of a dog, so can unbalanced raw diet and this is

especially true for giant breeds such as the Mastiff.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                          

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Let's look at establishing some fundamentals. Whether you

decide to go strictly with a raw diet (BARF or RMB) or a

combination of high quality kibble and meats; the consensus

is to feed older dogs 2~3% of their optimal body weight on a

daily basis split over 1 or 2 feedings. If you are leaning

towards the kibble and meat combination I suggest 2 feedings

per day. Puppies from 7 wks. to about 5 months will eat

anywhere from 5~10% of their body weight daily, split over

3~4 feedings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Example: 180 lb. Mastiff~

 

    180x.03 (or .02 for 2%) = 5.4pounds of daily intake; round

to 5.5 or 5 pounds to make feeding easier. You can then

divide this amount by the number of daily feedings. You will

need to adjust and tailor food rations based on your

individual dog's needs. There are certain variables to take

into consideration: breed, activity level, size, weight, genetics,

ect. This is an excellent approach to being fed twice a day

would receive about 2.75 pounds of food at each feeding.

Keep in mind that this would just be an estimation, on some

days your dog may only consume 2 pounds and on other days

possibly 3 pounds. This will be determined based on need and

don't be too concerned with slight fluctuations. It's extremely

important to maintain your sanity so don't let feeding become

all consuming.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   **NOTE** A very good rule of thumb in determining ration

amounts, especially with giant breeds like the Mastiff is; on a

young Mastiff you should be able to see the outline of the last

rib when looking at them at a standing profile. In adults who

have developed the bone structure to carry more weight, you

should be able to easily feel the last rib, but not see it. Use

common sense; if you can see your dog's spine or too many

ribs, the dog is underweight. Adjust your feedings by

increasing ration amounts and watch for improvement. If

you're concerned about not feeding enough, remember, that

on a developing Mastiff it is always better if you have them on

the lighter side rather than overweight. You can easily make

up for low ration amounts at the next feeding. Too much

weight on a young, developing Mastiff can lead to hip

dysplasia and joint problems.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   If your approach will be a modified raw food diet (kibble

and raw meats) make sure you use a grain free, high quality

kibble with an average of 23% protein and 12% fat. Some

dogs are able to handle a raw and kibble mixture at each

feeding and others cannot. That's why I've stated before that I

recommend 2 feedings if you are going in this direction. I

agree with other breeders that feeding raw meaty bones and

kibble at the same time can be a hazard since kibble digests

slower and this can slow down the processing of bone. I've

never had this problem and again it is up to each individual

owner to make this judgement call. If you want to add raw to

kibble make it organ and muscle meats such as: beef liver,

chicken liver, heart, gizzards, tongue, tripe, raw egg, and

dairy products. Save the raw meaty bones for the second

feeding of the day. Raw meaty bones consist of chicken leg

quarters, chicken wings, chicken backs, rabbit legs, chicken

necks, turkey necks, lamb necks, pork necks and oxtails.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                       

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      For those who are leaning towards the RMB and BARF

diet, aim for a balanced ratio of 80% meat, 10% bone and

10% organ meat over the course of a week. Do not attempt to

balance every single meal, your sanity will suffer if you try.

Add a variety to every meal and over the course of a week or

two you will do just fine. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  **Start with the basics and add as much variety as possible

to meals over the course of a week.

 

 

 

 

  *Raw meaty bones and/or whole carcasses: chicken, quail,

venison, goat, duck, pork, lamb, whole raw fish, beef and

rabbit.

 

 

 

 

 

   *I advise that all pork products be cooked thoroughly before

feeding. Use whatever is available to you within your budget.

If your dog is getting too much bone in their diet you'll notice

constipation and extremely white stools.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  >Offal (organ meats): beef liver, chicken liver, tripe, kidney.

 

 

 

 

                         

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      *Organ meats should be fed just a few times a week.

Feeding too much organ meats will usually manifest itself as

very dark, loose stools and diarrhea. I usually feed organ

meats 3~4 times a week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   >Muscle meat: heart, gizzards, tongue, beef cheek

 

     >Whole raw eggs

 

 

 

 

                                           

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     

                                                                                           **OPTIONAL**     

    

 

      Vegetables and fruit: spinach, kale, beet greens, turnip

greens, collards, parsley, broccoli, carrots, yams, sweet

potatoes, yellow squash, apples, pears, bananas, ect.

 

 

 

 

                               

 

 

 

 

 

 

       *Be very careful and do some research, there are some

vegetables and fruits that should never be fed to dogs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Dairy: yogurt, cottage cheese, goat's milk

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      *Use only whole milk products, do not use fat~free or

low~fat

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     Supplements: Probiotics, Digestive enzymes, Vitamin C,

Glucosamine, Chrondroitin Sulfate, Hyaluronic Acid

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     *Raw unprocessed tripe (green tripe) is an EXCELLENT

source of digestive enzymes but you may have to search a bit

to find it. Probiotics and digestive enzymes can also be

purchased online or at most health food stores. If possible use

Ester~C instead of ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) it's much

gentler on the stomach.

 

 

 

 

                                    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     This is one week's RMB sample menu, outlining the

meal rations for a 180 pound Mastiff. The greater species

variety of meats available to you, the greater the variation you

can offer at each meal. Keep in mind that this menu is only an

approximation since I'm calculating daily food rations based

on the high end (3%) of optimal weight. These amounts are

not set in stone as each individual may consume less than I've

indicated below, based on individual needs. Search for

discounted meat prices, you'll be surprised how in inexpensive

some meats can be.

 

 

 

 

 

 

                Morning                          Evening          BARF or

 

 

              

 

 

 

  Monday:          1 chicken leg quarter(1 lb.)        1 lb. of ground turkey          If you choose to

 

  Tuesday:         1 pound  pork                        1 chicken back (.5 lb)

 

  Wednesday:    2 cans of sardines                  1 pound of chicken wings

 

  Thursday:      1 pound of chicken wings        1 chicken leg quarter

 

 Friday:           1 chicken back (.5 lbs.)           1 pound of pork

 

  Saturday:        1 chicken leg quarter (1 lb.)    1 pound of pork

 

  Sunday:        1 pound of fish                       1 lb. of chicken necks

 

 

 

 

 

      A raw food diet should be about adding raw natural foods

to your dog's diet over the course of a week or longer. Your

pet's caloric intake should come from HIGH quality,

nutritionally complete pet food. Do not become consumed

with wanting to balance each and every meal; simply feed a

variety of fresh ingredients each day and aim to balance the

diet over time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   The key to feeding giant breeds is NOT to overfeed, which

is why it is better to feed 3~4 times daily. You want more

frequent feedings, in smaller amounts using a kibble roughly

23% protein. It's very IMPORTANT to resist the urge to

fatten them up. I realize they look more impressive and

healthy but lean and healthy is the key.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are a few suppliers we have found that we use to purchase raw

foods from......check them out and maybe they will fit into your buget

as well!!! 

 

 

 

Top Quality Dog Food.com

 

 

BJ's Raw Pet Food.com

 

 

Big Dan's Trucking

 

 

My Pet Carnivore

 

 

Raw Pet Food

 

 

A Place for Paws

 

 

Raw Rabbit

 

 

                         

 

 

 

 

 

                                                        My goal in life is

 

                      to be as good a person as my

 

                       dog already thinks I am.

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                 

 

                 The MOST affectionate creature in the world

 

                         is a wet dog.

 

                       ~Ambrose Bierce

 

 

 

 

 

 

                          

 

                   

 

 

     

 

    

 

                                                         

   

Puppy Pawz

rebekahjoypeters@yahoo.com

Text: 989 763 6319



© TTWS