TeamMisha.com - K9 Nutrition Part 2

The following, is part 2 of an article written by Anna Muldoon and published with permission. Although it is geared towards Rottweilers, the information can be used with ANY breed.

Making the switch

When I first started feeding raw, I also had an older girl named Sheba who was my very first rescue. Sheba was always a chore to feed. I had to sit on the floor and hand feed her to get her to eat. I practically had to beg her to eat. She was gassy, had a greasy coat, and the most horrible breath you can imagine.

At first she would simply refuse to eat. So on the advice of some wonderful people on the K9Nutrion yahoo group, I began to trick her into eating. If she was having chicken for dinner, I browned it very lightly, just until the fat began to render and sprinkled it with garlic powder and a little salt. As she became more accustomed to this I weaned her off the browned chicken to a completely raw diet. My once finicky eater became an avid fan of food and would dance and spin for her dish. She would almost knock me down to get her bowl. After two weeks she blew her entire coat and the fur that came in was luxuriously soft, incredibly shiny and sweet smelling. Her terrible “Death Breath” disappeared, and so did her constant gas. Her energy level tripled and she became so active that I had to increase the amounts that I was feeding her. My six-year-old girl was acting like a pup again!

After seeing similar benefits in my other dogs, I knew that I had made the right choice.

Getting Started

There are several different philosophies on raw feeding. Raw feeding is also called the BARF diet. BARF can stand for Biologically Appropriate Raw Foods or Bones And Raw Foods. I feed what is called Prey Model. Prey Model feeding is basically trying to mimic the meat, organ and bone content of common prey animals that the dog would eat in the wild. Although a lot of raw feeders suggest feeding vegetables and grains, as a prey model feeder I avoid these. The Merck Veterinary Manual clearly states that dogs have absolutely no metabolic need for carbohydrates. I do feed them on occasion but as snacks or treats.

Before starting this diet I suggest strongly that you read as many books as possible on raw feeding and do the research. It is important to understand the principles of this diet in order to do it right. I am not saying that this is rocket science, it isn’t. Actually it is very easy and less expensive than feeding a high quality dog food, but you should be aware of the basics before starting.

Back to Part 1 Continue to Part 3

Disclaimer: I am not a veterinarian and my advice should not be used in place of the sage advice of your vet. This article is the result of personal experience and is not meant to replace meaningful treatment and dialog with your veterinarian.

Questions or comments about this website, or to report errors, email: support@teammisha.com

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"K9's Saving Lives"

K9 nutrition part 2

What I Feed

As a Prey Model Feeder I feed 50% RMB’S (Raw Meaty Bones), 40% Muscle Meat and 10% Organs. Any thing higher than 50% RMB’s is too high in calcium and can cause problems. Below is a list and definition of some of these three ingredients. Once you get the hang of it, any animal source can become food. Be creative and be sure to give your dogs lots of variety. Use common sense and enjoy “hunting” for your dog. Please note that when starting a new dog onto a raw diet it is best to stick to one source of protein for the first two weeks. I usually start them on Chicken parts, ground chicken or turkey, and Chicken Livers and whole eggs for the first two weeks and after that introduce other proteins gradually one at the time.

RMB’S (Raw Meaty Bones)

Chicken leg quarters (these do not contain enough bone and I would use them sparingly)

Chicken or Turkey wings, necks or backs

Pork Neck Bones

Whole fish or canned jack mackerel

Emu Necks

Deer Necks

Ribs of any animal

**Avoid large weight bearing bones, like leg bones of cattle and large animals. These are teeth breakers. Any other cut though is usually fine as long as it is 50% bone.

NEVER FEED COOKED BONE

Muscle Meat

Muscle meat is any meat with no bones. Heart is also considered muscle meat, not organ meat. Some of the things I feed are as follows;

Ground or Boneless;

Turkey

Chicken

Pork

Beef

Emu,

Venison

Catfish nuggets

Beef, Pork, Emu, Chicken, or Turkey hearts

Lamb

Elk

Goat

Organ Meats

Organ meats can be liver, spleen, kidneys, pancreas, lungs, brains etc. I

usually stick to liver and try to get the most organic source since the

liver is the organ that filters toxins from the body. Commercially raised

animals are full of hormones, antibiotics and god knows what. My liver of

Choice is the local farm raised Emu. You will have fun trying to find

sources for organic or at least farm raised organs. Maybe during hunting

season one of your friends can hook you up with his deer processor and you

can get some of that. If you can't find anything close to organic organs,

just feed beef or chicken. Raw food is going to be more nutritious than any

thing you find in a bag anyway.

Extras

I add some of these items as additions or substitutions for muscle meats. I also use them as treats. When feeding dairy products, feed whole fat, do not feed that low fat/fat free nonsense to your dogs.

Cottage Cheese

Plain Yogurt

Whole Raw Eggs

Kefir

Any vegetable (except onions)

Any Fruit (except grapes and raisins)

Plain Canned Pumpkin (not the pie mix) is great for upset tummies. It will stop the trots and get a stopped system moving. It is a miracle food for dogs. A few tablespoons twice a day usually do the trick.

How Much To Feed

Generally I feed between 2-3% of their body weight. So for a 100-pound dog, I would start off feeding 2 lbs a day. There is an incredible spreadsheet that works this all out for you at

http://www.rawdogranch.com/howmuch.htm it even gives you a totals sheet for up to 12 dogs so that you can plan your purchases for a month.

Large breeds tend to eat less than smaller breeds and puppies should always be fed at their expected adult weight, so for a nice strapping 20 lb Rottie pup that you expect to weigh 100 lbs, you should be feeding based upon 100lbs. He needs this extra nutrition to grow.

I have seen some people feed very active dogs as much as 5% and less active dogs as little as 1%. The beauty of feeding this way is that you can adjust it as needed without having to overhaul the whole system.

Breaking it Down

You have a 100lb dog, that you are going to feed based upon Prey Model of 50% RMB’s, 40% Muscle, and 10% Organs. You start by feeding 2% of the dog’s current weight.

100 x 2% = 2lbs

2 x 16 = 32 ounces (2 lbs x 16 ounces per pound)

32 ounces x 50% = 16 ounces or one pound of RMB’S

32 ounces x 40% = 12.8 ounces of Muscle Meat

32 ounces x 10% = 3.2 ounces of Organ Meat

Total 32 ounces or two pounds

See it’s not rocket science! It is very easy and takes almost no time. Having some basic tools will help you. I use a digital postage scale to weigh ingredients. My scale has the ability to zero out in between ingredients. I plop the bowl on the scale, zero out the bowl weight, add the first ingredient, zero out the scale weight, add the second, zero out the scale weight, and then add the third ingredient. It takes me approximately 10 minutes to prepare 6-7 bowls with supplements each day.

Weight Loss or Gain

Your dog should never gain or lose more than 10% of its current weight in a month. So if your dog weighs 120 lbs but needs to weigh 90 lbs, you would feed based upon a goal weight of 108 lbs for the first month and adjust monthly from there.

120 lbs x 10% = 12 lbs.

120lbs – 12 lbs = 108 lbs

You would reverse this for weight gain.

What About Supplements?

Some people say these are an absolute must and some say none are needed. I think you have to do the research and decide what you are comfortable doing. Two supplements that I think are an absolute must are Fish Oil (not cod liver oil) and Vitamin E. Most of the foods we feed our dogs are high in Omega 6’s and in order to get the proper balance of essential fatty acids, Omega 3 must be added. The best source of this is Fish Body Oil. There are some vegetable sources of Omega 3 (Flax or Borage Oil) but the body cannot use them as readily, so animal sources of Omega 3’s is much better. I use a Marine Lipid Concentrate that I purchase from www.wonderlabs.com , it is a good product and the price is reasonable. In order for the body to process the Omega 3’s it must have vitamin E present in the system. So I usually give these together.

The following is a list of what vitamins I feed and are recommended by canine nutritionists. I strongly endorse the use of www.B-Naturals.com supplements such as the Daily Blend, Immune Blend, Digestive Enzymes, Probiotics and the Green Blend. Most of these products contain everything you need in one simple powder, but you can use human grade tablets or capsules as listed below also.

Vitamin C with Bioflavanoid minimum dosage (twice daily):

0-25 pounds - 100 mg

25-50 pounds - 250 mg

50-75 pounds - 500 mg

50-100 pounds - 1,000 mg

Vitamin E minimum dosage:

0-25 pounds - 50-100 IUs

25-50 pounds 100-200 IUs

50-75 pounds 400 IUs

75- 100 pounds 400-800 IUs

Omega-3 fatty acid minimum dosage:

Omega 3 Fatty acids are DHA and EPA, a 1000mg Fish Oil capsule can contain as little as 100mg combined DHA/EPA, so for a 100 lb dog you would need to feed 10! Check the label, the dosage recommended is for DHA/EPA content.

0-25 pounds - 100 mg

25-50 pounds - 250 mg

50-75 pounds - 500 mg

100 pounds - 1000 mg

Alfalfa- Powdered form

• Small dog - 1/8 teaspoon

• Medium dog - 1/4 teaspoon

• Large dog - 1/2 teaspoon

Seaweed or kelp powder

Mix with food daily in these amounts:

• Small dog - 1/8 teaspoon

• Medium dog - 1/4 teaspoon

• Large dog - 1/2 teaspoon

I also give a B-complex tablet every other day and you can also add probiotics and digestive enzymes too

Other Additions

These are not necessary for everyday but can be helpful with fleas or other problems.

Apple Cider Vinegar minimum dosage:

0-25 pounds - 1/2 teaspoon

25-50 pounds - one teaspoon

50-75 pounds - 1/2 tablespoon

100 pounds - one tablespoon

Garlic minimum dosage:

0-25 pounds - 1/8 chopped clove

25-50 pounds - 1/4 chopped clove

50-75 pounds - 3/4 chopped clove

100 pounds - one chopped clove

Proper Nutrition for your Rottweiler Part 2

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