The Raw Controversy?

Question

so i fed raw for a little while, and did a lot of research prior to starting.

all i found was a ton of different information going back and forth.

veggies are good, veggies are bad
dont feed this, no its ok.
on and on.

it really wasnt even the fear of bones(if they cant be digested easily, then my pup has got at least 50 pounds of bone lost inside him somewhere)
it seems the only thing people can agree on is that science diet is junk which wasnt news to me.

im not looking for people to post links to pages or quote things from the raw feeding myths page.

i just want to know if anyone else out there was discouraged enough that they just threw in the towel and switched to canidae.(or whatever ever other decent kibble, its really irrelevant.)

Actually, bindi, there is a group you can ask questions to. its a yahoo group called rawfeeding. a lot of people who know a lot of stuff.

but, i agree with the other answer here.. just so many back and forth that i just decided "how much worse can a good food like canidae or timberwolf be?"

i figured it must be either a little bit better or just a little bit worse than feeding raw.

as for raw, i liked it, my dog liked it... its just that how can i be sure that something that my dog has to spend weeks getting used to be all that healthy.

i couldnt answer this, so off i went to the feed store for a bag of kibble.

my pups activity level is maybe a notch or two lower and is coat just a little less shiny, but his allergys are better and stool is consistent.

really a toss up.

Answer 1

I will only give you my personal experience. When I started feeding raw, I was very nervous. I had the same questions many have. I had a friend that had the same beliefs I did. She had been feeding raw for a year already. Her dogs were very healthy, so I felt much more comfortable. I really feel with this diet you have to start with your research. Find out exactly what you're going to feed and how you need to build the dog up to a varied diet. You have to just jump in with both feet and commit. There will be ups and downs in the beginning. Some dogs detox from the kibble they were once on. That can freak you out if you don't know what it is and make you run right back to kibble. I gave it time. And other than hurricane evacuations my dogs have been raw for 11 years. This is not a diet for every dog owner. There are some super premium kibbles. You have to do what is best for you and your dog. Good luck with whatever you feed!

Answer 2

feeding raw is really time consuming, and costly, however, it is worth every minute and penny.It really is the best. That being said, there are some meals where i just don't have the time/energy/whatever to deal with that, so i always keep a bag of Evo handy. Sometimes, they will only get meaty bones for a few days, sometimes only meat, other times meat and veggies, still others where i mix in kibble, or feed only kibble.
only kibble is pretty rare, and because i feed evo, i don't feel guilty, like i have thrown in the towel. Many people don't feel comfy feeding only raw, and do a kibble mix. I say, some is better than none. Canidae is better than what 90% of what other owners feed anyway. Throw in raw foods whenever you can if you really can't do all raw.

Answer 3

I was never really discouraged, but in addition to what I could find online, I also had mentors who had been feeding raw for several years.

As far as veggies, some people feed them, some people don't. That is really a matter preference. Some people start out feeding them, then quit later.

I think people would have more luck with the diet if they had a group of people to go to and ask questions.

Answer 4

I have, on occassion, given up the raw for a week or two.. I always go back though.

I feed my dog just about anything that doesn't eat them first... and a few leftovers on leftover night that I eye suspiciously in case they suddenly develop legs.

My dogs have really strong intestinal tracts... only thing I've found that they'll refuse is McDonald's (except the Samoyed and he'll eat ANYTHING)... because of this *I* no longer eat it. If my garbage dogs won't.. I'll listen to them.

I do feed quite a bit of premium kibble as training treats though.

Answer 5

That debate made my decision not to try raw. It was too risky in my mind to try and decide which side was right. I use Timberwolf, it's easy to store/keep, healthier than store brands and my dog loves it. It would be nice if everyone could agree on which raw foods were good and which weren't but I think I'll stick to a kibble.

Answer 6

My father always fed our dogs raw food when I grew up and I have begun feeding my dogs it and I have never seen them looking so well I will contunue to feed it as my dogs absolutly love it and don't really like dry food. At least I know what I'm putting into my dogs. Thats the way I want to keep it!