The Raw way done the LorWin way
| At LorWin we believe in feeding a 'species appropriate' diet and have been doing so for 20+ years now. We would recommend that anyone wanting to feed this way first read about the BARF (Bones and Raw Food or Biologically Appropriate Raw Food) diet as explained by Dr. Ian Billinghurst in his books "Give Your Dog a Bone" and "Grow Your Pups with Bones". All of dogs are fed a variety of raw foods daily. Yes, this includes raw meats - but not only raw meats, they also receive bones, fruit and vegetables. We feed limited dairy (yogurt and cottage cheese) however we avoid 'most grains' - our dogs still get their daily biscuit-type cookie at bedtime though. Before reading any further please note that this is what we do at OUR KENNEL. In no way are we suggesting that we know it all; in no way are we judging other kennels' feeding practices as being incorrect. We are continually learning and are doing more research every chance we get, not only on the raw diet but in other dog health-related areas as well. Now in understanding that this is OUR way and without any expectations please continue reading... A few of the changes we immediately noticed when we switched from a high quality kibble are: smaller stool with virtually no odor, extremely clean white teeth accompanied by fresh breath, copious amounts of correctly textured coat, clean ears, clean anal glands, an almost nonexistent vet bill and a zest for life that we have yet to see with any kibble fed dog! We supplement our dog's diet with vitamins and minerals - NOT because we believe this diet to be unbalanced (we strive for balance over time), but because reality has shown us that today's soil is not as rich in vitamins and minerals as it once was and both stress and pollution are much more common today as opposed to yesteryear. We care about our dogs' overall health and well being and would do nothing to jeopardize them. We supplement approximately 3 times per week according to each dog's individual weight with Sea Kelp, Colladial Silver, Glucosamine Chondriton, Vitamins B, C and E and essential oils such as Cod Liver Oil, Salmon Oil and Omegas 3-6-9. There are 2 meal times at our kennel - morning and evening - exact times are not important to us as we want the dogs to be as flexible as we need to be. We try to maintain a 75/25 ratio - that is 75% RMB's (raw meaty bones) and 25% veggie/ground meat and bone mixture. We also give our dogs recreational bones (the rec bones consist of knuckle, hip or rib bones) approximately 3 times per week. This stops boredom from setting in and adds 'just for fun' chewing and exercise. The morning meal is that of the RMB's. We alternate between chicken backs, turkey necks, beef and pork bones. The dogs are fed this meal at cool room temperature and the RMB's are from young animals to ensure that the bones are soft and pliable. The amounts vary depending on the age and condition of each individual. We know all is well when we can easily feel the ribs, yet not see them, on each dog. The sparkle in their eyes also lets us know that everyone is happy and satisfied. Remember, NEVER to feed your pet cooked bones! These bones can splinter, puncture and cause major damage, sometimes even death in your pet! The evening meal is that of the ground meat & bone with ground veggies... or once every 2 weeks a muscle meal. The veggie meal has a variety of green leafy veggies (lettuce, kale, parsley, etc) as well as extras such as carrots, broccoli and sweet potatos/yams. It also has various extras such as eggs (with shell), tuna or sardines, peanut butter and offal mixed in. Each batch is a little different than the last. We would not want to eat the same meal every night for our entire lives, why would anyone think a dog would be happy doing that is beyond us!?! The ground meat involved could be chicken, turkey, pork, elk, bison, moose, deer, rabbit, duck, etc... and always has ground bone in it. We do try and avoid the 'night shade' veggies as well as all grapes, onions, garlic and tomatos which, if fed in abundance, could be toxic to your dog. We also avoid table potatoes, peppers, cabbage, beans, turnips, bok choy, radishes, etc - as these may depress the thyroid function in the dog. The supplements we use 3 times per week are added to each dog's dish at these evening meals. This helps to keep the amount of supplements given recorded as well as lets us know who can pick what out of their bowls. Yes - they can be picky and will try to pull one over on you - typical kids! Dogs do not produce amalyse which is need to break down the cellulose walls in fruits and vegetables therefore you need to run everything through the food processor (or juicer) in order to allow the dog's system to access the nutrients within the fruits and veggies. The ground meat in the veggie mixture need not be pulverized any further unless you want it ground up finer for the pups or seniors, in this case be sure you use a good quality meat grinder as bones can be hard on kitchen machinery! Regarding fruit for the dogs - we rarely feed fruit at the same time we feed veggies. Fruits are fed an hour before or after a veggie meal, and sometimes even as a stand alone meal during a weekend. Fruits contain more natural sugars and are digested faster in the dog's system thus they tend to 'push' the veggies through the intestinal tract quicker than the vegetable nutrients are able to be absorbed by the dog. We still want our kennel to enjoy the benefit fruit has to offer so we make 'smoothies' by running assorted fruits through the food processor, add yogurt, peanut butter and honey and freeze the mixture in ice cube trays. These are the treats the dogs get every once in a while - more so on hot days! The fruits we have used include but are not limited to: pears, pineapple, apples, bananas, nectarines and seedless watermelon. We do avoid grapes/raisins for health reasons. We hope this has helped to give you an idea as to what we do at LorWin. |
