Raw Pet Food

[365seasons]

I'm not sure about cats, but we feed our boxer a raw diet, and I will never again feed a pet anything else in my life. It has done nothing but good things for our dog. Feeding raw worked better than any supplement or vitamin after he got surgery on a torn ACL.

Hopefully you can find some information for cats. Best of luck.

[Aquattro]

Raw is the only way to go, IMO. A bit more work, but well worth it. I think the only difference between dogs and cats, is cats need 100% protein. Dogs can have added veggies( I don't add any, but that's an argument for elsewhere)
You have options of buying prepackaged products, from minced "stuff" to butcher blocks of meat, or ust feeding meat with bones. There are a lot of great sites on feeding raw.
Here's a good one to start with

http://www.rawlearning.com/

[RobynR]

Thanks for the link Brad! I will check it out tonight.

Another question; for those of you that do feed raw, what do your vets say about it?

Mine seriously thought I was crazy when I mentioned we were considering it. They were very strongly against it.

[Aquattro]

Some vets are supportive, some not so much. It depends on their background and what they've been taught in canine nutrition class. One vet told me it was, bad, the next told me to cook the meat (really bad advice with bones in tact) and the last vet I talked to only had concerns about a clean cooking environment for raw feeders that might have kids and such. Many go on about puncture injuries, which are certainly possible, but none could actually claim to ever having seen one personally.
One of the sites details a lot about disspelling myths of raw feeding, and why vets, many whom have only had a few hours total education on canine nutrition, have the opinions they do.
Most people I associate with in my dog friend circle feed raw, and have been for years. These dogs are all in great shape, can chase sheep all damn day and still have energy to play some fetch after dinner. There are lots of benefits, some risks, to you and/or your dog, and doing lots of research will let you make a choice that is right for your animals.

Oh, found the myths link, give that one a read

http://www.rawfed.com/myths/

[brickwood]

Check this link out. This lady knows her stuff.

www.chowfornow.ca

[MitchM]

I'm another supporter of a raw food diet. We put our 10 week old puppy (black russian terrier) on it straight away when we got her and we have seen no ill effects from it. She is 6 months old now.
Feeding raw food is not as convenient as feeding dry kibble, but it seems like she drinks less water and has smaller poops than other dogs her size.
I'm really surprised at how strongly some vets can come down on a raw food diet. I don't buy their arguments/reasoning, especially after that melamine disaster a while ago.
It's raw meat, treat it as such. Maybe take a food safety handling course to educate yourself about it.

Mitch

[StirCrazy]

I don't do raw as it just won't work for us. but the next best thing is some of the very high quality kibble. I feed my doggie Orijen regional red, and we are switching the cat over to Orijen's can food. very high proteen and no crap.

I have two vets, they make me laugh as one is on line with me about shots, feeding ect.. the other pushes there med-i-cal and all stages, puppy, adolesent, ect.. I just stopped mentioning what I feed when I have him as we had a 1/2 hour argument and he wasn't impressed when I told him he is recomending one of the worst foods on the market

here is some info on the orijen

"ORIJEN 6 FISH CAT is formulated with a Biologically Appropriate ingredient ratio (70/30/0) of 70% meat, 30% fruit and vegetables (and 0% grain)—all slow-cooked at low temperatures to retain their natural goodness. "

and the ingreadiance

INGREDIENTS
Fresh deboned salmon, herring meal, salmon meal, russet potato, fresh deboned northern walleye, salmon oil, peas, potato starch, whitefish meal, sweet potato, fresh deboned Lake Whitefish, fresh deboned herring, natural fish flavors, fresh deboned lake trout, fresh deboned flounder, sun cured alfalfa, chicory root, dehydrated organic kelp, pumpkin, carrots, spinach, turnip greens, apples, cranberries, Saskatoon berries, black currants, psyllium, choline chloride, licorice root, angelica root, fenugreek, marigold flowers, sweet fennel, peppermint leaf, chamomile flowers, dandelion, summer savory, rosemary, vitamin A, vitamin D3, vitamin E, niacin, zinc proteinate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, vitamin B5, iron proteinate, vitamin B6, manganese proteinate, copper proteinate, folic acid, vitamin C, biotin.

Steve