After more than a year of reading and thinking about it, I switched to feeding a raw diet in the summer of 2000.  Having spent a lifetime feeding family dogs out of the supermarket like millions of other people, then buying direct from petfood manufacturers at dog shows, it was a radical step to take.  Reasoning that of all the breeds of dog, a Basenji was more than capable of coping, I pressed ahead and was pleased to encounter no problems.  If anything, the dogs became far more interested in their food than they had ever been.  Sue's litters have been weaned and raised on a raw diet, and all four from her first litter continue to be fed this way in their various homes.  Two from her second litter are still eating raw in their new homes and the other three have some raw elements in their diets.  All five were weaned at their own pace onto bones and raw food and showed an early interest.
 

Bushwacker Hurricane Hattie (Cali) at 5 weeks

Bushwacker Magnum Force (Wombat) at 5 weeks

I don't claim to be an expert on raw feeding, but I do have a few observations.  Feeding a raw diet in the home - as opposed to chucking the dogs out into the wilderness and letting them fend for themselves - is all about using the wild diet as a basic starting point, but including other items that improve upon it. Of course wild dogs and wolves can only eat what they catch themselves, or scavenge from what they dig up or find lying around. If we were to help them out a bit by providing things they would be lucky to obtain, though nevertheless nutritionally good for them, we would arrive at how these animals are cared for in zoos all over the world.  These animals are fed a diet closely resembling their natural one, but unlike wolves living in the wild, there is a helping hand to improve upon the harsh realities of nature - not only in varying their minimal diet, but providing veterinary treatment where necessary.  Domestic dogs can successfully be fed the same way, and for thousands of years they have been.  It is only in the last century that we have seen the rise and rise of commercial pet food and the philosophy of the companies that make it - that scientifically speaking, feeding a pet is now beyond the capability of the average person.  In fact, the pet food industry is an offshoot of the agricultural industry and was created primarily as a way of recycling agricultural waste products (and maximising profits) and not for the benefit of Fido's good health at all.

A common objection to returning the average domestic dog to a raw diet is that not only has progress made it obsolete, but there are many disadvantages that wild dogs and wolves endure that domestic dogs no longer need to, one of which is exposure to parasites through eating infected carcases.  As chicken wings make up a large part of the raw diet and they come from birds raised for human consumption, this is not a factor.  So what about salmonella and e-coli?  Raw fed dogs are not artificially protected from germs (unlike those eating "sterilised" food) so their natural immunity to illness and disease is high.  Raw fed dogs have a healthy immune system, so salmonella, e-coli and other bugs should present no problems.  Common sense to preserve human health should be employed - after handling raw chicken, Wash Your Hands!  As far as other meat is concerned, anything bought from the supermarket or local butcher has been passed fit for human consumption and is free of parasites.  Parasites may be a factor where consumption of wild game, particularly rabbit, is concerned.  This being the case, regular worming is just as essential for raw-fed dogs as it is for those fed on commercial products.

Raw v. commercial feeding seems to arouse passions on both sides of the fence but it does not have to be such a starkly black and white issue. Feeding a raw diet does not mean excluding nutrionally appropriate extras, nor does it mean foregoing vaccination and/or other preventative medicine. It merely means feeding raw food, which biologically speaking the domestic dog is still as capable of dealing with as any wolf.  A raw diet mimics the wild diet, and typically consists of 60%-80% raw meaty bones, small amounts of offal, muscle meat and raw crushed vegetable matter to represent the partially digested stomach contents of prey.  We can provide the raw crushed vegetables easily enough but are unlikely to have a stomach to serve them in, and this is often the first hurdle any owner must overcome when persuading their dog to eat that part of the diet that does not include meat and bones.  Ground meat and bone can be added to the vegetables, though an easy solution is canned oily fish like sardines or mackerel - a good source of essential fatty acids and omega oils.  Of course mine particularly like salmon, it's expensive!  Natural live yoghurt, raw eggs, cottage cheese and even table scraps from family meals (not junk food!) are welcome additions.

The idea is to achieve a balanced diet -  meaning balanced over time and not balanced at every single meal the way that dog food manufacturers tell you is so necessary.  Feeding this way with a commercial "complete" diet will eventually result in an overload of sodium, calcium, salt, protein and phosphorus.  If you are lucky, as I have been with my two oldest Basenjis, your dog will take this gastric abuse in its stride.  Sadly, as too many people have discovered, acquired auto-immune disease is on the increase, as is cancer, heart disease, skin problems, behavioural problems and periodontal disease.

Many health disorders can be avoided or minimised through changing to a healthy diet (a statement as true for humans as it is for dogs) and convenience foods, although undeniably convenient, are full of chemicals and preservatives.  Feeding raw takes more effort, and sometimes more money, but it is the natural healthy way to feed your dog.

Do you know what your dog is eating?

I do!

See "What's Really in Pet Food?"  A report from the USA but equally pertinent in the UK as many of the same manufacturers have a share in the UK pet food market.

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