I ascribe to the, “If we can feed human kids without a formula, we can feed our dogs without always using a formulated bag of dog food” philosophy.
There are several sub-philosophies out there regarding the raw food diets that obviously, disagree on how to feed a canine… such as these three:
- The “prey” model which says canines need NO carbohydrates in their diet, just raw meaty bones. After all, ever see a pack of wild dogs attack a wheat field? Others believe…..
- Small amounts of carbs in the form of vegetables, fruits and starches are necessary along with raw meaty bones. Then there are those who feel….
- Additional supplements in addition to fruits and vegetables in the form of vitamins and minerals are also needed to provide a balanced diet.
Yes, even with a raw dog food diet, there are a few foods that dogs shouldn’t eat, as their digestive system is different than ours. Foods I avoid are:
Onions (garlic in very small amounts as it is in the onion family) can cause blood dyscrasia
Chocolate can cause an allergic reaction
Large quantities of grapes, raisins or other foods high in iron can cause liver failure and death
Very small quantities of the sweetner Xylitol can cause hypoglycemia or liver failure and death. See: Xylitol kills dogs!
Here at Yankee Acres, I feed my dogs mostly raw meaty bones, occasionally crushed veggies and starches with some supplements added like cod liver oil, fish body oil, kelp, vitamin B, C or E, natural minerals etc. Not every meal has every supplement. This works perfectly for the dogs I have that are spayed or neutered.
For some of the dogs and bitches still “intact”, I found that they get too lean on a raw food diet in spite of large portions, so I use additional carbs to keep them in good weight. I figure a balanced diet OVER TIME is best. It avoids overkill in the supplementation department. So far, every time I try to return to a non-raw food diet, the dogs’ waste always seems to equal the amount they’ve eaten, so I have to wonder… just how much have they digested?
Transition of new dogs to raw dog food diet is over several weeks to a month to acclimate their digestive tract: first with crushed veggies and ground meat without bone, then ground meat with ground bone, then whole raw meaty bones. Once the transition is made, switching later to anything else doesn’t require that gradual change.
The following books are about a variety of non-traditional dog diets, including the raw food diet I utilize. There will be conflicting opinions in many of them. I don’t agree with everything that is said in these books but offer them to get you “thinking outside the can“ (…or bag, as the case may be). Read, digest (pardon the pun) and decide for yourself which would be best for your dog. Start simple and build from there if necessary. And remember, no parent of healthy human children weigh and measure every item of every meal. So don’t get caught in that trap with your dog!
Holistic Guide for a Healthy Dog and Natural Diet: Meeting Your Dog’ s Needs
by Wendy Volhard
The BARF Diet
and
Give Your Dog A Bone
and
Grow Your Pups with Bones
by Ian Billinghurst, BVSc.
Feeding Your Dog for Life
by Diane Morgan
Home-Prepared Dog & Cat Diets
by Donald R. Strombeck, DVM, PhD
K9 Kitchen
by Monica Segal
Raw Dog Food
by Carina Beth MacDonald
Reigning Cats and Dogs, 2nd Edition
by Pat McKay
The Ultimate Diet
by Kymythy R. Schultze
Raw Meaty Bones Promote Health
by Tom Lonsdale
You could probably find most of these books on Dogwise… there is a link/ad on the right side of the page for you to check it out. Or you can get them on Amazon.com using the link below 
