Wow. This is a subject that certainly generates discussion and some quite strong opinions on either side. I'm on week 3 of raw feeding now, and I have no strong feelings either way. I am leaning towards pro raw though. The changes I have seen so far are
1. Dog looks, feels and smells a lot cleaner. The white bits are whiter, and the brown bits are glossier.
2. She chews her food and takes time to eat instead of gulping it down in 10 seconds. (surely less risk of bloat)
3. A LOT less comes out of the back end, which tells me that what she is eating is supplying her bodies needs with very little waste.
4. I am still a bit shocked at how much calmer she is. I'm not sure if this is the food but time will tell.
5. No bum scooting as yet. (she has been a serial scooter)

No matter how many pro and anti articles I read, I will still make up my own mind based solely on how my dog looks and behaves.
For every article posted explaining the benefits of feeding raw, there is another telling me how bad it is for my dog and vice versa.
Just because it suits me, doesn't make it right. Doesn't make it wrong either.

feeding of dogs in the late 19th and early 20th centuries

I found the 1927 article "Dogs and their food, is meat a necessity?" and the follow up reply quite funny.

As so the debate continues over 80 years later.

These are my raw fed dogs
as you can see they are not all falling to bits....







So because I would like my dogs to continue having excellent health , white teeth and boundless energy, I`m not going to take advice from some bloke who has never met them.
Makes you wonder how they survived before Spillers invented processed dog foog less than a century ago. I mean how did dogs manage without beet pulp and maize?

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Pet Portraits and People Portraits!
www.sitandfidgetarts.co.uk

Some interesting things to be read on here in the papers, lectures and articles, can also subscribe (free) for the quarterly news letters to keep up to date with BARF feeding and studies. Raw Meaty Bones

Mine are all BARF fed and very healthy.








Beautiful coats, clear eye's, strong white teeth and never had a hint of a skin problem in their lives. No vet trips, not even vaccs apart from every three years if needed. These dogs have nothing commercial even their treats are made by me and if they ever have pigs ears that are cooked they are what I bake, none of your deep fried fatty stuff!
When I read on here about skin probs and itching I have never seen a thread from a raw feeder with these conditions and I just want to post - CHANGE THE DIET TO RAW THEN IF YOU DON'T WANT SKIN/COAT PROBLEMS!!!
Inevitably they are kibble fed and it speaks volumes to me.

Like Ceearot no one would EVER convince me to feed anything but raw - just looking at my dogs proves i'm doing right!

Ooops - tell a lie, they all get a Jumbone at Christmas and on their birthday and even then I feel like i'm feeding them poison cos I know they just contain crap!

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Flynn - Kali - Britches - Bruce - T-Bo - Marty



"For the strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack"

My staffy is my first dog, however i knew of the 'raw' diets a long time before i got him and i was always planning on feeding him the prey model diet. He has now been on it since he was 9 weeks old (now 6 months) and there is absolutely NOTHING that would make me change and give him kibble, he has amazing skin, coat, white teeth

Does he look ill?

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Harvey - staffy
Chance - american bulldog (rescue)

19 snakes, 5 geckos, phibs, T's, inverts, fluffies and hedgehog.

Everything about raw has been said and the fine examples of dogs posted on here shows how great they can be.

My only additional view is that when we feed our 7 we handle the meat using the same rules of hygiene we would if it was a piece of steak or chicken for ourselves.



(all but one is raw and that's because we've managed to balance his diet due to Cushing's and don't want to risk any changes)