Ok so i've read a bit on here about RAW and barf diets and still feel like i know very little. Last night a collegue gave me a pouch of poultry raw food and some of you may know ive had a crap time trying to get Lennie to eat.

So brought the pouch home this morning and popped it in the bowl with a cup of his normal biscuits and *POOF!* breakfast was gone!.

So tonight I gave him the 2nd pouch and *POOF* that disappeared within 4 minutes along with his biscuits too.

So happened to be passing the vet and I thought i'd pop in and ask if they had any info on suppliers for Raw/Barf and I got a total look of disgust!. Basically they don't promote it and wouldn't recommend it due to risk of bacteria from uncooked meat and also that domesticated dogs digestive systems have changed and they can't cope with raw diet.

Im now so confused, was really chuffed that Lennie scoffed his food down like he did when he was 6 months old, but now what they said is playing on my mind as Lennie does have a sensitive stomach.

Yours sincerely bamboozled!!!

__________________

ok I have three BCs, one who wouldnt eat kibble and two with sensitive stomachs. They have been on raw for about a year, we dont have any of the issues we had on kibble and I have three very happy and healthy dogs. Best change I ever made.

__________________

Of course vets wont endorse raw food, they cant make money from selling you it.

Raw is absolutely, 100% fine as long as it's done correctly. It's not as simple as just throwing meat in a bowl. But there are lots of suppliers who sell pre made minces to the 80/10/10 ratio. Defrost and pop in the bowl.

__________________

I'm in the process of planning a change to raw, and I also wondered about the argument that domestic dogs have adapted to a cooked diet after so long living with humans. Is there anything in that argument, or is it just evolutionarily impossible for a digestive system to change in that period??

The whole thing about best diet for a dog has baffled me too; I just don't know who to trust (obviously the lovely people on here , but I mean in terms of companies and vets and nutritionists and all the others - everyone says completely different things )

__________________

Well it was the premade mincey ones I was thinking about as thats the ones my collegue gave me to try with him. Im now worried with the look I got and the negativity about it from the vet that If he did take ill with a bug then I'd get the told you so nonsense; Saying that im usually happy with my vet practice and will only be using them for another 6 months.

__________________

But then I wouldn't buy the food they sell in the vet anyway, overpriced to top it off!.

__________________

Vets generally aren't pro raw feeding, because they don't understand it, and of course some do sell complete foods, and will promote those because they are paid to. They also probably believe the information that these companies tell them.

My current vet, told me in no uncertain terms that I wasn't ever to feed my dogs raw chicken, it was bad for them and the amount of injuries he saw well, I am honestly killing my dogs if I give them raw chicken. Roll on one month later, he gave Tau a very clean bill of health when he gave her an MoT, particularly her mouth, and at that point, I reminded him why that was the case

If it's working for your dog, then research and get him on a raw diet. You have two choices with the vet, either don't say a word, or tell them it's tough, he's your dog, it's your choice as to what you feel is the best diet for him. If you were feeding him on a diet of chocolate cake and grapes then they would be right to be concerned, but a well thought out raw diet, is as good if not better than any complete food imo.

I have also gotten the "talk" from my vet about raw being bad for dogs, I planned on changing vets but since being on raw (about 14 months now) I have not had to visit once, lucky did not do well on kibbles, I tried her on various brands but she either wouldn't eat it or was still getting her itchy skin and runny poop, I came across raw by accident when she was 6 months old and I was searching online for the next brand of kibble to try. Raw has done wonders for my girl

__________________




Raw fed since 2010

Vets do differ massively; it was my vet who was the one who encouraged me to make the switch to raw . My SIL on the other hand who is a vetinary nurse believes that Hills and only Hills is the best possible diet that a dog can be on and raw is dangerous - her dog has fairly persistent diarrhoea...but when I dared to suggest it might be his food that he was sensitive to.... .

__________________

I must be one of the lucky ones. I had my pair at the vets last week and I mentioned that I was feeding raw, all she said to me was ''oh that's good''. I had to stop trying to do it myself as I just wasn't getting the mix right and Arran ( sheltie ) has a right sensitive stomach, I now get their food from natural Instinct and they are both doing great on it no more dire rear's from Arran.