A Natural Diet
A dog is a carnivore.
Carnivores do not eat everyday.
Carnivores lap when they are drinking.
Carnivores eat by ripping and tearing their food. They gulp it down in large chunks. Because they have a relatively short intestine length they need to spend time lazing about to help the digestion the process.
So what is a natural diet?
To create a natural diet for dogs we must observe what they eat in the wild.
* A dog can catch birds of the forest floor such as fowl, quail and pheasant,
* smaller reptiles
* and mammals such as rabbit, hares, guinea pigs and wallabies.
* Working in packs they can pull down sheep and calves of larger animals. * They will also scavenge from the kill of larger predators
and are able to digest meat which we would consider "off".
ALL THIS MEAT IS RAW
Dogs will also nibble on insects; grasshoppers and termites.
They enjoy berries and fruit, especially when fully ripe.
Faeces from ruminants is also a natural part of the diet.
After a kill a dog will eat in a certain order,
* first the intestine and its contents,
* followed by the liver, pancreas and spleen,
* the heart and lungs are eaten next,
* and then meat and bone are eaten in large pieces.
The partly predigested vegetable material from the herbivore's intestine provides valuable vitamins and minerals. We need to imitate this by giving our dog vegetables - whizzed in a processor or pulped through a juicer, the dog only needs the pulp (you can drink the juice). Chopping the vegetables is not enough as dogs cannot digest the cellulose.
A SUITABLE DIET COULD BE --------------------------------
60% MEAT
* lamb, beef, meaty bones
* chicken wings
* farmed rabbit
* fish
* 10% organ meat (liver, heart, kidney)
ALL RAW MEAT - DO NOT REMOVE THE FAT
The meat is best in chunks or long strips (with the bone in). Mincing meat destroys the B vitamins but you can use a little minced meat to mix with vegetables pulp to encourage your dog to eat veggies.
AND OTHER PROTEIN SOURCES
* eggs, about two a week, preferable free range
* whole unpasteurized goat's milk
* goat or cow's milk yoghurt or whey
DAIRY FOOD IS NOT FOR ITCHY DOGS
30% VEGETABLES -----------------------------------------------------
* anything green or yellow eg.
pumpkin, carrots, kumara, silverbeet, zucchini, spinach, green beans
* beetroot whizzed in a juicer
NOT ONIONS, POTATOES, PEAS OR CABBAGE
* fruit, if the dog likes it
BUT NO PIPS
+ avacado - up to half for a dog 10kg to 30 kg
10% HERBS AND ADDITIVES -----------------------------------
all finely chopped
* garlic - 1/4 clove for dogs under 5 kg
- and up to 2 cloves for a dog of 40 kg
* celery tops
* parsley - 1 tablespoon
* gota kola, sheep sorrel )
* watercress, dandelion ) - between 1/4 teaspoon and 1 tablespoon
depending on the size of the dog.
* sprouts of any sort.
GRAINS AND LEGUMES MUST BE COOKED OR SPROUTED. As they are not a usual part of a dogs diet they are best avoided, especially in animals whose health is already a problem with conditions such as arthritis, kidney disease or itchy skin.
Additives could be
* Natra kelp liquid seaweed - 5ml per 20kg, twice a week
or
* Companionz )
* Cold pressed flaxseed oil )- 5ml per 10kg, 5 days a week
WATER ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Water should be fresh and filtered. Use pottery or terracotta bowls and have several around the house and in the yard, in a shaded spot.
EXERCISE --------------------------------------------------------------------
Exercise is necessary for your dog's health. It provides oxygen to burn the fuel. BUT DO NOT exercise your dog right after a meal, especially a deep chested dog.
Hydatid disease_______________________________________
A tapeworm in your dog can give you hydatid cysts. The risk of this disease can be reduced if you feed your dog raw meat that has been bought at the butcher or supermarket. This is meat fit for human consumption. NEVER feed you dog raw "Pet Food" or let your dog scavenge in the country. You can avoid hydatid risk completely by only feeding chicken, chicken liver, fish, eggs and dairy - but this will not be the best nutrition for your dog.
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