Re: Raw Diet
(this is going to replace my e-mail )

Getting started with the raw diet...First, I read about the pros and cons of raw feeding and potential health hazards. A few pop into mind: E. Coli and worms. Like most owners, I was a little apprehensive, but then it turns out that dogs are intricately made for eating raw meat and it's a little difficult for a dog to develop E. Coli from eating raw meat. Their intestinal tract makes it difficult for bacteria to procreate in there. And as long as you buy the meat from a reputable source and handle it carefully, you can easily avoid E. Coli. One basic rule applies: Wash hands Wash hands Wash hands . As for worms, many people turn to their vets to get a vaccination. You only need it twice a year, so it's actually very cheap.

There is a lot of research that goes into raw feeding such as: what type of meat is in/appropriate, what foods can/can't be combined, how many veggies to feed, how many bones, are veggies and fruit even appropriate, etc. etc. One website that helped me TONS:
http://www.njboxers.com/faqs.htm
Some priceless information in there. And if you search around, you'll bump into tips and advice from fellow raw feeders.

I also asked about this on two other boards:
Even if there are details that don't apply to you, I feel that there is a lot of firsthand information that will help to clear up some fog.
http://www.greytalk.com/~forums/inde...howtopic=74300
and
http://www.globalpaw.com/showthread.php?t=1977

I've also bought Natural Health for Dogs and Cats by Pitcairn. A few raw feeders don't agree with the amount of grains Pitcairn recommeds, but he shares a lot of information about kibble and the benefits of raw feeding. Another author that some people swear by is Ian Billinghurst and his famous BARF diet. I hope I've helped some (I haven't started raw feeding, but my Pekingese is also suffering on kibble and we're going to switch very soon).

-Sophie