I'm Not Gonna Lie...

Ok, so I am not going to lie...I truly thought the DIY raw feeding was going to be challenging (or well, at least take more thought). Truth is, I like it a lot better than commercial raw (and foods are right at your fingertips in the grocery store!). It provides A LOT more variety and control of ingredients.

I think one of the most important things for people to remember is your dog needs animal protein (and well, kibbles have A LOT of fillers). People have to keep in mind how a dog's digestive tract is made up to better understand how they break this animal protein down as many people often question, "is raw meat good for my dog?"

Dogs have strong hydrochloric acid in their stomach which allows them to breakdown harmful bacteria and fully digests proteins, bones and fat. They can eat all sorts of things we would not be able to (and well, a raw burger really does not sound all that appetizing). Dogs break foods down in their stomachs for up to eight hours and send smaller amounts of digested foods through the small intestines quickly. It is their digestive tracts job to kills germs and stop them from multiplying. 

A picture truly is worth a 1,000 words (but I will write a few more!). Stare at the two images above. Just for a second. Now, picture a McDonald's Coke, burger and fries next to an "ideal" human meal including quality, fresh foods. There is no way someone could tell me a processed meal from McDonald's is going to be better than a quality home-cooked meal. Now, that being said...the McDonald's meal probably wont KILL you....but the affect it has on the body...well....you decide. For anyone that has ever cleaned up their diet or done some "testing" to see how they feel eating quality foods and cutting processed foods out can probably attest to the amazing differences. Why not allow your dog the same benefits?

If you have inquired about diet at some point in your life I am sure you may have been advised to "shop the perimeter of the store." That is where the fresh fruits and veggies, meats, and fish are. Grains are cheap to add to dog food and have a longer shelf life. I guess it is sort of like a Twinkie. 

I have been very hesitant to post any graphic images of dog's stool vs. raw stool. HOWEVER, I think this alone can influence someone to take a look at what they are putting into their dog's body, how often their dogs are going to the bathroom...and just the overall disgust and size of a kibble fed dog's stool. 

Stay tuned...

Sources:
Olson, Lew. Raw and Natural Nutrition for Dogs: The Definitive Guide to Homemade Meals. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic, 2015. Print.

i want to start, but i'm just not sure...

so you've been following along, looking at pictures, reading...but just when you think you are ready to begin you take a step back and realize you have no idea where to start! 

well, the good news is...i really did not either. you read so much about all the "rules," balance, variety and so on...and it freaks you out. you start getting nervous. i get it, and it is okay. i am still learning too. i enjoy learning and try to expand my knowledge every day.

sample morning meal for me. gizzards, hearts, tripe, raw goat cheese, raw goat milk, pulverized blueberries/kale/carrots with the pulp, some fish oil and supplements. this evening will probably be rabbit RMB (raw meaty bones).

where to start:
start adding to your dog's kibble (it is that easy!)

• you can simply start by adding fresh whole foods such as different ground meats (cooked or not), eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese, pulverized veggies, kidney, hearts, sweet potato etc. 
• you can also purchase commercial raw and add that in as well if you think that is going to be easier (i personally fed primal, vital essentials, answers pet food)
• you can mix 50/50, but really it is up to you
• add some fish oil! EPA 180mg DHA 120mg

switch to commercial raw

• do away with your kibble entirely (YES!) and start with commercial raw. you will find that the "complete" diets (generally patties or nuggets) are the most expensive. they may range from $30/bag all the way to $60+. you'll want to vary your meats...so this certainly (in my opinion) is NOT the most cost effective way to do things but it may be convenient and easy and give you a great starting point
• you can also add fresh foods (like the ones listed above) to your "complete" diet...however it is not really necessary (look at the ingredients first)
• add your fish oil!

switch to commercial raw, save a little money and add your own supplementation

• look at purchasing raw in 5lb logs (they have smaller as well)
• the logs are not advertised as "complete" diets so you can add fresh whole foods (obviously not meat though) - you should read the ingredients so you know what is in them
• you should still add fish oil and perhaps supplements. i choose to get my supplements from a company called b-naturals. i add the immune blend. 

do it yourself!

• when/if you're ready you can have so much fun with this!
• find a meat market (or order) and look for muscle meats, organ meats and raw meaty bones
• if you cook the meat, animal protein should make up 50-75% of the diet (you will need to add calcium to the diet in this case (900mg per pound of food given)
• if you are feeding raw, you can split up the organ meat/muscle meat for one meal and raw meaty bones for the other. that should give you the 40-50% of calcium the dog needs
• you can add some other whole foods (animal protein is what a dog needs though!)
• get some fish oil/supplements

the general rule is 2-3% of a dog's body weight...depending. if your dog is underweight obviously you may need more. if your dog needs to loose weight switching to raw alone may help because the quality is so much better...but you need to remember to take it slow and not just cut their food in half. perhaps cutting back by 10% per week may be a good place to start. 

if you need some help, i am happy to assist. do not let someone fool you into paying them for nutrition services for your dog. as always, if you have specific challenges or questions you can consult your veterinary professional. do what you are comfortable with. 

whoa, that's a lot of meat

yup, it's true....my human went overboard. and not that i am complaining or anything, because when i was counter surfing i am pretty sure i caught the smell of rabbit, turkey gizzards, and pork neck. now that is where it's at.

and no, she has no idea how long this will last. but what is important is the variety! and i think the deep freezer will come in handy as well. ....now, she did say she would keep better track. we are estimating (yes, i do math) that my sister and i will go through almost 60lbs per month (including meat and some extras such as yogurt, sweet potato, etc).

so, i think it is sort of strange, but all of a sudden she started weighing my food on the food scale. she says it is because people are messaging with questions and she needs to be clear (and well, that makes me happy that people want to make a change!). i weigh 53lbs. i am lean (and handsome) and am 2.5 years and still in-tact. so, she tells me i get 11 ounces per meal right now. just shy of 1.5lbs per day. (i personally think I will need more...i mean i need to feed these muscles somehow). 

raw preparation does not take a long time. i watch very carefully EVERY MEAL. sometimes i even salivate on the floor. commercial raw, do it yourself raw, or even home cooked. it takes minimal thought, mostly just common sense so items are thawed out beforehand. this allows for so much variety though. i stick my nose in the bowl and sometimes i just don't know what to grab first! i love it! 

i think it is important to know that in order to make a change, you must...well, make a change. you can start slow by implementing foods you already have around the house (yogurt, cottage cheese, veggies, etc). even if you have some cooked meats (unless they are heavily seasoned of course)...or even before you cook/season them! 

ok, so this is you. every. single. day.
you have allergies, yeast, weight concerns, smell funny...and at times you even have to get different medications for things (which is usually just a guess) trying to solve annoying challenges. 

this is me. variety. chicken back, gizzards, some freshly juiced greens and pulp, and some sardines. 

freshly juiced/pulped greens, an egg, goat cheese, chicken back, sweet potato and some supplements. 

tripe, goat milk, green goop consisting of kale, blueberries, and carrots. gizzards, hearts, and supplements. 

pork neck bones, cottages cheese, gizzards, goop, sardines...who knows!

fresh greens, sardines, gizzards, tripe, goat milk....oh ya!

chicken necks, rabbit hindquarters, yogurt, and some commercial raw (it was leftover)

all and all, i think it important for you folks to know that while it may SEEM overwhelming at first....you just need to start. start somewhere. start simple. and we are here to help! and we are happy to help you get started!

it is the best choice you will ever make. 

turning a new leaf

It has been almost two years since I started feeding my dogs raw. I am so amazed and thrilled as I continue to learn more and more each day and love finding out new ideas of how diet impacts daily life so much. I have found that most people are not very familiar with raw and really do not understand all the truths and myths that surrounds it. Some people are not even open to researching it to find the truth. That is okay - it will always be an uphill battle, especially for as long as a kibble company sponsors the nutrition sector in vet school (a super short course). 

I am discouraged when I continuously hear some of routes people have been advised to take with their dogs, resulting in no changes at all and potentially making the problem even worse (or certainly putting the dog through a lot). Like I always say, you can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink. My goal is to educate people and put the message out there about proper diets so people begin to do some of their own research. It is all about planting the seed. Different dogs and different challenges NEED different diets. Not all dogs are the same. But raw (or home cooked definitely allows you to control that). 

Fresh whole foods (the ones the kibble companies try to advertise as going into their cooked food) are the best thing you can give to your dog. Think about yourself. Going to McDonald's for a "complete" meal, or home cooking proper foods without fillers? Raw allows you to take out ingredients from the food and give them in a fresh form WITHOUT all the added junk (which causes a lot of the issues people spend $$$ on trying to fix such as excessive itching or spend on "special prescription" diets). And you have WAY more control doing it yourself ESPECIALLY for a dog with challenges. Think about going to a restaurant for example - so many additional things are added to the food to make it taste good. When you do it yourself...you know exactly what you are eating and where it is from. From personal experience and my OWN diet I can certainly attest to making certain changes and adding in and taking out certain foods and how it has impacted me personally. Diet is a lot of trial and error - but it is better than trial and error with medications not even being able to diagnose the exact problem. 

Companies like this try to show all of the wonderful ingredients (that people want!) that go into their dog food (they don't really though) by using some wonderful marketing techniques. Why not just feed the actual food shown in the picture instead of trying to make people think those are the nutrients your dog is getting from kibble? Upsetting, really. 

Recently, I have "graduated" raw a bit and am moving up to the next level of my commitment to my dogs and helping them live the healthiest life possible. When I started raw I started with commercial raw diets (it is a great way to start in my opinion as all of the information can be overwhelming at first). Prepackaged patties or nuggets, then on to 5lb logs of food so I could better control what was in it (feeding supplements separately). 

Here and there I would toss my dogs something extra, but primarily I was feeding strict protein (especially due to my female's incontinence) rotating meats. I finally felt ready to do it on my own though! So I went out on an excursion looking for organ meats, muscle meats, raw meaty bones, and some other things I could add such as sardines, cottage cheese, goat cheese, sweet potatoes, and some other various veggies. 

I have so much fun meal planning for my dogs (and when I say meal planning I do not mean taking extreme amounts of time figuring out or preparing their food). I just mean I really enjoy creating their meals and putting together variety. I have the option of what to feed and how I want to feed it. One of the myths surrounding raw feeding is that it is too time consuming. It really is not. Even the way I am doing it now - when I grocery shop, I shop for everyone. What to feed for what meal becomes second nature. Luckily I am trying to eat a lot of the same foods I am feeding my dogs (I just need to cook my meats!) so it makes it easy. 

A morning meal for my dogs. Consists of some muscle meat, supplements, goat milk, some veggies (juiced and mixed back together with the pulp) and some raw goat cheese.

I hope you consider doing some research and looking more into this ESPECIALLY if you have faced certain challenges with your dog (itching is a GREAT example, so is being overweight, or joint issues). Even for those who may have had ongoing or continuous challenges with something and just cannot solve it. Diet COULD be the answer you are missing. There are some really great resources out there and I am SO happy to provide guidance to anyone looking to make this beautiful change for the benefit of their dog! 

I look forward to continuing my researches, and I hope this may be a new beginning for you. 

start simple.

So I am realizing that implementing raw (or transitioning to home-cooked or raw), while certainly is not challenging, can be very overwhelming at the start. I am going to try to breakdown some of the most important pieces of how to begin. (Which primarily is...just begin).

While there are certainly many components to raw, you can not focus so much on getting everything perfect that it deters you from starting at all. So, let's start with some basics: simply adding food to your dog's current kibble or freeze-dried meal (or whatever you feed). Some raw is better than none.

Implementing Raw - Adding to Your Dog's Current Diet

1. Just start. It doesn't have to be perfect, it doesn't have to be exact, just start.
2. Add animal proteins - it is what your dog needs (eggs are great too!)
3. Rotate proteins, variety is a good thing (different flavors!)

• Red meat, poultry, organ meats, cultured dairy (I like to give goat milk), eggs
• For beginners, it is very easy to pick up name brands of patties or nuggets (say Primal, Stella & Chewy, etc) and add that. OR you can save by going with 2lb or 5lb logs (say Primal, Vital Essential, etc). OR if you have healthy leftovers from your dinner (obviously and hopefully cooked...you can add that too).

4. Feed your dog its regular meals (of course you can adjust the amount) and add in your choice of protein (from a butcher or grocery store is an option too if you opt not to use pre-packaged stuff. Fresher is better, of course....depends on cost too). You CAN follow the weight chart somewhat on the packaging, however...FEEL YOUR DOG! Are they fat? Are they skinny? Do you want to maintain? If you are giving scrap or going to a butcher, a food scale eventually can be helpful. BUT to keep things easy, start with pre-packaged and then get creative and brave.
5. If you give a pre-packaged raw you can easily just throw that into the bowl and not worry too much. If you are NOT giving ground bone or raw meaty bones (as you get more into raw), you need to supplement with calcium (most pre-packaged raw food WILL have bone in it...read the ingredients)
6. Start giving fish oil capsules to your dog

This is a pretty good and easy start. In no time you will realize how easy it is to full transition into using pre-packaged meals, or getting brave and going to a butcher and exploring more into supplementation. 

I like to get my supplements from B-Naturals. Not to mention, there is GREAT information on this website and also wonderful newsletters and also information on a good starter book. 

Olson, Lew. Raw and Natural Nutrition for Dogs: The Definitive Guide to Homemade Meals. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic, 2015. Print.

mussels for my muscles

one of the best things about a raw diet is the creativity. would you want to eat the same thing every single day? an overcooked crunchy piece of scrap? you really need to know what you are feeding humans! you cannot just believe that kibble is an ideal diet when in reality there are so many fillers to allow it to keep it shape. why would you not want the healthiest option for us!? 

 i hear humans all the time saying "oh, i just don't have time for raw." and, well, i am not entirely sure what that means. raw is so much more fun than kibble and it is just as easy to scoop out raw as it is to scoop out kibble (and may i mention much more beneficial and nutritious). you can switch up your proteins, you can add some different fun and enticing supplements and meal toppers...it's great! good for picky eaters, good for dogs with health challenges and concerns (sure you may have to do some research to figure out WHAT based upon different health challenges)...but at the end of the day why not fix something through nutrition opposed to giant vet bills and medications (oh and perhaps no results or solid diagnosis....let's just keep guessing, right). 

so again, i challenge you to implement raw. just a tiny little bit! you can grab it from the grocery store, you can grab it from a butcher shop, or you can grab it from a natural dog food store. but just try! try, try, try! it is not hard! i promise you.

lack of quality control

i am one lucky guy. at least twice per day two gourmet meals are at my service. generally mom does not include any fruits or vegetables (i am a carnivore, i don't need carbs!), primarily because they are not necessary. some people may like to add for variety (or, just have never looked into it), but most need to be cooked or pureed for digestibility. our digestive tract is shorter and food spends more time in our stomachs and less in our intestines. it's too bad we cannot break down carbs well...because i certainly wouldn't mind a powdered donut every now and then.

unfortunately for you canines eating kibble it is probably impossible to get away from carbs. just please, please, please beg your humans to implement some REAL food! how do you think your humans would feel if they were forced to eat non-real foods at every meal (hm, well some probably do). eventually they would crave something real and wholesome! for kibble, those carbs and preservatives are necessary or else how would those big nasty bags of kibble have a shelf life (ah, yes carbs and fillers)?

very simply, the pet food industry is lacking quality control. kibble may sort of seem convenient but companies making these convenience packages of small crunchy things are unfortunately lacking quality and adequate quantities of proteins and other importance vitamins, minerals, and supplements.  i am sure you did not realize that your kibble could potentially contain slaughterhouse wastes, fillers (no nutritional value), contaminants, sugar, pesticides/herbicides, drug residues, artificial flavorings/colorings...yeah and a bunch of other horrifying ingredients. 

ok humans...think about it...if you ate a diet over the course of most of your life that was complete garbage and lacked nutritional value how do you think your health would hold up? besides obvious weight gain, diabetes, cancers feeding cells, etc...it just would not be a good situation. so, humans, i tell you. patience. patience with everything. patience with your diet, patience with mine. 

go ahead, look up who sets the standards for different kibble companies. perhaps the quality control advisories are members of the same company itself. makes me wonder! 

My passion for nutrition....

Nearly eight years ago I adopted my first dog, Chesnee. When I adopted her she came along with a red martingale collar, a red four-foot nylon leash, and a small bag of Science Diet kibble. And off I went into the world not knowing much about dog behavior, training, or health and wellness. Chesnee was a few months under one year of age and already spayed. I suppose that is how all adopted dogs come.

The day I adopted Chesnee.

I was working for Harley-Davidson at the time and met the owner of a "natural" health and wellness pet store when they approached us to do a poker run. I guess this was my first experience with broadening my horizons when it came to dog food. Once I finished my bag of free Science Diet I switched Chesnee onto Instinct kibble. Supposedly it was better. 

Honestly, I really did not care much about dog food. When I put the dog bowl down, my dog never touched it anyway. She grazed. I was a free-feeder. What did it matter anyway?

Shortly after having Chesnee I experienced something horrific. I was about to take her to an agility class when she started throwing up bile. I thought nothing of it at first. Seconds later she was acting very funky. She was losing motor skills and consciousness. She fell to her side and started defecating solid feces on the family room floor. Something was wrong. I called my primary vet but they were "full." I picked Chesnee's half dead body off the floor and rushed her to the car and headed to an emergency clinic. By the time I arrived to the clinic there was blood pouring out both ends of my dog. I remember being so embarrassed as my dog laid in a pool of her own blood barely moving on the emergency clinic floor. All questions stopped and they immediately took her from me. 

This was my first time going through a major health challenge. I knew nothing. I had never researched anything. I placed my faith in the vets at the clinic. I waited in the waiting room but was told I should go home and they would call me after running some tests. I received that call and was told my dog needed an immediate plasma transfusion, perhaps two. Her liver was failing. I fell to the floor in tears after the vet told me what was happening. Was she going to die?

The transfusion was successful but she was not doing well. She was barely moving, still bleeding....it is hard for me to remember much else considering the state of shock I was in. The clinic had to keep her overnight for the next few days so she could be monitored. I checked in and called over and over. They would only tell me "she is resting comfortably" AKA your dog is not doing well and she may die. 

After a couple of days at the emergency clinic and an early phone call I placed to check on her, they told me her tail wagged slightly. It was then I knew she was fighting. It was my first glimmer of hope. Luckily, she continued to improve (against all odds) and she survived. I was so thankful for the vets and technicians at the clinic. They saved her life. 

Shortly after, she was just about due for her yearly at my vet. I already switched vets from the previous one since it was closer to another part-time job I had. And then again, I received some bad news. My dog tested positive for heartworm. I shook my head in disbelief. How could this be? I JUST recently adopted her and I was diligent about making sure she got her dose of Heartguard prevention every 30 days as my vet instructed me to do. 

Overweight and not in the best of health. 

And so another journey of healing started. Chesnee could not be treated immediately because her liver was not healthy enough to handle the poison of the heartworm treatments. So we waited. Once she was in the clear the lengthy process of recovery started. She probably put on 8-10 pounds of weight during treatment (your dog has very limited activity). When we were getting close to the end of treatment, I was excited to get my dog back. Ready to let her be a dog again. And fortunately, it all worked out for me. She fought and survived her liver failure, and fought and survived her heartworm treatment. And even better....after all of this...when I put her bowl of Instinct kibble down....she all of a sudden started eating immediately. Score!

She had to be leashed to a table to limit her movement. She had severe separation anxiety when I adopted her and was not able to be crated. 

When I look back through the 31 pages of patient history for my dog Chesnee, I question to myself if I always did the right thing. Does it matter? Probably not anymore. She is alive, and she is healthy, but it makes me realize the important of proper diagnosis, research, and a knowledge of overall health and wellness. At the time, I knew nothing and trusted other people to make the decisions for me. Looking back, I wish I knew more. 

Fast forward a few years later. I have learned more about dog training and behavior, but still am lacking information on general wellness, vaccinations, spay/neuter, proper nutrition, etc. That is when I meet the breeder of my current Dalmatian, Settler (hence Settler's Kitchen). I inquired for years before actually getting a Dalmatian (waiting for the right time - thanks for the patience Mary Lynn), but when we first met, a seed was planted regarding a raw diet. A raw diet!? I was completely unfamiliar, unconvinced, and not intrigued. At the time I was also close friends with a groomer who was big on raw feeding. She knew SO much, but still it never caught on with me. I did not fully get it.

When I finally committed to getting a Dalmatian puppy in 2015 I was feeding Orijen kibble and also Honest Kitchen. I was transitioning to Honest Kitchen because I was looking for a food with less fillers (but were there really?). Chesnee was incontinent (most likely due to early spay). The carbs, grains, fruits and veggies; the less she seemed to have the less incontinent she was. Chesnee seemed to be doing okay on it and just that simple change helped me see an improvement. However, this is not to mention after I had her tested for everything (UTIs, stones, etc - and the vet told me she would need to be on Proin the rest of her life). Fortunately this was at a time where I was happy doing all the research in the world and looking for alternative ways to help my dog if I could naturally do so.

After a few years of dog training and learning about behavior, I was strongly against free-feeding. When my new 8-week old Dalmatian puppy turned his nose up at everything offered...I had no choice but to pick his bowl up. Sorry, kid, you'll have to miss this meal. My breeder had started the puppies on raw probably around 3 weeks of age. In the back of my mind I wondered if I should make that switch back to what she had started them on. My breeder is incredibly knowledgeable and really started inspiring me to start learning more (realizing I was REALLY missing the boat when it came to learning about health and wellness). So, I did it. I just decided to start feeding raw. I knew nothing. I did not understand it. It made no sense to me. I had no idea what to feed. How much to feed. What supplements were needed. But I just went with it. I am so lucky to have such an amazing breeder. It almost mind boggles me when people tell me they don't have a relationship with their breeder.

And there my dogs were, the savages within, eating their raw. And I kinda liked what I saw. It was at this time I wanted to read as many books as I could get my hands on. I wanted to look up ratings on dog foods. I wanted to know about why vets make certain suggestions. I wanted to know how long vaccinations lasted. I wanted to know what the vaccinations were for. I wanted to figure out the pros and cons of early spay and neuter. ....And so I continue this journey to this day trying to learn as much as I can (and it is a process because there is A LOT to learn). And the hardest part about all of this....is not crossing that line and shaking humans back and forth when I see some of the health challenges their dogs are going through and how they could simply be improved, if not solved by, raw nutrition.

So, this was the start of my passion of nutrition. I feed raw because I simply do think it is the best. There is a huge lack of quality control in the pet food industry and it does not surprise me when I hear about all the problems people have with their dogs. What do you have to lose? Just TRY it. 

This is why Settler's Kitchen has been started. Because I am learning too. Because there is a lot to learn. There are differing opinions, lots of myths...but we can help each other. At the end of the day I am so encouraging for people to ask questions and to do their own research. While there is certainly a time and place for medications and drugs, why not set up your dog to defend and heal its body by giving them some of the best ammunition to do so: a good diet.