Raw Feeding Dogs

[granny grump]

I was always believed that you shouldn't feed bones such as chicken bones to dogs as they can splinter and cause internal damage. My daughter bought a German shepherd from a breeder who advocates raw feeding. The breeder says that it is perfectly safe and she has been doing it for 20 years. Does anyone have any thoughts on this?

[kvalidir]

Yes I've fed my Wolfies on a raw diet, bones are only a problem if cooked because they soften and splinter x

[AuntLydia]

Raw feeding is not necessarily giving chicken bones. Chicken bones are unsuitable for dogs cooked or raw.

Yes I've had dogs that were fed raw minced red meat mixed with cooked rice and carrots. They got dog biscuits too and raw marrow bones. They were working spaniels and very healthy.

[granny grump]

Thank you kvalidir that puts my mind at rest

[woofgang]

I know lots of people who do and the dogs do well on it. Cooked chicken bones (any thin cooked bone really) are dangerous for dogs, do splinter and can kill. Raw bone is much less splintery and more digestible.
I don't feed my dogs raw because it can be a messy business. You can get frozen food where the bone is ground up and mixed with the meat but you need a lot of freezer space and an organised life style. Feeding whole raw joints to dogs is a messy business as they need to have a good old chew of them and I don't fancy it on my floor.

[granny grump]

Thank you AuntLydia - another point of view interesting

[anneasquith]

Ratter, is a great advocate of raw feeding .

[granny grump]

Thank you all for this is it is very interesting and I will pass it on to my daughter

[woofgang]

GG, just to add that if your daughter has reservations, she doesn't have to feed raw if it doesn't suit her lifestyle. So long as she chooses decent quality food and changes the pup over slowly it should be fine

[granny grump]

Thank you woofgang - it's me that's concerned she is quite happy to do what the breeder has told her

[paddywak]

Max (my avatar) was fed on various grades of dry foods all his life,apart from the occasional treat and though I say it myself he grew into a very fine old boy,living a full and active life till he lost the use of his legs just short of his 15th birthday.It's nearly six years now but he's still missed.

[granny grump]

Beautiful dog paddywak I can understand why you still miss him. When you say dry foods does that mean no meat or raw meat?

[paddywak]

He was fed dry food all the time with the occasional mix of gravy and left overs if we had guests over cooked,mind you he'd eat any thing he was fed but if he had too much "wet" food he'd always end up with the trots.I think it depends on how he/she is reared from a pup but I don't think it really matters as long as the dog gets a good balanced diet.