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Vets Questions - Part 1
Question
You say not to feed pork to dogs but I wonder why? Is there anything wrong in feeding meaty pork ribs raw? My Bearded Collie bitch loves having ribs once a week or thereabouts? - Stuart Band
Answer
You ask a very interesting question. One to which I and none of the four text books I looked in had any answers. So, lets go back to basics.
Pork has always been avoided as there was a risk of cysts/worms in the meat causing parasitic disease in the dog which could then be passed to humans. This is why the raw meaty bone folk have always steered clear.
Modern farming and slaughter inspection is better than it has ever been, but is it 100%? I don't think so. Therefore there is, technically, a health risk to you and your family (especially if you have any young kids) if you feed pork or pork bones.
Question
My 16 month bitch has quite heavy tartar on her back teeth. She was always a poor eater but now she really tucks in to raw tripe she likes biscuits but doesn’t eat fast like all dogs I’ve had before. Please explain how I feed these raw bones etc. Do I ground them down? I was always told never to feed bones only marrow. - Carol Downward
Answer
Feeding bones is easy. First find a butcher who will give you fresh (or frozen) raw meaty bones. Lamb or beef are the best, although chicken wings are good, too. Marrow bones tend to be a bit fatty, so give them a miss initially. A minimum size for bones is about twice the width of the mouth.
Pick up said bone and throw it into the garden to attract the attention of your dog. Do this before the dog's meal. Dog should then start to chew on the meat of the meaty bone and then move onto the bone as his/her instinct kicks in.
That's it! You are now feeding fresh raw meaty bones!
If your dog gets a bit constipated with chalky stools, then you can simply limit exposure to bones to an hour rather than free access. Feeing the bone before a meal is a good idea because if your dog doesn't want to relinquish the bone, then all you need to do is put down dinner and they will usually go for that and drop the bone.
Bones should be fed 1-2 times weekly at least. Most dogs will not get through a bone in one sitting so one bone might do for 2-3 days. It doesn't matter if they look a bit manky after a day or two - dogs are designed to cope with this kind of contamination.
It used to be said that you shouldn't feed bones to dogs. This is because vets found they were seeing dogs with bones stuck in gullets and intestines - cooked bones. They then decided that ALL bones were bad so threw the baby out with the bathwater and said all bones are bad. This is not true. Most dogs can eat raw bones without a problem.
It is not true that feeding raw meaty bones is completely without risk. I don't know of any activity that is completely without risk. I think that feeding raw bones is as risky to the health of the dog as feeding a complete diet. 'How so?', says you. Well if you feed a complete then 70-90% of dogs will need a dental clean-up operation in the later life, if not more. These are not without a small risk. If you eat raw bones, then chances of a dental reduce and so the risk is reduced.
So there we go - most things in life are potentially risky – feeding complete diets in my opinion is one of them.
Question
I have had several whelping difficulties since I started to feed barf 5 years ago, out of 5 litters there have been 4 Caesars, several dead puppies, but my last litter was the worst, 3 dead rotten puppies and one live pup weighing 64g and one weighing 90g.
I have discussed this with my vet and he feels that the diet is lacking something and I should put my dogs onto complete, I really do not want to do this, and other people who feed barf have wonderful litters, do you think I am just having a run of bad luck or should I change the diet?
I also have the puppy that weighed 90g at birth, he is the sole survivor (the 64g pup died at 13 days) this pup had to be hand reared he is 13 weeks old now and is a third the size he should be he weighs 1lb 12oz but he is very active eats sleeps plays etc. quite normally he has been checked by my vet twice, and they can find nothing wrong with him, is there anything you can recommend that will help him to grow. - Suzanne Pirrie
Answer
I would try a supplement called Pet Plus for 6 months and see how things go - for the bitch and for the pups. A broad ranging BARF diet with plenty of variety should be more than adequate for all the bitches needs – as your friends are demonstrating. If your vet cannot find an organic reason why things are going wrong, I think a supplement is the way to go to see if there is some deficiency.
Question
I have a 4year old Newfoundland and he has been fed a BARF diet since he was 8 months old. His diet is 4 chicken wings one day and veg and fruit the next with supplements, also rib bones every day. He is too fat and is well-exercised everyday. I have four gundogs and they are not fat and they eat more than him. You are my last chance. - Sharon Horritt
Answer
Becoming fat is simply a matter of too much energy going in and not enough going out. There can be lots of reasons for this. If you have been dieting your dog and he is not losing weight then he may be unwell.
Cushing’s syndrome [a disorder of the adrenal gland that causes weight gain and water retention] and an under-active thyroid gland are strong possibilities. Get these investigated if your dog is at all lethargic or is drinking more than he should. Your vet can examine him and advise you.
The most obvious cause is that your dog is taking in too many calories. Meat is the most energy rich food that we eat. Pound for pound it contains more energy than pure fat. Fresh meat and bones containing marrow are very rich sources of energy and you don't need to feed a lot. Remember that most of what comes out of a tin is indigestible so a similar quantity of fresh meat will be 2-3 times more nutritious.
Your best bet is to reduce the over all amount of calorie rich food you give your dog [fat, carbohydrate and protein] by reducing the amount of meat, oil and rice/barley/pasta/potato you give. Increase the amount of lower calorie fresh veg to balance this so there is no chance of mineral or vitamin deficiency and your dog will still feel full.
Monitor your dog's weight monthly and expect only a gradual reduction. Non-load bearing exercise is a good idea so try taking him to a doggy-swimming pool once a week if there is one local. This will run off lots of energy without damaging his joints.
Question
I have 2 Irish Setters ages are 3yrs & 5yrs. They have always been fed on complete food. I am very unsure about complete food, and am always worried about what they are actually eating. In the years I have had my dogs I have noticed that their teeth have got very bad plaque and their breath is therefore very bad.
Do you think that feeding a raw diet would be beneficial for them? - Clarkia Setters
Answer
Raw feeding will definitely help, but if the teeth are already heavily covered in tartar this may need to be cleaned off by your vet.
Raw meaty bones help to scrub the teeth clean and the gristly stringy bits floss the teeth. It is very important to remember that it is not crunching the bone that does the work. It is gnawing off the meat and cartilage. Once the bone is empty and clean it is finished.
Raw meat is also good because it does not stick to the teeth to start with and does not encourage the formation of bacterial plaque on the teeth.
Question
Is it safe to feed your dog small amounts of bread, or is it harmful to them? - Joanna Pierce
Answer
Bread is made from ground wheat, and wheat is not really a major constituent of a natural dog diet. Wheat gluten is associated with various allergic problems and bowel diseases so while bread is not actually bad for dogs in general it may not be very good for those with a gluten intolerance.
The proportion of dogs that cannot tolerate gluten is impossible to calculate because not enough research has been done, but my feeling is that quite a lot are. Maybe even the majority.
The effects of gluten intolerance may be very diverse, and it is a very under investigated problem. All sorts of problems are attributed to it, from itchiness to recurrent diarrhoea, and maybe including subtle signs like over activity and irritability.
My personal feeling is wheat gluten is best avoided.
Question
My dog has been on the barf diet for 6 weeks now but still has an itchy red and flaky skin. Any suggestions as to what I can do? She is 2 1/2 yrs, Cocker Spaniel. - Anne Gardner
Answer
Eating lamb bones and chicken wings plus carcasses and having flaxseed oil etc.
First of all, this diet is not properly balanced. I presume that you are feeding a wide range of pulverised fruit and vegetables too, otherwise your dog will become mineral and vitamin deficient.
That said, if your dog was itchy before the diet and is no better now then you need to consult your vet. There are numerous parasitic, infectious and allergic causes of itchiness. Cheyletiella, a mite that lives on the skin and is often called 'walking dandruff' is one obvious cause, for example. If the vet thinks your dog has a dietary allergy then it is very easy to shift your dog onto a hypoallergenic natural diet by feeding only a single kind of meat that your vet advises.
Question
I have a 2.5 year Weimaraner bitch who in the last 5 weeks has suffered 3 lots of colitis and so far had 2 lots of antibiotics, she is fed on Anglian Meat Products dry tripe and rice complete. I am getting quite concerned about this, please can you help me help her? - Jane Jordan
Answer
I would suggest you change onto a chicken or lamb combined with fruit and veg according to the details HERE. If the symptoms persist, then find your nearest homeopathic vet by ringing the British Homeopathic Association on 0207 5667 800 for a list of UK vets.
