Raw feeding: are vegetables important?

bluecherry74

Callaghan24 wrote: »

Hi my name is Steven, I'm new to boards and trying to get some information on raw feeding for my 2 year old rotte, was worndering were u get your meat for €20 and what kind of food would u feed on a daily basis, would chicken legs do as a main meal with some Organ meat, I live in cork any help would be great thanks.

I have two English Setters and spend between €20 and €25 a week on their food, which is roughly what it was costing me to feed them a good quality dry food.

Chicken legs make up the main part of their meals - the cheapest I can find them is in Aldi where they're 4 for €2. Breakfast and dinner is roughly 2/3 chicken to 1/3 cooked potato and veg. A couple of times a week they get raw liver, kidneys and mackerel, plus the odd raw egg. I usually give them a "treat meal" once a week too - lap of lamb is quite cheap and they love it.

Another poster linked to dogsfirst.ie and it's a fantastic resource, definitely check it out. It will tell you how much to feed your rottie based on his weight and activity levels and gives you a fair idea of what foods you should be including in his diet.

DogsFirst

cyndiann wrote: »

Dogs have absolutely no nutritional requirement for any vegetables or fruit. Please remember that they are carnivores while we are omnivores so they don't need what we need in our diets. Matter of fact, many times those vegetables can be a source of itching and allergies.

The enzymes needed to actually digest vegetables don't exist in a dog's digestive system so they get no nutrition at all from eating them. What I'm telling you is based on real science and as you've found out, it upsets their tummies so please stop and go back to what you were doing originally. I've been feeding raw for 10 years now and went through all sorts of trials on different foods so I speak from experience.

Totally agreed dogs are carnivores have no use for veg. But they do take a little fruit here and there (antioxidants for example, not in meat) but never heard of vegetables to cause allergies as such (well maybe a dog that has been sensitised to the weird stuff they put in dry food, but not fresh veggies from the offset). New foods can and do cause dietary upset if not introduced slowly and too much plant fibre bulks the stool with water which will cause sloppy stool issues, but neither are an allergic response requiring immune action.

The only reason I'd throw in a few veggies is to "cover bases" so to speak. I'm pretty lazy and don't get a whole mix of meat as often as I should. Cuts of meat like chicken / beef / rabbit etc are great but your little carnivore needs the goodness of pancreas, eyes, brains, adrenal glands, thyroid, that are rarely offered by all meat feeders unless feeding whole rodents, rabbits and birds, which is rare. These tiny bits cannot be totally replaced by a small amount of cooked veg but they certainly help with vitamins, and rarer minerals like selenium and manganese etc, which is a boost for your dog. Yes dogs don't eat veggies but that's cuz they can't cook 'em. Dogs don't have the enzymes to break down veg, that's why you cook or puree the pants out of them. Once cooked and fibre destroyed, they're a perfectly acceptable food source for dogs with no documented route to allergy. But essential they are not. All whole animals, whiskers and all, is undoubtedly the best food for little carnivores.

I would stick in a bit of white food (carbs like spud or rice) pre-run / work / agility for an energy boost but again, it's not needed. Dogs can make their own glucose from protein, clever carnivores.