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I posted about a week ago that I just switched my dog to the prey model raw diet.
Because we are still in the very begining of the transition, her diet has consisted of chicken backs and chicken quarters. I was worried that because she used to have a sensitive stomach (on kibble) that her system would not take to raw very well at all. My worries were put to rest as she has done great!! I switched her cold turkey (no pun intended), and I don't think she has had an ounce of diarrhea! yaaaay! That made me feel like I was doing the right thing for her and her health.
During this past week, some conversation has come up with my veterinarian and also my boss (yes, I work at a vet clinic) regarding raw diets. I compeletly trust her with my dog when it comes to veterinary care, and I think she is very educated in dog nutrition. The only problem is, she is educated in modern dog nutrition (i.e. commercial dog foods). Of course she is. I belive she has VERY little education if at all on raw diets (specifically Prey Model Raw done right).
I asked her what she honestly thinks about a raw diet with the claimed health benefits aside, mainly focusing on whether it is balanced and nutritious. She said NO it is not. She said many raw fed dogs have deficiencies in essential vitamins (such as calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D, etc). She said dogs start developing health issues because of these deficiencies. I thought that dogs that are fed raw get an abundance of calcium from eating the bones. But she said that they don't grind them fine enough when they are eating them to absorb enough calcium.
Her other concerns with a raw diet are: teeth breaking, obstruction/blockage from bones, bacteria from raw meat, constipation (which I thought the chewed up bones act as fiber, but she said that they do the opposite and can become impacted in the digestive tract).
I definately want to keep my dog on a raw diet as it seems the most natural and obvious diet for a dog. It may be that she is basing her information off dogs that have not been fed a BALANCED PREY MODEL RAW diet, which is what I am aiming to do.
I have also read about the raw diet known as "The Ultimate Diet", which urges followers to feed raw meaty bones, raw vegetables, and other natural supplements with each meal. How is this different from Prey Model Raw? Why do our dogs on PMR not need additional supplements/fiber etc?
I would just like some clarification and encouragement that my dog is NOT going to be lacking in her diet if she is on the PMR diet.
Please do not bash my boss. Again, she is very great at what she does, I do not question anything. She is a typical veterinarian that was taught about commercial dog diets, and she always looks at things from the medical point of view, not necessarily the natural point of view.
Because we are still in the very begining of the transition, her diet has consisted of chicken backs and chicken quarters. I was worried that because she used to have a sensitive stomach (on kibble) that her system would not take to raw very well at all. My worries were put to rest as she has done great!! I switched her cold turkey (no pun intended), and I don't think she has had an ounce of diarrhea! yaaaay! That made me feel like I was doing the right thing for her and her health.
During this past week, some conversation has come up with my veterinarian and also my boss (yes, I work at a vet clinic) regarding raw diets. I compeletly trust her with my dog when it comes to veterinary care, and I think she is very educated in dog nutrition. The only problem is, she is educated in modern dog nutrition (i.e. commercial dog foods). Of course she is. I belive she has VERY little education if at all on raw diets (specifically Prey Model Raw done right).
I asked her what she honestly thinks about a raw diet with the claimed health benefits aside, mainly focusing on whether it is balanced and nutritious. She said NO it is not. She said many raw fed dogs have deficiencies in essential vitamins (such as calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D, etc). She said dogs start developing health issues because of these deficiencies. I thought that dogs that are fed raw get an abundance of calcium from eating the bones. But she said that they don't grind them fine enough when they are eating them to absorb enough calcium.
Her other concerns with a raw diet are: teeth breaking, obstruction/blockage from bones, bacteria from raw meat, constipation (which I thought the chewed up bones act as fiber, but she said that they do the opposite and can become impacted in the digestive tract).
I definately want to keep my dog on a raw diet as it seems the most natural and obvious diet for a dog. It may be that she is basing her information off dogs that have not been fed a BALANCED PREY MODEL RAW diet, which is what I am aiming to do.
I have also read about the raw diet known as "The Ultimate Diet", which urges followers to feed raw meaty bones, raw vegetables, and other natural supplements with each meal. How is this different from Prey Model Raw? Why do our dogs on PMR not need additional supplements/fiber etc?
I would just like some clarification and encouragement that my dog is NOT going to be lacking in her diet if she is on the PMR diet.
Please do not bash my boss. Again, she is very great at what she does, I do not question anything. She is a typical veterinarian that was taught about commercial dog diets, and she always looks at things from the medical point of view, not necessarily the natural point of view.