The question of nutrition is hotly debated today. On the one hand, the wolf as a role model and the “philosophy” of feeding the whole animal, on the other hand, the vegans who keep a dog alive for a certain period of time by renouncing not only meat but also any other animal product – thus also no egg, no animal fats, no dairy products.
This choice of words was deliberate. We consider a vegan diet for dogs to be cruelty to animals. Do not be misled by “studies” such as those spread by PETA, according to which dogs fed a vegan diet would allegedly even be in a better state of health. On closer inspection, these irresponsible statements, which have been refuted elsewhere, are based on self-reporting by readers of a PETA magazine and represent at best a subjective opinion, certainly not a representative survey and certainly not a scientific study based on valid data.
The dog is essentially a carnivore and has a specialized digestion and physiology. Anyone who cannot cope with this should refrain from keeping dogs. It is true, however, that wolves and dogs do eat vegetable food such as berries, roots, grasses, etc. in addition to meat. It was recently discovered that domestic dogs are even able to digest plant starch.
In addition to the composition of the food, the dosage form is also a hotly debated issue. Here, ready-made food from cans or sacks competes with rations that the dog has prepared himself, whereby the question of cooked or raw presentation is the cause for passionate discussions of principles.
For all the bad things that can be said about ready-made food, and that is a lot, in the long run it is usually nutritionally superior to home-made meals when declared as a complete food. However, this is not due to the outstanding quality of the ready-made food, but to the fact that bias and/or exaggerations usually results when the meals are put together oneself, and in particular age-related changes in requirements are often not taken into account.
Now, one might rightly object that before the sixties of the last century, man’s domestic dogs also lived without ready-made food, and as a rule essentially from waste, and still did not die out. However, at that time the saying was “three years young dog, three years good dog, three years old dog” and nowadays, at least with our dachshunds, we expect something more in terms of life expectancy with good health and vitality.
As strange as it may sound, we can only strongly advise against trying to feed your dachshund a home-made diet, unless you and your family have the willingness and the time to inform yourselves in advance about the needs of your dogs and are able to adapt to the changing needs of the animal over the course of its life. It is by no means enough to mix minced meat with rice, noodles or potatoes and add an egg now and then! On the other hand, it is also a misconception that every meal or even every daily ration must be perfectly balanced and completely cover the dog’s nutritional needs. Nevertheless, if you want to feed your dog responsibly, you cannot avoid constantly observing and questioning your animals and your own feeding behaviour. If you are not sure that you can or want to do this in the long run, your pet will probably be better served if you make use of some of the better quality ready-made foods.
We mainly give raw food. We barf, as it is called nowadays. This is not a dogma for us. On longer journeys, as a treat or when time is very short, we also give dry food from time to time, just as we also specifically accustom puppies to this food. Our decision to feed raw food is our basic decision, which corresponds to our ideas, needs and possibilities, and not a pseudo-religious doctrine. Your decision may be different due to your conditions and, as long as it is not vegetarian or vegan, just as legitimate.
We are happy to provide information about our nutritional concept and its individual components in individual cases; however, this is in no way to be understood as a blueprint and does not relieve you of the need to obtain further information and make your own decisions on your own responsibility.
In any case, if you have similar plans, go to your nearest fresh food dealer or have green rumen, leafy stomach, udder, etc. delivered frozen and defrost it properly. Then look, smell and ask yourself if you want to handle it daily, in which kitchen it should be done and in which fridge it should be (temporarily) stored. It is not everyone’s cup of tea to have a bowl of green lamb rumen next to a bowl of chocolate mousse, nor is it desirable for hygienic reasons. Even if you yourself are robust in this respect, this does not necessarily apply to all members of the household…
Read more… [Raw diet for dogs – by Swanie Simon]
The linked contents do not always reflect the views of the Botzensteiners; remain critical – not only here.
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