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Originally Posted by Tiramisu  So, I can gradually introduce raw with the current kibble and then add cooked from time to time OR should I only feed one method? Do I need to consult my vet before I change? |
I hope you don't mind, but I'm cutting and pasting (below) something I posted from another post from a few weeks ago, here was the thread: (
http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/sho....php?t=115609). As for checking w/ your vet, well...keep in mind that many vets had a total of 1 hour of nutrition education in vet school. So, while it certainly is wise to consult w/ them - it may not go the way you expect or HOPE...
...especially when discussing raw/homecooking. Keep in mind most vets still sell (and blindly believe in) crap kibble food. Here's what I posted a few weeks back regarding "combining":
"I have yet to find a vet that *gets* raw, it's so frustrating.
So here's the low-down on kibble/raw: there is a super conservative school of thought that says never feed together and that you should feed kibble and raw 8 hours apart. A more moderate school of thought says one should feed kibble and raw 4-5 hours apart.
The thought is that the body digests raw food and non-raw food differently and in different amounts of time.
There is another school of thought that thinks the above statement is hogwash (I kinda reside there). The thing is, the body doesn't know if food is raw, 1/4 cooked, 1/2 cooked, or non-raw - the tummy differentiates things as carb, fat, protein, toxin etc. - and releases enzymes accordingly. It's the same for us - we eat sushi - part raw, part non-raw - and our body digests it as carb, protein, fat.
Now, there may be some truth that it takes longer to digest processed kibble than the raw - but I don't agree with the opinion out there that the kibble then halts the raw from proceeding to digest (causing fermentation); the stomach is a "churner" - and those items that are ready to move on into the intestine go ahead and do so; it's not like the entire contents must all go together as one meal. The stomach and intestines are dynamic and elastic places - and they move stuff along when the "stuff" is ready.
If you want to play it moderate, however, just feed every 4 hours - and alternate the raw feedings with the kibble feedings. You have to do what makes you comfortable. There are a lot of opinions out there - so read a bunch of them, educate yourself, and do what's best for your baby."