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Originally Posted by Gr33zyinc  Considering what I have learned, Veterinarians are only required very few (under 20hours) of Nutrition related learning. All of which is sponsored by, you guessed it, the big Food suppliers like Purina and such. (I'm not a vet, but this is what I have read from a variety of reliable sources, such as Leerburg for one.)
We are welcoming a new pup into our home soon, who is already on a raw diet. So we may end up switching our Yorkie to raw and see how he likes it (he is currently eating Natural Balance - limited ingredient dog food). There are many benefits of Raw including but not limited to; Clears up allergies, Healthier digestive & Immune systems, Less poop to scoop, Smaller stools which are small and firm, They also biodegrade quickly and disappear in a few days, Mirrors what a dogs and cats would be getting in the wild, No preservatives, fillers, or chemicals, Healthier, fuller, softer, shinier coats, Less shedding, Naturally cleans teeth and eliminates bad breath, No more “wet dog odour”, Increased energy and improved mood, Decreased vet bills due to better health, Longer life for your pets.
You are supposed to introduce it very slowly though. Cut out last Kibble-Meal of the day, the day before you plan on starting raw. Then start with 1/4 feeding of the suggested raw amount they should be eating and work your way up to the full amount. 1/4, then 2/4, then 3/4 then full feeding.
The most important thing to consider in raw is feeding a Well Balanced diet Overtime. So each feeding does not have to be spot on to the exact requirements, but it should be balanced over time (daily? weekly?). |
The first paragraph about veterinary nutrition training is patently false, ESPECIALLY if you are talking about Board Certified Veterinary Nutritionists. It's been debunked elsewhere on Yorkietalk--I won't dignify it any further.
The second paragraph about benefits of raw diet has some truth in it. However, if you look at dogs "in the wild," they only live to be a few years old and live horrible lives. Dogs are not naturally a wild animal--they've lived domesticated for thousands of years. If they're not living in a household, they are being neglected.
The last two paragraphs are quite sensible. If you change a dog's diet, you want to do it gradually, and the balance of nutrition is done over time, as it is with humans. Best balanced on a daily basis, though, since some nutrients only last a day in the body.