I am really interested in what you say, Steve, because I always understood that dogs, like foxes and unlike cats, naturally eat a wide range of foodstuffs, not just meat. Certainly, dogs I have owned have enjoyed carrots, blackberries, cucumber and so on. One of my dogs liked to steal a pasture mix horse feed and bird seed. Domestic dogs don't seem much like their wolf ancestors and I wonder if raw meat supplies all their needs. I don't believe for a minute that it will make much difference to spots on the lawn and agree with Philippa that you have to take the consequences of owning a pet. However, I suspect I like pets rather more than she does...
Posy, a raw diet does not just constitute meat. It's balanced and much more comparable with that of a humans, also including poultry, fish, vegetables and fruit. Barney won't stomach blackberries or blueberries unfortunately, but like for us they are recommended as antioxidants are always a plus. However, raw carrots are a perfect treat mid afternoon. He's also partial to sunflower hearts! Just stay away from avocado, grapes etc.
Generally speaking, it's believed that girls urine is more likely to burn than a male's but higher waste product will increase nitrogen levels regardless. Like everything else that comes with having a dog e.g. the mess in doors and chewed shoes, you learn to just let them get on with it! (to an extent)
That's interesting, Mark. I knew someone who fed only raw meat - mainly chicken - and it just didn't seem right. They has this theory that dogs evolved as pure carnivores, but they seemed to base this on husky and wolf types which were quite a long way from my spaniel!
You are quite right, Philippa, I am an intelligent woman: I don't read tea leaves but I can smell the coffee. I think I picked up the subtle vibes behind the word 'crap' and the expression 'Seems simple enough.' It was your warmth and positivity which just hinted at a lack of enthusiasm for cats and dogs. I hadn't realized that there were any other pets, it's true, and I will endeavour to remedy my ignorance before I post again on this subject.
Thanks for the advice from each of you. PhillipA & Tetley yes I do know the the pro's & cons of having a pet as I have one for 7 years. In my previews home my pet went to the toilet in the same place, but has I have just moved home and it's a new garden, this is where my problem has started. Unfortunately the house I am in at the minute is rented so I cannot start removing the lawn. So common sense told me to ask on here for useful advice. It was just a thought.!!!
I'm not going to get into an argument on this forum with those who think they know better than myself and my clinic's qualified nutritionist. I do that every day at work. As I implied earlier, raw diets can most certainly be balanced but they aren't especially natural. Commercial dog foods vary tremendously in quality and mostly, you get what you pay for. Fillers are bad, dogs can digest grains quite happily and yes, dogs are to a degree omnivorous as they will always chose to eat the vegetable filled guts of prey animals.
For some dogs with certain issues a raw diet can be beneficial but that can be due to the exclusion of certain products rather than the fact that the diet is raw.
The grain thing is a bit like how nowadays it is trendy to have 'gluten issues', the biggest benefit of that particular fad has been that people who actually do have issues now have a much better range of food to pick from!
Oh, and anti-oxidants are pretty much just a marketing ploy with not a lot of good science to back them. Harmless enough, few proven actual benefits and harmful in excess.
Posts
I am really interested in what you say, Steve, because I always understood that dogs, like foxes and unlike cats, naturally eat a wide range of foodstuffs, not just meat. Certainly, dogs I have owned have enjoyed carrots, blackberries, cucumber and so on. One of my dogs liked to steal a pasture mix horse feed and bird seed. Domestic dogs don't seem much like their wolf ancestors and I wonder if raw meat supplies all their needs. I don't believe for a minute that it will make much difference to spots on the lawn and agree with Philippa that you have to take the consequences of owning a pet. However, I suspect I like pets rather more than she does...
Posy, a raw diet does not just constitute meat. It's balanced and much more comparable with that of a humans, also including poultry, fish, vegetables and fruit. Barney won't stomach blackberries or blueberries unfortunately, but like for us they are recommended as antioxidants are always a plus. However, raw carrots are a perfect treat mid afternoon. He's also partial to sunflower hearts! Just stay away from avocado, grapes etc.
Generally speaking, it's believed that girls urine is more likely to burn than a male's but higher waste product will increase nitrogen levels regardless. Like everything else that comes with having a dog e.g. the mess in doors and chewed shoes, you learn to just let them get on with it! (to an extent)
Last edited: 16 January 2017 07:36:55
That's interesting, Mark. I knew someone who fed only raw meat - mainly chicken - and it just didn't seem right. They has this theory that dogs evolved as pure carnivores, but they seemed to base this on husky and wolf types which were quite a long way from my spaniel!
You are quite right, Philippa, I am an intelligent woman: I don't read tea leaves but I can smell the coffee. I think I picked up the subtle vibes behind the word 'crap' and the expression 'Seems simple enough.' It was your warmth and positivity which just hinted at a lack of enthusiasm for cats and dogs. I hadn't realized that there were any other pets, it's true, and I will endeavour to remedy my ignorance before I post again on this subject.
Thanks for the advice from each of you. PhillipA & Tetley yes I do know the the pro's & cons of having a pet as I have one for 7 years. In my previews home my pet went to the toilet in the same place, but has I have just moved home and it's a new garden, this is where my problem has started. Unfortunately the house I am in at the minute is rented so I cannot start removing the lawn. So common sense told me to ask on here for useful advice. It was just a thought.!!!
I'm not going to get into an argument on this forum with those who think they know better than myself and my clinic's qualified nutritionist. I do that every day at work. As I implied earlier, raw diets can most certainly be balanced but they aren't especially natural. Commercial dog foods vary tremendously in quality and mostly, you get what you pay for. Fillers are bad, dogs can digest grains quite happily and yes, dogs are to a degree omnivorous as they will always chose to eat the vegetable filled guts of prey animals.
For some dogs with certain issues a raw diet can be beneficial but that can be due to the exclusion of certain products rather than the fact that the diet is raw.
The grain thing is a bit like how nowadays it is trendy to have 'gluten issues', the biggest benefit of that particular fad has been that people who actually do have issues now have a much better range of food to pick from!
Oh, and anti-oxidants are pretty much just a marketing ploy with not a lot of good science to back them. Harmless enough, few proven actual benefits and harmful in excess.