Thoughts on raw feeding

I switched Grace to a raw diet in February, nearly 8 months ago. Having decided that this was something I wanted to do I then spent hours on the internet researching the pros and cons of a raw meaty bone based diet and finally took the plunge. Looking back, any concerns I harboured over this diet were unfounded. Yes, it seemed complicated at first, and yes it takes a bit more thought and organisation than feeding kibble, but that is about it. The impact of switching was almost immediate and hugely positive. Grace, up to this point, had been pretty highly strung – always on the move, always on the edge. This changed. Within days she seemed calmer. This had an impact on training. Up until then I was always just one step away from losing her control, her attention, or both. Following the switch things seemed to go much easier. I will never know whether this was down to the changed diet, as there are other variables such as increased maturity to consider too, but she did change and this change coincided with a change to raw food.

I was at a local agricultural show this summer and happened to be standing next to a dog food stand. The ‘pet nutritionist’ came over to speak to me, commenting on how well Grace looked. He asked what I fed her. When I told him his response was quite agressive. He said that even if she was doing well on it now I will only be able to see the damage I was causing when she reaches 7 or 8 years old. I dismissed his comments stating that I had a pretty good understanding of dog physiology and their dietry requirements so felt I was doing the right thing. He responded by laughing and saying he didn’t like ‘your sort, as you will never by our food’.

When I went to the local pet shop last weekend and saw bags of dog food on sale for £35 I realised why he might have been concerned. The cost of feeding Grace raw works out at about £10-£15 per month and she looks well on it, enjoys her meals, has clean teeth and more importantly is eating nothing that I cannot identify. I am happy with it and I believe she is too. With disciplined feeding it isn’t a problem and can be fitted into normal, everyday family life.