Love your dog? Then you need to know . . .

Need to know what? You need to know about raw feeding, that's what. What the heck is raw feeding? Well, its exactly what it sounds like. Feeding your dog (or cat or ferret for that matter) raw food, specifically raw meat. I first encountered the term 'raw feeding' when researching ferrets, but I didn't look into it further at the time because it just seemed like an option for overzealous ferret owners. I ran into the term again after joining a dog-specific forum, and this time my curiosity was piqued. As I read, I became very interested in raw feeding, and began to do a lot of research. This research I will pass on to you, because I love you and I'm awesome.

I'm sure a lot of you are wondering why you would want to feed raw in the first place. Well, there are a bunch of reasons, and all of them are really important.

1. Dogs are carnivores. Don't believe me? Well, just take a look at a dog's teeth. Also keep in mind that even if they don't look like wolves on the outside, on the inside they are pretty much the same. Need more proof? Check out this lovely and well researched article: Dogs are Carnivores
2. Kibble is garbage. I mean that in the most literal sense. If you have a weak stomach, take my word for it and continue to number 3. For the rest of you, here are a few of the things that go into kibble: 4D livestock (the livestock that dies of illness or injury before it reaches the slaughterhouse), spoiled grocery store meat (including the styrofoam packaging it came in), used and spoiled restaurant deep-frying grease and sometimes even euthanized companion animals. That is just a fraction of what goes into pet food (not just dog food). Go here to see exactly what else is in your furry friend's food.
3. An all meat diet improves your dog's health. Because your dog is carnivore, he will get all the nutrition he needs from a raw diet, and none of the stuff he doesn't need. Raw feeders report that their dogs are better tempered, more lively, have clean, white teeth, fresh breath, shinier coats, brighter eyes, shed less, poop a lot less (yes, less poop!), don't smell, go to the vet a lot less and even live longer. Sounds good, doesn't it?
   
4. It's not as expensive as you might think. I admit, my first concern about raw feeding was price, but after doing a lot of research, I have learned that raw feeding is much cheaper overall than feeding kibble. Why? Well, for starters, meat appropriate for feeding a dog can easily be obtained from a butcher, a hunter, or even a wholesale meat distributor at excellent prices. Dogs don't need to be eating steaks. Also, a kibble fed dog is going to present more health problems, therefore more vet visits. Raw fed dogs don't even need to have their teeth brushed! Eating the way nature intended cleans their teeth.

When I get my dog, he is definitely going to be fed raw. As for the rest of you, I encourage you to look into it and at least consider it. You will change your dog's life! The following websites will help you on your journey. Check them out! They have specific information on what to feed when feeding raw, how much to feed, where to find meat, etc.

The Many Myths of Raw Feeding
This site is excellent and answers most of questions that people new to raw feeding have. It is extremely informative and helpful.

Raw Learning
Another excellent site! The FAQ page is especially informative.

Raw Meaty Bones
The original site about feeding raw meaty bones to dogs.

If you're really interested in starting your dog on raw, I really encourage you to join the Yahoo group, Raw Feeding. There are tons of members who all feed their dogs raw and there is always someone around to answer questions. I have learned TONS from this group, so please join!
Raw Feeding Group