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I recently lost my dog to a genetic disease. She was fed 'good quality' kibble from the vet.

A friend has a friend who is a geneticist at Lincoln Uni, who is expecting puppies next week. Labradoodles. He has apparently gone to great lengths to minimize any known genetic diseases. We have put our names down for a puppy.

As you can imagine this is a bitter sweet moment.

The question? A paleo puppy? Obviously dogs/wolves did not evolve eating kibble. Does anyone have a paleo puppy? What do you feed it, when and how?

Kit

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There's a big movement on this lately. It can be expensive but it the food is out there. – Scott Apr 16 2011 at 19:26
tripe and boiled sheeps head. The flesh just falls off the head and the brains go down very well. Makes the dog's coat look very healthy. – DudleyP Apr 17 2011 at 12:45
Somewhat OT: Kit, regarding your breeder's goals, I'd also ask if they have at least 3 generations of PennHip certified dogs and I'd ask to see the actual genetic certificates. (research.vet.upenn.edu/…) Doodle/mutts can be genetically more sound, but I would take great precautions when buying a puppy. There are no guarantees with puppies w/r/t physical or emotional soundness. Breeders will say what ever necessary to sell their product, especially for "pet" quality dogs. – Marie Apr 17 2011 at 15:37
(BTW, yes, I own a "Pet" quality dog requiring about $800/year in additional vet care. He was also a 5 y/o rescue when he arrived, so I knew in advance of his perfect personality and not so perfect body. My recommendation is to work with a good rescue org in your neighborhood, one that has the ability for you to foster a health and temperament tested dog. (idog.biz/index.html) – Marie Apr 17 2011 at 15:37

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Raw feeding my dogs is what got me started into Paleo - I saw my dogs thriving eating a species appropriate diet and asked myself why I wasn't doing the same

There are a TON of resources out there on the net for getting started.

here is a history of commercial dog food (to help confirm your correct decision)

there are a lot of raw feeding email groups like this one on yahoo that is a wealth of info for a newbie

I have 4 big dogs so it is a lot more of a job for me sourcing 6-8 lbs of meat everyday. At first it seems like a ton of work, but it (like most things) becomes a habit and gets easier everyday.

You don't need to spend the real big bucks on prepared "raw" food. Any grocery meat dept or helpful butcher will do ;-)

Here is a picture of a typical meal. We follow the prey model diet and they typical get 80% meat, 10% organ, and 10% bone over the course of a week.

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Thank you for the article, interesting. I need to read it again more slowly! I also think I need to get the book. – Kit Apr 16 2011 at 19:46
just make sure you get a balanced source of organ meats too! – Lindsay Apr 16 2011 at 21:21
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 I've been raw feeding my pup for three and a half years now (almost as long as I've been LC/Paleo). He's thriving -- whenever we go to the dog park, he's among the best-looking, healthiest dogs there. (Of course I'm not biased; why would you think that? ;D ) I agree with Lindsay about the organ meats. Also make sure he can gnaw on plenty of bones. I've got a butcher who grinds dog food from whole chickens (everything but the feathers), and from beef, lamb and pork, and sells bags for a buck a pound. If you've got a local butcher who'll do that for you, it'll save you time, money, and muck. – Rose Apr 16 2011 at 23:56
BARF is best, but barring that, a Grain free dog food is better than standard kibble. – Stephen-Aegis Apr 17 2011 at 15:50
I've also began raw feeding my dog. His waste has been consistently diarrhea, though. Did this happen with your dogs? Or am I feeding my dog too little marrow and offal? Any help would be really appreciated. Thanks! – Bruno Apr 17 2011 at 18:30
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Research "Prey Model Raw" as it is much lower labor than BARF and makes more sense in the long run. (Most people transition from BARF to Prey.) You should also be feeding green tripe and supplementing with Omegas (Salmon and coconut oil). , One of the most interesting, and sad, things to watch is your dog aging relative to your neighbor's dog. In the eight years I've been feeding raw, it has been shocking to see the decline of kibble fed dogs while our raw fed dogs keep on truckin'.

And here's a little helpful blog to keep your costs down: link text

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We've transitioned from BARF to mostly Prey Model and never knew there was a term for it. It just kind of happened out of convenience since we raise our own chickens, rabbits and goats. :-) – W8liftinmom Apr 19 2011 at 4:49
great blog post there! I have a Cavalier Spaniel and a Boston Terrier, both are pretty active. Right now they eat Acana, plus coconut oil, fish oil, and sardines. I've been wanting to transition to raw meat / bones but haven't had a clue what to buy exactly and how much to give each of them. I suppose I could just do meat scraps/leftovers from what I cook (ground beef, fatty beef cuts, lamb, lamb liver) and then get occasional meaty bones somewhere would work pretty well? Would I want to shoot for about 2/3 lb a day for the 21lb Cavalier, and 1/3 lb a day for the 12 lb Boston Terrier? – JoeBranca at paleoplusone.com Apr 19 2011 at 4:59
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 Yes, you could do that, but it is best to start with buying whole prey (chickens, or game hens are easy) and portioning out the daily meals to teach YOU how to portion the 80/10/10 ratios. The volume relates to the dogs' age, activity level, and metabolism. You'll find feeding raw should be called Custom Raw. Here are some links to get you started: Web Pages: rawlearning.com rawmeatybones.com rawfed.com/myths rawfeddogs.net – Marie Apr 19 2011 at 5:35
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http://www.barfworld.com/

B.A.R.F stands for bones and raw food

what dogs and cats should be eating...

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exactly what I was going to answer. I've been begging my mother to try it out for her dogs. – Futureboy Apr 16 2011 at 19:28
Thank you for the link – Kit Apr 16 2011 at 19:40
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Feed your paleo pets what they're designed to eat. No cooked foods and no grains. What wolf worth his salt starts up the bbq before chowing down? Cats are obligate carnivores, dogs can have some fruit/veg but research shows that a nutrient balanced (per species) raw-animal food diet is amazing. I have fed my dogs/cats on this stuff (yes $$$) but their coat, clearness in their eyes and health has been flawless.

Check out:

there are lots of others out there but those are the ones I tend to switch through. My cats right now eat Nature's Variety org. chicken and rabbit.

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I am in NZ, so I am not sure if these are available here. – Kit Apr 16 2011 at 22:11
ironic, since Nature's Variety sources their lamb meat from NZ – tartare Apr 17 2011 at 14:04
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Optimal primal diet for dogs and cats is raw meat, whole bones (fully consumed and digested) and organs, zero-carb. I don't have a puppy but my dogs are 11 and 14, it has cured all their health problems and it looks like they will live forever.

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i 2nd that! We have a 15 yr old Australian shepherd that I thought was on death's doorstep 2 yrs ago. That just keeps on trucking now that she eats raw. Her body is full of fatty tumors - I can only imagine how much raw could have helped her avoid those in her younger years. – OSUfanz Apr 19 2011 at 14:59
I thought my older dog was going to die in a few years before I started them raw 6 years ago. She could barely walk, poor thing (a lot of that was from injuries she has suffered, but her stiffness, arthritis and joint problems are pretty much gone now), was going blind - and at only 8 years old and 25 lbs (it's worth noting she is only about 16-17 lbs now!). I was so pleasantly surprised to see a reversal in her health. She has such pep everyone thinks she is still a puppy. – animalcule Apr 19 2011 at 23:13

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