Is it safe to give raw food like chicken/tripe to my dog?

[Poppy's Picnic]

I have a female dog of 7 years and I am planning to switch to raw dog food like chicken & tripe, lamb & beef bones etc. Is it recommended?

 

[JoanneF]

Yes. Some dogs don't take to it but many do very well. The ratio that seems to be widely accepted is 80% muscle meat, 10% bone, 5% liver and 5% other organ meat (heart counts as muscle meat not organ meat). This doesnt have to be per meal, as long as it balances over every few days. Use plenty of variety. There are of course many prepared raw foods you can just buy. If you are doing DIY, freeze for 48 hours to kill off any harmful bacteria - salmon have quite a nasty one and in beef there can be cross contamination from a bacteria in the placenta. These things don't bother us as we cook the meat but for raw its better safe than sorry. Excuseme (other member) is our raw food guru, hopefuly she will be along later to add more (and mark my answer out of ten lol ;o))

 

[excuseme]

Fantastic 10/10.

Busy at the moment, will be back later!

Ha ha.

 

[JoanneF]

Yay! Thanks excuseme! X

 

[excuseme]

Congratulations on your decision to "go raw", I am sure neither you or your dog will regret it.

Variety is the best balance of any raw diet available. Yes, chicken and tripe lamb, beef and bones and an assortment of various offal is essential. anything meat is fine for dogs, this includes pork too. Gristle, fat and skin are to be included in raw diets (all perfectly "natural" ) Raw diets "balance" themselves over a period of a few weeks.

I would consider heart as being an organ and part of the offal group, it is such a small part of an animals functioning body how can it naturally ever become 80% of any daily muscle meat ?

It is very nutritious and one of the essential offal organs along with the lungs, kidneys and liver. Green tripe is especially good, it contains vegetation and essential enzymes and beneficial bacteria which help our dogs maintain a healthy digestive system. Meat and muscle meat are in general the make up of the animal which is attached to and surrounds the bones/skeleton.

There are always different opinions to this but we must think of an animals whole body and what percentages these different parts are.

If you have time register with the "Honeys " website and order one of their FREE " Honey's Natural Feeding Handbook for dogs". These little books make fantastic easy reading and easy to understand. You will not be committed to buy any of their products, there is no catch!

Another good book is ; Dr Ian Billinghurst; "Give Your Dog A Bone" Try e bay or Amazon for second hand books as this is quiet an expensive book.

Have fun introducing your new diet and don't let it become difficult, it can be done very quickly.