Why we recommend a rotation of raw meats

Many people who feed their dogs or cats raw food tend to stick to one meat type that works for them.  This may be due to allergies, the lower cost of chicken or a fear to try something new for their companion.  We often try to encourage our customers to try to get a variety of meats in their dog’s or cat’s diet – chicken, bison, beef, turkey, duck, fish, and caballo.  Let me explain why 🙂

At the end of this post, there is a crude breakdown of the different meat sources.  This table is meant to demonstrate how there is a different amino acid, mineral and vitamin composition for different types of meats (NOTE: the values are general values and do not necessarily represent the composition of the raw foods that we offer).

For example, if you were feeding your dog strictly beef or chicken, then your dog would be missing out on the beneficial levels of vitamin K & E that duck meat contains.  Turkey meat offers a whole host of high levels of protein, vitamins and minerals, in particular vitamins B6, B12 and niacin, but rotating the raw food you feed your dog will ensure that he never gets an excess of any particular nutrient or lacks one.

So the bottom line is, if your dog or cat can and will eat a variety of meats, give her the variety!  Not only am I sure that she will enjoy the change, but you will be ensuring that she gets everything that she needs to lead an entirely healthy and happy life!

Protein Source Comparison
	CHICKEN	TURKEY	DUCK	BEEF	BISON	HORSE
Amino acid score	133	142	137	142	~	144
Nutrient score	39	45	20	28	36	45
Protein  (g)	192	1131	33	79.3	98	97
Vitamin A  (IU)	8064	18945	482	0	0	0
Vitamin C  (mg)	27.2	11.1	8	0	0	4.5
Vitamin D  (mg)	~	~	~	~	~	~
Vitamin E  (mg)	~	~	2	~	~	~
Vitamin K  (mg)	~	~	15.8	~	~	~
Thiamin (mg)	0.6	3.6	0.6	0.4	~	0.6
Riboflavin  (mg)	1.9	11.3	0.6	0.8	0.4	0.5
Niacin (mg)	69.4	230	11.3	16.1	8.7	20.9
Vitamin B6 (mcg)	3.6	22.8	0.5	1.5	~	1.7
Folate (mcg)	314	1278	37.3	31.7	~	~
Vitamin B12 (mg)	11.6	90	0.7	12.2	~	13.6
Pantothenic Acid (mg)	11.2	52.9	2.7	1.5	~	~
Choline (mg)	~	~	89	~	~	~
Betaine (mg)	~	~	12.3	~	~	~
Calcium (mg)	115	833	31.6	36.3	27.2	27.2
Iron (mg)	13.7	93.9	6.9	8.4	11.8	17.3
Magnesium (mg)	209	1222	43	77.1	113	109
Phosphorus (mg)	1558	9999	399	707	848	1002
Potassium  (mg)	1977	14939	600	1229	1556	1632
Sodium (mg)	732	3721	181	268	245	240
Zinc (mg)	15.5	128	3.9	16.3	12.7	13.1
Copper (mg)	0.7	6.3	0.7	0.3	0.4	0.7
Manganese (mg)	0.3	1.4	0	0.1	0	0.1
Selenium (mcg)	123	1294	35.6	72.1	122	45.8
Fluoride (mg)	~	~	~	102	~	~

Feasting on raw bones!

Do you see people going around and brushing the teeth of all those wild coyotes and wolves to make sure their pearly whites stay pearly?  Not at all!  So what ARE the dental secrets of the ancestors of our favorite companion animals?  Raw bones!

Ditch the rawhide bones and try raw beef/bison necks, beef windpipes, beef tendons, beef/bison ribs, beef split legs, beef/bison marrow bones, beef dino bones, chicken necks, chicken backs, and turkey necks!  So much variety and its all good for your dog!  So whether you have the tiniest chihuahua or the biggest irish wolfhound, keep their teeth in tip-top shape with raw bones.

NOTE: NEVER FEED COOKED BONES.  Cooked bones splinter and can wreak havoc on your dogs digestive tract and on your wallet.  Raw bones only!

• Beef/Bison necks – the odds and ends and points on these bones are great for making your dog work harder at getting the meat, tendon and marrow around the bone.
• Beef windpipes – a low fat option with lots of readily available calcium in the cartilage that is great for dog’s joints.
• Beef tendons – the stringy nature of tendons are nature’s floss!  Make sure your dog cleans between his teeth with a daily tendon.  These supply dogs with calcium and minerals essential for good joint health as well!
• Beef/Bison ribs – if your dog is giving you the bored puppy dog eyes, toss him a rib as a low fat treat to keep him occupied.
• Beef split legs – split leg bones are thick enough that big dogs cannot immediately chomp through them and they give the dog access to the tasty marrow in the middle.
• Beef/Bison marrow bones – smaller than the split legs, these round pucks give access to the tasty marrow inside the bone and keeps your dog busy as he tries to get it all.
• Beef dino bones – are primarily meant for large dogs, but don’t hesitate to give it to a little guy.  They’ll just have to work at it all day!
• Chicken necks and backs – a great way to get some raw meat and bone in your dogs diet and for little dogs, this is a great way to encourage them to strengthen their jaws.
• Turkey necks – larger than chicken necks and so they last longer and can be used as a meal for small to medium dogs.

Here is a picture of my own dog, a shih-tzu/lhasa apso defending her bone from the cats!

Cats as carnivores

The history of cat food has primarily been founded on looking out for the convenience of the cat’s caretaker.  But in this day and age, people are beginning to realize that with things such as refrigerators and freezers, that we CAN easily make a shift from canned and dry cat food back to their natural diet.  Cat’s are considered obligate carnivores, meaning that they are made to eat meat and only meat.  Here are a few facts that emphasize this point:

• Their digestive system is only 4x their body length (compared to 6x in dogs).  The more carnivorous an animal is, the shorter its digestive tract is relative to its body length; for example a sheep’s digestive tract is 27 times its body length

• Relatively small stomachs with a very low pH make it acidic enough to destroy bacteria such as Salmonella and other food borne bacteria.

• Require smaller meals numerous times a day due to their fast digestive transit time of 12 to 14 hours (12 hours to 57 hours for dogs).

• Cannot produce the enzyme amylase from their salivary glands or from their pancreas.  Amylase is an enzyme produces by omnivores or herbivores that digests starch found in grains and other plant products..

• A cat’s skull has sharp carnivorous teeth with few molars making them excellent predators for shearing and tearing prey.

• Cats cannot taste sweetness.

• Metabolism control is mostly due to protein intake since their pancreas uses amino acid (from protein) triggers for insulin release, not glucose as with people and dogs.

At Barker’s Dog Club, we sell formulated raw food for cats in convenient portion sizes (4 oz patties) and you will definitely see some great improvements in the health of your cat on raw food.  A shinier, more vibrant coat, more energy, clear eyes and ears, clean teeth and firm stools are signs to look for that an appropriate carnivorous diet for your cat is doing its job!