Feeding a raw or homemade diet is not for everyone, but in some cases it can make a dramatic difference in your dog’s health.  It was way back in 1991 when Paula and I brought home a Cairn Terrier puppy named Gus that we began a long and fruitful journey in learning about pet nutrition.

The first lesson we learned was that all dog food is not the same. There is a large variation amongst pet foods, from manufacturing and quality control to ingredients used and where they are sourced from.  The second thing we learned was that the dry, highly processed product called dry dog food or kibble, was far from optimal nutrition for most dogs. A dog eating kibble as a sole food source was pretty much the same as Paula and I eating Kraft Macaroni and Cheese as our only source of nutrition. Yes, we probably would survive but it’s very unlikely that we would be experiencing optimum health.

Gus’ many health issues would lead us to feeding many different brands and types of kibble. When no kibble was helping, Paula spent several hours every Sunday cooking a homemade diet described in Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats. We then learned about raw diets and for a while fed a combination of kibble, homemade raw and commercial raw food. For the last several years we have been feeding commercial raw diets to our dogs, with some supplementation of fresh fruits and vegetables. We attribute our Golden Retriever’s long life, 16 years, to her healthy diet.

This list is meant to provide you with some of the resources that we found to be most helpful when going through our nutritional journey. They are a good place to start if you’re interested in feeding raw or a homemade diet. We’d also be very happy to talk to you about our personal experiences if you stop by the store.

Links

Articles and Pamphlets

Bravo Beginnings – Getting Your Dog and Cat Started on a Raw Diet - http://www.bravorawdiet.com/BravoBeginnings.pdf

See Spot Live Longer the ABC Way - http://www.seespotlivelonger.com/home/sll/page_41/see_spot_live_longer_the_abc_way___electronic_down.html [There is a charge of $2.95 for this pamphlet] In this short but informative pamphlet, Steve Brown, the author of See Spot Live Longer and Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet describes how you can feed kibble and improve your dogs health and nutrition by feeding more natural, unprocessed foods just one day per week.

Steve’s Raw Dog Food Training Guide - http://stevesrealfood.com/Raw-Dog-Food-Training-Quick-Guide.pdf

Company Websites

Bravo! Raw - http://www.bravorawdiet.com/

See Spot Live Longer – http://www.seespotlivelonger.com/

Steve’s Real Food for Pets - http://stevesrealfood.com/

Books

Holistic Health

Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats,  Richard Pitcairn, DVM and Susan Pitcairn, Rodale, 1995. An excellent introduction to holistic and complementary healthcare, including nutrition, for pets.

Nutrition – General

See Spot Live Longer, Steve Brown and Beth Taylor, Creekobear Press, 2004. The first book that finally ties together the common sense holistic nutrition advice with the scientific research to back it up. A must read!

Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet, Steve Brown, Dogwise, 2009, Brown’s second book provides further data on what our dogs need nutritionally to thrive. The book includes a simple plan for improving your dog’s diet in as little as one day a week. While Brown discusses raw diets he also provides alternatives to improving your dogs diet without feeding raw.

The Truth About Pet Foods, R. L. Wysong, DVM, Inquiry Press, 2002

Nutrition - Raw

Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats - The Ultimate Diet, Kymythy Schultze, Hay House, 1998. A superb introduction to feeding your dog or cat, fresh food prepared by you. If you want to make your pets own food, you need this book!

Give Your Dog A Bone, Dr. Ian Billinghurst, 1993

Grow your Pups with Bones, Dr. Ian Billinghurst, 1998

Podcasts

Kate and I have talked about pet nutrition on many episodes of our radio show, The Woof Meow Show. I’ve listed links below for shows on nutrition that I think might be of interest. If you’re reading a printer version of this article and don’t want to type in the links, you can find our podcasts at the Apple iTunes sore as well as links, sorted by topic at: http://www.greenacreskennel.com/woof-meow-show/past-shows-by-topic.html

Pet Food Myths - part 1- In part one of this two part series, Don and Kate discuss several myths and conceptions pet guardians have about pet food. The fact is that not all pet foods are the same and the quality varies greatly. Kate and Don reveal these myths and guide the listeners on how to evaluate their pet’s food so that they can provide their pet with optimal nutrition that fits their budget. First Air Date: 6JUN11 - http://traffic.libsyn.com/woofmeowshow/WoofMeowShow-2011-06-06-Pet_Food_Myths_part-1.mp3

Pet Food Myths - part 2- In part two of this two part series, Don and Kate discuss several myths and conceptions pet guardians have about pet food. The fact is that not all pet foods are the same and the quality varies greatly. Kate and Don reveal these myths and guide the listeners on how to evaluate their pet’s food so that they can provide their pet with optimal nutrition that fits their budget. First Air Date: 13JUN11 - http://traffic.libsyn.com/woofmeowshow/WoofMeowShow-2011-06-13-Pet_Food_Myths_part-2.mp3

Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet with Steve Brown - part 1- If you are concerned about what you feed your dog or just wanting to learn more about canine nutrition, you’ll want to listen to this show. In part one of a three part series, Don and Kate interview Steve Brown, the founder of the Charlee Bear dog breed, creator of Charlee Bear treats, the founder of Steve's Real Food for Pets, and the author of See Spot Live Longer and Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet. We discuss raw diets, problems with dry kibble, and how you can best improve your dog’s health by optimizing their nutrition. First Air Date: 11JUL10 - http://traffic.libsyn.com/woofmeowshow/WoofMeowShow-2010-07-11-Steve_Brown_Canine_Ancestral_Diet_part-1.mp3

Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet with Steve Brown - part 2- In part two of a three part series, Don and Kate interview Steve Brown, the founder of the Charlee Bear dog breed, creator of Charlee Bear treats, the founder of Steve's Real Food for Pets, and the author of See Spot Live Longer and Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet. We discuss raw diets, problems with dry kibble, and how you can best improve your dog’s health by optimizing their nutrition. First Air Date: 18JUL10 - http://traffic.libsyn.com/woofmeowshow/WoofMeowShow-2010-07-18-Steve_Brown_Canine_Ancestral_Diet_part-2.mp3

Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet with Steve Brown - part 3- In part three of a three part series, Don and Kate interview Steve Brown, the founder of the Charlee Bear dog breed, creator of Charlee Bear treats, the founder of Steve's Real Food for Pets, and the author of See Spot Live Longer and Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet. We discuss raw diets, problems with dry kibble, and how you can best improve your dog’s health by optimizing their nutrition. First Air Date: 31JUL10 - http://traffic.libsyn.com/woofmeowshow/WoofMeowShow-2010-07-18-Steve_Brown_Canine_Ancestral_Diet_part-3.mp3

Feeding Your Pet A Raw Diet with Gary Bursell of Steve's Real Food for Pets- Don and Kate talk with Gary Bursell, owner of Steve's Real Food for Pets, about the rationale for feeding pets a raw diet and the status of the raw pet food industry. Don and Kate also share their own experiences feeding raw over the past eleven years. First Air Date: 16MAR13 - http://traffic.libsyn.com/woofmeowshow/WoofMeowShow-2013-03-16-FeedingYourPetARawDietwGaryBursellStevesRealFoodforPets.mp3

Feeding Your Pet A Raw Diet with Nicole Lindsley of Steve's Real Food for Pets- Don and Kate talk with Nicole Lindsley of Steve's Real Food for Pets about the Steve's product line, formulas specific to dogs and cats, how much it costs to feed Steve's, the benefits of feeding a raw diet, and how Steve's product differs from a home-prepared raw diet and some of the other commercial raw diets. First Air Date: 23MAR13 - http://traffic.libsyn.com/woofmeowshow/WoofMeowShow-2013-03-23-FeedingYourPetARawDietwNicoleLindsleyStevesRealFoodforPets.mp3

The Rationale for Feeding Pets Raw Foods with Bette Schubert from Bravo- Kate and Don interview Bette Schubert the founder of Bravo! About how and why she got into the raw pet food industry. We'll talk about the rationale for feeding our pets a diet of raw food and recent changes in regulations affecting the pet food industry. First Air Date: 3AUG13 - http://traffic.libsyn.com/woofmeowshow/WoofMeowShow-2013-08-03-Raw_Food_w_Bette_Schubert.mp3

Bravo's Raw Pets Food, Treats, Chewables and Bones with Bette Shubert- Kate and Don interview Bette Schubert the founder of Bravo! We discuss Bravo's line of frozen raw pet foods, treats bones and chewables. Tune in and learn how you can get your dog or cat started on a more nutritious diet. First Air Date: 10AUG13 - http://traffic.libsyn.com/woofmeowshow/WoofMeowShow-2013-08-10-Bravo_Products_w_Bette_Schubert.mp3