Dog Health Improvement, a Raw Food Diet and my Dog

This is my beloved dog, Nicki, now in good health.

My dog was sick. Her skin was a mess. She had a rash on her stomach. She had crusty sores all over. One eye was swollen from a sore on her eyelid. She was scratching constantly. She had no energy.

I took her to the vet. Every vet in my small town had given their opinion on the health of my dog. $1500 worth of medicine, lab tests, experimental food and vet bills later, we had established that she probably had an allergy. This seemed like a basic canine health issue yet the vets were willing to pump her with steroids and take skin biopsies and run up huge bills. At this point, I no longer believed they knew something about dog health that I didn't.

I researched "Dog Health" on the internet. I also researched dog allergies and found that dogs sometimes suffered from food allergies -- particularly allergies to grains. That made sense to me since wild dogs did not cook pasta or rice. I also learned that a dog can eat the same food for years then suddenly become allergic to it. I also read about the BARF diet (Biologically Appropriate Raw Foods or Bones ).

I changed her life that day. Raw food -- no more kibble! She had been eating two bowls of canine kibble a day for her entire adult life. Her new diet became fruit, veggies and raw meat. It was kind of a shock at first but some wonderful things happened. Her skin cleared up. Her energy returned. She stopped being insanely territorial about her food. She became doggier - if that's possible. She worshipped me even more (hard to believe). Nicki returned to good health.

Nicki weighs over 100 pounds. Once a day, I feed her some fruit and/or veggies - like carrots that have been cooked with some apples or green beans, then pureed. She also likes strawberries, applesauce and overripe bananas. Once she's eaten that, I give her some raw meat. Organ meat is good. I think beef marrow bones have been really good for her. I found a supermarket owned by Chinese that sells all the weird parts and beef bones at a good price. Raw food might seem expensive and time consuming at first, but, if you try it, you will develop a system that makes it easy.

Here are examples of things I give her:

Nicki - Proud and Healthy

For an easy way to get started , check this item: Primal Raw Beef Bones 2 in - 6 Pack (2.5 lbs)

Here's a link to a magnificent page on raw food and dog health: Jane Anderson's Dog Health and Raw Food Page - great resources and FAQ

Jane's Book Recommendations

BARF page with Q & A and lots of info

AKC Web site with lots of breed information

Humane Society on Spaying and Neutering

Delta Society - using pets as therapy for elderly

Canine Companions - Dogs as Service Animals for disabled

Dogs for Diabetics - specially trained dogs that sense hypoglycemia

List of Dog Health Conditions

My Favorite Links