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Feeding a Raw DietHere at Arahu, our hounds are all fed a species-appropriate raw food diet. The purpose of this page is not to convert anyone to raw feeding, but to explain why and how we feed the dogs this way. My hope is that you walk away thinking and do some more research on your own. Nature designed the canine to eat raw food. Their digestive tract is designed for that purpose. Dogs in the wild are still eating raw food diets, and thriving. It is arrogant to presume that man and his science can do better than Mother Nature, in my opinion. It has been noted by many raw promoting vets that the incidence of disease, specifically chronic disease, has increased along with the rise of our dependence on commercial dog food. Dogs were not designed to thrive on a cooked and processed diet consisting of predominantly grains and garbage (meat products deemed unfit for human consumption). The benefits of raw feeding are wide and varied. Overall, a raw fed hound just looks healthy. There is a sparkle in her eye, a harshness to the coat, beautiful conditioning of the muscles, whiteness of the teeth, freshness of the breath, and vigor in her step. A species appropriate diet is also better utilized by the dog, resulting in much less waste – a nice fringe benefit for us humans. A balanced raw diet will also help maximize your dog's immune system - something she will depend on for the rest of her life. Most dogs love to eat a raw diet, and hunkering down with a good knuckle bone can provide hours of exercise and stress relief for them. We feed our hounds a variety of raw meat and bones, whole prey, and fruits and vegetables. From around 4-6 months on, we feed twice daily.  Younger puppies also
get a lunch. Typically, our adult hounds eat 2-3 pound of food per
day. Our proteins rotate between green tripe, whole rabbits,
turkey, pork, venison, lamb, heart (mainly beef), beef, chicken, and a butcher's
blend comprised of ground organ meat, tripe, and meat scraps.
Vegetables which have been run through a juicer or food processor, are sometimes
fed mixed
with ground meat. We use leftovers of what we have in the fridge,
plus dark green leafy veggies and fruit. They also get plenty of fresh fruit, both
store bought and self picked off our trees and vines, as well as free range
eggs. We buy our dog food from butchers by the case, and freeze it
in meal sized portions. This is by far the most economical way to
feed a raw diet that we have found. |