Intrigue Rhodesian Ridgebacks
Breeding For Healthy, Sound tempered, Athletic Sighthounds, According to the Breed Standard
Diet & Nutrition
Diet & Nutrition
"Animals under human care are the only creatures expected to
thrive on a lifetime of canned and bagged foods."
-Monica Segal, AHCW
We feed a raw based diet to all of our dogs. I am currently in the Grad program at UNCG in human nutrition and dietetics. Canines have a very short digestive tract designed to break down meat/protein. Species appropriate food for dogs is meat and bone, pulped vegetables (mimics the guts of their prey), organs and many also benefit from yogurt for digestion. As is the case in humans, whole food is a necessity for dogs. Processed kibble over the years shows its impact in teeth, digestion, immunity, and overall health and disease.
Carbohydrate filled kibble, while many dogs can exist on it, creates many of the issues seen at the vets office.
Benefits of a Raw Diet
Benefits of a Raw Diet
-Less stools, stools less smelly
-Teeth cleaner, we do not need to do any dental
-coat much shinier, healthier
-Ears cleaner, less yeast issues and ear infections
-anal sacs problems often eliminated, bones help express them naturally
-more energy, more alert and ready to train
-muscle tone much better, regardless of exercise regime
-digestive issues often solved that previously existed
-healing is much faster
Resources
Resources
Follow the linked titles.
Ingredients of Concern...
Ingredients of Concern...
1. Coconut or coconut oil- commonly used as a cure all for yeast, skin, etc. This is high in omega 6, so inflammatory as opposed to fish oil which is omega 3 and anti-inflammatory. It is also plant based vs animal based and dogs often cannot use plant based oils effectively and can be allergic as well.
2. Alfalfa- often a GMO ingredient and allergen. I find our breed in particular reactive to this. Watery eyes and sneezing.
3. Flax seed- for pregnant dogs, has been shown in animal studies to reduce litter size, cause resorption, and reduced birth weights. Flax has to be changed into a usable state in the body. Humans do it well, dogs not so well. So can be an allergen. Fish oil is a much better omega 3 source.
4. Brewers yeast- or any kind of yeast addition can be a popular allergen and a cheap filler.
5. Peas- too starchy and popular allergen. They are replacing grains in holistic dog foods, but appear to be creating as much intolerance. Not an easily assimilated item in the diet by dogs. Can create anal sac issues. They are also protein rich so its a cheap way to bolster protein in kibble.
6. Canola Oil or Sunflower oil(any vegetable oil really is not optimal)- another GMO product to look out for. Pro-flammatory item. Fish oil and chicken fat are better fat sources. Canola etc is a cheaper filler.
7. Eggs- just a popular allergen for dogs. In the top 5 food allergens for dogs. Fish, beef, grains, eggs, chicken are typically the most common issues for dogs these days. Since beef, chicken and eggs are most often grain fed, that's the likely correlation.
8. Potatoes- some dogs do not fair well because of the higher sugar content (starch). They can create a yeasty environment. Sweet potatoes are a lower glycemic choice.
***These items can pop up in supplements as fast as dog food too. So read labels. Fish oils often have soy added as a cheap filler as well. Not good!
***These items can pop up in supplements as fast as dog food too. So read labels. Fish oils often have soy added as a cheap filler as well. Not good!