Whyte Kennel Alapahas

WHY FEED RAW?

I have been feeding my Alapaha Blue-Blood Bulldogs raw from the day I got them. People often ask me how I get my bulldogs so energetic and muscular. I tell them its ALL about the DIET. There are loads of reasons why I feed raw but if I go into detail, there would be pages and pages of writing. But to put in plain and simple terms, ALL canines are CARNIVORES.
If you want to have a healthy dog that seldom sees the vet, feed how nature intended. Dogs teeth are not designed for chewing biscuit, their digestive systems are not adapted to process cooked meats. A canines dentition, jaw and digestive system are designed to chew and process RAW MEAT and BONES, Everyone has heard the saying "give a dog a bone" well its true, but the bone should NEVER be cooked. 40% of a dogs daily intake of food should be BONE with meat wrapped around it, i.e Chicken Carcass.
When feeding raw you notice a huge difference immediately, the first thing you notice is ENERGY AND EAGERNESS.

BENEFITS OF FEEDING RAW

Recently a test was done where a dog was fed 300g's of Raw meat and Bones and another dog of the same breed and weight was fed 300g's of high end kibble. the dog feed 300g's of Raw meat and bones passed a stool weighing 45g's and the dog fed on 300g's of kibble passed a stool weighing 280g's. This test just go's to show the difference of how much GOODNESS is absorbed into the bodies of raw fed dogs, as opposed to how much is turned as WASTE of a kibble fed dog.

Here are a few of the benefits to feed ing raw

- No more needing to see the vet for pointless things
- NO more HUGE, FOUL smelling stools
- NO more smelly breath
- NO more doggy odour
- NO more tartar
- NO more Allergies
- More Energy
- Prolonged life span
- Better Muscle Structure
- Shiny Coat
- OVERALL HEALTH and LONGEVITY

WHAT TO FEED?

Whole prey, such as whole rabbit, chicken, quail, guinea fowl (including; head, feet, fur) are without a doubt the best ways of feeding your dog or puppy - raw meaty bones are the next best thing. Feeding lumps of meat wrapped around bone are the most appropriate for your dog, with some organ meat and muscle meat such as heart. You should feed raw fish once a week - if your dog does not eat fish, then you may like to supplement with salmon oil. With 1000mg every other day. You can feed a couple of raw eggs a week, complete with shell
No fruit of veg are required as dogs are natural carnivores meaning no greens are necessary

**please note** Feeding veggies and fruit, can be dangerous if fed in excess, fruits such as - grapes, raisins, onions, corn cobs & fruit pits should NEVER be fed. Also please only give sensible table scraps - not curry, chilli, pizzas etc!

Feed whole whenever possible whole chickens, whole rabbits etc. For smaller dogs, halves or quarters. BIG lumps of meat don't chop or grind the food, let the dog do the processing! Chicken frames/carcass (backs), which are relatively cheap but also nutritious, can form a good part of the diet, supplemented with bigger, meatier cuts as and when possible - think as big or bigger than the dog’s head when feeding. Chicken, turkey, rabbit, lamb, pork, beef, sheep and goat are all great sources. Organ meat once or twice a week, and part of that should be liver but only small amounts to begin with.

Don't get into the habit of feeding ground/minced meat. There may be times when it could help transition a particularly stubborn pet, or perhaps appropriate for a very young or very old pet, but generally speaking, ground or minced meat is NOT suitable in size or consistency for feeding to pet carnivores. It also offers no benefit for the oral hygiene of the dog.

items, such as chicken wings or necks, are ok for very small dogs - there is a risk of a larger dog choking on small items so REMEMEBER feed BIG!!

HOW TO CHANGE OVER TO RAW?

I have switched adults fed on kibble their whole life to raw over night to which they take to the new food almost immediately. I simply stop feeding the old and start feeding the raw. Never mix and match and always stick to one protein source (for example chicken) for the first couple of weeks, then add in another, then another etc. Organ meat, in VERY small amounts, can be introduced once the dog is happily digesting the raw food and you have him on a couple of different varieties.

HOW MUCH TO FEED?

By a rough guide you should feed your dog approximately 20% of his total target body weight, over one week.

Examples:
A dog weighing approx 19lbs should have approx 1.8k (approx 3.5lbs) per week.
A dog weighing approx 38lbs should have approx 3.6k (approx 7.6lbs) per week.
A dog weighing approx 110lbs should have approx 10k (approx 22lbs) per week.

Like i said this is an approximate guide. Larger, less active dogs may require smaller amounts, smaller active dogs may require more. It's not rocket science, if the dog is too fat, give less, and if too thin, increase it.

WHERE TO FEED?

I feed my dogs on the grass, or on the patio. However, if you don't have a garden, the kitchen floor, covered by a towel, old sheet or tablecloth, will not only keep the floor clean but will also form a routine and can be washed afterwards.

WHERE TO BUY THE FOOD?

grocery stores, Butchers, supermarkets, fishmongers. You should only feed your dog what you would eat yourself, if it is not fit for human consumption don’t feed it to your dog. I buy a lot of animal carcass that are used in soup kitchens, alone with fowl quarters and giblets.