Nourish to Flourish: The Raw Diet

The raw diet, often championed for its health benefits, is what we feed here at the Steadfast household. It mirrors what canines would naturally consume in the wild, promoting healthier coats, improved digestion, and enhanced energy levels. It may also be a significant part of the reproductive success we’ve had! Research suggests that pets consuming a balanced raw diet rich in essential nutrients experience improved fertility and larger litter sizes. Does that not take the mystery out of our Fab 14 and Baker’s Dozen litter sizes? If this diet is so effective for our females producing large litters of puppies, imagine the health benefits to your dog! I’m truly passionate about the raw diet, and I want to share some compelling reasons why you should consider it for your puppy. While the expense of a raw diet may initially seem daunting—especially when comparing it to mass-produced kibble—the long-term health benefits often outweigh these costs. Investing in high-quality ingredients could lead to fewer vet visits down the line due to potential health issues linked with poor nutrition, and I’m going to show you an example of how I shop smartly to keep expenses manageable—after all, feeding a whole pack of dogs fresh meat requires some savvy budgeting! Just a quick note: while I’m sharing my experience, I’m not a veterinarian or trained nutritionist. So be sure to do your own research too! Health benefits: Iron guts Raw meat, which is abundant in vital nutrients and vitamins, helps maintain an ideal pH balance in their digestive systems, thus promoting overall gut health. In their natural environment, dogs consume dead animals and other gross substances that would be harmful to humans. Two factors contribute to their ability to handle such diets: first, their digestive systems operate more quickly than those of humans, reducing the time for harmful bacteria to cause illness; second, a natural diet results in a highly acidic internal environment in dogs, which effectively neutralizes many harmful bacteria.  In contrast, kibble contains ingredients that are difficult for dogs to digest and shifts their gut environment to an alkaline state, increasing their vulnerability to health issues and skin conditions. Let me share a real-life experience with Zoey’s first litter in 2018. We had been feeding her a raw diet, which seemed to be working well for her, but then a breeder-friend persuaded me to switch her to a well-known kibble brand. That decision turned out to be a mistake. Just weeks after giving birth, Zoey slipped into a state of depression; she was perpetually exhausted. It was heartbreaking to see her wanting to engage with her puppies but lacking the energy to do so. Her change in demeanor was such a painful contrast to what we had known before! Initially, we attributed it to the demands of pregnancy and nursing. When she finally regained some energy around the time the puppies were weaned, we felt such relief that we even recorded a video celebrating her comeback. However, looking back now, it’s clear that it was the kibble diet that left her struggling all along.  Since then, I’ve made it a point to include a vet visit for a complete blood panel and nutrition analysis in our pre-breeding protocol for my girls. I’m so happy to report that their nutrition levels are always perfectly aligned for motherhood! Poop worth bragging about: As a breeder, I talk to a lot of people about their history with dogs, and often hear stories about the raw diet transforming the lives of their dogs. The journey towards a raw diet can feel daunting at first; however, it’s well worth the immense benefits beyond mere nutrition. Imagine ditching the daily chore of handling messy, soft “muck” deposits in your yard! Switching to a raw diet doesn’t just transform your dog’s overall health and energy levels; it can turn their poop routine into something you’ll brag about! Not only will you be elated seeing more manageable Tootsie Roll stools on your morning walks, but you’ll also find yourself chuckling at how something as simple as diet can revolutionize this aspect of dog ownership. With kibble, countless un-digestible ingredients go in and an unhygienic mess comes out; with raw feeding, most gets utilized for growth, energy—and yes—even poop aesthetics. Shopping and chopping: Finding high-quality fresh meat for your dog doesn’t have to break the bank. Start by taking advantage of weekly sales and promotions at local grocery stores or butcher shops. Many places offer discounts on various meats nearing their sell-by date, which can be an excellent opportunity to stock up without overspending. I’ve even seen people ask on neighborhood apps for freezer clean-outs. Think of it as a treasure hunt where you can discover premium cuts at a fraction of their usual price! This week, I found pork loin chops on sale at Costco. The regular price was $2.79 per pound, but there was a $5.00 off the package price given at the register, so I bought 5.5 pounds of chops at the sale price of $1.88 per pound. Then, at the grocery stores, frozen turkeys were on sale for $0.88 per pound, so I bought a 15-pound turkey not intended for our Thanksgiving meal, but as dog food. Finally, a good inexpensive staple is chicken leg quarters. The 10-pound bag was on sale for just $0.57 per pound. Once I thawed the turkey, I spent an hour preparing all my bargain finds by cutting the meats and bones into perfect, crunchy portions. It’s all about finding that sweet spot—if the chunks are too big, the dogs might try to bury it in the yard, but if they’re too small, they won’t enjoy the satisfying crunch of those hearty bones. By storing these portions in gallon-sized freezer bags, I’m not only making the most of our dog food budget. Go ahead and envy me for the 30 pounds of meat and bone for just $30! But just wait, there’s more! Additionally, I took advantage of every part of

Wings go down, up, and down again.

Everyone knows by now that I made the switch to raw food for my girls a few years ago.  It’s an ongoing challenge because the “facts” about the risks, benefits, nutritional aspects are assented and disputed by qualified experts on both sides.  What I can say for sure is that I have one dog, Jacky, that will pass up almost anything I put in her bowl to eat the raw food first – and luckily for me, she prefers relatively inexpensive chicken.  My other dog, Zoey, is a picky eater and almost any bowl of food must sit while she contemplates the perfect time to eat.  I sometimes wonder if it’s not a test to see whether Jacky or one of the cats will try to get it just so she can chase them away. Now we’re on next generation – Zoey’s puppies.  They’re 12 weeks old and I purposely waited for most of them to go to their forever homes before making the switch from kibble to raw.  A couple of the pups are like Zoey in that they’ll eat a few bites and then wander off to explore more interesting things, come back for a few more bites, wander off again – just not terribly food focused.  The other two stay at the bowl and eat every bit before checking the other bowls too.  So, I expected that I’d have some degree of success and some partial success in making the switch to raw with 3-month-old puppies of varying food focus.  Here’s my experience with their first introduction: These little darlings that have learned to sit patiently and at a respectful distance for a cookie nearly took my fingers off for the raw chicken wing I offered.  I expected them to be curious and a little apprehensive of something new, but NO!  The first one snatched it from my fingers before I could even utter a reprimand and the others immediately lunged at the meaty morsel to steal it away from him.  They hadn’t even sniffed it first! Previously, they’ve always looked to me as the giver of treats understanding that if one puppy got a treat there would be another in my hand for the next puppy too.  Not so this time!  So eager were they to ingest the raw wing that two of them grabbed it from my hand and swallowed it whole.  I watched with horror as they gagged on their too-big-comfortable-swallowing quarry.  Reaching for the phone to call the emergency vet I also watched as they upchucked the precious meal and began to eat it again.  This time they chewed, but still like they were starving and obviously under threat of having it stolen away. Who were these puppies?!  I didn’t recognize the little pack of wild dogs!  They certainly weren’t the well-behaved sweethearts I’ve been raising. Only one puppy did what I had expected of all of them.  Banner – one of the two that always eats every bite – took his precious chicken wing and settled in a comfy spot under the patio table where he could savor the bones, fat, skin, and meat like he was dining out at a 5-star restaurant.  He seemed to enjoy it all the more as the other pups that had already gorged sat and watched him eat.  He growled repeatedly to let them know he would not be sharing. I’m experienced in feeding raw to adult dogs and had read an article on ‘introducing the raw diet to your puppy.’  The article discussed common risks of raw food, suggested meat sources with which to begin, but it failed to caution me about puppies gone mad with food aggression…  Maybe those vegans are right – meat causes aggression! If this turns out to be my last post it’s because the puppies took my fingers off and I can’t type anymore. Beware, raw feeders.  Beware.

The great kibble debate

A couple of people have asked me what I’m feeding our puppies and what I recommend to future puppy parents.  Well, here goes. I currently have our litter on this high protein, no by-product, grain-free, no recalls, and rates highly on a couple of dog food sites I trust. But wait, there’s more!   To their kibble I usually add prebiotic and probiotic supplement, or sometimes plain Greek yogurt.     But what’s really, really, really important is: I add Apple Cider vinegar to keep the acidity in their stomach high and counteract the effect of the starch that is present in all kibble – even grain-free kibble.  Vinegar lowers the pH in the gut and can kill 80-99% of harmful bacteria that could be in his/her food. Remember that dogs have digestive systems that naturally allow them to eat old, yucky, rotten carcasses and…well some unmentionable treats the cats leave in the yard… without any repercussions as long as they have a healthy gut.  Kibble screws up the healthy gut environment. The pups are ONLY on kibble because I didn’t think future puppy parents would be able to take them home and commit to feeding a raw diet.  My adult girls and the pup I keep will be on raw.  I’ve done a lot of reading on the topic and I know there’s a lot of controversy similar to ‘GMO-is-ok’ or ‘hell-no-to-GMO’ debate.  I subscribe to the belief that dogs weren’t meant to eat the stuff they put in kibble – even high quality kibble.  Plus, all that starch they can’t process comes out as poop; so you’re paying good money for poop that you then have to clean up. Sometimes I add chicken bone broth, sometimes NuPro.   They’ve even had canned sardines.  Basically, I try to find healthy ways to provide variety in flavor, texture, smell. Now, I’m not a fanatic.  Moderation in all things (except wine and chocolate, of course).  When I travel with my girls it’s not convenient to pack, buy, or feed raw when we’re on the road so they get kibble.  Again, I take the precautionary steps of adding the vinegar and probiotics. Now here’s a little shocker for you: your pup has already had some raw.  <GASP! > I don’t have a meat grinder so the pups have only had a limited amount of “soft raw” in the form of boneless chicken and eggs (including the shell).  Dogs need the right combination of bone and meat, so without a grinder I haven’t been able to turn these little puppies into the savage raw carnivores I’d like to. You’ll have to decide what will work best for you and your pup, but I highly recommend a raw diet. There.  I said it.  Now I’m one of THOSE people.