Dogs only need meat??

Here I come to take the fun out the thread, just kidding ... but seriously.

Dogs can handle a diet much higher in protein. They are not humans, they are animals. But we sometimes forget one major thing. The dogs we have today are not the dogs/wolves that roamed the earth attacking and eating their meaty prey. That have been "designed" by nature, need and necessity to be the breed we have now. Therefore, we must take into consideration that we (as the human "breed") have disrupted the cycle of eating and digestion for our animals. Our Shelties were dogs that worked for their Master all day and then they came in to share the homes of their Masters at night. They are not as close to their wolf ancestors as we would like to think.

Every dog is different and has it's own special needs. Within our breed, and through others, males vs females, young vs old, loved vs neglected, all of these variables must be factored into your dogs nutritional needs. I have a holistic/western practicing Vet that takes all of this into consideration. Ask your vet questions, know your dog, be aware of its overall health and then with your Vet make the choice.

On a side note, I add in carrots, green beans, broccoli, pumpkin, sweet potato, pears, apples, bananas, and other fruits and veggies into Kai'a's diet daily (but not al at once and not all of them in 1 day yikes, that would not be good) I also did it with my other dogs. And I use carrots and Apple bits (cut up into small bites) for treating. In their meals I chop up the veggies and fruits into smaller pieces and add it into her kibble, and the only time, I have even seen pieces of vegetation in their poop is when they have been sick or are getting sick.

And I swear, the fiber from the green beans, pumpkin, broc, etc, have always helped with constipation (and runny poop poops as it is called in our house) which means that they ARE digesting the items and their bodies are breaking down their nutrients and using them. And that is the black and white in the middle of the gray issue for me on this matter.

Trust your gut, talk to your vet and always know how your dog is feeling (I think we all would say that we understand our pets perfectly well) and you will know what the right choice is for both of you.

 

So hear I come to 'put some fun back' into the thread....

Well obviously your veterinarian won't give you a 'don't use grains ' answer if he does not believe that this is true. This does not necessarily make him wrong. Ask him. We may not wear it on our sleeves, but we are happy to discuss nutrition.
I certainly respect alternative/holistic veterinarians - there is one in Texas on the aol Vet to Vet board whom I greatly admire and I consult with , and several of my patients use an alternative veterinarian for treatments like acupuncture.
But, yes, i do bristle at the common message board 'message' that holistic veterinarians are knowledgeable and care, while traditional veterinarians are cold technicians, 'repairing' animals and dismissive of the concept of 'wellness'..
I saw a cartoon once where an injured motorist lay by the side of the road and two EMTs were attending him. One was mixing herbs, the other was getting out acupuncture needles and a bystander was explaining' it's an alternative homeopathic ambulance company.'
Isn't it just a little bit interesting that, as you point out in your post, for critical situations where success really counts, as opposed to fuzzier situations when we don't really know if a treatment works or not, traditional medicine seems to have more appeal, even to its critics. - Dr. Mac

 

Ditto
I also feed raw but do add a little kibble a day. I find it cheaper, it's human grade food and no preservatives are added. I make it ahead, portion and voila, unfreeze and done. I also add yogurt and raw egg on occasion and vegetables and fruit as treat.

 

I'm very happy with mine as well!

I came to appreciate her balanced approach when Bacca's ALT levels went through the roof. Liver shunt was the worst possible diagnosis, and there was discussion about ultrasounds, possible surgeries, etc.

Then I told her about our 40% high protein diet and asked her if she thought it might be a contributing factor.

Next steps became clear: Reduce the protein level, and take Milk Thistle capsules twice per day! Yep, milk thistle! Then we'll see....no more talk of expensive procedures, until we try this out.