The Nitty Gritty: Research Part 2, The Reading List

What have we got for dinner, mom?

For those of us who grew up feeding the dogs whatever was on sale, and just pouring kibble into the bowl, going to a totally homemade diet is daunting.

For one thing, we've been told over and over by pet food manufacturers (and many vets) that we're somehow not capable of providing everything a dog needs in homemade food. That, to me, is like saying that I'm not capable of providing myself with a complete breakfast unless I only eat Total Cereal. Does that sound right? The cereal and kibble industries both grew out of manufacturers finding new ways to conveniently market and use their products. That's it. 

As I pointed out in my last post, many people don't provide a complete diet for their dogs-- or themselves or their kids, for that matter-- so the research is important. But just as it isn't an exact science for people, it's not an exact science for dogs, either. The best you can do is read a wide variety of material, find the areas of commonality, and make decisions for what feels most reasonable, logical, comfortable, etc. for your individual situation. 

Here is the list of things I read in preparation for feeding raw. I'll get to the decisions I made for myself and why I made those choices later. And one of these days, I'll dedicate a full blog post to reviewing each one. For now, you make your own decisions:

--The Yahoo raw feeders group; The majority of this group advocates a whole-prey model with minimal-to-zero supplementation. This is not the route I chose, but I learned a ton of the basics.

--Lew Olson's book, RAW AND NATURAL NUTRITION FOR DOGS

--Steve Brown's UNLOCKING THE CANINE ANCESTRAL DIET 

--Also talked to folks who use the Volhard diet, but did not read the book... 

--Kay Laurence at Learning About Dogs has a great little $8 ebook, COME DINE WITH US. HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book, particularly for the principles. I am not keen on giving large dogs chicken wings, as they can choke if they are gulpers like my Luna. But lots of good info, and Kay is very laid back and very reassuring.

--And Whole Dog Journal has a LOT of info. A year's subscription is $20 and gives you access to the entire searchable archive. ESPECIALLY GREAT if you like a more holistic approach to wellness. One of the best decisions I've made.

--Kymythy Schultz's book NATURAL NUTRITION FOR DOGS AND CATS is definitely a good one.

--And for those with puppies, I haven't read it, but if I have puppies in future, this will be on my list: GROW YOUR PUPS WITH BONES, by Ian Billinghurst.

--For cats, check out www.catinfo.org.