Thanks Jack!Originally Posted by CA Jack
Necessary? No. Theoretically-speaking, if you are feeding a full spectrum of food with all the vitamins exactly in place, you don't "need" an extra vitamin pill.
But, that said, adding a vitamin is basically a $0.02 additive that has a full spectrum of vitamins "just in case" ... which is why every dogfood known to man also has vitamins added to to it on the backside
LOL, I did have meds ... caffeine
Good series of posts. I have fed both kibble and raw, back and forth for a number of years. My first stint with raw was a horrible, out of balance raw plan. I rented a house from a guy who was a butcher by trade and had a side business processing at home. I got a five gallon bucket of any and every thing daily. The dogs got what came out of the bucket as I passed by. Maybe be red meat today, leg quarter tomorrow or back to back on either. It was free. Not the best plan, but it was free. I used kibble when the girlfriend or the neighbor was feeding for me. That worked for a number of years.
When I moved (out of the service) I did not have the freebies anymore so it was back to bag food. In time I liked the way the dogs looked on the raw so I switched back. This time with more knowledge not only about nutrition, but balance in that nutrition. I am a raw feeder today.
It is less clean up and can be cheaper if storage is available. The time is the issue for lots of people. I work 12 hour rotating swing shifts with an hour or so commute. I have to pre mix as much as possible in order to feed raw. I leave just after 5AM and do not get home until a little after 8PM. There is no time to mix and prepare for a large number of dogs (and I understand the idea of less dogs makes sense, but we know how that goes) after 8PM. It would be near 10PM before I ate and then back up again before 5AM. So time is a huge issue for a lot of people. It is not a matter of being lazy (in some cases, yes, but not all). When I go on my four and five day stretches I have to pre-mix and prepare for all the dogs.
Feeding RAW is much more difficult time and effort wise than feeding from a bag. If the dogs were my livelihood and I had 6-8-10 hours a day, every day to devote to the dogs then I could see the point where there would be no excuse not to feed raw. The benefits are over whelming in comparison. Factor in a 12 hour shift with an hour commute and there is just not enough hours in the day. I feed RAW but I take a day to pre-mix the eggs/vegetable pulp/oils/rice. I mix it in a five gallon bucket. I make one pass with this out of the bucket and then another pass with the quarters or meats for that day. I have it down to a science without a wasted step.
If I did not have the days off in between, and my time off was at night and only two weekend days I would either have to go kibble and RAW, or get rid of a bunch of dogs. But again, the dogs are not my livelihood. EWO
Another excellent post, EWO, proving "where there's a will, there's a way."
Yes, if a person has a number of dogs, then getting a deep freezer is a mandatory part of the job. I did it; you did it; people who feed raw have to do it.
Yes, if a person is a full-time dogman, he will have an easier time feeding a group of dogs raw than if not.
But, yes again, if a person works a number of hours in a week, he can still make it his business to set aside at least a couple hours a week to prepare the food for his dogs, wrap it all up and get it ready for the week, and still effectively meet his dogs' needs. Absolutely.
Again, where there's a will, there's a way. There absolutely is. Everytime.
Thus, in the end, a person who says, "I don't have the time to feed raw," is just lying to himself.
The truth is, said person chooses not to MAKE the time necessary to get it done
Jack
I personally like the way im doing things and it works for me. everybody has their own opinions and that's fine... I gave the OP my opinion and im not gonna switch what im doing simply because others dont like it or believe another way is better. ive seen raw fed hounds on the short end of the stick same as kibble fed hounds. There is a big difference in being lazy and strapped for time. your way works for you, my way works for me... The better hound takes the ribbon majority of the time, not the best fed hound
Of course you like the way you're doing things, it's your way, and requires no more thought and effort on your part.
I don't know what "it works for you" means, exactly?
Are you really trying to say "your way" is the best way possible, or you really saying that you don't notice any catastrophes doing it your way?
There's a difference.
It's not about "beliefs"; it's about facts.
And the fact is raw is the more nutritious way to eat food than cooked, dry, brown pellets.
There is nothing to debate.
Wow, I don't want to be rude, but I have heard this same, basic inane statement a thousands times (and hope never to hear it again).
I feel almost like I am trying to explain the A, B, Cs to a child.
Understand WE ALL KNOW that feeding dogs raw won't transform them into aces. No one ever said that.
What feeding a great raw diet will do is make your aces (and mediocre dogs) healthier than they were. Healthier, not "better in the pit."
Where have you read, anywhere, someone claim dogs are going to attain "magic abilities" they never had before ... by feeding raw?
The only claims I (or anyone else who feeds raw) have made are that your dogs will be healthier (and achieve a lower "best weight" without all the carbs).
I don't know how many times I have to say this, but if I feed Muhammad Ali "McDonald's fast food" ... and if I feed YOU organic, wholesome food ... you're still "you" (and no Muhammad Ali) ... and you'd still lose a boxing match with a prime Ali. So your point is useless. No one ever claimed feeding well "improved" genetic, god-given ability.
The point is NOT to feed your Muhammad Alis cheap food ... feed them your BEST ... so they will be at their healthiest.
The point was NEVER to suggest that feeding mediocre dogs transforms them into Muhammad Ali.
In essence, you're just trying to defend your mediocre practices.
You don't need to! Carry on as you are, because no one cares.
The original question was, is feeding chicken with kibble (wheat, corn-based) a good thing to do ... and the answer is NO!
The best thing to do is leave the wheat/corn kibble OUT and just feed an all-raw diet.
But if you want to continue feeding kibble, go ahead.
Jack
That's nice to hear ... good for you
Jack, im not an idiot. When i say it works for me, that is exactly what i mean. of course i understand raw may be more beneficial to feed, i simply dont see a need to switch. i dont have any health issues, skin issues or any of the such... i stay away from wheat, soy, and corn as well. kibble may not be the best to feed for some, but for my time schedule, the way i do things is best for me. I feed Eukanuba performance 30/20 for maintenance and a different feed while training... i simply reduce the kibble, add more meats and veggies and again, it works for me... if the OP can switch completely over to a raw diet, then by all means, go for it. i also dont consider what i do feeding raw. they get a leg quartr in the morning before work and i feed up in the evening when i get home or in some cases, the ol' lady may need to feed them if im outta town that week.
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