15/10/2023
Boerboel Natural Nutrition - Raw Food - The Ultimate Diet
According to their physiology, dogs are carnivores and in the wild, no animal cooks its food. They have teeth and claws designed to catch, rip and tear flesh. They have eyes in the front of their heads, enabling them to focus on prey animals, most of which have eyes on the sides of their heads to watch out for attacks from carnivores.
Your domesticated animal needs species-appropriate nutrition to achieve optimum health. Veterinary research is focused on the diagnosis and pharmaceutical treatment of diseases, with little attention to exploring diet as a potential cause of disease or as a component of treatment protocol. We simply assume that the pet food industry has done the necessary research and is thus providing us with "optimum" diets for our dogs. Even with the many changes that humans have made to the exteriors of our domesticated dogs, they still retain their original carnivorous features. The dog and the wolf are officially designated as the same species, Canus lupus.
Logic and common sense are critical to good science. Animals , just like people, are still using digestive systems that evolved thousands of years ago, systems designed to provide us with nutrients derived from wholesome foods. Our companion friends, designed as meat eaters, rely on us to use some logic and common sense in caring for them. But make no mistake, being a carnivore does not mean that our dogs should eat an all-meat diet. Carnivores such as our dogs have evolved to derive their required nutrients mainly from eating other animals, including those animals' muscles meat, bones, organs and stomach contents (vegetables) - all raw.
A carnivore's body has been designed to derive its requisite nutrients from raw food. Since few of us are willing or able to provide whole prey animals for our dog to eat, making a well-designed homemade diet of raw foods is just as good.
Here are the basic food groups for dogs:
1. Raw Meat and Raw Organ Meat
In this group, we have protein foods including beef, fish, poultry, lamb, rabbit, etc. This food group includes both muscle and organ meat. Meat can have a high fat content. If the possible bacteria content in raw meat alarms you, remember what species you are feeding it to. Dogs' digestive systems have evolved over millions of years to obtain the nutrients necessary for good health from raw meat. Their digestive system is short and acidic, perfect for handling bacteria. And you know how much some of them relish something old and really gross! Canus lupus eats not only fresh prey, but also old buried meat that is teeming with bacteria.
Raw meat provides the following species-appropriate array of nutrients - all in a form with high bio-availibility:
Amino acids and protein * enzymes * antioxidants * vitamins A, C, D, E, K, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, and B12 * biotin * choline * folic acid * inositol * iodine * pantothenic acid * PABA * fatty acids * calcium * phosphorus * magnesium * iron * potassium * chromium * copper * manganese * selenium * sodium * sulphur * vanadium * zinc * coenzyme10
2. Raw Bone
Dogs have relied on eating raw meaty bones as a superior source of nutrients for millions of years. A prey animal's body consists of about 25% bone. Remember always feed bones raw. Cooking the bone changes its molecular structure, making it splinter and difficult to digest. Cooked bone is very dangerous - please do not ever feed it to your animal. Raw edible bones offer wonderful nutrition in a form that is very natural and usable for your dog (they help keep teeth clean). Raw bones are different to bonemeal, which is a cooked and processed product, often high in lead content; it cannot match the nutrients found in raw, edible, meaty bones. Edible bone is bone that your dog can consume completely. Raw poultry bones, such as chicken and turkey, are munched and crunched up quite easily. Raw poultry necks, backs, head or feet will do nicely. They are full of edible cartilage.
Excluding raw bones from your pet's diet would be a terrible mistake. Raw bones provide nutritious marrow, amino acids/protein, essential fatty acids, fiber, enzymes, antioxidants, and a vast array of species-appropriate minerals and vitamins, all in soluble form.
3. Raw Vegetables
Vegetables include plants that grow above and below the ground such as: green leafy vegetables, asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, chard, dandelion greens, dark leaf lettuce, kale, okra, parsley, sprouts, squash, pumpkin, etc. (above) and: sweet potatoes, yams, carrots, etc. (below).However, these vegetables must be in a digestible form, just as they would be in a prey animal's stomach. Vegetables must be thoroughly pulped. It is best to leave out potatoes, onions and rhubarb. Limit or avoid raw legumes (peas and beans), but do use their sprouted seeds. Make sure that there is only a low level of the starchy vegetables like pumpkin, and not a preponderance of the sugary vegetables such as carrots.
Raw vegetables provide the following nutrients:
Enzymes * antioxidants * beta-cerotene * carbohydrates * fiber * phytochemicals * vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, C, D, E and K * boron * choline * folic acid * inositol * iodine * PABA * pantothenic acid * calcium * chromium * copper * iron * iodine * magnesium * manganese * phosphorus * potassium * silicon * sodium * sulfur * selenium.
4. Raw Fruit
Use whatever fruit is in season and as wide a range as possible. The fruit should be well ripened to overripe, but not rotten. Use raw whole apples, oranges, pears, bananas, grapes, berries, papaya, apricots, or plums (without the stone), mangoes, and kiwi fruit. Raw fruits are chock-full of essential nutrients such as: enzymes; nutraceuticals; phytochemicals; antioxidants; vitamins (C); minerals; and essential fatty acids.
4. Extras
The basic extras include:
Kelp and Alfalfa
A combination of these two green foods is a powerful addition to the ultimate diet, due to their impressive nutrient and medical value.
Alfalfa contains vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, and B12, C, D, E, K and U, as well as beta-carotene, biotin, folic acid, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, protein, trace elements and fiber It has an antibiotic action against gram-negative bacteria such as salmonella. It also contains a protein with anti-tumor activity. Alfalfa is often used as a general tonic to detoxify the body.
Kelp contains vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, and B12, C and E as well as zinc, biotin, bromine, calcium, choline, copper, inositol, iodine, PABA, potassium, selenium, sodium, sulphur, trace elements and fiber It has anticancer, anti-rheumatic and ant-inflammatory properties. It is good for the glands and organs. Kelp is also used for for protection against hair loss, obesity, arthritis, heart and circular disorders, mineral deficiency and as a general tonic.
Quality is extremely important. Use fit-for-human-consumption alfalfa and kelp. Equal parts of alfalfa and kelp in your dog's food provide a vast array of health-enhancing nutrients and act as a complete vitamin and mineral supplement. The quantity in tablet or powder form is the same as for humans.
Essential fatty acids
Every living cell in your dog's body needs essential fatty acids (EFA's), which help support healthy skin, hair, joints and hearts. EFA's must be fed raw and unheated. Good food sources of EFA's include fish, fish oil, poultry, animal fat, vegetable oils, dark green vegetables, eggs, raw nuts and seeds. Fats are the best source of species-appropriated energy (body fuel) and are used like carbohydrates by dogs. Raw meat contains useful fat, and the fattiest cuts of meat are good for most dogs, unless they have a liver or pancreas impairment.
Vitamin C
Dogs do make vitamin C in their bodies. Vitamin C is found in raw foods such as fruits, vegetables and organ meats.
