Dixie's Raw Kitchen

29/09/2020

A little (true) story.... Around 2010 I flew to Brisbane, Australia to see first hand the effects of switching a large group of dogs from dry to raw. The differences in the dogs were so obviously incredible on so many fronts (training to health to kennels to form) that it was like the clouds...

23/07/2020

Digestive biscuits are the most boring biscuits in the world but I accept some people like them. Dogs certainly do. With the obesity crisis raging in pets, I need to highlight that when you give a 10kg dog a biscuit it's the equivalent of giving an 80kg human 6-8 biscuits. That is going to pile on the pounds, particularly in an animal already struggling to maintain body form on an ultra-processed diet of more than 50% bread. Can you imagine going to the gym on that sort of diet?!

Get your dogs lean guys. It's crucial to their health. It massively reduces inflammation in the body so old dogs will get a new lease of life as their joints begin to move again and now those joints will last longer. They will be more agile, encouraging more exercise. They will be less prone to diabetes and cancer. They will live longer. All this can be achieved quickly and easily by feeding them appropriately.

The answer is NOT feeding them less pizza, or feeding them magic low-calorie pizza at grossly inflated prices under the entirely false marketing claim of "prescription" (it has no medicinal properties whatsoever, in this case its the same dry food with an extra 10% indigestible plant fibre!), it's cutting the pizza out entirely. This way they can still have nice big tasty meals only they are leaner, higher in protein and fresh fat. Weight will fall off slowly and will be replaced by lean muscle mass. It's cheaper and tastier. What's not to like. More here
https://dogsfirst.ie/health-issues/feed-fat-dogs-fresh-not-less/

[Digestive biscuits, like all cereal-based pet food products made by candy companies, are a desperately poor food choice for your pet. You are wasting your money and their health. Treats are among the worst offenders. Dogs want meaty treats. Here's a two-part article that will help you tease the good treats from the bad and finishes with lots of ideas how you can make your own...https://dogsfirst.ie/why-natural-dog-treats/]

12/04/2020

It's Science Says Sunday! Referential gestures are signals used to draw a person (or other nonhuman animal's) attention to a specific object, individual or event in the environment. It helps us communicate, non-verbally, our needs.

In the past, many non-human primates have been shown to possess an impressive amount of gesturals when interacting with humans. Dogs have a unique relationship with humans that centres on non-verbal communication with frequent interaction, making this study particularly interesting.

The study recorded 47 potential referential gesture events when observing dogs interacting with humans in their home. After analyzing the data, the researchers found evidence of 19 referential gestures performed by dogs during everyday communication with their humans that conform to what has been previously documented as the five features of referential signalling.
doi.org/10.1007/s10071-018-1181-3

12/04/2020

Perfectly Rawsome breaksdown the instances when pets may experience digestive upset & need a bland raw diet while overcoming stomach upset.

05/12/2019

❌ PLEASE LEAVE THEM IN THE SHOPS ❌

The vast majority of these rawhide products and treats come from China.

Their journey starts with the hides being soaked in a toxic sodium sulphide to remove the hair and fat. More chemicals are used in order to split the hide into layers which is then washed with hydrogen peroxide to give the white "pure" look and remove the rancid smell.
Now comes the pretty festive colours and the glue to form cute shapes.

They regularly cause intestinal blockages and choking. The chews go slippery when wet and are near impossible to get hold of to save a choking dog.

Please be safe with your dogs!

02/12/2019

28/10/2019

WHY I DON'T FEED MY DOG MILK BONES (or similar) COMMERCIAL TREATS
Pet Nutrition V/Blogger, Rodney Habib from Planet Paws posted that "according to 2018 global sales, the #1 treat chosen (landslide win) by pet parents is the Milk Bone." That's rather sad to me because with such little effort we can do so much better in the treats we offer our pets.
All the reasons that I don't feed my dog these types of treats fall into 2 categories.
First: there's nothing I consider good in them that I want to feed and many ingredients I choose to avoid. Can't be bothered with the wheat products topping the ingredient list as they are considered low in nutrients and digestibility. The meat and bone meal that come next are something I avoid in general being rendered products of unspecified source. If you understand rendering, then you know that what is allowed to be rendered into pet food ingredients is truly puke-worthy. Ingredients also include synthetic chemical preservatives thought to pose enough of a health hazard that they are banned from food for people in some countries.
Second: why waste good calories on inferior nutrition? Milk Bone recommends 3 small biscuits for my small dog, Chloe; that's 45 calories! Does not sound like much to us, but her daily calorie intake should be about 235 calories given her weight, activity level, and body condition. For those calories, I could treat her with high quality, nutrient dense foods like lean meat, fish, quail eggs, a small chicken neck, broccoli, blueberries, and she will be just as happy getting that kind of treat as she would a carb-laden commercial treat of questionable ingredients. I also source out high quality commercial treats made with ingredients I do want to feed, and I make my own too. With epidemic levels in Dogdom of obesity, diabetes, and cancer, all diseases with food/diet/nutrition-related components, we really need to be rethinking the way we feed our dogs, including treats.
Here's some links if you want to begin researching yourself, including a handful to recipes for making your own treats.
Rodney's post: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10156901262822028&set=a.487776152027
Link to a handy aid for looking up pet food ingredient definitions: https://www.tailblazerspets.com/tailblazers-pet-ingredient-dictionary.php
Link to Dr. Karen Becker's article for calculating calories:
https://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2010/12/07/weight-loss-tips-for-pets.aspx
Link to Rodney Habib / Planet Paws' video on The 5 Most Dangerous Popular Pet Treats to avoid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYtSr6QqsPA
More on Milk Bones: https://goodnessgracioustreats.wordpress.com/2010/06/12/where%E2%80%99s-the-beef/
Link on Rendering (Dogs Naturally Magazine): https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/rendered-products-in-pet-food/
More on rendering: http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2013/04/what_is_in_pet_food_zoo_animals_sick_livestock_dogs_and_cats_from_shelters.html
Pet Food & Rendering Plants (Truth About Pet Food article): https://truthaboutpetfood.com/pet-food-and-rendering-plants/
More from the Truth About Pet Food on rendering: https://truthaboutpetfood.com/this-is-what-fda-and-department-of-agriculture-considers-food/
Dr Karen Becker's Ground Meat & Blueberry cookies: https://youtu.be/IfF4Wsg1pTU
Rodney Habib's Gingerbread cookies (not just for the holidays!): https://youtu.be/xz0_hAJnm6E
Dr Karen Becker's Pumpkin Almond cookies: https://youtu.be/BpaHiE0V7QI
Dr Karen Becker's Parsley Liver Cubes: https://youtu.be/SJyJGCngjVA
Link to Dr Karen Becker's Homemade Treats for healthy Dogs (free e-download): https://healthypets.mercola.com/ebook/homemade-pet-treats.aspx

25/10/2019

RE-POST: this one originally went up a year ago, but as advocates for maximizing fresh and minimizing processed in the diet, this is one that's important to us, worthy of a regular re-share:
Colors in pet foods can come from artificial food dyes, not from the food used to make the nuggets. The color does not matter to your dog. Dogs do not even see colors the same way we do. Nor is a dog enticed into eating by the way the food looks like a person might be. But the manufacturer is banking on you feeling better about feeding a highly processed product if it has been dyed to seem more food-like. Is that visual appeal worth a potential health risk to your pet?
Start researching and you'll find just as many claims that artificial colors are dangerous as you will claims deeming them to be safe. Contradiction abounds. Sometimes the safety claim comes with qualifers such as that they are safe at certain levels, or when used as approved.
Safe or not, potential, small risk, more study needed, certain levels, banned here, not banned there ---whatever. Here's the thing for me ----why bother with them at all when it comes to pet food?
The only reason to include these dyes of highly debated safety is to make the food more appealing to the people feeding it, not to the dogs eating it. Why risk it at all?
Links to get you started learning more on the topic:
Planet Paws Video on "painted" pet food: https://www.facebook.com/PlanetPaws.ca/videos/1960941847561949/
Truth About Pet Food blog on the topic: http://truthaboutpetfood.com/food-dyes-called-rainbow-of-risks/
Report from the Center for Science in the Public Interest: https://cspinet.org/resource/food-dyes-rainbow-risks
A Summary from Healthline: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/food-dyes
Slate's Perspective: https://slate.com/technology/2016/07/food-coloring-is-bad-for-us-but-the-fda-wont-admit-that.html
Highlights in a Wellminded blog post: http://www.wellmindedpets.com/blog/2013/11/25/the-dangers-of-artificial-dyes-in-pet-food
Tailblazers unique page of pet food ingredients (red-yellow-green) including the dyes: https://www.tailblazerspets.com/tailblazers-pet-ingredient-dictionary.php
How Dogs See: https://youtu.be/A0_uj_Fglys

21/10/2019

Happy Monday 🙃☕️🐶

Anyone else?! ☕️ 🐶 🤗

08/10/2019

10 reasons to make the switch to raw: https://bit.ly/2Z4YjUt 🥩

07/10/2019

Listed in the benefits section: nothing about your pet.

Who signs off on these outrageous and detrimental ideas? I’m shocked, dumbfounded and disgusted.

One company, Arbiom, specializes in using a specific variety of yeast to digest wood.

01/10/2019

A very serious problem indeed and one of the big reasons we promote getting fresh, lower carb, species-appropriate foods into the dog's bowl. Of course, the problem is not entirely diet-related, as exercise and lifestyle factor into the mix of things we have an influence over, but diet is a very large part of the issue. Being overweight affects your pet's quality and quantity of life.
Learn More: The Health Risks of Obesity & How to Tell if Your Pet is Overweight ---https://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2018/04/07/pet-obesity-continues-to-rise.aspx

17/09/2019

Do you or does someone you know have severe symptoms of itching, rashes, flushing, stomach or other body pain, frequent diarrhea, nausea, fatigue, brain fog, headache and severe allergies to certain foods, medications or insect stings that may include fainting episodes or anaphylaxis? Although...

16/09/2019

This study, published in 'La Dépêche' (the French version of 'Vet Times') and originally published in Vet Record in August 2019 shows, how rarely human infections are confirmed associated with feeding your pet a raw diet.

So please don't let that scare you away from doing the best for your animal. Just be aware of normal kitchen hygiene for your's and your pet's safety and well-being, especially if you have immunocompromised individuals in the household.

A study detailing the association between raw pet food and human infections.

This cross-sectional study* uses a global database from web-based surveys to assess the impact of feeding raw pet food to pets on human health based on the experience of owners.
Of 16,475 households, 0.2% (n=39) reported having had a family member infected with a pathogen from raw pet food during the period, when this type of food was used in the household. In only three [3!] of these households, the same pathogen found in humans was also confirmed in the raw pet food (0.02% of all data). In addition, 0.1% (n=24) reported suspicion [but no confirmation] that a disease could have been transmitted to a human from the raw pet food.
Using meat from salmon and turkey, preparing more than 50% of the meals with raw ingredients and with the same utensils as used for the family have a negative association with infections.
Having children aged 2 to 6 years living in the family is associated with more infections, although adults are most often infected.

* Vet. Record, August 19, 2019

15/09/2019

Nick Thompson BSc.(Hons) Path.Sci., BVM&S, VetMFHom, MRCVS has been a vet for 27 years. He’s been in vet med for 33 years. In the mid 90’s it suddenly struck him how ridiculous it was to expect health for life from dogs when feeding uniform processed kibble - remember the old adage about hospita...

27/08/2019

Positive reinforcement is the glue that holds your training together and what will hell you modify behaviours that cause issues or fears.

Understand the significance of reinforcement!!

25/08/2019

Knowing that consumers want to see a meat source as the first ingredient...leads to more smoke and mirrors for some brands. Technically Turkey may be the ‘singular’ number one ingredient at a particularly ungenerous 16%, there is however, collectively clearly a lot more wheat, corn, rice, wheat middling and corn gluten in this product. Many of us wouldn’t expect any less and are accustomed to labels such as these, frustrating to know that many pet parents are effectively being played though...

Turkey meal (16%), wheat*, corn*, soya meal, poultry fat, lamb meal (7%), rice* (7%), wheat middling, corn gluten, dried beet pulp, digest, minerals, dried chicory root* (1%), fish oil, dried carrot* (0.07%), dried spinach* (0.07%), dried parsley* (0.07%)

24/08/2019

23/08/2019

A good source to look at! There are easy, balanced recipes for download on Rodney Habib's website: www.planetpaws.ca

Unique pet health tips, do-it-yourself videos, recipes, infographics, and remedies for better pet health and longevity from Rodney Habib & Planet Paws

20/08/2019

🍖 🍖
🌱Any veggies and plant-matter in a dingo's raw diet must be prepared properly so your dingo gets the most of the antioxidants and phytonutrients. Dingoes and canines do not have the jaw structure, teeth or intestinal tract to breakdown vegetables. And dingoes do not have salivary or adequate pancreatic amylase for digesting starchy carbs.

🥦Veggies in the diet should either be pureed, or lightly steamed, or fermented before feeding. Plants should not make up more than 10% of your dingo’s overall diet.

✔️Do Feed: Green leafy veg like spinach, carrot tops, broccoli, bok choy, cabbage, beet leaves. Other good choices include asparagus, celery & cucumber.
🔸Note: many of these suggestions are cruciferous veg, which may need to be avoided completely if your dingo experiences kidney, bladder or thyroid issues. Please consult with your vet in these cases before including them in the diet.

❌Don't Feed: Pumpkin, carrots, white potato, sweet potato, corn, beetroot, parsnips or any high-GI starchy carbs, as dingoes cannot digest these even if prepared as above.

🌿WILD PLANTS🌿
✔️Do feed: Dandelion greens, roots & flowers (either pureed or made into a tea); Nettles (lightly blanched then pureed); Wild grasses. Ensure these are picked from an area free of pesticides.

🥦TIP: Puree a variety of green veggies together with some water, coconut water, bone broth or kefir and freeze them into cubes for easy additions to the food bowl. Any ice cube tray works, and there's lots of cute silicon moulds available on eBay and Amazon if you're feeling creative!

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🐺Chewsdays Proudly brought to you by Dingo Den Animal Rescue and Canine Ascension

19/08/2019

A healthy weight for dogs and cats is just as important as it is for humans!

Sadly, obese dogs have become the new normal; excess flab on a dog severely impairs health and diminishes longevity if you don't act.