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The concept of eating healthy is not new. Humans’ dietary choices include Atkins, Intermittent, Nutrisystem, Weight Watchers, Keto, Paleo, Mediterranean, Gluten-Free, Vegetarian, Vegan, Pescatarian, Eat-Clean, Carnivore, and Alkaline to name a few.
And although each diet has a different methodology there are certain common themes:
With dogs, it’s a little different. Dogs were domesticated about 15,000 years ago. Highly processed kibble dry diets based on feedlot nutrition is about 200 years old.
The majority of dogs eat a kibble diet and some eat canned food. An even smaller portion eat a home-cooked diet or raw diet.
Veterinarians go to school and are taught only one way to feed dogs. That is to feed them dry kibble out of a bag or wet food out of a can based on feedlot nutrition. Processed food cooked at high heat utilizing feedlot ingredients.
Dry ultra-processed dry dog food (aka kibble) is made from feedlot ingredients. For many years advocacy groups have been fighting to make a change to either have truth in labeling or to require better quality ingredients but have yet to be successful.
The goal in feedlot nutrition is to grow the animal using one size fits almost all approach.
Bags of kibble come with feeding recommendations based on daily caloric needs, and so a small chihuahua can be fed the same food that a larger dog would eat. The only difference would be the amount of food they ate.
As humans evolve and seek out fresh, whole food options for themselves, they are doing the same for their dogs.
I am one of those dog parents. I’ve run two marathons, three half marathons, and even though I’ve given up on long-distance running I will still regularly run 5Ks.
Health is important to me. I fuel myself and my family with whole, fresh ingredients choosing to make my food as frequently as possible and only eating out as a matter of necessity.
That doesn’t mean I don’t eat carbohydrates or processed food. I enjoyed a bowl of ice cream for dessert this evening, and over the weekend, I cooked a spaghetti meal which meant we had pasta. These items are more a rarity than a standard item in my weekly diet.
As for my two Boston Terriers, Maggie and Orbit, keeping them healthy and active is a priority. I have fed them fresh food all of their lives. I started off with raw but switched to cooked the first year. This was their diet up until three months ago, and I’ve now fully transitioned them back to a raw diet.
Both have had a history of leaky gut and allergies. A few years ago Orbit had a terrible yeast infection. Maggie has suffered from seasonal allergies since she was one years old.
A holistic vet prescribed a detox plan and provided me with dietary guidelines. Looking back my initial raw diet recipes were heavy on the chicken. Both of my dogs had chicken allergies. I’ve since minimized how much chicken they eat limiting it to eggs, and chicken feet.
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DISCLOSURE: Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means that if you click on a product link, I may receive compensation. This compensation comes at no additional cost to you, and as always I only recommend products I have tried and trust. Maggielovesorbit, Ilovebostons is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
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The diet I’ve formulated are based on reading from:
I also owe Ruby owner at Real Dog Box my gratitude for mentoring me in my raw feeding journey. This recipe was developed with her.
I follow a basic foundational guideline when I’m preparing Maggie and Orbit’s raw dog food. The foundation is based on feeding from whole foods as often as possible. The cheat sheet is below.
The core components are as follows:
What My Week For Meat Looks Like
I also dry my own pork heart which is a great source of zinc.
EDIT: A month later from writing this article I purchased the Animal Diet Formulator to make recipe formulation much easier when I mix up the ingredients.
Oftentimes homemade diets are criticized to be low in Vitamin D, E, Zinc, Manganese and Iodine. To ensure this doesn’t happen to you feed whole food sources as follows:
Vitamin D: Salmon, sardines, mackerel, herring, beef liver, eggs. Just one oz of Wild Salmon will have enough vitamin D for my 20-pound dogs that day.
Vitamin E: Wheatgrass, sunflower seeds and almonds (soak and puree seeds and nuts). In addition to feeding wheatgrass, I supplement with 400 IUs twice a week because that is the size of the pills I have. The guideline for a 20-pound dog is 85-115 IUs daily, or 200 IUs every other day (for raw-fed diets). Source: Dogaware
Zinc: beef, buffalo, elk, goat, pork, turkey, lamb, eyeballs, heart, gizzards, green-lipped mussels, tongue, canned cooked oysters, wheatgrass, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, (soak and puree seeds and nuts).
Manganese: Hair and feathers, blue or green-lipped mussels, green tripe, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds (soak and puree seeds and nuts).
Iodine: kelp, fish, oysters, eggs.
Every dog will be different – no two dogs are alike. Even my own.
A dog bed a varied raw food diet with meat, offal, bone, and seafood, with a small amount of plant matter, seeds, and nuts, will NOT be lacking in essential vitamins and minerals.
As a raw feeder, part of your annual expense should include a complete blood test (make sure you check T4, B12, Folate, Vitamin D, Zinc, and Vitamin E).
Your dog’s results will show you if they are at the appropriate levels.
Many holistic raw feeders never add in Zinc or Vitamin E if their dogs are a lot of variety. And their blood tests will prove out that their dogs are receiving the vitamins they need.
It might be tempting for you to look at raw feeder’s bowls on social media and see all of the supplements that are being added and feel pressured to do the same. Please TEST YOUR DOG BEFORE YOU SUPPLEMENT.
Supplements from synthetic ingredients is a dark science and supplementing at the level that kibble diets are formulated are not appropriate for raw food recipes. For example, zinc in its synthetic form is poorly absorbed by dogs.
Most usable to least usable forms of zinc:
I’m a firm believer that you should feed with purpose and not just add supplements because it’s trending.
Below is a list of supplements, what their purpose is, and the frequency in which to feed it
Mushrooms:
Purpose: To help lower inflammation and fight against cancer.
Frequency: Feed as needed. Can be daily if your dog has a lump or has allergies
Bone Broth:
Purpose: Joint health, helps against inflammation boosts the immune system
Frequency: Can be daily
Enzymes
Purpose: Improves digestion
Frequency: Can be daily if your dog has gas or acid reflux
Milk thistle:
Purpose: Liver support
Frequency: Feed as needed.
Prebiotic:
Purpose: Supports the grown of probiotics
Frequency: Feed as needed.
Probiotic:
Purpose: Supports a healthy gut
Frequency: Feed as needed.
Fruit
Purpose: Anti-oxidants
Frequency: Can be daily
Spirulina
Purpose: Small amounts of spirulina can help balance and stabilize the immune system
Frequency: Feed as needed.
Tumeric Paste
Purpose: Anti-inflammatory
Frequency: Feed as needed.
Vitamin E
Due to the high amount of fish I feed, I also supplement with 400 IUs twice a week. Read dosage requirements on DogAware
Kelp
I add kelp to their meals daily and use the brand Animal Essentials.
Base Mixes are an essential item in my pantry. I have been using Doctor Harvey’s Raw Vibrance base mix when preparing either a cooked or raw meal. All you have to do is add your protein, organ, and seafood and then you’re done.
One of the key features to base mixes in addition to the fact that it’s super easy – is that it has calcium already added into it. So if you DO NOT HAVE ANY BONE or do not WANT to FEED bone – then you would use a supplement that had calcium or add that into every single bowl.
I use this base mix at least 2 to 3 times a week that it deserves its own video. Stay tuned.
I feed single ingredient treats and chews from Real Dog Box. I treat my box as a way to add a variety of food I am not able to source. In one year I will receive a variety of up to 40 different types of treats and chews. For example I might get elk, duck heads, rabbit feet, or bison back strap chews which I can’t easily source on my own. But when I get it in my box it lets me reach the variety of up to eleven types of proteins and cuts that I feed my two Boston Terriers.
When I run out of what’s in those boxes I’ll use my home dehydrator to make my own.
I’ve seen the benefits in feeding my dogs a fresh, whole food diet.
Our vets have noted that:
Overall feeding a raw diet has worked out extremely well for my dogs. They are healthy and thriving.
Remember every dog is different and what might work for my dogs may not be optimal for yours.
It’s essential to keep a diary to understand track what you are feeding. No matter what diet you are feeding monitor their:
Visit your vet regularly and have your dog’s blood levels checked.
If you are able to – conduct a test through Parsley Pet annually. This is a simple and non-invasive way to discover if your pet is deficient in essential nutrients or has an overabundance of heavy metals in her body.
A hair mineral analysis test reveals your dog’s minerals deficiencies and heavy metal toxicity. You will receive a full analysis from a veterinarian explaining the test results and action steps.
At the end of the day, your dog’s health markers will give you a clear indication of whether or not you are on the right path.
Let your dog and their health determine what’s best for them.
Thank you for reading this far, dear friends. To your own dog’s health and happiness. Best of luck in your information-seeking journey.
Stay steadfast and curious as you research and form your own opinions on what’s best for YOUR dog.
Research by Dog Risk: https://www2.helsinki.fi/en/researchgroups/dogrisk-health-via-nutrition-epidemiology-and-cancer-detection-dogs/research-by-dogrisk#section-56404
Zinc: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33915721/
Minerals: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29953228/
Pet Food Industry Articles That Explain the Process of Minerals and Vitamins and state supplementation is not as bioavailable as real sources.
On kibble and determining digestibility
https://www.petfoodprocessing.net/articles/14760-key-considerations-for-balancing-amino-acids
How To DIY Raw: https://dogsfirst.ie/raw-faq/raw-diet-for-dogs/
Feeding Fish: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/11/201113103723.htm
For a list of dog food (kibble and home-cooked) from a blog, we love visit: Great Pet Care – Best Dog Food
Books:
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Hello, my name is Hannah, and learning about Boston Terriers and canine nutrition has become my life’s work.
First and foremost I am a dog owner, a Boston Terrier breed enthusiast, and a seeker of the truth.
I started this blog because there isn’t enough space to write on our Instagram.
My mission is to equip Boston Terrier owners and dog owners alike with the knowledge I have so that your dog will live a longer life and better health.
I have two dogs. Maggie is my socially awkward one; which I find highly relatable because I am completely out of place in large groups myself. And Orbit is the freebird. She used to have terrible allergies but since she started eating fresh food she’s been symptom free.
You won’t read about cats here… but you will get a fairly large dosage of articles dedicated to the Boston Terrier. Read more about us.