We have fed our siberian huskies a raw diet for several years now and would never go back to kibble! The difference this has made in their health and well being is incredible. There are many benefits of feeding a raw diet, including the following:
Dogs live longer
Beautiful white teeth and fresh breath
Firmer stools with reduced quantity
Mirrors what nature intended them to eat in the wild
Reduced vet bills - Dogs are healthier on a raw diet
Puppies develop at a more stable rate
Lush healthy coats
What does our pack eat on a raw diet?
We feed our pack a variety of meat and bones including ground beef, steaks, ribs, kidneys, heart, chicken leg quarters, livers, gizzards, heart, turkey necks, pork neck bones, ground lamb, ground turkey, venison and salmon! We also feed our pack whole raw eggs a couple times a week, cottage cheese, yogurt, oatmeal on occasion, vegetables and fruit.
We have found that the combination of a raw diet and NuVet Plus vitamins keeps our huskies at their optimal health. They love to eat! I have no more finicky eaters and our puppies are born stronger and healthier. I could not ask for a more perfect diet for them.
We do raise our puppies on a raw diet and I encourage this with new puppy owners however I do leave the choice of continued diet to our new owners, only asking that if they feed kibble they choose a very high quality brand.
There are many books and information on raw feeding on the web and I am always happy to help anyone get started on this diet. I highly recommend the book "Raw Dog Food: Make it Easy for You and Your Dog" by Carina Beth Macdonald.
Great Treat Recipes and Ideas
I like to make homemade treats for the pack as I can control what's in them and there's no additives, perservatives or things I can't pronounce in them! There are a ton of easy ideas for nutritious treats and snacks for your dog if you think outside the box a little!
Baby Carrots - a wonderful snack for your dog. Sometimes I even dip these in cream cheese! If you feed kibble instead of a raw diet, giving a few baby carrots after mealtime will not only be added nutrition but will help clean the kibble gunk off their teeth.
Dehydrated Sweet Potatoes
Pull out your dehydrator, peel up a bunch of sweet potatoes and slice them into thin rounds (1/4th inch thick). Dehydrate until small and rubbery. This usually takes a day in my dehydrator. I store bags of these in the freezer and give as treats. They love them and they're great for them!
Bacon Cheddar Dog Biscuits
(We make these often for the pack. I like to spend a day on the weekends making a ton of these and freezing them! The bacon cheddar and the peanut butter bones are their favorites.)
2 eggs
1 c. milk
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 lb bacon cooked crisp and crumbled plus bacon grease
4 c. whole wheat flour
1 cup oats
Combine eggs plus milk and water in mixing bowl, blend. Add cheese, bacon (cooled) and grease and then add flour and oats until dough is formed. You don't want the bacon grease to be so hot it cooks the eggs when you add it. Cool it a bit! Roll out dough to 1/4th inch circle and cut with bone cookie cutter or glass. Place on cookie sheet and bake at 375 for 25 minutes or so, until lightly browned and hard. Store in fridge or freeze!
Peanut Butter Bones!
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 c. water
2 1/4 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. oats
Preheat oven to 375. In a large bowl combine peanut butter, oil, water and then add flour and oats until dough is formed. Roll to 1/4th inch thickness and cut with bone cookie cutter or glass. Place on cookie sheet and back for 35 min or till lightly browned and hard. Store in airtight container. I usually double or triple this recipe. Without doubling it makes about 2 1/2 dozen bones!
