Wow. I've never even heard of a raw meat diet for dogs - although it makes perfect sense once you think about it. It kind of freaks me out, but that's because I think of myself eating raw meat (egh!) and forget that dogs are not human. I know you want to keep your dogs happy and healthy with lots of love - very interesting to hear about this choice. Best of luck, tell us how it works out.

One thought: how do protect the pups from nasty things like salmonella?

La la la. *looks around*

Wait a second, is that raw chicken leg I spy? Excuse me, I have a date with dinner. ;)

I'm totally in favor of BARF (although I cook most of the time for Vincent rather than feed him raw, I also feed him raw meat and poultry from time to time), but not in favor of Canadian bacon -- too much salt -- and nitrates and nitrites -- carcinogens. For Vincent, who's just a tiny guy, it's easy -- I often wondered if I'd be able to afford to feed a large dog, though! But the health benefits are amazing. Vincent is going on 11, and he's more like a 2-year-old than an 11-year-old. My vet can't believe it.

I turn over the idea of feeding mine raw from time to time, but with 4, it might et a little challenging.

Oh, yeah - the salmonella. I wondered the same thing. Until I thought about the fact that dogs will snack on kitty poop from the litter box, deer poop in the park - and they'll lick just about any nasty, stinky surface that they can find.

There's a beach up on Lake Erie that allows dogs. One day while we were there Katy found the nastiest, stinky, rotten fish. She thought she was in heaven and started throwing it around, then rolling in it and licking it. Gross!!!

All of the meat goes into the freezer and gets completely frozen. Then some of it gets thawed and rinsed in water and apple cider vinegar before I give it to them. With chicken it's usually the stuff that is on the surface that will upset stomachs. I usually just feed them the beef stuff while it's still frozen - they get to take a little longer to enjoy it.

have their tummies adjusted to the raw food?

ps. beautiful roving!! i can't wait to see what you've spun with it!

I need to talk to you about this diet! I had Cotton on the same diet that Norma had Vincent on~ cooked (boiled) chicken mixed with brown rice & veggies. He didn't tolerate the veggies very well, so I cut them out and added more vitamin powder. Since I got Jack, I stopped and they are both eating dry dog food. I really want to go back though.

I'm going to look into the raw food.

You're right about the disgusting stuff dogs love - I can remember taking our dog (a yellow lab) for a walk when I was maybe nine years old and coming upon an old dead bird lying on the ground. I was horrified that my dog proceeded to attack and try to eat the bird, and I wasn't really strong enough to take the bird away from him and drag him away yet... ugh. I was a tramatized dog walking child for while.

Interesting stuff. I'm going to have to look into this a little further. But one thing jumped out at me. I was ALWAYS under the impression that dogs shouldn't eat chicken bones (ie. wings that you described). I thought the bones were too brittle for dogs eventhough I've never, ever heard of a dog choaking on a bone before. But are chickent wings, bones and all OK for dogs?

How much cleaning up do you have to do after your dogs eat? I think about the raw meat being on the floor or coming into contact with other surfaces (sorry.... it's the health care provider in me).

For some reason, all I can picture is Dino from the Flintstones with the big rack of ribs! See? The raw food diet was around in the stone ages. :)

Wish I could afford to still feed my guys raw. (they're eating Wellness right now) You'll be so glad you switched! Are you also looking at vaccine info? Not to push you even further left... :)

Your spinning is beautiful. I'm just starting out and thinking about trying some different fibers -- that mohair is awesome.