The Puppy Experiment

 
Name: Mantou
Breed: half lab / half dalmatian
Gender: F
Age: 5 yrs
Weight: 50 lbs
Occupation: throw blanket for the couch

 
1. What kinds of food do you feed and how much?
In general I feed meats, some fresh herbs, fruit, breads, treats. I sprinkle parsley or cilantro over her meals sometimes to freshen her breath a bit. When I eat fruit I give Mantou a little, but never grapes, which I learned is toxic for dogs in high amounts. Breads I give in limited amounts. For treats, I give her peanut butter, meatballs (without onions or garlic in them) and hot dogs.

On a daily basis, I feed Mantou a pound of raw meaty bones (Rule of thumb: 1lb of RMB for a 50lb dog), mostly chicken legs and chicken thighs. I feed her other meats occasionally when the price is good: oxtails, lamb chops, ribs (of any kind), beef or lamb shanks, T-bone steak, beef or lamb neck bones and goat meat. She can eat everything, bones and all. I throw in some liver, hearts or gizzards occasionally to vary her meals a little. Generally chicken is the cheapest, which is why I feed this to her as frequently as I do.

In my area of Queens (Kew Garden Hills) at the regular supermarket you can find about 3.5lbs of chicken legs and thighs for about $3-4. At the Asian supermarket I can find the same amount for a little cheaper, around $2-3.

2. Do you see benefits to feeding this diet?
Most obviously, Mantou’s improved health is the biggest benefit. The first and most noticeable improvement is her coat getting softer, although it does not follow that she sheds less. The next thing I noticed is that I need to brush her teeth less often and although I can’t say her doggie breath smells good, I can say definitively that it is no longer rank. Mantou drinks less water (which is normal as advised by all sources on raw diets), although I don’t know if this is nutritionally better for her, I think this is easier on her bladder, not always having to pee.

One more thing I’ve noticed, is that Mantou appears to enjoy her food more. She did not dance around for kibbles. I think after 4 yrs of eating kibbles, she feels it’s like getting treats for dinner everyday. Even now, after a year of being on a Raw diet, Mantou still licks her chops in anticipation of her food and licks her bowl clean – actions I take as signs of her approval.

3. Any disadvantages to feeding this diet?
Messier of course. Having to clean up after a meal is hard enough for myself but it’s especially important after Mantou eats because it involves raw meat. I’ve noticed though, that an added benefit of feeding chicken is that it’s the least messy and easiest to clean. Beef is bloody and lamb has a smell.

Another downfall is having to monitor the freshness of the food I serve. People suggest buying lots of meat at a time and freezing it, but I always have a hard time remembering to pull food out of the freezer a day ahead. So I’ve readjusted to going to the grocery store every few days because I only buy enough Mantou food to last 2-3days at a time.

4. Tell us about the whole process of how your dog adjusted to the new diet…
I expected there to be much more of an adjustment period, but in reality Mantou really didn’t have any difficulties adjusting at all. The only resistance she showed was her very first raw meal when she was confused over how to eat it. But after sniffing it and confirming that by virtue of being in her doggie bowl that it really was food, she tore into it as if she had always been eating raw meat. I will say though, that in my own ignorance, I gave her too much meat without the bones in the beginning, which led to a lot of diarrhea. Now I can tell by her poo if she’s been eating too much meat or too much bone. Too much meat = diarrhea. Too many bones = dusty poo (it comes out like a cloud dust – a sight I never thought I’d report seeing). Right now, her poo looks regular but feels firm when I pick it up. Her poo is much smaller in size too compared to when she ate kibbles.

5. How did you find out about this alternative diet?
I had always known about this diet ever since I first investigated adopting a dog. I didn’t know the first thing about raising a dog so I signed up on mailing lists (there are PLENTY on yahoo, but you can find lots of information just from a Google search too) where people advocate this diet because it’s better for their health. But I was always intimidated because I felt I needed to know everything about doggie nutrition and I was thinking of the inconvenience of buying raw meat all the time. Plus I didn’t think kibbles could be that bad for her because she seemed happy already. Early last year, I decided to eat better for myself and around that time, I decided that I should do the same for Mantou. It wasn’t until I decided to feed her raw meat that I found out how bad kibbles could be to her health and after reading about all of it, it only strengthened my resolve to feed her better quality food. I’ve learned about what she liked or didn’t like by trial and error and what proportion of meat and bones works best for her. I learned for myself, shopping for her groceries really isn’t that much different than shopping for mine, and I don’t have to be an expert in doggie nutrition (after all, I’m not even an expert on human nutrition for myself). Sure, raw meat is a little more expensive than kibbles, but I compare it to eating fast food all the time. You can buy your meals from the Dollar Menu at McDonalds every day and live on it. But if you spend a little more to buy fresh food to make your own hamburger patties, you will enjoy it more, and it will probably be healthier for you as well.

For us, investigating vitamins and nutrional enhancements is the next step and that is something we’ll learn together. But I’m not really concerned that she isn’t getting enough of what she needs and her vet confirms she’s in perfect health. And to top it off, it’s worth seeing how much she enjoys her meals, which gives me the most satisfaction.