What is Prey Model Feeding?

In constant pursuit of healthier food for my little beasts, I have switched from BARF (Biologically Appropriate Raw Meat) feeding to Prey Model Raw (PMR) feeding.

PMR is based on the knowledge that physiologically, the digestive tracts of our dogs, even the tiniest Chihuahua, are exactly like the digestive systems of their wild counterparts: wolves! PMR is meant to resemble, as closely as possible (within the confines of modern living) the diet that our carnivorous best friends have been eating for thousands of years. In the wild, packs of wolves will work together to hunt down a fresh meaty meal of bison, deer or other wild mammal. They then dine on the whole carcass. Bones, organs, muscle meat, fat, connective tissue, even skin and hair (or feathers, in the case of poultry) all make up the diet of the wild dog or wolf.

Prey Model Raw feeding is meant to be modeled on that knowledge. Since I am not exactly planning on going hunting and tossing Ella Bean and Louis whole, dead animals, fur/ feathers and all,  the next best thing is to use PMR guidelines to use ratios and proportions of these animal parts combined to make up the diet. For instance, I recently purchased a hormone free, antibiotic free, cage free baby duck from Whole Foods. I brought the duck home, cut it up into appropriate sized portions for Louis and Ella Bean and feed them the duck over the course of about a week - bones, organs, skin and all. I do the same with chicken and I also purchase beef parts (including heart and green tripe and other offal) to give them a rotation of different types of proteins.

Different protein sources ensure that the diet is well balanced and also keeps the dogs psyched to see whats getting served at each meal.

What about the bones? Do they present a choking hazard?

The short answer is, no.  Raw bones do not splinter and the ripping, chomping, tearing and crunching on the bones and meat gives my dog’s jaws and necks a healthy workout and keeps their teeth sparkly and clean.

Has a dog ever choked? Yes. It is vital to supervise your dog while feeding PMR and you may want to read up on performing the canine version of the Heimlich maneuver, just to be cautious. That said, by teaching your dog to take it slow, you ensure his safety (and eliminate a lot of gas! Dogs who gulp food swallow lots of air and in turn - create quite pungent odors!). Dogs used to eating kibble or BARF ground raw meat diets usually scarf down their food and don’t chew. To teach your dog to properly chew before swallowing, you can hold one end of his meaty meal while he gets to work on it for the first couple of feedings, until he gets the hang of it.

In order to limit the mess associated with PMR, I feed my dogs in what I call their ‘feasting cages’ (just basic crates). I always wipe the crates down with antibacterial wipes after meals to keep things clean. Its also a good idea to have grooming wipes on hand and wipe down paws and faces after meals, as things do get messy!

Why take this alternative path?

Besides pure interest in providing my pets with the best possible nutrition, I have become increasingly skeptical of allowing corporations to dictate the contents of my dogs meals. I like being able to select my own meats and meat and offal sources, use animals raised ethically and without the use of hormones or antibiotics and frankly, not support the pet food industry. There are plenty of great companies out there, but I just feel more comfortable whipping up my pup’s meals, like my food, myself!

The pet food industry would have us believe that exact ratios of nutritional elements are vital to our companion’s health. This farce supports the industry, keeping the corporations in business, since we pet-parents are clearly too ‘uneducated’ to make sure the diets of our dogs are nutritionally complete, we must buy their nutritionally complete products.

Well, is every meal you eat completely balanced? No! Of course not. We aim for nutritional completeness over time - eating different fruits, vegetables, grains and other sources over time, ideally resulting in healthy living. I apply this concept to my dog’s diets as well. Through research, I know what a healthy diet should look like and over the course of each week, make sure to provide enough variety to acheive optimum health!

I have worked with a vet to ensure that I am getting my pups everything they need and while this type of feeding may sound complicated and time consuming, I assure you, its really not. The most time consuming part is when I bring home a new hunk of animal and need to carve it up.

Once a week, I spend about a half an hour chopping up chicken or duck and then, its just a matter of ensuring I have the next day’s meal defrosted. The most time consuming portion is the actual feasting - in which all the work is done by the dogs anyway. My pups spend anywhere from 10-20 minutes chewing their meaty bones and slurping down organs. Its my quiet time! The dogs are safely confined, engaged in an activity they love and I just kick back and enjoy the quiet and watch my teeny pups behave like their wild cousins. Its totally like my own personal National Geographic!

For people with larger dogs, I imagine its even less time consuming as less portion control needs to take place. I bet a 75 pound dog could pack away a small chicken without much thought!

The benefits are many. Healthy teeth and gums; strong, developed neck and jaw muscles; shiny, thick coats and bright eyes and no suffering from allergies. My dogs also have excellent breath (no plaque!), very little doggy odor and their excrement is compact and has little to no odor. Now, don’t get me wrong, they both can still clear a room with their farts, but all in all, life with this type of feeding is a lot less stinky!

On another note…

So, yes, I am pretty down on the pet food industry and actually, our food industry as a whole. The 2007 pet food recall, the largest product recall in US history changed the way many Americans think about their food sources. The recall brought to light the tightly knit relationship between food safety, health policy, international trade and the relationship between government and corporations (Nestle, pg. 3). This recall ended up showcasing the capability gaps in safety standards, especially where international sources are used to produce and manufacture different resources.

Now, recalls have extended to human food products, children’s toys and many more consumer items. As responsible consumers, we must take ownership of the items we purchase, be they to feed our pets or feed ourselves and know where our products are sourced from.

No longer do we live in a society where our meats are slaughtered locally, our produce eaten seasonally and our grains baked at home. We are so far removed from the foods we eat that we do not connect what we ingest to what the product actually is…and so many processed and packaged foods (pet food included!) is so laden with chemicals, its barely food! No wonder obesity is rising at epidemic rates, both in humans and animals! No wonder cancer rates are rising, mental illness and immune disorders are on the rise…We all are what we eat.

This isn’t an issue of being ‘green,’ being a conscious consumer, or shopping at Whole Foods - it is about limiting the exposure living beings have to the toxins present in our foods, both processed and whole. We need to return to healthier, simpler ways of eating, emerging with our health and the health of our beloved companion animals, intact.

Nestle, Marion. Pet Food Politics, The Chihuahua in the Coal Mine. University of California Press, 2008.

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Hiya! The gorgeous Ella Bean here, coming at you, raring to write and back from my extensive travels.

Interestingly, my super handsome and beastly gentleman caller, Stanislaw and his brother Big Pupi were recently writing about the health benefits of a raw diet or BARF (that’s bones and raw food or biologically appropriate raw food, for those of you who are out of the loop on canine dietary concerns).

My big brother Lou and I have benefitted immensely from this dietary path and now, my uncle is eating raw meat too!

Sammi (full name: Samuel Nevada), a Maltese, joined my mom’s family when she was just a lil’ pup herself! Now, Sammi is 14 1/2 years old. Unfortunately, he has lost many teeth, his eyesight and much of his hearing. He suffers from hotspots and some internal yeastiness that causes a great deal of paw chewing.

In spite of his maladies, Uncle Sam is a pretty fun guy. He is rather sleepy and a bit grumpy, but I suppose I’d be grumpy too if I was as old as he is. He’s like, over 100 in dog years! Anyway, I climbed all over him and kissed his nose. He seemed to enjoy sniffing Louis and I and it was so fun to meet another canine family member. We all enjoyed cuddling and playing together.

Before we arrived, my grandparents told us Uncle Sammi was lethargic, mute and hadn’t been eating. Well, I tasted Uncle Sam’s food offerings and they were so gross that they weren’t fit for a filthy cat! (IAMS!!! YUCK!! We explained to Grandpa and Grandma that corn and meat byproducts aren’t really food!)

When Uncle Sammi smelled Louis and my beastly dinner of raw bones and meat, he let out a few unexpected woofs! Clearly, someone was interested.

With my grandparent’s permission, we let Sammi taste our delicacy of raw pheasant, which ol’ Uncle Sam ate like a vivacious young man of only 10 again! The grandparents were on board.

I, Ella Bean, showed them how to use enzyme supplements to help Uncle Sammi absorb much needed nutrients, how to use probiotics, how to use canned pumpkin to fix a sore tummy and most important, the hygiene required to safely feed raw.

What you may not know about me is that in addition to my beauty and intelligence, I am an experienced raw eater and am happy to assist my fellow canines in procuring the best possible meaty goodness out of their humans.

Sammi has now been eating raw for about two weeks now. In that time, Sammi has resumed vocal communication with both Louis and I, as well as his mom and dad and his coat is already a bit brighter and softer! Most impressive, Sammi has regained energy and vitality, and can now be found roaming around his big house outside of Washington D.C., rather then laying in bed all day.

Since Sammi is in the process of detoxing, he is emitting a little bit of yeasty odor, which is normal but he is digesting with ease and has already achieved the small, hard, odorless poop associated with raw feeding!

I am looking forward to watching Sammi progress on his diet and we expect to see his hotspots heal and a continued increase in his overall health and vitality.

Look forward to Uncle Sammi’s next raw diet update! Remember - you are what you eat! By avoiding fillers, by-products and chemical preservatives, both canine and human can be one step closer to achieving optimum health!

Kisses,

Ella Bean

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Here on Cup of Dog, we have made previous mention of the addition of tripe to a raw diet, discussed its many benefits and praised it for its healthy range of nutrients.

While perusing in our favorite dog store, we came across something new. Louis’ eyes perked up, Ella’s nub of a tail began to wag. A new, fresh canned tripe! At least, new to us. We have used frozen tripe, freeze dried tripe, but never before have the dogs had the opportunity to feast on fresh, stinky tripe.

I looked at the dogs and back at the cool looking can. Ingredients: Beef tripe, water, garlic, vegetable gum. Nothing too flashy…it was worth a try! The only heat this product encountered is during the canning process, so its as close to raw tripe as the dogs have had.

Upon opening the can, the most foul smelling odor I have ever encountered met my nostrils. My 12 pound Louis leaped on me he as if he was poked by an electric rod. Ella followed, jumping toward it as high as possible (she reached mid-calf). Good thing I taught the dogs to ’sit’ while meals are prepared!

“SIT!” I commanded them. Both doggie tushes plopped to the ground, eyes locked on the can.

I carefully added it to their dishes, while trying to breathe through my mouth. Tripe is basically ground cow stomach. The green color is from the partially digested grasses and plants in the cows stomach. It is rubbery and absolutely disgusting.

The dogs were ecstatic. The rubbery, natural tripe texture slowed down Louis and Ella Bean’s normally frenetic eating pace and both dogs chewed happily, eyeing each others bowls. As I scrubbed the stainless steel bowls, après-dinner, I started to give some more thought as to why I should continue to assault my nose for the benefit of my beloved dogs.

It is actually instinctive for dogs to eat nutrient rich green tripe. No wonder I got such an explosive reaction! I ignited their doggie instincts. When ingesting tripe, the nutrients in grasses, grains, naturally occurring gastric juices, amino acids and other digestive enzymes that have already been processed by the cow’s stomach are easily absorbed by the dogs. The gastric juices and enzymes are excellent for dogs; the amino acids aid muscular development and gastric juices keep teeth clean and healthy. While they digest, those juices and enzymes assist the dog to pull the maximum amount of nutritional benefits from their diet.

So, it is worth it, though my husband will never feed them the stinky food, so its left to me. I checked out food’s website, which proved as cool as the packaging. Tripett, the new food, was a success. As the website lists, benefits of tripe include:

• Improved appetite and digestion
• Cleaner teeth
• Dry and itchy skin problems improved or eliminated
• Coats with richer color, shine and lower susceptibility to fleas
• Calmer temperaments
• Decreased waste in feces

Being that these are all great benefits, I suppose we have a new supplement to incorporate into the fur kid’s diet. Remember, Tripett is not a canned food to replace a portion of a current feeding program. It is a supplement to a balanced diet. Additionally, if your dog happens to be one of the many with beef allergies, there are formulas by the same brand made from lamb tripe and a duck tripe/ salmon mixture.

What a fantastic find for city dwellers, like us, who don’t have a proper butcher from whom to get fresh, unbleached tripe! Don’t be alarmed by the pure nastiness of this product. This is the real deal, so there may be clumpy pieces of white fat, ingested hair and a range in color and texture that may vary by can.

Gives a renewed meaning to a BARF* diet, huh?

*BARF - Biologically Appropriate Raw Food or Bones And Raw Food diet

For more information or to purchase, please visit www.tripett.com

Tripette image via www.tripett.com, cow image via www.primidi.com

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No, Tinkerbell Hilton hasn’t been checked into the Betty Ford Clinic - sorry, this isn’t the stuff of tabloid fodder.

Many a dog owner who makes the switch from a commercially prepared dog food full of chemicals and additives to a wholesome, natural diet may find Fido showing some pretty disturbing signs of illness, otherwise known as detox.

You have bravely made the leap from your veterinary advised dog food or the supermarket brands advertised in seductive TV spots to a holistic diet and rather then seeing any benefits, your dog is vomiting, itching as if an army of supercharged fleas has infested and smells like a wet dog soaked in garbage water. To top it off, he just let off some explosive diarrhea on your new white carpet. What’s the deal??

With the plethora of unnatural chemicals our pups are exposed to, once you start removing those toxins through diet, stopping the use of pesticide preventatives or the countless other standardly used dog ‘care’ products, all the chemistry Fido was previously exposed to has got to get out somehow.

This is the period of detox. Those who switch from a conventional diet to a raw meat diet, or BARF are most likely to experience this at its most intense, as the raw diet stimulates the immune system in hyper drive, purging your dog’s system of the toxic waste that had accumulated in his system. I know when I made this switch for Louis, his ears were disgusting, expressing a thick icky discharge for weeks. His eyes had a thick mucus like discharge. It lasted for a few weeks. He in some ways is still detoxing, as he has a case of the itchies that I know isn’t from allergies or fleas. He has been eating raw for only three months. I give him regular baths as flea and tick prevention, but the colloidal oatmeal that is a major ingredient in his shampoo and conditioner also sooths his itchy skin and washes away the bacteria he is detoxing.

Detox manifests itself in a variety of ways and will last from as short as a few days, to as long as a few months, depending on the individual and how toxic they are. Detox symptoms range in severity and may include draining ears and eyes, cysts, tumors, vomiting, diarrhea, bad breath and/or itchy skin.

This may begin immediately or it can take any period of time for the immune system to be strong and healthy enough to detox. When your pooch starts eating fresh food, he will build up the nutrients to have a healthy immune system and all the disease that has been suppressed, will get purged. Look at it this way, what goes in must come out by any means it can.

I know its gross. But the upside is, your dog is on the path to better health. Each day will be one step closer to a healthier dog. It does get worse before it gets better. Your dogs internal self will heal first and then he will excrete the toxins by whatever means necessary. Then, all of a sudden, Fido will be friendlier then ever, his vitality will be unparalled, his eyes and coat will be bright and shiny. These are signs of health.

Looking back to Ella Bean’s severe and unexpected bout of vomiting a week ago, I know now that she was detoxing as she is not ill and since that very scary day, her skin and coat, energy and personality have continued to bloom. She is still excreting a watery discharge through her eyes and as she is a rescue, I am uncertain as to how much toxicity her tiny body has been exposed to and how long she will need to purify.

Do not take these disturbing reactions as a sign to run to your vet, if he is a conventional practicing veterinarian, he will only advise against this change in diet and stifle the detoxification symptoms with steroids, antibiotics or other prescriptions. This will send your dog right back to his previous state of ailment. Rather, consult with a trusted veterinary naturopath or homeopath.

You do not need to live near one to do so, get recommendations from friends or search the internet for someone who is certified. Most naturopaths and homeopaths are willing to consult by telephone and email and effectively treat your pet. Natural remedies to detoxification can aid in your pet’s comfort and you can continue to know that you are working towards a healthy state you and your pet have yet to experience.

Once we understand the cleansing process, we welcome these side effects as we know that are pets are on the path to healing!!

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Tripe - it’s one of the healthiest additions you can make to your doggie’s diet. Also, one of the ickiest and stinkiest to us humans, tripe actually is the stomach lining of a cow’s fourth stomach. In the cow, this is where the actual digestion of the grasses and grains happens.

Wild dogs completely consume their prey, including the stomach and its contents which supply enzymes, minerals and vegetation. By supplementing Fido’s diet with tripe, you can mimic the nutritional benefits that his wild cousins take advantage of.

Tripe smells truly awful to us, but dogs adore the smell. Dogs who have diets that include tripe have healthier, shinier and richer colored coats, healthier skin, healthier teeth, better stools and increased vitality.

Tripe contains an incredible range of nutrients including, enzymes, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids and pro biotics. For sick dogs whose appetites are waning, tripe can often stimulate appetite and aid in digestion.

I give Louis freeze dried tripe (made by Solid Gold, their seven ounce bag of Petzyme is 100% freeze dried tripe with no additives or preservatives) as a treat every day and he loves it! It is an exceptionally healthy treat that I can feel good about using as a reward.

Solid Gold also makes a canned tripe product called Green Cow that should be used as a supplement to a complete diet.

Another great way to incorporate tripe into your dogs diet, for all you BARFers out there, is through using Dr. Billinghursts BARFworld unbleached beef tripe fresh frozen patties. These are a great supplement to a raw diet and the plethora of benefits can only be truly expressed by seeing your pup undergo a health transformation through tripe’s benefits.

Tripe is more commonly incorporated into the diets of pets living in Europe who thrive on this diet. A quick browse on Google for other articles about tripe showed many comments made by dog owners too grossed out by tripe to consider this addition to their dog’s diet. We must remember, as adorable as our fluffy little couch potatoes are, they are directly related to the wolf and have the digestive systems to match. With everything our dogs do for us, suffering through the stink of tripe every once and a while is a small way to return the favor.

Dogs are omnivores with strong carnivore tendencies and in order to truly give our pals the love they deserve, we need to nourish them with diets that they were designed to digest.

Just ’cause its icky to you and me, don’t deprive your dog of a little tripe!!

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A sparkly, white mug is more then just an addition to your dog’s adorable smile, it can save his life! Periodontal disease is one seriously important issue in canine care. Healthy teeth and gums are vital to longevity and, more importantly, a content companion.That darn dry kibble that has been marketed to pet owners with glossy ad campaigns, the allure of a ‘complete’ diet and veterinary endorsement is a direct cause of tarter build up. That tarter becomes the plaque and bacteria that creates a plethora of diseases and puts pups on the fast track to being a geriatric.Carbohydrates are the basis of commercially prepared pet foods (look at the ingredients on your dog’s food label. If the first 2-3 ingredients aren’t meat or fish - its time to change!!) While being broken down by the enzymes, these carbs form sugar, increasing tarter build up and creating an unnatural alkaline state inside Fido’s body.

In turn, tarter leads to gum inflammation and bacteria. If you aren’t ready to reach for the toothbrush yet, know that this bacteria can then seep throughout the body wreaking havoc on pretty much everything.Ick!

So, what are we to do? Start with a healthy diet!! (I sound like a broken record - I know.) Dogs are meant to eat meat and bones. You can read all about this in previous posts, the Poop Chronicles - The Great Raw Debate and Yummy Raw Meat. In spite of thousands of years of domestication, that finicky, fluffy white Maltese has virtually the same digestive track as a wild wolf. I am totally not making that up. Their intestines and teeth are geared to eat raw food and doing this keeps them healthy.

Whatever food you are feeding your pet, the long term ramifications are going to end up expressing themselves in his mouth and your vet bills, so do your research!

Moving on. Chewing on bones and tendons exercises the jaw, scrapes plaque and decreases tarter. In addition, I know I have said this, but chewing alleviates boredom and anxiety. Yay for bones! Make sure your dog has plenty and that they are all natural, digestible and won’t splinter.

Don’t wait for your annual vet visit to schedule a time to anaesthetise your dog for a complete dental cleaning. Why put your friend through such trauma? Besides the unnecessary risks of anesthesia (which are even greater if your dog is one of the 40% of obese dogs in the country), a regular dental hygiene routine is a fun way to bond with your pal, get sweet smelling kisses and keep him healthy.

I brush Louis’ teeth with this super cool three sided brush, made by Triple Pet, that really gets at his teeth and gums easily. We have been doing this for a while and he is pretty laid back about the whole process. For those of you with older dogs, don’t let the training that it takes to brush your dog’s teeth deter you! You can teach an old dog new tricks. Use praise and positive reinforcement!

Louis prefers a nice, meaty flavored enzymatic toothpaste. Enzymatic, you say, what is that? Simply put, the enzymes are antibacterial catalysts that work with doggie saliva, boosting the saliva’s ability to ward off tarter, plaque and other ickies.

Just imagine how you would feel if you completely neglected your own oral hygiene. Besides unhealthy, you’d be quite the unpopular, stinky person. Let’s change the world’s perception of dog breath! Your dog’s teeth are your responsibility. Feed them according to what their digestive tracks are made to cope with, give them bones to chew and brush often!

Louis says a heartfelt ‘thank you’ on behalf of dogs everywhere to those pet owners who are doing the dental hygiene thing.

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