Like Nymeria I feed my Vizsla, Chester, who will turn 2 on April 11 a raw diet that conforms to the Prey Model Raw diet ratios, and have done so from the first day we got him at 8 weeks.
I had high hopes (along with a few trepidations making an unconventional choice) but raw feeding has surpassed my highest expectations. Chester is spectacular.
Chester is very lean, yet very well-muscled (rippling out more with each passing day). His energy levels are phenomenal, yet he has no "hyper-activity" of the negative kind. His coat feels like soft velvet, different than litter-mates and half-sibilings we see on occasion.
The teeth are sparkling white, with no tartar, due (I believe) both to eating soft-edible bones on a daily basis, and to not eating carbohydrates/starches/sugars, which rot teeth. Likewise the breath is fresh, and eyes are clear. The picture of health, stamina, and vitality IMO.
I could not be more happy with the results. I'd never willingly go back to feeding kibble (as I did with previous dogs), and feel some guilt I didn't understand what I now know in earlier year, but need to let that go.
A PMR (prey model raw) diet is not especially daunting. There is no grinding of meats and bones, nor any cooking or processing of vegetables.
The diet is based around meeting a dog's nutritional need by providing meals from a variety of different animals in the approximate ratios of 80% meat, 10% bone, and 10% organs (half of that, or 5% of the total diet, being liver, the other half being organs like kidneys, sweetbreads, spleen/melts, gonads, or brains. Heart in PMR is counted as "meat."
The 80/10/10 formula is a little simplistic. "Meat" includes fat, muscle, connective tissues, fur/skin, and basically everything else that is not bones or a secreting organ.
To maximize nutrition, most PMR feeders attempt to feed as wide a variety of animals as local conditions and economic considerations allow.
PRM feeders generally serve bones that are soft and can be eaten (and digested) entirely, such as bone-in raw chicken pieces like thighs, drumsticks, and quarters. Never cooked bone, which can splinter. PRM feeds generally avoid the hard dense bones (like femur bones from cattle) that are the bones typically sold as "dog bones" as they can crack teeth.
Many PMR feeders seek to "balance over time," meaning bone, organ, and meat ratios may not be met in each day's meal, but would be over a period like a week. Unlike many, I do attempt to balance nearly all meals to PMR ratios, while diversifying protein sources over time. I feel serving roughly 10% bone at every meal minimizes any GI distress that might come for with too much bone (which can be constipating) or no bone, which can lead to loose stools. Organs are absolutely necessary in the diet, but too much in one meals can also cause loose stools. So I serve approximately 10% organs at each meal, with liver being served every other day, with kidney and other organs on the alternative days. Feeding balanced daily meals makes it easier for me to stay on track. Many others prefer the balance over time approach. Either work.
Most people start with bone-in chicken (exclusively) to start, doing "one protein" to make sure the dog has no issues. Chicken pieces tend tone bone heavy (one needs to become aware of the percentages of bone in common parts) which, if not to excessive, is OK to start as it reduces odd of loose stools. I think a better strategy is to remove some or all of the skin in the first days, for while that fat in the skin is very vital (save any that is removed for later feeding) it takes time for some dogs to be conditioned to fat burning and digestion.
After chicken proves fine (a weeks or so of good stools) people add new proteins one at at time.
I think it is wise to start feeding organs (like chicken liver during the chicken introduction period) early. This gets dogs accustomed to eating organs (avoiding aversions) and gets the vital vitamins and minerals to the dogs from the start. There are those who suggest waiting on organs until a dog is fully transitioned to a full compliment of proteins before starting organs, for fear of loose stools. Better IMO to just start with very small pieces of organ and work up.
Having a freezer and taking advantage of buying in bulk or buying on sale items is almost mandatory. I pack my meats and organs into portions that I can mix and match to make meals (with typically 4 or 5 "portions" in a days meal).
I now feed many items straight from the freezer, rather than thawed, which is not only easier, with fewer cross contamination risks, but it increases (now slightly) the amount of chew time my Vizsla (who now has incredibly powerful jeans and neck muscles) needs to consume meals. As a pup thawed chicken was a workout. Now he can destroy a chicken quarter in seconds.
If once accepts that the PMR ratios are sound, the rest is fairly easy. I'm not one to accept such things without verifying the evidence myself, so spent inordinate amounts of time reading works by the National Research Council, every study I could find on canine performance and diet, did analysis of sample meals of nutrients, etc. After a lot of work, I'm convinced the PRM ratios are spot on nutritionally.
The one supplement most PRM feeders do use is fish oil, to compensate for reduced Omega 3s in conventionally raised meats. I feed oily fish like mackerel, sardines, and anchovies for the same reason.
Plenty more that could be discussed, but that's a start.
Bill
