The Raw Diet.
It is a trend that started over 30 years ago in response to pet owner concerns about what was going into commercial dog food. In the early years the diet had the infamous name of BARF - Biologically Appropriate Raw Food .
* Footnote : BARF is now the registered trademark for a line of raw pet foods *
The concept is simple; feed your dog a diet as close as possible to what he/she would consume in the wild - raw meat, bones, tripe, fruits, vegetables.
However the diet does not have a standardized outline or portion breakdown and therefore different versions have developed over time.
Some diets feed little to no fruits and vegetables, while others feed limited quantities of meat; certain diets suggest adding supplements and vitamins. For the novice the world of the raw diet can quickly become overwhelming and confusing.
The trend also has many detractors claiming that the raw diet does not provide all the nutritional needs required by your pet.
As the RAW diet concept began to gain popularity commercial dog food manufacturers started introducing organic, holistic and limited ingredient lines. Some manufacturers actually offer a Raw Diet, pre-packaged and portioned that you pull out of your freezer. Now pet parents who are too nervous to take the leap to a true Raw diet are able to feed their pets an excellent quality food.
Many years ago when our Human was raising Rough Collies, she fed a Raw Diet as did Gail Giles of Rythm Kennels. Our Human and Gail met at a dog show and it was Gail's blue merle collie bitch who became the foundation of our Human's kennel and also her first heart dog. Rhia embodied the true collie spirit and is a testament to the quality of dogs that Gail's kennel produces.
It is a trend that started over 30 years ago in response to pet owner concerns about what was going into commercial dog food. In the early years the diet had the infamous name of BARF - Biologically Appropriate Raw Food .
* Footnote : BARF is now the registered trademark for a line of raw pet foods *
The concept is simple; feed your dog a diet as close as possible to what he/she would consume in the wild - raw meat, bones, tripe, fruits, vegetables.
However the diet does not have a standardized outline or portion breakdown and therefore different versions have developed over time.
Some diets feed little to no fruits and vegetables, while others feed limited quantities of meat; certain diets suggest adding supplements and vitamins. For the novice the world of the raw diet can quickly become overwhelming and confusing.
The trend also has many detractors claiming that the raw diet does not provide all the nutritional needs required by your pet.
As the RAW diet concept began to gain popularity commercial dog food manufacturers started introducing organic, holistic and limited ingredient lines. Some manufacturers actually offer a Raw Diet, pre-packaged and portioned that you pull out of your freezer. Now pet parents who are too nervous to take the leap to a true Raw diet are able to feed their pets an excellent quality food.
Many years ago when our Human was raising Rough Collies, she fed a Raw Diet as did Gail Giles of Rythm Kennels. Our Human and Gail met at a dog show and it was Gail's blue merle collie bitch who became the foundation of our Human's kennel and also her first heart dog. Rhia embodied the true collie spirit and is a testament to the quality of dogs that Gail's kennel produces.
Gail has continued to feed Raw so we reached out to her to learn what she has discovered over the years of feeding this diet and why she feels this is the best choice for her dogs.
Disclaimer - The 2 Crazy Cresteds do not endorse or recommend feeding the raw diet. This interview is for information purposes only. Persons interested in adopting this type of feeding should contact either their vet or a longtime user of this diet for guidance. Dogs with medical conditions should not be fed this diet without consulting a vet first. The 2 Crazy Cresteds and their Human do not accept responsibility for any information below - this is a personal opinion and should be treated as such. **
2 Crazy Cresteds :
Hello and welcome to our Human's friend Gail Giles. Please tell everyone a little about yourself.
Gail Giles :
My name is Gail Giles. My kennel name is Rythm. I’ve been breeding shetland sheepdogs for 25 years and Italian Greyhounds for 5. I’ve also bred Rough collies. I’m outside of Shannonville, Ontario.
2 Crazy Cresteds :
Why did you start feeding the raw diet and how long have you been feeding it?
Gail Giles :
15 years ago I saw one of my fairly young collies begin to limp on her front leg.
Upon further investigation and some xrays it was determined that she was starting to get arthritis in her left shoulder joint. A change in diet and some medicines were recommended. I checked into the diet recommended by the veterinarian and decided that was NOT the route for me.
I immediately took ALL carbohydrates out of my dog’s diets. For the first six months or so I cooked the food because raw didn't seem like an option for me (other than their bones which they always got raw).
After 6 months on the new diet; I noticed that my girl’s limping had ceased completely.
Over the next few months I cooked the food less and less until it reached the point that the dogs were eating raw meat. I then introduced tripe and have not fed kibble to any of my dogs since.
2 Crazy Cresteds :
What is on the menu? Does it rotate ? Eg. chicken on Mondays, beef on Wednesdays.
Gail Giles:
My guys get as much variety as I can find. Every other day is “Bone day” where they are fed either chicken, pork riblets, or beef neck bones. The off days are “meat days”, where they get tripe and beef muscle, or tripe and horse, or tripe and venison when I can access it.
2 Crazy Cresteds :
What is the time commitment for your Raw Diet? Do you make meals ahead and if so how far ahead?
Gail Giles:
The most time consuming part for me is actually driving to get my supplies. Once every 4 or 5 weeks I have to drive 2 hours to get my chicken. I bag it in meal bags and freeze it. My meat supplier is only 40 minutes away and I do that every 3 weeks or so. Basically I bag my food by meals, but that’s as far as I go.
The actual feeding takes no more time that scooping up kibble.
Disclaimer - The 2 Crazy Cresteds do not endorse or recommend feeding the raw diet. This interview is for information purposes only. Persons interested in adopting this type of feeding should contact either their vet or a longtime user of this diet for guidance. Dogs with medical conditions should not be fed this diet without consulting a vet first. The 2 Crazy Cresteds and their Human do not accept responsibility for any information below - this is a personal opinion and should be treated as such. **
2 Crazy Cresteds :
Hello and welcome to our Human's friend Gail Giles. Please tell everyone a little about yourself.
Gail Giles :
My name is Gail Giles. My kennel name is Rythm. I’ve been breeding shetland sheepdogs for 25 years and Italian Greyhounds for 5. I’ve also bred Rough collies. I’m outside of Shannonville, Ontario.
2 Crazy Cresteds :
Why did you start feeding the raw diet and how long have you been feeding it?
Gail Giles :
15 years ago I saw one of my fairly young collies begin to limp on her front leg.
Upon further investigation and some xrays it was determined that she was starting to get arthritis in her left shoulder joint. A change in diet and some medicines were recommended. I checked into the diet recommended by the veterinarian and decided that was NOT the route for me.
I immediately took ALL carbohydrates out of my dog’s diets. For the first six months or so I cooked the food because raw didn't seem like an option for me (other than their bones which they always got raw).
After 6 months on the new diet; I noticed that my girl’s limping had ceased completely.
Over the next few months I cooked the food less and less until it reached the point that the dogs were eating raw meat. I then introduced tripe and have not fed kibble to any of my dogs since.
2 Crazy Cresteds :
What is on the menu? Does it rotate ? Eg. chicken on Mondays, beef on Wednesdays.
Gail Giles:
My guys get as much variety as I can find. Every other day is “Bone day” where they are fed either chicken, pork riblets, or beef neck bones. The off days are “meat days”, where they get tripe and beef muscle, or tripe and horse, or tripe and venison when I can access it.
2 Crazy Cresteds :
What is the time commitment for your Raw Diet? Do you make meals ahead and if so how far ahead?
Gail Giles:
The most time consuming part for me is actually driving to get my supplies. Once every 4 or 5 weeks I have to drive 2 hours to get my chicken. I bag it in meal bags and freeze it. My meat supplier is only 40 minutes away and I do that every 3 weeks or so. Basically I bag my food by meals, but that’s as far as I go.
The actual feeding takes no more time that scooping up kibble.
2 Crazy Cresteds:
The top quality holistic/organic/limited ingredient commercial foods are expensive. What is the approximate cost for your Raw diet?
Gail Giles :
That’s a really hard question to answer because my numbers change constantly and so does the amount of each breed I have.
I currently have 11 dogs here and it costs me about $175 a month to feed them. But they aren’t 11 great danes or even golden retrievers. They are 2 shelties, 2 whippets, 6 italian greyhounds and a papillon.
2 Crazy Cresteds :
Every dog - just like every person - has different dietary needs; how do you make sure that each dog is getting what they need?
Gail Giles :
That’s something I don’t even think about anymore. It’s automatic. One is on a diet, so she gets less, another is constantly skinny so he gets more and some extra fat and coconut oil. I’ve tried to give my dogs extra veggies with their meals but every single one of them picks it out and just eats the meat. The tripe is green so my assumption is that is enough vegetation for them.
When I’m not here to feed the dogs I leave an itemized list and hope that things are followed. I’m not gone long enough to make a huge impact on their health if my instructions aren't followed exactly.
A raw diet is not a “daily balanced” diet. It’s a diet balanced over time and that allows a certain amount of leeway.
2 Crazy Cresteds:
What changes/improvements have you made over time to your diet?
Gail Giles:
I’ve found better suppliers. Places that I know don’t do antibiotics or additives. I’ve learned how much skin or fat to leave on for which dogs. They get absolutely NO carbohydrates. I make my own treats by dehydrating liver or chicken that I buy and cut into strips.
2 Crazy Cresteds :
As a breeder; if one of your forever homes is unable to feed raw, what dog food do you recommend?
G
Gail Giles :
I think feeding my dogs raw is a strictly personal decision and can not nor would I impose MY beliefs on anyone else. I recommend 3 types of kibble in my contract that they have to adhere to and that lists changes all the time as the companies change their kibble. At the moment the brands are Acana, Orijen and Wellness, although I’ve been hearing some things about Wellness that I don’t like so I’m currently looking into that.
2 Crazy Cresteds :
Have you noticed a difference in the dog's health and overall well being?
Gail Giles :
Absolutely!!!
Not only have I noticed it but some of my breeder friends have as well. One specific breeder who has the same lines as I do, and was constantly saying “why do my dogs have ..... And your’s don’t??”... I’d say “look at the diet” and I guess I said it enough times for her to REALLY look into it and not only does she feed raw now but she’s a supplier for a lot of different types of meat etc for her area.
My dogs teeth are all excellent. They don’t limp. They don’t have digestive issues. I have a 10 1 /2 year old whippet with a grade 4 heart murmur who is in excellent health and can still run with the young ones.
There are some people who will never change. No matter how healthy my dogs are compared to theirs they have a million excuses why they can’t do it. The most common one is they don’t like the smell of tripe. I’ve been doing it for so long I guess it doesn’t bother me anymore. To me it’s a better smell that the one you get when you open a bag of kibble, or clean up a kibble poop. THAT makes my stomach roll. When I walk by a dog who is fed kibble I can smell it on their skin especially if it’s a wet dog. Cleaning up my yard is a snap now. With the number of dogs I have I used to have a LOT of clean up to do and no where to put it. Now my dog’s stool dries up and blows away in the wind, essentially.
2 Crazy Cresteds :
If someone was interested in switching to raw; where do you recommend they start? A google search brings up an overwhelming list of diets... how did you decide what diet was right for you? And which diet do you use or have you created a custom diet?
Gail Giles:
Pre made was never an option for me given the number of dogs so I just sourced out suppliers of raw meat etc. If I was going to feed one or two dogs I’d probably find an internet list for the breed I’m feeding. There is an Italian Greyhound Raw on Facebook. That kind of thing. There are always going to be people either pushing the food they use or the food they supply. Either trial and error or contact people who feed that brand.
2 Crazy Cresteds:
Could people contact you to discuss the raw diet?
Gail Giles:
Absolutely. If I don’t know an answer I send people where I think they can get one. I get calls and emails from people recommended by my vet which is truly wonderful.
2 Crazy Cresteds :
Thank you so much Gail for taking the time to talk to us about your Raw Diet and sharing your experiences with us. If anyone wishes to contact Gail regarding the raw diet, Gail can be reached at Rythm Kennels - link to webpage - or via email : [email protected]
The top quality holistic/organic/limited ingredient commercial foods are expensive. What is the approximate cost for your Raw diet?
Gail Giles :
That’s a really hard question to answer because my numbers change constantly and so does the amount of each breed I have.
I currently have 11 dogs here and it costs me about $175 a month to feed them. But they aren’t 11 great danes or even golden retrievers. They are 2 shelties, 2 whippets, 6 italian greyhounds and a papillon.
2 Crazy Cresteds :
Every dog - just like every person - has different dietary needs; how do you make sure that each dog is getting what they need?
Gail Giles :
That’s something I don’t even think about anymore. It’s automatic. One is on a diet, so she gets less, another is constantly skinny so he gets more and some extra fat and coconut oil. I’ve tried to give my dogs extra veggies with their meals but every single one of them picks it out and just eats the meat. The tripe is green so my assumption is that is enough vegetation for them.
When I’m not here to feed the dogs I leave an itemized list and hope that things are followed. I’m not gone long enough to make a huge impact on their health if my instructions aren't followed exactly.
A raw diet is not a “daily balanced” diet. It’s a diet balanced over time and that allows a certain amount of leeway.
2 Crazy Cresteds:
What changes/improvements have you made over time to your diet?
Gail Giles:
I’ve found better suppliers. Places that I know don’t do antibiotics or additives. I’ve learned how much skin or fat to leave on for which dogs. They get absolutely NO carbohydrates. I make my own treats by dehydrating liver or chicken that I buy and cut into strips.
2 Crazy Cresteds :
As a breeder; if one of your forever homes is unable to feed raw, what dog food do you recommend?
G
Gail Giles :
I think feeding my dogs raw is a strictly personal decision and can not nor would I impose MY beliefs on anyone else. I recommend 3 types of kibble in my contract that they have to adhere to and that lists changes all the time as the companies change their kibble. At the moment the brands are Acana, Orijen and Wellness, although I’ve been hearing some things about Wellness that I don’t like so I’m currently looking into that.
2 Crazy Cresteds :
Have you noticed a difference in the dog's health and overall well being?
Gail Giles :
Absolutely!!!
Not only have I noticed it but some of my breeder friends have as well. One specific breeder who has the same lines as I do, and was constantly saying “why do my dogs have ..... And your’s don’t??”... I’d say “look at the diet” and I guess I said it enough times for her to REALLY look into it and not only does she feed raw now but she’s a supplier for a lot of different types of meat etc for her area.
My dogs teeth are all excellent. They don’t limp. They don’t have digestive issues. I have a 10 1 /2 year old whippet with a grade 4 heart murmur who is in excellent health and can still run with the young ones.
There are some people who will never change. No matter how healthy my dogs are compared to theirs they have a million excuses why they can’t do it. The most common one is they don’t like the smell of tripe. I’ve been doing it for so long I guess it doesn’t bother me anymore. To me it’s a better smell that the one you get when you open a bag of kibble, or clean up a kibble poop. THAT makes my stomach roll. When I walk by a dog who is fed kibble I can smell it on their skin especially if it’s a wet dog. Cleaning up my yard is a snap now. With the number of dogs I have I used to have a LOT of clean up to do and no where to put it. Now my dog’s stool dries up and blows away in the wind, essentially.
2 Crazy Cresteds :
If someone was interested in switching to raw; where do you recommend they start? A google search brings up an overwhelming list of diets... how did you decide what diet was right for you? And which diet do you use or have you created a custom diet?
Gail Giles:
Pre made was never an option for me given the number of dogs so I just sourced out suppliers of raw meat etc. If I was going to feed one or two dogs I’d probably find an internet list for the breed I’m feeding. There is an Italian Greyhound Raw on Facebook. That kind of thing. There are always going to be people either pushing the food they use or the food they supply. Either trial and error or contact people who feed that brand.
2 Crazy Cresteds:
Could people contact you to discuss the raw diet?
Gail Giles:
Absolutely. If I don’t know an answer I send people where I think they can get one. I get calls and emails from people recommended by my vet which is truly wonderful.
2 Crazy Cresteds :
Thank you so much Gail for taking the time to talk to us about your Raw Diet and sharing your experiences with us. If anyone wishes to contact Gail regarding the raw diet, Gail can be reached at Rythm Kennels - link to webpage - or via email : [email protected]
Next Issue : The comparison !!
Herman and Betty have finally completed their homework and compiled a comparison of some of the top commerical dog foods - See the chart and compare !!
A new wet food Tripett - offering canned tripe - made in Canada. Herman and Betty have been trying this out for a month - see what they think ..
A new wet food Tripett - offering canned tripe - made in Canada. Herman and Betty have been trying this out for a month - see what they think ..
Plus a look at Scenting, dog Life Jackets and more !!!
Stay tuned and come back soon !