Yeah, but ....

I would add that if grinding is what it takes to make you comfortable with feeding fresh raw food, then grind away!

 Quote: michael_wise

There is even documentation from zoo researchers that soft food helps the disease take hold and progress..........but I'm sure they also have documentation of choking and bone shard incidents and deaths.

When I took Oscar to the doggie dentist for his root canal (broken molar due to marrow bone incident) she told me that she used to serve as appointed dentist for the animals at a local zoo. Zoo keepers naturally try to provide food that is as appropriate for each animal as possible, and the hyenas were getting a lot of whole legs of lamb and similar "bone-in" chunks of mammal meat. Well, after years of multiple serious fractures (requiring root canals), and even repeat repairs to those root canals, the zoo decided that the risks of that particular mode of raw feeding were too great (most likely in terms of expense AND stress to the animals from every dental procedure that needed doing), and they stopped feeding meat with bones in it. In this particular case, I would probably agree with the zoo's decision, just as I stopped giving Oscar marrow bones - knowing what I now do about his chewing style, the risk of another bad tooth fracture is far scarier to me than the little extra buildup of plaque on his teeth that bone gnawing would probably help keep off. Other people side on the complete opposite side of that issue though, and I would never chastise anyone for their choice.

 Quote: michael_wise

Still, I think there are so many "maybe's" in life that you just have to pick what feels best to you.

It's all about weighing personal factors, and each circumstance is unique.

~Natalya

 Quote: connie sutherland

Yeah, but ....

I would add that if grinding is what it takes to make you comfortable with feeding fresh raw food, then grind away!

A big "YES!!" to that!

~Natalya

 Quote: Michael_Wise

Grinding, IMO:wink:, completely negates all the tooth cleaning effects of gnawing and tearing in to raw meat and bones. Essentially giving it the same poor tooth cleaning quality of kibble or canned food.

E.T.A. If there is a medical problem that makes grinding a must, then I agree 100% with grinding.

I have to disagree. My GSD is 7 years old and has been raw fed for the last 3 years. She has some staining on her teeth from kibble fed years, but no buildup and has never had a dental cleaning. She also does not chew on recreational bones and doesn't chew anything that could be cleaning her teeth. She probably has a whole RMB meal once or twice every three months. She does have EPI, which is the reason she eats ground meats. My other GSD is 3 years old, ate kibble for the first year of her life, and her teeth are spotless white and no cleaning has ever been done. She eats ground meats simply because it is easier to feed the same thing to both dogs.

That said - I do think whole RMBs are just fine lol.

I'm too lazy to grind.

 Quote: Nora Ferrell

I'm too lazy to grind.

You crack me up, Nora.

 Quote: sam fain

I was looking on google for "raw diet bone meat ratio" (didn't have time to read through the forum again), and happened to hit upon an anti-raw site: http://www.secondchanceranch.org/rawmyth.htm

Sam. I can't believe that I completely forgot about the rebuttal to that website.

Sorry it took me a day, but here you go.:smile:

http://rawfed.com/myths/rebuttal.html

 Quote: Michael_Wise

I can't believe that I completely forgot about the rebuttal to that website.

Sorry it took me a day, but here you go.:smile:

http://rawfed.com/myths/rebuttal.html

Good call Michael.

~Natalya

 Quote: Natalya Zahn

 Quote: Michael_Wise

I can't believe that I completely forgot about the rebuttal to that website.

Sorry it took me a day, but here you go.:smile:

http://rawfed.com/myths/rebuttal.html

Good call Michael.

~Natalya

You shoulda been in my head the moment I remembered it.

Pretty sure I heard angels singing in perfect harmony.........

Alrighty...how about pressure cooking? Bones are soft, pressure cooking is supposed to minimize the loss of vitamins and minerals, so it would be a bridge for those who want to feed bones but are afraid of splintering, food is "cooked" but still valuable as having minerals and vitamins, and not that labor intensive? Am I wrong? If so, let me know.

AND, to be honest, I am now afraid to go back to raw edible bones because Hambone was choking on his dinner and I had to dog a doggy Heimlich on him...terrified me that I was going to lose my boy to a bone after all the crap he is going through.

NOT said to discourage anyone, but it is a fact that it can happen. So, pressure cooking a viable action?