What a day ..

[steve_r34]

Wow...this thread go derailed quick...:/. Nice rack, cute puppy.

sent from my incubator

Its ok ... don't matter to me as long as everybody keeps the peace don't matter what we talk about ... I tell u what today is feeding day for my boys and i have no rats witch means i must go buy some .. this dam rat breedi g thing is getting annoying .. its like something always goes wrong or i dont plan it out right .. im getting fustrated

[sorraia]

Again, all I can vouch for is what my vet told me. He treats my dogs, cats, horses, donkey, reptiles, and parrot. The recipe I gave is the one he uses, and he cautioned me against ever feeding raw. He said all it takes is one bad batch, and you've got a very sick dog that could end up fighting for it's life. He said you can eliminate the risk by cooking the meat, and it is just as healthy. I'm going to heed his warning, and continue cooking the meat for my pups. I'm glad raw works for you, but I'm unwilling to risk it and will continue to play it safe.

"Cooking meat takes out all of the essential nutrients and proteins out of meat. Feeding a properly balanced raw diet is actually the best diet for any carnivore."

And I'm not sure how true that statement can be. I'm definitely not a nutritionist, a doctor, or a vet, but I do know people are carnivores. We eat meat all the time, and as far as I know there is no doctor alive that recommends a person eat raw beef, chicken, turkey, or pork. And yet we are able to get the protein and nutrients we need from them after cooking. I know some of the nutrients are lost in the cooking process, but I highly doubt all of them are. If that were true we would all be severely nutrient deficient.

Again, if raw works for you, I'm glad. I'm glad you're happy with it, and I'm glad your animals enjoy it. To each their own.

I'm not trying to argue, just wanted to throw out a few things.

My dogs have dug up and eaten dead rotting things they find. That's far dirtier and germier than any raw meat I'd ever feed them, and they do fine. Yeah, I try to stop them from doing this, but many times it's down the hatch before I even realize it's a dead thing in their mouth and not a stick they are chewing on (that's how degraded some of these things have been... yuck!). Dogs also routinely eat feces. Since you have horses, I'm sure you've seen your dogs eat horse manure? They seem to think it's a delicacy. Feces of any kind contain a LOT of bacteria...

As for people... people aren't carnivores, they are herbivores. But people DO eat raw meat, and all kinds of other things we in the United States would find strange. It varies by culture. Fermented fish and salted fish (uncooked even), birds' nests, unhatched chicks, insects, arachnids, all different kinds of organs, blood, rotten and fermented shark meat, and so on. In some cultures and countries, meat that is cooked beyond medium rare is considered "ruined", and just not served at all, period. If it's still cool and bloody (essentially "raw", just slightly seared on the outside), it's perfect. I've known some people who actually have consumed raw meat, that has not even been seared on the outside. It's something our culture doesn't do. Doesn't necessarily mean it's dangerous, it's just something that's not done. Can it be dangerous? Absolutely, if the meat has been improperly handled it certainly can be fatal. So can improperly handled vegetables (produce is actually one of the top sources of salmonella poisoning, due to how the plants may have been fertilized and handled between field and table).

So again, not trying to argue, just throwing out a few thoughts.

[TexanLady]

My dogs spend far more time rolling around in horse manure than eating it. Cat poop covered in litter? They devour it! I can't seem to keep them out of the litter box. I'm aware some people eat different things. I myself love sushi and a lot of different Korean foods, but I don't think I could ever eat raw beef, chicken or pork. Some of it is probably that I was born and raised in Texas, but a lot of it is my fear of e coli. I know eating raw is gaining popularity. I've even read some of the blogs of people that have switched over to completely raw diets, but to me it sounds like an unnecessary risk. Odds are you probably won't get sick, but there is always that chance. And with my crappy insurance I need to avoid any illness unless I want to be paying for it.

[TexanLady]

And I think people are classified as omnivores due to the fact we have canines and eat both meat and plants. We'd only be herbivores if we were incapable of eating meat.

[sorraia]

And I think people are classified as omnivores due to the fact we have canines and eat both meat and plants. We'd only be herbivores if we were incapable of eating meat.

LOL That's what I get for checking the forums when I'm at work!
I really did mean omnivore...... I'm working on a vegetation list for my job (biologist), so I guess I have plants on the brain!

And I'm in the same boat when it comes to eating raw meat... I won't even eat sushi, including the kind that is seared or cooked! I'm not so much afraid of bacterial infection (I suspect I'm far more likely to pick up something from my job than I am from what I eat... parasites included!) as it is a texture thing for me.

[200xth]

Dogs can definitely eat raw meat, but humans could, too, if we had to. At this point in our developments, dogs are better suited for it.

Heat removes some of the nutrients. The upside is, it kill some parasites, bacteria, etc. The tradeoff has been beneficial for humans in the long run.

Personally, I think you can feed your dog either. (Actually, I know you can, because I've done it for my dogs and cats.)

[KING JAMES]

"Cooking meat takes out all of the essential nutrients and proteins out of meat. Feeding a properly balanced raw diet is actually the best diet for any carnivore."

And I'm not sure how true that statement can be. I'm definitely not a nutritionist, a doctor, or a vet, but I do know people are carnivores. We eat meat all the time, and as far as I know there is no doctor alive that recommends a person eat raw beef, chicken, turkey, or pork. And yet we are able to get the protein and nutrients we need from them after cooking. I know some of the nutrients are lost in the cooking process, but I highly doubt all of them are. If that were true we would all be severely nutrient deficient.

Again, if raw works for you, I'm glad. I'm glad you're happy with it, and I'm glad your animals enjoy it. To each their own.

I would almost be willing to argue that the majority of us are severely nutrient deficient. Look at the general population..skin problems, overweight, losing hair, lethargic, and sick all the time LOL

[steve_r34]

This deff turned into the raw meat war .. lol ...

[TexanLady]

"I would almost be willing to argue that the majority of us are severely nutrient deficient. Look at the general population..skin problems, overweight, losing hair, lethargic, and sick all the time LOL"

King James, you are so right! I was feeling like crap about five years ago. My hair was thinning, I constantly had headaches, body aches, and couldn't sleep. Got tested for everything under the sun and the doctors couldn't tell me what was wrong. Thousands of dollars later and my friend's mom suggested I cut fast food and cokes out of my diet completely for 60 days and see what happened. I lost 17 pounds and felt better than I had in years! Not to mention I ended up saving about $500. Since then I try to eat as little processed food as possible. I ditched the cokes in favor of making iced tea (it is drunk year round in my little part of the world). Instead of buying green beans in a can I get fresh ones and steam them. Instead of buying pasta sauce I make my own and jar it. I don't get the microwaveable chicken nuggets anymore, and instead eat grilled chicken. It's amazing how awful processed food makes us feel and we aren't even aware of it. Switching to a fresh diet has done wonders for me. I used to have to take some ibuprofen every day just to be able to function, but since switching to a fresh diet I now only take them a few times a year. Best advice I ever got ... and it WASN'T from a doctor!